What is Asacol and when is it used?

The medication you can buy as Asacol is also known as 5-Aminosalicylic acid or Mesalamine. It is an internationally used and produced anti-inflammatory medication with Asacol being nothing more than one of its trade names. This means that if you are prescribed this medication, you can always find a cheaper option simply sold under another name.

The formulation is used for the therapy of such inflammatory bowel diseases such as:
- Nonspecific ulcerative colitis;
- Crohn’s disease.

You can buy Asacol to treat the flare-ups of these conditions or as a prophylaxis to prevent acute stage relapses. The effect of the formulation is due to the inhibition of prostaglandins, chemotaxis, degranulation and phagocytosis of neutrophils, secretion of immunoglobulins by lymphocytes, and antioxidant effect. It also has an antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli and some cocci (manifested in the large intestine).

Asacol contraindications for use

Even people who have the indications for Asacol use sometimes cannot use it since the formulation is able to do more harm than good for them.

For instance, the formulation must not be taken by people with:
- Allergy or increased sensitivity to the formulation and other derivatives of salicylic acid,
- Pronounced impairment of the liver or kidney function;
- Blood diseases;
- Hemorrhagic diathesis,
- Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;

Besides, the medication must not be used during the last 2-4 weeks of pregnancy, during breastfeeding, and in children aged younger than two years.

Asacol use during pregnancy

The formulations based on Mesalamine are contraindicated to be used during the last 2-4 weeks of pregnancy. The use of the medication is strongly not recommended during the first trimesters of pregnancy too but can be appointed if a doctor believes that the benefit for the mother would be bigger than the risks to the fetus.

Asacol dosage and treatment regimen

When you buy generic Asacol, it is wiser to consult your doctor about how you should use the medication since the dosages are usually selected individually and can greatly vary depending on the accompanying conditions and so on. Nevertheless, the label has certain general recommendations which you can find below.
Adults:
- The therapy of acute ulcerative colitis is made with the individually chosen dosages up to 4 grams of the medication a day split into several intakes. Once the acute phase is eliminated, the supportive prophylaxis therapy should be made with up to 2 grams of Mesalamine once a day (the dosage is chosen individually).
- The therapy of Crohn's disease is made with the individually selected dosages up to 4 mg split into several intakes a day.
People of elderly age do not require dosage adjustments if the kidney function in them is not violated.

Children aged older than six years:
- For the therapy of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease in the acute phase, the dosages are chosen individually and are in the range from 30 to 50 mg per kilogram of the body weight per day split into several intakes. The maximum dosage is 75 mg per kg per day split into several intakes. The total daily dosage must not exceed 4 grams.
- Once the acute phases are stopped, the supporting therapy is made with 15-30 mg per kg of the body weight split into several intakes. The maximum daily dosage must be not more than 2 g.
Alternatively, pediatricians usually prescribe children with the body mass below 40 kg a half of the daily dosage for adults and for children with the body mass over 40 kg the full adult dosage.
The tablets should be swallowed entirely without chewing with sufficient amount of water one hour before a meal.
Both in the acute phases and as a maintenance therapy in remission, for the achievement of the desired effect, the tablets must be taken regularly and without interruptions. The duration of the therapy is chosen by a doctor. Usually, the remission of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease occurs within 8-12 weeks of the medication use.

Dosages for children by weight

Adverse reactions reported in two pooled 6-week, placebo-controlled trials experienced by at least 2% of patients in the Asacol group and at a rate greater than placebo

Asacol interactions

There hadn’t been any specific tests of the interaction of Asacol with other medications but due to its specific features, the interactions are possible and the following precautions are included in the label:
- The formulation enhances the ulcer-promoting effect of glucocorticoids, toxicity of methotrexate, hypoglycemic effect of sulfonylurea derivatives, and the anticoagulant effect of anticoagulants.
- The medication can potentially slow down the absorption of cyanocobalamin and weaken the activity of furosemide, spironolactone, and rifampicin.
- The simultaneous use with medications with toxic effect to the kidneys, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, azathioprine or methotrexate, and others can elevate the possibility of adverse effects from the side of kidneys.

If you take any medications when you plan to buy Mesalamine and start using it, you need to talk about it with your medical care provider as only a medical specialist is able to correctly assess the risk associated with the interactions of the medicines you plan to combine and advise you on the dosage adjustments or replacement of one medication with another.

Asacol adverse effects

Any medication is able to cause adverse reactions and Asacol is not an exception. The use of the medicine can be associated with the occurrence of:
- Nausea, heartburn, a decrease in the appetite, pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, bloating, liver and pancreas dysfunction, etc.
- Rapid heartbeat, low or elevated arterial pressure, chest pain, shortness of breath, blood disorders, bleeding, etc.
- Headache, dizziness, sleep disturbance, depression, weakness, seizures, noise in the ears, tremor, etc.
- From the sides of the reproductive and urinary system, can develop oliguria, anuria (urination disorders), and other kidney dysfunctions.
- Allergic reactions include skin rash, bronchospasm, and others.
- Other symptoms include fever, sensitivity to light, hair loss, and others.

Asacol precautions

Do not buy generic Mesalamine if you have severe kidney function impairment.
Before the therapy is started, you should do tests for the urine composition so that your doctor would be able to decide whether your creatinine clearance is sufficient and check if you don’t have proteinuria. If the treatment is appointed since the condition of the kidneys is good but on the course of the therapy the tests show the deterioration of the kidneys’ function, the use of Mesalamine must be immediately stopped. To detect such changes timely, it is recommended to monitor the kidney function in all patients before the therapy, two weeks into the therapy, 2-3 times with four-week intervals, every half of a year or once a year in a therapy that has been continued for five years and more.

Where to buy Asacol?

The pills of this anti-inflammatory medication are taken continuously for years. Therefore, the cheaper is the cost per pill, the better. We offer you to order generic Asacol pills, i.e. the same medication made by another drug-making company than the one that owns the brand Asacol. We sell only qualitative generics made by the most reputable companies such as Sun Pharma, Cipla, and others who are able to provide the highest quality at a low price.

Generic Asacol shipping

Our med store will ship your order to the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and any other country regardless of the fact whether the medication is sold there with or without Rx.

Free prescription
Our doctor prescribes online for free, and there is no doctor’s consultation fee.

Discrete packaging
All orders arrive in discrete unmarked parcels. We leave the shipment description blank.

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