What is Mesalamine?
Category: Prescription Drugs
Most popular types: Pentasa Lialda Asacol Show all
Mesalamine, a derivative of 5-aminosalicylic acid, is an anti-inflammatory agent. It can be used to treat ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. It can be taken orally or applied rectally to help treat the inflammation associated with these conditions.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crohn's disease | 2637 | 116 | |
| Ulcerative colitis | 1170 | 119 | |
| Microscopic colitis | 8 | 7 | |
| Diarrhea | 5 | 5 | |
| Bowel irritability | 3 | 1 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 13 | |
| Moderate | 30 | |
| Mild | 35 | |
| None | 173 |
Why patients stopped taking Mesalamine
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Did not seem to work | 109 | |
| Doctor's advice | 67 | |
| Side effects too severe | 40 | |
| Other | 34 | |
| Course of treatment ended | 19 | |
| Expense | 18 | |
| Personal research | 11 | |
| Change in health plan coverage | 10 |
Duration
Stopped taking Mesalamine
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 48 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 42 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 21 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 28 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 21 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 21 | |
| 10 years or more | 19 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Mesalamine after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Sulfasalazine (Salazopyrin) | 15 | |
| Mesalamine (Pentasa) | 6 | |
| Azathioprine (Imuran) | 4 | |
| Balsalazide (Colazal) | 4 | |
| Infliximab (Remicade) | 2 |
Patients stopped taking Mesalamine and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Sulfasalazine (Salazopyrin) | 11 | |
| Adalimumab (Humira) | 10 | |
| Infliximab (Remicade) | 10 | |
| Azathioprine (Imuran) | 9 | |
| Mesalamine (Pentasa) | 6 |
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