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mesalamine question.

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 9/11/2007 4:23 PM (GMT -7)
Hi all,

I have a mesalamine question.  On Saturday at the Guts & Glory walk I was given a Lialda brochure and am interested (I'm currently on Asacol).  My question is what are the differences between the various mesalamines? (Asacol, Pentasa, Lialda, Colazal)

I thought I understood that they released at different points in the intestines but are they the same, just different brand names? 

Thanks for your help.

p.s. the CCFA walk turn out was huge!  I think the number was at least 400 more than last year. 

Posted 9/11/2007 4:30 PM (GMT -7)
Acocrding to the prescribing info, Lialda is released starting in the terminal ileum. The main difference between this and the other mesalamine products is that the capsules contain much larger amounts of mesalamine and is taken once or twice a day.
Posted 9/11/2007 9:33 PM (GMT -7)
Pentasa is released throughout the small intestine, while Asacol is released in the terminal ileum and colon. Lialda, which can be taken only once a day, seems to have been created mainly to compete with Asacol.
Posted 9/11/2007 11:19 PM (GMT -7)
if this is true then why would my doc put me on Pentasa...when all of my Crohns is in the large intestines? Im confused...is he purposely pushing a certain drug

in the past I had been on asacol and colozal...never pentasa which I thought was a ulcerative colitis drug versus a crohns drug
Posted 9/12/2007 1:47 PM (GMT -7)

Pentasa releases throughout the small intestine AND the colon.  Lialda and Asacol release at the end of the small intestine and the colon.  So any of these are suitable for Crohn's in the colon.

As for them some of them being Ulcerative Colitis meds and not Crohn's meds, they're all used for both.  But they're considered mild drugs for Crohn's.

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