What Is Colazal?
Colazal (balsalazide disodium) is used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory disease of the colon and rectum. Colazal relieves the symptoms of ulcerative colitis, including inflammation, diarrhea and rectal bleeding, but it does not cure the disease.
What is Colazal?
Colazal is the brand name for balsalazide disodium, an anti-inflammatory agent. Colazal is approved for the treatment of mild to moderate UC in adults and children older than 5. The recommended daily dose is 3 750 mg capsules taken 3 times per day for a total dose of 6.75 g. Colazal is usually taken for 8 weeks but may be taken up to 12 weeks.
How Does Colazal Work?
Colazal is a prodrug. A prodrug is an agent that has no effect until it is broken down into its component molecules or is acted on in some way by the body or another agent. Colazal capsules have an enteric coating that enables them to pass through the stomach and small intestine intact. When the capsules reach the colon, the change in pH level dissolves the enteric coating, releasing the drug where it is needed. The drug then undergoes a process called bacterial azoreduction, which breaks apart the balsalazide molecule into 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA or mesalamine), which is the active ingredient, and 4-aminobenzoyl-beta-alanine, which acts only as a carrier and is inactive. 5-ASA is not absorbed by the intestines; instead, it acts directly on the lining of the large intestine to reduce inflammation and consequently the symptoms of ulcerative colitis. How 5-ASA causes inflammation to resolve is unknown.
Side Effects
The most common side effects associated with Colazal are headache, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, respiratory infection and joint pain.
What is Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the colon. Chronic inflammation damages the cells, leading to sores, or ulcers, that eventually bleed and ooze pus. The inflamed colon doesn't function properly and empties too frequently, resulting in diarrhea. The cause of ulcerative colitis is unknown although it is believed to be related to an abnormally functioning immune system that attacks bacteria normally found in the digestive tract. The condition typically occurs between the ages of 15 and 30. Symptoms include anemia, fatigue, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, rectal bleeding and loss of appetite. Symptoms may ease and then flare again. In severe cases, surgery may be required to remove the damaged portions of the colon.
Treatments
Medications containing 5-ASA are the first choice of treatment for ulcerative colitis. Patients who do not respond to 5-ASA agents may need corticosteroids to control inflammation, but corticosteroids are not intended for long-term use. For patients with more severe symptoms or who do not respond to 5-ASA agents or corticosteroids, immunomodulators may be necessary. These agents reduce inflammation by acting on the immune system.
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