Several conditions are classified as inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis. This disease inflames your digestive system, specifically your intestines, which causes internal sores or ulcers. This can produce such symptoms as diarrhea and pain in your abdominal region. The Mayo Clinic reports that as yet there is no cure for ulcerative colitis, but treatments are available for the symptoms.
Anti-Inflammatories
The most common medications prescribed in the treatment of ulcerative colitis symptoms are anti-inflammatories. One of the more effective drugs is Azulfidine (generic: sulfasalazine). The problem with this medication, the Mayo Clinic states, is that it produces several side effects that may be similar to the disease, such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, headaches and heartburn. The next set of drugs has fewer side effects and may be administered as suppositories or oral medicines. These include Dipentum (generic: olsalazine), Colazal (generic: balsalazide) and Asacol or Rowasa (generic: mesalamine). The most commonly used is mesalamine, the Mayo Clinic reports, because it can produce results in the largest percentage of ulcerative colitis sufferers. Corticosteroids also may be prescribed to treat symptoms. The most common of these is prednisone. The downside of corticosteroids is that they only can be used for a short time before they begin to suppress your immune system. They also can make you gain weight, increase your blood pressure, induce Type II diabetes and osteoporosis and make you more apt to get infections.
Immunity Suppressors
These types of medicines work to suppress your immune system, which in turn decreases inflammation. These medications include Remicade (generic: infliximab) may be prescribed for those people for whom other treatments do not work. It functions by suppressing TNF or tumor necrosis factor, a protein in your blood. This prevents TNF from inflaming your intestines. Purinethol (generic: mercaptopurine) and Imuran and Azasan (generic: azathioprine) also are immunosuppressants but have an effect over a longer period. Your physician may prescribe these with corticosteroids. Another medication that is used when you do not feel much of an effect from other drugs is Gengraf (generic: cyclosporine), also sold as Sandimmune and Neoral. This drug may be a last resort before surgery because, while it works, it also can cause infections that may be fatal as well as kidney damage, and it has the potential to cause cancer, the Mayo Clinic reports.
Antibiotics
While antibiotics do not directly control ulcerative colitis symptoms, they may be prescribed if you have an associated fever. This is done typically to either control or prevent infection.
Anti-diarrheals and Iron Supplements
These types of medications---including methylcellulose, psyllium and loperamide--- may be used to treat indirect symptoms of the disease. These typically are used for moderate or mild forms of the disease. Iron supplements may be used to make up for a depletion of iron if your intestines bleed chronically.
Pain Relievers and Nicotine Patches
Analgesic pain relievers, typically acetaminophen, may be used for pain that is mild. However, while non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have become common for pain relief, the Mayo Clinic recommends against using them for ulcerative colitis because they can aggravate your symptoms. Transdermal patches of nicotine---most often used to help with smoking cessation---also may be used for flare-ups of ulcerative colitis that are relatively short.
