Asacol
Asacol 400mg delayed-release tablets contain mesalamine, an anti-inflammatory for ulcerative colitis, taken to calm active flare-ups and to keep symptoms from returning.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400mg | 30 tablets | $42.00 | $1.40 |
| 400mg | 60 tablets | $81.60 | $1.36 |
| 400mg | 90 tablets | $115.20 | $1.28 |
| 400mg | 120 tablets | $150.00 | $1.25 |
| 400mg | 180 tablets | $223.20 | $1.24 |
- Category
- Digestive Health
- Active ingredient
- Mesalamine
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 400mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Ulcerative colitis
- Therapeutic Class
- Aminosalicylate
- Pharmacological Class
- Anti-inflammatory
- Minor Side Effects
- Headache, Abdominal pain
- Moderate Side Effects
- Nausea, Diarrhoea
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Takeda
- Storage Instructions
- Store in a cool, dry place.
- Drug Interactions
- NSAIDs, Azathioprine
- Age Restrictions
- Consult medical provider for paediatric use.
What you will receive
Asacol is the originator brand name, made by Takeda. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Asacol.
- The same active ingredient (Mesalamine) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
What pack sizes does Asacol 400mg come in?
Asacol 400mg tablets come in packs of 30, 60, 90, 120 or 180. The pack contains generic mesalamine, not the original Asacol. Each page shows price per tablet in HKD, and larger packs cost less per tablet.
How is Asacol delivered to Hong Kong?
Asacol can go by tracked courier, which takes 5 to 9 business days with online tracking, or by standard airmail, which takes 14 to 21 business days, up to 30, and is untracked. Every order arrives in plain, unbranded packaging with nothing on the outside about the contents.
What is another name for mesalamine?
Asacol and Pentasa are brand names of mesalamine, which is also sold as Lialda, Mezavant, Octasa and Rowasa. Here, mesalamine can be bought online as generic Asacol, and also as generic Pentasa. These are generics, not the original brand.
What does delayed-release mean for Asacol?
The tablet is coated so that it survives the stomach and upper gut and breaks down lower down, releasing most of the 400mg dose where ulcerative colitis inflammation sits. That is why the tablets are swallowed whole — chewing or crushing one lets the medicine out too early and the coating is wasted.
Can I stop taking Asacol once I feel better?
Mesalamine is also used to keep ulcerative colitis quiet, and symptoms tend to creep back when it is stopped as soon as they settle. The tablets are usually continued after the inflammation has eased, at the same strength or a lower one, for as long as the condition stays calm.
Is Asacol a steroid?
No. Asacol contains mesalamine, which belongs to the aminosalicylate group of anti-inflammatories and is not related to steroids such as prednisolone. Steroids are a separate group of medicines and are sometimes used at the same time as mesalamine when a flare is particularly difficult to settle.
Can I drink alcohol while taking Asacol?
Alcohol does not interact directly with mesalamine, so an occasional drink is unlikely to cause trouble. It can loosen the stools and irritate the gut lining, though, and during a flare that is the last thing you want, so keep it light while your symptoms are active.
Can I take ibuprofen or aspirin with Asacol?
Aspirin and NSAID painkillers such as ibuprofen and naproxen are among the medicines that interact with mesalamine, and antacids and iron tablets can affect it too. For an ordinary headache or muscle ache, paracetamol does not carry the same interaction and is the usual choice.
About Asacol
Asacol is mesalamine in a delayed-release tablet: 400mg of the medicine, coated to pass through the stomach and upper gut and release lower down, where the inflammation of ulcerative colitis sits. That condition causes swelling and small sores in the lining of the colon and rectum, which is what produces urgency, cramping and blood in the stool. The medicine acts where it lands, calming inflammation rather than treating the whole body.
What Asacol is used for
Asacol 400mg works on ulcerative colitis in two ways: it settles an active flare-up, and taken steadily afterwards it makes a return of symptoms less likely. The usual routine is one tablet three times a day, which spreads the dose through the day.
Taking the tablets
Swallow each tablet whole with plenty of water. Splitting, crushing or chewing it breaks the coating, and the medicine is then released too early, before it reaches the colon where it is needed.
Side effects
Most people have little trouble. Headache, nausea, stomach pain, loose stools and a stuffy or runny nose are the usual ones, and they ease as treatment goes on. Mesalamine can make skin burn more easily in the sun, so cover up or use sunscreen outdoors. Less often it affects the kidneys or liver, or inflames the heart muscle or its outer sac, with chest pain, breathlessness, a racing heartbeat or unusual tiredness. Early in treatment some people react with cramps, bloody diarrhoea, fever, rash and aching muscles. A swollen face, lips or throat with difficulty breathing is an allergic emergency.
Asacol or Pentasa?
Both are 400mg mesalamine for ulcerative colitis; the difference is the brand and the form. Asacol comes as delayed-release tablets, Pentasa as extended-release capsules normally taken four times a day, releasing the medicine along more of the digestive tract. Prefer capsules, or already used to a four-times-daily routine? Pentasa is the one to look at. The ingredient itself is covered on the mesalamine page.
Keeping your tablets
Store them in the original pack; warmth and humidity can spoil the coating. The main interactions to know are with NSAID painkillers such as ibuprofen and naproxen, aspirin, antacids, iron tablets, and the medicines azathioprine and mercaptopurine.
Sources
- Mesalamine: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus
- Mesalamine: Uses & Side Effects - Cleveland Clinic — Cleveland Clinic