Treating Ulcerative Colitis With Mesalamine

Many people with ulcerative colitis take mesalamine to lower inflammation in their colon and ease their symptoms. It comes in the form of pills, suppositories, and enemas and can be adjusted to your specific needs.

Mesalamine can help adults and children over 5 years old with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis symptoms. It may be the first medicine your doctor prescribes to prevent and treat symptom flare-ups.

Most people who take mesalamine find that their symptoms improve. Some even achieve complete remission, which means you have few or no symptoms. It usually takes one to six weeks to start seeing improvement, so if you don't get relief quickly, be patient.

Some people on mesalamine experience side effects such as muscle pain, achy joints, nausea, and vomiting. Mesalamine causes extra sensitivity, so you should avoid too much sun exposure. Be careful when using it with another medication. This may cause more side effects and lower effectiveness. Talk to your doctor to find the right treatment plan for you.

While mesalamine works for most people, it's not safe for everyone. If you're allergic to aspirin or sulfasalazine, have stomach or intestinal blockages, or have any skin, heart, liver, or kidney condition, you should avoid it.. Always share your medical history with your doctor before starting this medication.