Skip navigation
MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You U.S. National Library of MedicineNational Institutes of Health
Contact Us FAQs Site Map About MedlinePlus
español Home Health Topics Drug Information Medical Encyclopedia Dictionary News Directories Other Resources

Other drug names:  A-Am  An-Az  B  C-Ch  Ci-Cz  D-Dh  Di-Dz  E  F  G  H  I-J  K-L  M-Mh  Mi-Mz  N-Nh  Ni-Nz  O  P-Pl  Pm-Pz  Q-R  S-Sn  So-Sz  T-To  Tp-Tz  U-V  W-Z  0-9

Mesalamine  (Oral)

Printer-friendly versionE-mail this page to a friend
Contents of this page:

Brand Names

In the U.S.—

  • Asacol
  • Pentasa

In Canada—

  • Asacol
  • Mesasal
  • Pentasa
  • Salofalk

Other commonly used names are: 5-aminosalicylic acid; 5-ASA; mesalazine.

Category


Description

Mesalamine (me-SAL-a-meen) is used to treat inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis. It works inside the bowel by helping to reduce the inflammation and other symptoms of the disease.

Mesalamine is available only with your doctor's prescription. It is available in the following dosage forms:



Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For mesalamine, the following should be considered:

Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to mesalamine, olsalazine, sulfasalazine, or any salicylates (for example, aspirin). Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy—Mesalamine has not been studied in pregnant women. However, mesalamine has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.

Breast-feeding—Mesalamine may pass into the breast milk. However, this medicine has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children—Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of mesalamine in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults—Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no information comparing use of mesalamine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are using any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other medical problems—The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of mesalamine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:


Proper Use of This Medicine

Swallow the capsule or tablet whole. Do not break, crush, or chew it before swallowing.

Take this medicine before meals and at bedtime with a full glass (8 ounces) of water, unless otherwise directed by your doctor.

Keep taking this medicine for the full time of treatment , even if you begin to feel better after a few days. Do not miss any doses.

Do not change to another brand without checking with your doctor. The doses are different for different brands. If you refill your medicine and it looks different, check with your pharmacist.

Dosing—

The dose of mesalamine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of mesalamine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The number of capsules or tablets that you take depends on the brand and strength of the medicine.

Missed dose—

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage—

To store this medicine:


Precautions While Using This Medicine

It is important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits.

For patients taking the capsule form of this medicine:

For patients taking the tablet form of this medicine:


Side Effects of This Medicine

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Stop taking this medicine and check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. However, check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.


Additional Information

Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although this use is not included in product labeling, mesalamine may be used to treat mild or moderate Crohn's disease and help prevent it from occurring again.

Other than the above information, there is no additional information relating to proper use, precautions, or side effects for this use.


Developed: 03/17/1995
Revised: 08/14/1998

Micromedex, Inc. Disclaimer

Copyright© 2003 Thomson MICROMEDEX. All rights reserved. USP DI® and Advice for the Patient® are registered trademarks of USP used under license to Micromedex, a business of Thomson Healthcare Inc. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.