Such a serious and serious disease of the digestive organs as Crohn's disease requires adequate treatment, which in its early stages consists in drug therapy with the appointment of certain medications. The purpose of their use in this disease is:
- Calling and the most prolonged retention of remission;
- Minimizing any side effects associated with this pathology;
- Improving the patient's standard of living.
Selection by a specialist of a drug for drug therapy of Crohn's disease depends on the patient's complications, severity and localization of pathology. For the most optimal effect from the ongoing therapeutic procedures, the most accurate and informative diagnosis of this disease is needed. It is usually carried out by expensive invasive procedures, such as a colonoscopy or endoscopy, which are painful for a person.
Calprotectin for Crohn's Disease
To avoid costly and painful procedures, an alternative method of investigation is used for all patients suspected of Crohn's disease. This is a less expensive noninvasive test, which is conducted to determine the quantitative availability of fecal calprotectin. This method proved its informativeness in the early diagnosis of the disease. It allows you to select those patients who will need a colonoscopy for an appropriate treatment.
With calprotectin, it is possible to determine not only the intensity of the course of the disease, but also the response of the body to prescribed medications, and also to predict an exacerbation of the pathology or to prove the onset of remission. The fact that the probability of clinical recurrence of Crohn's disease is increased will be indicated by an increase in the content of fecal calprotectin, which confirms the onset of inflammation.
And what is especially good, this test is effective even in the case when the C-reactive protein has normal values. Thanks to fecal calprotectin, it is possible to select with the greatest accuracy for the patient the appropriate drugs with which the current medical treatment of Crohn's disease will give the best results.
Drugs for Crohn's Disease
The approach to treating Crohn's disease with drugs should be consistent. The first stage of it is to call a clinical remission, and the second in its maintenance. The most effective means, whose action is directed to the induction of remission with this pathology of digestive organs, are represented by such drugs as Salofalk, Azathioprine and Prednisolone, which reduce the frequency of relapses.
Azathioprine in Crohn's disease is discharged to the patient at a more severe stage of the course. It belongs to a class of drugs that block the activity of the immune system. By this action this drug reduces the symptoms that are present in this inflammatory pathology of the digestive organs. Indications for the use of Azathioprine are the following:
- Frequent exacerbations of the disease and hormonal dependence of the patient. In this case, it is used as a supporting drug;
- Postoperative complications. It is used for their prevention;
- Perianal complications.
But he also has a side effect. With the reception of Azathioprine and similar in its effect means the patient's body becomes most vulnerable to various infections.
In addition, Azathioprine has one more drawback. The effect of this drug in Crohn's disease begins to appear only after 3-4 months, and in some cases even six months after the treatment is started. Therefore, it is recommended to combine it with other drugs, the effect of which is more rapid. Among them, for therapeutic purposes, Prednisolone is most often used.
This is a glucocorticosteroid drug that has a great effect on metabolism. Prednisolone in Crohn's disease is prescribed as an antiallergic and anti-inflammatory agent. In addition, with this disease, its immunosuppressive properties are used.
In addition to Prednisolone, patients are recommended a drug such as Salofalk. It is also an anti-inflammatory intestinal drug that exerts through the synthesis of leukotrienes and prostaglandins, as well as the inhibition of neutrophilic lipoxygenase, an anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, Salofalk is an excellent antioxidant.
But this drug has a number of contraindications that make the use of Salofalk in Crohn's disease undesirable. This is too small a patient's age( up to 2 years), peptic ulcer disease, liver or kidney dysfunction, as well as individual intolerance to salicylic acid.