Mesalazine Side Effects

Also called mesalamine, mesalazine is a prescription rectal suppository used to treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Despite its effectiveness, mesalazine poses a risk for side effects in some patients.
  1. Types of Common Side Effects

    • Common side effects of mesalazine include dizziness, rectal pain, fever, rash, acne and inflammation of the colon.

    Features: Hair Loss

    • Fewer than 1 percent of patients who use mesalazine experience minor hair loss or an increased amount of hair loss due to normal combing or brushing. This does not lead to bald patches and stops when treatment with mesalazine ends.

    Risks

    • Infrequently, patients develop a shortage of blood platelets or white blood cells after taking mesalazine for several months. These blood deficiencies cause easy bruising or bleeding and an increased incidence of bacterial, viral and fungal infections, respectively.

    Warning

    • It is possible to have a potentially serious sensitivity to mesalazine, causing severe abdominal cramping or headaches, bloody diarrhea and skin rashes. If you develop any of these symptoms, seek medical attention.

    Considerations

    • Because there is not yet sufficient evidence that mesalazine has no unwanted effects upon the fetus, doctors typically do not prescribe the drug for pregnant women. If you have a history of kidney dysfunction or disease, you are at an increased risk of developing side effects from mesalazine or experiencing sudden kidney failure.

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