What are the treatments for Crohn's disease?

Answer 1

The most common treatments for inducing remission in Crohn's disease continue to be oral or intravenous corticosteroid medications such as prednisone. They also have a role in managing less severe disease and in treating small bowel involvement. Steroids are used for short-term therapy and other medications are used to maintain remission following steroids. Steroids work by reducing inflammation throughout the body and thus long-term use is associated with many side effects like osteoporosis, Diabetes, and hypertension. Promising results have been obtained with the use of budesonide (Entocort), a corticosteroid with high topical anti-inflammatory activity and low systemic activity. This medication, though costly, can reduce the intestinal inflammation while minimizing the side effects that would be commonly experienced with prednisone.

Another category of drugs often used in Crohn's disease are the 5-aminosalicylates such as mesalamine (Asacol, Pentasa), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), and balsalazide (Colazal). These medicines are quite safe, but may require large doses.

Immunomodulatory drugs such as azathioprine (Imuran, Azasan), 6-mercaptopurine (Purinethol), or methotrexate are often effective in maintaining remission of Crohn's disease. These medications are used long-term and require monitoring to prevent adverse effects. They work by changing the way certain inflammatory cells in the intestinal lining respond to inflammatory triggers.

Infliximab (Remicade) is another powerful anti-inflammatory drug that blocks the action of a specific molecule called tumour necrosis factor (TNF), this is a key mediator of the inflammatory process in Crohn's disease. It is indicated for perianal Crohn's disease or intestinal disease not responding to the usual first-line medications. This drug is actually a synthetic antibody and is given as an intravenous infusion for both induction and maintenance of remission. Important side effects of this medication are infusion reactions (rash, fever) and, rarely, serious infections. Other medications known as biologicals, of which infliximab is one, are being studied and may emerge as viable therapies for Crohn's disease in the future.

Answer 2

Getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step. From that point there are numerous ways your bowel disease team can offer relief. Both diet and medicine aid the patient with an active flare up. Nothing cures Crohn's so be aware of the on-line scams for a cure.