Asacol

What is Asacol?

Asacol is a drug used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. It was approved by the FDA in 1997. It is used sometimes on its own and sometimes together with steroid drugs.

Because the sulphonamide group in sulfasalazine, which is used in inflammatory bowel disease, causes allergy in some patients, that group has been taken out and the 5-ASA group, whose anti-inflammatory effect is greatest, has been brought to the fore in this drug. Each Asacol tablet contains 400 mg of 5-ASA.

Each Asacol tablet is enteric-coated and does not open before it reaches the last part of the small bowel, the terminal ileum. It is thought to act locally rather than throughout the body.

Asacol is not a steroid drug and is not habit-forming. It does not reduce the sperm count in men, as sulfasalazine does.

Dose

There is no one dose of treatment that is the same for everyone. Two to eight 400 mg doses a day by mouth are generally enough; the daily dose can rise as far as twelve. The doses have to be taken regularly, without interruption.

What are the side effects?

More than 5 million prescriptions for this drug have been written in the USA and Canada, and the side effects are generally mild and reversible; very uncommonly the drug has to be stopped. Rises in the liver enzymes without any complaints return to normal even though the drug is not stopped.

Patients may have severe headaches, rashes, unexplained high fever and purple spots on the skin. Complaints such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness and mild headache call for no treatment.

Do not take Asacol if you are allergic to aspirin or if you have untreated peptic ulcer disease. Although there is no information showing that Asacol is harmful in pregnancy, tell your doctor without fail if you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant.