What is the least invasive drug for UC?

Any of the mesalamines generally, which are the first line of drugs for UC. Mesalamine is an anti-inflammatory drug that works topically on your colon/various parts of your intestines. Some people have allergic reactions, some people have side effects that make them worse, but the majority seem to do perfectly fine on them for years. I'm taking the maximum dose of lialda right now, a type of mesalamine drug, and I haven't had any bad reactions to it.

They are a pretty safe drug. If you can maintain remission on those, it's probably the most ideal situation when it comes to UC. That's not to say that you can't maintain a good remission or have good quality of life on the more powerful drugs, but the higher up the drug ladder you go, the more risks you face with side effects.

Best of luck with everything! Sorry you had to join the club.

Agree. Mesalamine are probably the safest drugs for keeping UC in remission. Even Safer are natural remedies which help such as Boswellia, Turmeric, ProBiotics ,Aloe Vera and anti-inflammatory foods. These can help you to keep Mesalamine dose lower and thus,further reducing side effects. (Its just my Opinion) I am in remission with 2 tabs of Apriso along with all the above natural stuff.

While we all want to be on the least harmful drugs possible, its critical to keep in mind that even the most dangerous drugs for UC (minus maybe prednisone) are much safer than being in a constant flare, or even in a constant cycle of flares. The risks with these drugs for serious side effects like cancer are in the range of 0.001% while the risk for colon cancer can be as high as 40 - 50%

Least invasive or least harmful, lol, those are two different questions in my mind. The most invasive (rectal meds) seem to be the least harmful, lol.

The answer to this question is 5-ASA drugs. Plain and simple.

If they don't work, then there are various different options to consider, and as long as you do your research and think things through, you shouldn't be afraid of the other medicinal options you could pick from. There aren't many side effects anywhere as severe and dangerous as prolonged inflammation, which raises the risk for colon cancer and which raises the risk of surgical complications, if things ever come down to that. Statistically speaking, colitis is much more terrifying than the potential and rare side effects of current treatments.

Tunnelvisionary said...

Marauder93 said...
While we all want to be on the least harmful drugs possible, its critical to keep in mind that even the most dangerous drugs for UC (minus maybe prednisone) are much safer than being in a constant flare, or even in a constant cycle of flares. The risks with these drugs for serious side effects like cancer are in the range of 0.001% while the risk for colon cancer can be as high as 40 - 50%

Hey Marauder, would you mind linking me to where you got those numbers?

Sure! I needed to do this research for a project last year so I have the papers. Let me see if I can dig them up!

I believe the least invasive drug for UC is the placebo... the clinical trials all document this effect, as some percentage of patients heal from severe UC pathology by taking just this. They just have to believe they are taking the real thing.

Perhaps there is something very, very special about the sugar pill that heals the body. Maybe it is the sugar that is doing the trick. I know my body loves sugar.

Best.

Isn't the least invasive drug for UC rectal Meds?....of course it depends on your diagnosis, but if you could just use these, I would have thought that's far less invasive than oral Meds?

Some of it has to do with how you define "invasive". I could certainly see how some people could construe putting something up your butt as being invasive. Maybe we need a different word altogether.