Medicines to Treat Crohn's Disease

Definition

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory pathology of the gastrointestinal tract: it can affect one or more sections from the mouth to the anus, although the final tract of the small intestine and the colon are the preferred targets of the disease.

Causes

The etiological research of Crohn's disease still remains an unknown: however, it has been observed that the anomalous and continuous activation of the immune system of the intestinal mucosa is a consequence of alterations caused by Crohn's disease in the digestive tract. Etiological hypothesis: immune alteration, environmental factors, genetic predisposition.

Symptoms

Symptoms vary, but generally include: asthenia, diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal, joint and perianal pain, perianal fistula, fever, blood in the stool (proctorrhagia), steatorrhea and vomiting.

Diet

Natural Cures

The information on Crohn's Disease - Crohn's Disease Treatment Medicines is not intended to replace the direct relationship between healthcare professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Crohn's Disease - Crohn's Disease Medicines.

Medicines

Crohn's disease can be treated with drugs, or surgically, when medical therapy is unsuccessful. Unfortunately, there is still no effective and definitive cure; the various treatments available, certainly useful for dampening inflammation and alleviating related symptoms and disorders, must be customized according to the individual patient, given that the response often varies from individual to individual.

Antibiotics

Metronidazole (eg Flagyl, Metronidazole SAME): for acute forms, it is recommended to take 250 mg of active ingredient orally every 6 hours. Continue the treatment for a period ranging from 4 to 8 weeks; when the drug is not effective, stop the therapy and change the active ingredient. Consult your doctor.
Ciprofloxacin (eg Ciprofloxac, Samper): the drug is a quinolone derivative capable of carrying out its therapeutic activity with a suppressive - selective effect on the intestinal flora. It is recommended to take the drug in combination with metronidazole (active Crohn's disease). Take 1 gram daily for 3-6 weeks, as prescribed by your doctor.

Corticosteroids

Cortisone (prednisone: eg. Deltacortene, Lodotra), for moderate forms. Take 5 to 60 mg orally (divided from 1 to 4 doses per day), for 4 weeks.
Budesonide (eg Biben, Pulmaxan): it is recommended to administer 9 mg of active ingredient per day (preferably in the morning) for 8 weeks. The dosage can be reduced to 6 mg per day during the two weeks preceding the end of therapy. It is also recommended to take another 6 mg per day of drug for the three months following the first cycle (maintenance therapy). For children of 6 years or older, it is recommended to take 9 mg per day for a variable period. 7 to 8 weeks; at the end of the first cycle, continue with 6 mg / day for 3-4 weeks.

Aminosilicates

Sulfasalazine (eg Salazopyrin EN): is a drug combined with 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and sulfapyridine. For the treatment of acute forms, a starting dose of 500 mg (orally) 2-4 times a day is recommended (take the drug on a full stomach). For the maintenance dose, administer 3-4 g of drug divided into several doses per day. The duration of therapy must be determined by the doctor.
Mesalazine or 5-aminosalicylic acid (eg Asacol, Claversal): useful in the treatment and prevention of relapses of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It acts as an anti-inflammatory against the intestinal mucosa. Oral administration of one 500 mg tablet three times a day on an empty stomach is recommended; alternatively, a suppository of 500 mg three times a day is recommended (for affections affecting the rectum). It is preferable to take this drug as an alternative to sulfapyridine, to avoid the side effects of this last molecule (sulfonamide component).

Immune System Suppressors: Patients who do not respond to the therapies listed above will need to use immune system suppressants:

Azathioprine (eg. Azathiopirine, Immunoprin): it is recommended to administer 1.5-4 mg / kg per day for a variable period, which must be established by the doctor (in some patients, only 10 days of treatment are required, in others even 52 weeks).
Ciclosporin A (eg Sandimmun Neoral): take 4mg / kg per day by continuous intravenous route. The dose should be reduced gradually; therapy should generally be continued for 7-14 days. Maintenance therapy (3-6 months) is also important. Although effective in fistulising Crohn's disease, this drug is generally prescribed for ulcerative colitis.
Methotrexate (eg. Methotrexate) 25 mg of drug is recommended, to be administered once a week, by intramuscular injection.

Latest generation drugs

Recently, some drugs able to block the action of molecules involved in inflammatory processes have been reported in therapy:

Infliximab (eg Remicade): is a monoclonal antibody that is administered by IV route at a dosage of 5mg / kg per day for one week; follow with maintenance therapy (5mg / kg every 8 weeks for the treatment of active or fistulising Crohn's disease). The dosage can be increased up to 10 mg / kg, according to the physician's instructions.

When the patient suffering from Crohn's disease does not benefit from medical treatment alone, it is necessary to resort to surgery, especially in conjunction with complications such as abscesses, fistulas, perforation and stenosis.

Given their state of malnutrition, Crohn's disease patients should follow a high-calorie diet, with the addition of vitamins and mineral salts, albeit light, without milk and derivatives, and low in waste, fatty meats, foods that are difficult to digest or rich in food coloring.