Crohn’s disease Medications
Medications
There are several types of OTC and prescription medicines available for Crohn’s treatment. It is common to use over-the-counter anti-diarrheal and anti-inflammatory medicines. More advanced treatment options include biologics that use the immune system of the body to treat the disease.
Which medicines or combinations of drugs you need depend on your symptoms, history of your disease, the severity of your disease, and how your body will respond to therapy.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
Doctors are using oral 5-aminosalicylates and corticosteroids as the two main types of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat Crohn’s flare-ups. Anti-inflammatory drugs are usually the first line of defense an affected person should take for the treatment of Crohn’s disease.
Typically, you can take prescription drugs when you have mild symptoms with rare disease flares. For more severe symptoms, corticosteroids are used, but should only be used for a short time.
- Immunomodulators
The overactive immune system causes inflammation of the intestinal tract that contributes to Crohn’s disease symptoms. Immunomodulators are the drugs that affect the immune system – they can reduce the response to inflammation and limit the reaction of your immune system.