The Pills we take for Crohns, Colitis and IBS...

Here is a list of the most common medications prescibed along with detailed info.





1. Prednisone (Steroids) is a synthetic corticosteroid drug that is particularly effective as an immunosuppressant, and affects virtually all of the immune system. It is used to treat certain inflammatory diseases and (at higher doses) cancers, but has significant adverse effects. It is usually taken orally but can be delivered by intramuscular injection or intravenous injection.

Usually used to stabilise your conditions during a flare-up.

....detailed drug info including side effects etc can be found here

2. Azathioprine is a drug that suppresses the immune system.Azathioprine is used in organ transplantation and autoimmune disease. Some of the autoimmune diseases are rheumatoid arthritis, pemphigus, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (such as Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis), multiple sclerosis, autoimmune hepatitis and restrictive lung disease.

Azathioprine interferes with the synthesis of purines (adenine and guanine), which is required for DNA synthesis. Fast-growing cells, including T-cells and B-cells, are particularly affected by the inhibition of purine synthesis.

Used more long-term instead of steroids due to there being less side-effects.

....detailed drug info including side effects etc can be found here



3. Infliximab (Remicade) is a monoclonal antibody against TNFα. It is used to treat autoimmune diseases.

Infliximab has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of psoriasis, Crohn's disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis. Remicade won its initial approval by the FDA for the treatment of Crohn's disease in August 1998.

Infliximab works by binding to tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). TNFα is a chemical messenger (cytokine) and a key part of the autoimmune reaction. Originally, it was assumed that Infliximab works by blocking the action of TNFα by preventing it from binding to its receptor in the cell, and for the action of infliximab in reumatoid arthritis this still seems to be true. Another TNFα-neutralizing medication,however, Enbrel is worse than a placebo in Crohn's disease and thus TNFα-neutralisation is not responsible for its powerful action in the latter disease.

Very expensive, so generally used infrequently and when you are failing to respond to Steroids.

....detailed drug info including side effects etc can be found here



4. Mesalazine also known as Mesalamine (USAN) or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), is an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat inflammation of the digestive tract ulcerative colitis and mild to moderate Crohn's disease. 5-ASA produces this effect at least partly through modulation of the endocannabinoid system by means of elevating anandamide levels in the gut. Mesalazine is a bowel-specific aminosalicylate drug that acts locally in the gut and has its predominant actions there, thereby having few systemic side effects. As a derivative of salicylic acid, 5-ASA is also an antioxidant that traps free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of metabolism.

Used for mild symptoms and retain remission, also used in conjucntion with Azathioprine and Prednisone.

....detailed drug info including side effects etc can be found here