Affordable and Popular Medications for Crohn’s and Colitis

6 Popular Crohn’s and Colitis Meds

As we review the most common medications for Crohn’s and colitis, you’ll see one recurring active ingredient. Mesalamine is the most popular drug for treating mild to moderate Crohn’s disease, as well as ulcerative colitis.

Mesalamine is primarily believed to be an anti-inflammatory agent — and Colitis and Crohn’s disease both trigger inflammation in the intestine or colon. Ulcerative colitis, for example, causes increased production of chemicals (known as prostaglandins) which themselves drive increased colon inflammation. Mesalamine may help provide relief by reducing the production of these inflammatory chemicals.

Mesalamine comes in many different formulations. This can allow patients who present with varied symptoms a range of options for treatment.

For example, sometimes Crohn’s and colitis come with chronic symptoms. Other patients suffer recurrent flare-ups. For some, intestinal inflammation could result in sudden diarrhea, while others may experience long-term constipation.

Depending on your symptoms, different formulations of mesalamine may work best. If you or a loved one requires assistance managing colon inflammation, you need to find the prescription medication that works most effectively for your case. NorthWestPharmacy.com is ready to help you save time and money as you work towards your best course of treatment.

Pentasa Cost (Mesalamine)

Pentasa (mesalamine) is an oral medication that may help treat IBD — including both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Its active ingredient is mesalamine, which can help reduce overall inflammation, thus relieving the painful symptoms associated with colitis and Crohn’s.

Inflammation itself may sound innocuous, but colon and intestinal inflammation can lead to a wide range of painful symptoms, including:

By reducing intestinal and colon inflammation, Pentasa may help patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis enjoy a less painful, more regular quality of life.

While dosages may vary, a typical treatment course with Pentasa includes taking one capsule four times daily, with or without food.

In the United States, you can expect to pay $380.00 for 100 pills (250mg) — or a 25 day supply at $3.80 per pill.

Alternatively, you can buy the same amount of Pentasa at NorthWestPharmacy.com for $362.00, or $3.62 per pill.

Delzicol Cost (Mesalamine Delayed-Release)

Delzicol (mesalamine delayed-release) is another oral medication that can help provide relief for IBD.

A delayed-release medication administers the active ingredient on a specific (postponed) schedule. Delzicol has a special enteric coating that allows the medication to go through the harsh, acidic environment within your stomach without being dissolved.

Once it reaches your colon, Delzicol begins to provide relief and support where it’s needed most. As much of the inflammatory pain associated with Crohn’s and colitis occurs in the intestines, this formulation of mesalamine can provide extremely local pain management.

If other less-targeted versions of mesalamine aren’t working well for you, this can be an excellent alternative. It’s also a treatment many doctors prescribe to younger patients (even children) because it’s easy to modify the dosage and treatment schedule for younger bodies.

For adults, a typical schedule of Delzicol is two delayed-release capsules three times per day. This regimen may last up to six weeks at a time.

Delzicol can be a costly drug, with a typical one-month supply (or 180 capsules at 400mg) costing about $820.00 in the United States, or $4.56 per capsule.

To save on your prescription, consider buying Delzicol at NorthWestPharmacy.com instead. Here, you can find the same supply of Delzicol for $730.00, or approximately $4.00 per capsule.

Apriso ER Cost (Mesalamine)

Apriso ER (mesalamine) is an oral medication that delivers the active ingredient in a slightly different way.

Where Delzicol is a delayed release, Apriso ER is an extended one. Delzicol avoids dispersing mesalamine into your system until it hits an inflamed colon. Apriso ER releases a small amount of mesalamine continuously for up to 24 hours.

This release method can ensure there is an anti-inflammatory agent working to soothe your intestines at all times (of course, when Apriso ER is taken as directed). It can also help reduce the side effects of taking mesalamine (which include rectal bleeding, constipation, and diarrhea with mucus), as the amount of drug in your system will be constant over time.

This leads nicely into another benefit of taking Apriso ER: Patients need only take this medication once per day. Many of the other common and effective medications for Crohn’s and colitis require multiple doses per day (as many as four or six separate administrations). This can be a lot to remember and may not fit into every patient’s lifestyle.

By reducing a Crohn’s management treatment regimen to one 4-pill dose per day, Apriso ER further helps enable patients to enjoy a more “normal” quality of life.

Patients who take Apriso ER need to remember to take the tablets whole and refrain from chewing or crushing them. Chewing and crushing will negate the extended-release features of the tablet.

At NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy 120 tablets of Apriso ER, or about a one-month supply, for $730.00.

Asacol Cost (5-AS [Mesalamine Enteric Coated])

Asacol (5-ASA [mesalamine enteric coated]) is a brand of mesalamine that — much like Delzicol — has a special coating that allows the medication to survive its trip through the stomach’s acidic environment.

As a result, Asacol can more effectively treat inflamed or swollen intestines. ‘5-ASA’ refers to the drug class mesalamine belongs to, a class called ‘aminosalicylates.’ These drugs help limit inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract to help control diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

The treatment regimen for Asacol is much like Delzicol. Adults who have moderately active cases of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s will typically take two tablets three times per day.

There are a couple of differences between these two prescription medications:

Asacol’s generic equivalent is widely available in the United States, but even it can be quite expensive. 90 tablets, or just over a two-week supply, of generic mesalamine enteric-coated medication costs about $560.00.

At NorthWestPharmacy.com, you’ll find steep savings of almost 75%. You can buy 90 tablets of generic mesalamine enteric-coated for $142.00.

Canasa EC Tablets (5-ASA [Mesalamine – called Salofalk in Canada])

Canasa EC tablets (5-ASA [mesalamine]) (called Salofalk in Canada) is a tablet taken orally. However, it is made in a few different formats so patients (in conjunction with their doctors) can choose which delivery method is best for them.

The active ingredient is the same as that in Asacol. 5-ASA blocks the enzymes that produce chemicals that cause inflammation in the body. In this case, it’s the bowels we’re most concerned about.

Retail prices for Canasa EC can vary, and you’ll likely find purchasing a generic will save you some money. In the United States, you can purchase 150 tablets of a generic equivalent to Canasa EC for $650.00, or almost $4.50 per tablet.

Instead, consider buying your name brand Canasa EC tablets at NorthWestPharmacy.com, where you can find the same tablets for $128.00. This represents a savings of 80%!

Canasa is also sold as a suppository or an enema if those methods allow fewer side effects for you.

Lialda (Mesalamine Delayed-Release)

Lialda (mesalamine delayed-release) is a prescription medication that — much like Delzicol — offers a delayed-release method of taking the medication. Unlike Delzicol, it's only necessary to take Lialda once per day. After you take Lialda, it can treat and prevent recurring symptoms.

The main differences between Lialda and similar formulations of mesalamine seem to be in the side effects. For example, Delzicol can cause stomach discomfort. Patients taking Delzicol sometimes report burping more often while on the drug.

Lialda’s inactive ingredients may be less irritating than Delzicol or even some of the other mesalamine formulations we’ve discussed. There is currently no generic alternative to Lialda, so it can be a more expensive option, depending on where you buy it.

Patients taking Lialda will take two to four tablets once per day with a meal. In the United States, the retail price for 120 capsules of Lialda (or one-or-two-month supply, depending on your dosage) is a shocking $1,188.00.

If you’d prefer a more affordable alternative, you can buy Lialda with 60% savings at NorthWestPharmacy.com, where 120 capsules are about $466.00, or $3.80 per capsule.

Crohn’s and Colitis Complications

As if chronic diarrhea and constipation weren’t enough, patients living with these conditions often experience complications or other connected symptoms. Sometimes these complications occur sporadically, only with flare-ups. Other times, they begin and become just as chronic as Crohn’s and colitis themselves.

These complications may include:

These complications not only make life with a gastrointestinal disorder much more difficult, but they also drive up the associated cost of treatment for affected patients. Additionally, they can significantly increase the mental burden of living with Crohn’s or colitis.

While mental health and wellness for these patients may seem to pale in comparison to GI symptoms, focusing on emotional well-being is a necessary part of a patient’s treatment regimen. Without mental health and emotional well-being, a Crohn’s or colitis patient will have a very difficult time even starting to manage their other symptoms.

Unfortunately, adding mental health medications into the mix can be both complicated and costly. But fortunately, we can help you save money on mental health medications as well.

Save Money with an Online Canadian Pharmacy

For patients with chronic illnesses, finding an affordable and effective medication source is key for long-term quality of life.

Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical industry in the United States is making it increasingly difficult to find low-cost long-term medications. NorthWestPharmacy.com sources medication from the Canadian drug and international markets, which have very high quality standards and stringent safety protocols.

As a result, Americans who don’t wish to pay extravagant prices for prescriptions in the United States often find NorthWestPharmacy.com as an accessible alternative.

As a safe and certified online Canada pharmacy site, it’s our goal to provide stellar customer service. We don’t think you should have to stress about paying for your medications. Our team is friendly, transparent, and supportive when you speak with them, whether you need help understanding your prescription, finding your medication, or even ordering over the phone.

Our dedication to a seamless customer experience is evident in our consistently high ratings: We’re proud to have an overall 4.8/5 star rating from over 400,000 independent reviews to make NorthWestPharmacy.com the highest rated and most reviewed Canadian online pharmacy and international drugstore.

Ready to safely order prescriptions at NorthWestPharmacy.com? Call our team today at 1-866-539-5339, or contact us online for timely service. We look forward to helping you!