• Mild-moderate active ulcerative colitis:
    • Adults: PO 800mg TDS *6/52 OR PO 1.6g TDS
    • Children >5 years:
      • 17-33kg: PO 36-71mg/kg/day divided BD *6/52. Max 1.2g/day
      • 33- <54 kg: PO 37-61mg/kg/day divided BD *6/52. Max 2g/day
      • 54-90 kg: PO 27-44mg/kg/day divided BD *6/52. Max 2.4 g/day
  • Remission maintenance of ulcerative colitis:
    • PO 1.6g/day in divided doses
  • Crohn’s disease (Off-label):
    • PO 1.6g TDS
  • Tablet:
    • 400mg
    • 500mg
    • 800mg
    • 1g
    • 2g
  • To be taken 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals

5-aminosalicyclic acid, anti-inflammatory agent

It is thought to block cyclooxygenase and inhibit prostaglandin production in the colon, exerting local anti-inflammatory effects

  • Eructation
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nasopharyngitis
  • Constipation
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Diarrhea
  • Back pain
  • Rash
  • URI (peds patients)
  • Vomiting
  • Anemia (peds patients)
  • Infection
  • Dyspepsia
  • Flu syndrome
  • Nausea
  • Colitis exacerbation
  • Flatulence
  • Elevated ALT/AST
  • Fatigue (peds patients)
  • Arthralgia
  • GI bleeding
  • Paresthesia
  • Vision changes
  • Nervousness
  • Urinary frequency
  • Photosensitivity
  • Hypersensitivity to salicylates
  • Influenza, varicella, or febrile viral infection (patients <20 years old)
  • Upper GI obstruction risk
  • Cidofovir
  • Live varicella vaccine

                          Drug Status

Availability Prescription only
Pregnancy Category B
Breastfeeding Use with caution
Schedule Not controlled
BRAND NAME STRENGTH FORMULATION PACK SIZE MANUFACTURER DISTRIBUTOR
Mesacol 400mg Tablet 50’s Sun Pharma Sun Pharma
Mesla 800mg Tablet 30’s Innocia Lifesciences Wessex Pharma
Pentasa 500mg Tablet 100’s Ferring International Macnaughton Ltd
Pentasa 1g Tablet 100’s Ferring International Macnaughton Ltd
Pentasa Xtend 2g Sachet 100’s Ferring International Macnaughton Ltd