Updates

New leaflets about mesalazine for inflammatory bowel disease

January 30, 2012

We have published new leaflets on a medicine called mesalazine, which is used to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These are known as inflammatory bowel diseases.

Children who need mesalazine may be prescribed the medicine in an oral form (as tablets or granules) or in a rectal form (in the rectum, or bottom, as a foam enema, liquid enema or suppositories).

In inflammatory bowel diseases, parts of the large intestine (colon), small intestine, back passage (rectum) and anus become inflamed (red and swollen) and sores (ulcers) may form. This causes symptoms such as diarrhoea (runny poo), pain, stomach cramps and bleeding from the back passage.

Mesalazine reduces the inflammation in the bowels and so reduces the painful symptoms.

Read or download the mesalazine leaflets