Mesalamine & Steroid
Discusses drugs used in inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease namely mesalamine or 5ASA and steroids and is for patients and the public.
This video will attempt to answer the following QUESTIONS;
• What are the common side-effects of mesalamine ?
• What are the common side-effects of steroids ?
• Why is slow release steroids and mesalamine safer ?
• Why are steroids not given for periods longer than 2 to 3 months ?
WORD INDEX:
• Mesalamine or 5 amino-salicyclic acid ( 5 ASA) are drugs that have
anti-inflammatory effect.
• Steroids are drugs that suppress the immune system.
• Slow release drugs are drugs that are slowly released over an extended period of time, and are ideal for drugs that need to be effective at the end of the small intestine or colon.
• Suppository is a medicine in the form of a solid cone or cylindrical shape that is inserted into the rectum.
• Enema is a medicine in a liquid , foam or gel form , that is inserted into the rectum, and can flow all the way to the rectum and part of the colon.
SUMMARY;
• Some side effects of mesalamine are headache, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
• Some side-effects of long term use of steroids are weight gain, moon face, acne, increase in body hair, diabetes, increase in blood pressure, osteoporosis, headache, mood change and sleep problem.
• Drugs given rectally have fewer side effects, than if given orally.
• Slow release drugs are drugs that are slowly released over an extended period of time, and are ideal for drugs that need to be effective at the end of the small intestine or colon. They usually have fewer side-effects.
• Steroids are not given for longer than 2 to 3 months because of the high incidence of serious side effects.
It is the fourth in the series of five videos on inflammatory bowel disease. The videos are easy to understand and tries to use everyday language as far as possible. The videos are full of images and follow a standard format of topic objective, word index, content and summary. Each topic covers diagnosis, investigation, management and prevention. Videos are an average of between 5 to 10 minutes. I created the videos, using my over 30 years of experience in managing patients with gut and liver problems . I am a gastroenterologist and hepatologist and was trained in Edinburgh and Tokyo and have worked in academia and the private sector.
As the adage goes “A picture is worth a thousand words”. I believe combining images and explanations using blackboards, helps one better understand a medical condition. With knowledge, a person gets a better sense of control, and hence is empowered to make informed decisions.
