Methotrexate HOW LONG I WILL BE ON IT? If you respond well to methotrexate you will usually remain on it for many months and perhaps several years, providing your blood tests are satisfactory. References…
Ustekinumab STELARA® HOW LONG I WILL BE ON IT? Most patients with IBD will be treated for a long period of time. If you are on a planned course of ustekinumab infusions, you should be reassessed regularly to see whether ongoing treatment is still right for you. If…
Steroids HOW LONG SHOULD I BE ON STEROID TREATMENT FOR? Steroids should ideally only be used for a short period of time to get over a flare-up or while long term treatments, such as azathioprine, become established. If you are starting a course of steroids, then you should…
Azathioprine and Mercaptopurine HOW LONG I WILL BE ON IT? If you respond well to azathioprine or mercaptopurine, you should be able to keep taking it for some years, provided the results of your monitoring blood tests are satisfactory and you do not develop any serious adverse reactions. Research suggests that…
Vedolizumab ENTYVIO® HOW LONG I WILL BE ON IT? Most patients with IBD will be treated for a long period of time.If you are on a planned course of vedolizumab infusions you should be reassessed regularly to see whether ongoing treatment is still right for you.
Ustekinumab STELARA® HOW DOES STELARA WORK? Ustekinumab belongs to the class of ‘biological drugs’. Drugs in this class are further sub-classified, based on the way they act in the body (for example; Infliximab and Adalimumab are classified as anti-TNF biologic drugs). Ustekinumab acts in a…
Steroids ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES TO STEROIDS? Enteral nutrition (a special liquid only diet) can be used as an alternative to steroids to induce remission. People on this diet do not need to eat ordinary food or drink because the liquid diet provides them with all the necessary nutrients…
Vedolizumab ENTYVIO® HOW DOES IT WORK? Vedolizumab belongs to a group of medicines called Biological Drugs. Vedolizumab works in a different way to the anti-TNF drugs (Infliximab and Adalimumab), because it is a ‘gut-selective integrin blocker’. It binds to integrin α₄β₇. Blocking the α₄β₇ integrin…
CAN I ALTER THE DOSE OF IBD MEDICATIONS MYSELF? It is usually important to take the full dose to get the full effect. Some medicines must also be taken in particular ways – for example, at particular times of day, on an empty stomach, or with or after…
Methotrexate HOW EFFECTIVE IS IT? Methotrexate has been used to treat CD for some 25 years. Research has found that a weekly dose of 25 mg by injection may induce remission in CD, while a lower dose of 15 mg per week can maintain remission. There is some evidence that…
