Has this drug ever been linked to causing lymphoma? How is is different from Asacol?

Asacol and Pentasa are different forms of of the drug mesalamine, which is chemically related to aspirin. (That's why "ASA" is part of the brand name of many of these, similar drugs--"ASA" is the common, medical abbreviation for aspirin.)

Basically, the difference between the two, is that Asacol is a solid tablet, and Pentasa is made up of a capsule filled with specially coated "beads" of the drug. The special coating on the beads is supposed to keep the medicine from being pre-digested until it gets to the part of the digestive tract that is being targeted for treatment. Often, many of the beads will easily be seen in the stool; this is to be expected.

I am not aware of mesalamine drugs being linked to lymphomas. In fact, maintenance use--that is, use even between flares--may help lower the risk of colon cancer in UC patients and some Crohn's patients.

Hope

HI Eileen,

I'm sorry to hear your husband is in such a rough patch of this flare. If it's any consolation I can say that I've been there and while it took time and patience and some work on my part a flare does end and life can and will improve.

Hope has given a good description of the mechanics of Mesalamine so I won't belabor her points. I will say, however, that these meds. take TIME to work. I take Asacol. I started taking it after being diagnosis with UC in 1998. At the time of my Dx I was having 10-30 watery diarrhea BMs per day. Of course, when I started taking the Asacol I wanted it to quell the D immediately. It didn't. I called my doctor and asked why. Basically, the 5-ASA family of drugs, to which both Asacol and Pentasa belong, are used to reduce the inflammation inside the colon. Well, just as it takes time to build-up inflammation it takes time to reduce inflammation. In reality, it took about 5 weeks before I saw a discernable difference from the Asacol, but after that things really did calm. I guess what I'm saying is do be sure to give these meds. the time they need to help.

As for the lymphoma question - Hope is on track there too. My father, who has had UC since his 20s (he's now in his 70s), had not been having any symptoms for nearly 10 years. But, after his routine colonoscopy a few months ago there was some inflammation detected in his colon - even though he had no symptoms. Because of the inflammation his GI put him onto a low dose of Asacol to reduce the inflammation which reduces the chances of it turning into colon cancer. So, I feel very confident in saying that Pentasa does not cause lymphoma.

Good luck to your husband and best wishes to you both.

Cheers,

Elizabeth

I just wanted to let you know i went 10 or more times a day for over 15 yrs. until i had a major problem and ended up in the hospital for 3days then found out i had crohns. I have been on 500mg pentasa 8 pills a day since 4-07 and now i am regular in that department. oh yes i still have really lose stool if i eat the wrong food and there is some side affects but i do not suffer everyday of my life like i did for over 15yrs. also in the start flagyl was given for so many months with this med. I hope this will help you. And i alo took prednisone 40mg a day then slowly reduce down 30,20,10,5 then came off of it. But the three drugs together is what brought my colon back to an even key then i went to just pentasa only.good luck i know your pain.