Crohn’s Disease Medication

There are currently several medications used for Crohn’s disease treatment, and new ones are coming out all the time. Crohn’s disease is a fairly new disease when it comes to treatment; of course, a lot of people who always were said to have IBS probably had some form of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, but as a separately known disease, Crohn’s is a fairly new one.

For this reason, pharmaceutical companies are still coming out with new medications as researchers continue to test options for Crohn’s disease medications. A lot of the medications still have severe side effects and some of the medications currently approved elsewhere in the world are not yet approved in the US by the FDA. Be sure to keep current with your doctor about new medications for Crohn’s disease because there will perhaps be a better option for you near in the future than there is now.

A Few Current Options

Some of the current medications for Crohn’s disease are Asacol, Prednisone, Endocort, Flagyl and Imurel. Each of these medications works slightly differently. Asacol is used primarily to cut down inflammation associated with Crohn’s disease.

Reducing inflammation means reducing pain, an important aspect when considering medications for Crohn’s disease. Side effects for Asacol range from mild to severe headache, nausea and diarrhea.

Prednisone is a synthetic version of an adrenal steroid that our bodies naturally produce. Augmenting levels of this hormone by adding the synthetic version that is Prednisone means an increased means of anti-inflammatory relief. While Prednisone generally works exceptionally well in treating Crohn’s disease, this medication should be taken with caution.

The effects of taking Prednisone can be very severe and can inflict irreversible damage on the human body. If you have to go on Prednisone to get your Crohn’s under control, do so, but do push your doctor to phase it out as soon as possible.

On the other hand, the antibiotic Flagyl has relatively few and mild side effects in comparison with Prednisone. This antibiotic works against bacteria in the intestines that cause and worse symptoms of Crohn’s disease, treating Crohn’s at its source instead of simply relieving some of the symptoms.

There are a few other medication options for Crohn’s disease. Do your research before visiting your doctor so that you can make informed decisions together instead of you blindly accepting his prescription for Prednisone if it is not absolutely essential.