Definition of the Drug Asacol

Asacol is one of the brand names under which the prescription medication mesalamine is sold. Mesalamine is, according to asacol.com, an anti-inflammatory medication derived from sulfasalazine, which is another prescription anti-inflammatory medication.

Uses

• Drugs.com reports that Asacol is used in the treatment of inflammatory intestinal conditions such as ulcerative colitis. It is also used to treat proctitis and proctosigmoiditis, which cause rectal inflammation.

Side Effects

• The side effects of Asacol can include constipation; gastrointestinal problems like nausea, gas, and cramps; fever and headaches.

Dosage

• Asacol.com reports that Asacol is typically prescribed in 400 milligram doses. The medication comes in a tablet form.

Function

• The precise action of the medication is unclear, but it is believed to exert a topical anti-inflammatory action on the intestines, according to asacol.com. It is not believed to have systemic, or whole body, anti-inflammatory properties.

Fertility

• Asacol has also been linked with improvement to sperm count and sperm motility, according to asacol.com. However, the study was very small and the medication would need to be tested on a larger scale to confirm these results.