Why have I been prescribed PENTASA?
You have been prescribed PENTASA for the treatment of your ulcerative colitis.
It contains a substance called mesalazine, which is an anti-inflammatory.
PENTASA reduces inflammation in the gut and may be used when your colitis
symptoms are flaring (when your disease is active) and also to prevent them
from returning (this is also known as maintenance treatment).
6 NB. Images above are not to scale.
Why is it important to take my medication?
People with life-long diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, may not always
take their medicines as instructed by their doctor. This may be due to fear of
possible side effects, feeling much better and therefore thinking the medicine
is no longer necessary or through forgetting to take their medicine.
When your symptoms are bad, and you can feel the effects of the drug, it may
make remembering to take your medicine easier. However, when you feel
better, it may make remembering to take your medicine more difficult. You
may also be tempted to stop taking your medicine or feel disheartened about
having to take your pills every day.
These are all understandable feelings. However, IBD cannot be cured but
can be managed and many studies have shown that continuing to take your
medicine, even when you feel well, helps to reduce the chance of flare ups.
Repeated flare ups can increase the risk of irreversible damage to your
intestines and may lead to complications, such as your colon becoming
stretched and enlarged. Continuing to take your medication may also mean
that you are less likely to need to take more or stronger drugs in the future.
Please contact your healthcare professional if you experience difficulties.
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