Lialda

Generic name: Mesalamine (oral)
Drug class: 5-aminosalicylates

Usage of Lialda

Lialda affects a substance in the body that causes inflammation, tissue damage, and diarrhea.

Lialda is used to treat mild to moderate active ulcerative colitis in adults and children who weight at least 24kg.

Lialda is also used in adults as a maintenance treatment to prevent the symptoms of ulcerative colitis from recurring.

Lialda side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Lialda: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using Lialda and call your doctor at once if you have:

severe stomach pain, stomach cramping, bloody diarrhea;

fever, headache, general ill feeling;

rash, itching, eye redness;

bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;

low white blood cell counts - fever, chills, mouth sores, skin sores, sore throat, cough, feeling light-headed, trouble breathing;

signs of a kidney stone - severe pain in your side and back, frequent need to urinate, foul-smelling urine, dark or cloudy urine;

kidney problems - increased or decreased urination, swelling, weight gain; or

liver problems - loss of appetite, upper stomach pain, tiredness, easy bruising or bleeding, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Low white blood cell counts may be more likely in older adults.

Common Lialda side effects may include:

burping, constipation, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, gas;

dizziness;

cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat;

back pain;

headache;

rash; or

abnormal liver function tests.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Lialda

You should not use Lialda if you are allergic to mesalamine, aspirin, sulfasalazine, or salicylates (such as Disalcid, Doans Pills, Dolobid, Kaopectate, Nuprin Backache, Pepto-Bismol, Tricosal, Trilisate, and others).

To make sure Lialda is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

a kidney stone or kidney disease;

liver disease;

a blockage in your stomach or intestines (such as pyloric stenosis); or

a skin condition such as eczema.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether mesalamine will harm an unborn baby. However, having untreated or uncontrolled ulcerative colitis during pregnancy may cause complications such as low birth weight or premature birth. The benefit of treating ulcerative colitis may outweigh any risks to the baby.

It may not be safe to breastfeed while using Lialda. Ask your doctor about any risk. If you are breastfeeding, tell your doctor if you notice diarrhea in the nursing baby.

Relate drugs

How to use Lialda

Usual Adult Dose of Lialda for Ulcerative Colitis -- Active:

1200 mg tablets: 2.4 to 4.8 g (two to four tablets) orally once a day with food.

Usual Adult Dose of Lialda for Ulcerative Colitis -- Maintenance:

1200 mg tablets: 2.4 g (two tablets) orally once a day with food.

Usual Pediatric Dose of Lialda for Ulcerative Colitis -- Active:

Patient weight - 24 kg to 35 kg: from week 0 to week 8, two 1.2 g tablets once daily. After week 8, one 1.2 g tablet once daily. Greater than 35 kg to 50 kg: from week 0 to week 8, three 1.2 g tablets once daily. After week 8, two 1.2 g tablets once daily. Greater than 50 kg: from week 0 to week 8, four 1.2 g tablets once daily. After week 8, two 1.2 g tablets once daily.

Warnings

Stop using Lialda and call your doctor at once if you have severe stomach pain, stomach cramping, bloody diarrhea (may occur with fever, headache, and skin rash).

What other drugs will affect Lialda

Mesalamine can harm your kidneys, especially if you also use certain medicines for infections, cancer, osteoporosis, organ transplant rejection, bowel disorders, high blood pressure, or pain or arthritis (including Advil, Motrin, and Aleve).

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:

azathioprine or 6-Mercaptopurine.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with mesalamine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Disclaimer

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