We listed this section first, because it's so important to understand both the Benefits AND Risks involved with every medication. Listed in this section are specific medications known to be used in the treatment of Crohn's Disease in some way.
Tommy lost his life to Hepatosplenic T-cell Lymphoma, a disease directly tied to the medication he was using to help treat his severe Crohn's Disease. Although we were made aware of the risks at the time we made our decision to treat Tommy at age 9 with 6MP, we felt we were not advised of more recent studies regarding 6MP's side effects and dangers.
HSTCL is difficult to diagnose, and very aggressive. Most susceptible to HSTCL are teenage and young adult males.
Research has shown that HSTCL is directly tied to the use of any of the following drugs used in the treatment of Crohn's Disease. Click on the name to be taken to the full disclosure, as written by the National Library of Medicine:
- MERCAPTOPURINE Alternate Names: 6MP, Purinethol, Purixan
- AZATHIOPRINE Alternate Names: Imuran, Azasan
- ADALIMUMAB Alternate Names: Humira
- INFLIXIMAB Alternate Names: Remicade, Avsola, Inflectra, Renflexis, Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Anti-TNF-alpha, cA2
OUR ADVICE: READ THE FINE PRINT BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION ON YOUR TREATMENT AND STAY INFORMED OVER TIME. KNOW THE RISKS AS TIME GOES ON.
Below, by category of medicine, you'll see the brand, generic or alternate names and if there are cancer related risks associated with each.
Crohn's Disease Medication Summary
IMMUNOMODULATORS
BIOLOGIC THERAPIES
BIOLOGIC THERAPIES
Cancer risks exist, including Hepatosplenic T-cell Lymphoma.
Immunomodulators are often used as a long-term treatment for those with IBD. Talk to your healthcare team about how immunomodulators may work to help control your symptoms, and make sure to communicate with your doctor if you have any questions or if your symptoms change.
Immunomodulators work to calm your immune system over an extended period of time. Since it may take three to six months or longer before their impact is seen, immunomodulators are often started at the same time as faster-acting corticosteroids with the idea that patients will stop taking steroids once immunomodulators take effect.
They also may be used in combination with other medications, such as biologics, and can be injected or taken in pill form depending on the medication.
BIOLOGIC THERAPIES
BIOLOGIC THERAPIES
BIOLOGIC THERAPIES
Cancer risks exist, including Hepatosplenic T-cell Lymphoma.
Over the last several years, new treatments called biologics have been available for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory diseases. These treatments are called biologics because, unlike chemical medications, they are made out of materials found in life.
Biologics are antibodies created in the laboratory that stop certain proteins in the body from causing inflammation. Biologic therapies offer a distinct advantage in IBD treatment because their mechanisms of action are more precisely targeted to the factors responsible for IBD. For example, unlike corticosteroids, which affect the whole body and may produce major side effects, biologic agents act more selectively. These therapies are targeted to particular proteins that have already been proven to be involved in IBD. While it is not possible to determine which biologic will work best for an individual patient, your physician will present you with various effective options and work with you until you reach remission.
CORTICOSTEROIDS
AMINOSALICYLATES
AMINOSALICYLATES
Corticosteroids are one type of medication your healthcare provider may prescribe to treat inflammation in your gastrointestinal tract.
Corticosteroids lower the activity of your immune system and limit the inflammation in the digestive tract. They are used as short-term treatments for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis flares because they reduce inflammation quickly, sometimes within a few days to a few months.
It is important to note that corticosteroids are not considered long-term therapies due to the high potential of side effects. Corticosteroids can be taken orally, rectally, or via an injection depending on which medication you take.
Some cancer risk exists.
AMINOSALICYLATES
AMINOSALICYLATES
AMINOSALICYLATES
Your doctor may prescribe aminosalicyates to control inflammation in the lining of the digestive tract. They are mainly used to treat mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis and sometimes Crohn’s disease.
Aminosalicylates work by limiting the inflammation in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract.
Aminosalicylates can be pills, enemas, or suppositories inserted through rectum. The type taken depends on several factors, including where in your digestive tract your inflammation is located.
No known cancer risks exist.
Immunomodulators
Mercaptopurine
Mercaptopurine
Mercaptopurine
Alternate Names: 6MP, Purinethol, Purixan
Application: Mercaptopurine is used alone or with other chemotherapy drugs to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia. Mercaptopurine is in a class of medications called purine antagonists. It works by stopping the growth of cancer cells.
Cancer Risks: Taking mercaptopurine may increase the risk that you will develop a new cancer. Some people who took mercaptopurine to treat Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis developed Hepatosplenic T cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a very serious form of cancer that often causes death within a short time.
Azathioprine
Mercaptopurine
Mercaptopurine
Alternate Names: Imuran, Azasan
Application: Azathioprine is used with other medications to prevent transplant rejection in people who received kidney transplants. It is also used to treat severe rheumatoid arthritis when other medications and treatments have not helped. It works by decreasing the activity of the body's immune system so it will not attack the transplanted organ or the joints.
Cancer risks: Azathioprine may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, especially skin cancer and lymphoma.
Some teenage and young adult males who took azathioprine alone or with another medication called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker to treat Crohn's disease developed Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a very serious type of cancer that often causes death within a short period of time.
Cyclosporine
Cyclosporine
Cyclosporine
Alternate Names: Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune
Application:
Cyclosporine is used to prevent transplant rejection in people who have received kidney, liver, and heart transplants. Cyclosporine is also used alone or with methotrexate to treat the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in patients whose symptoms were not relieved by methotrexate alone. Cyclosporine is also used to treat psoriasis in certain patients who have not been helped by other treatments. Cyclosporine They work by decreasing the activity of the immune system.
Cancer risks: Taking cyclosporine may increase the risk that you will develop an infection or cancer, especially lymphoma or skin cancer.
Methotrexate
Cyclosporine
Cyclosporine
Alternate Names: Rheumatrex, Trexall, Amethopterin, MTX
Application: Methotrexate is used to treat severe psoriasis that cannot be controlled by other treatments. Methotrexate is also used along with rest, physical therapy, and sometimes other medications to treat severe active rheumatoid arthritis that cannot be controlled by certain other medications. Methotrexate is also used to treat certain types of cancer including cancers that begin in the tissues that form around a fertilized egg in the uterus, breast cancer, lung cancer, certain cancers of the head and neck, certain types of lymphoma, and leukemia. Methotrexate treats cancer by slowing the growth of cancer cells. Methotrexate treats psoriasis by slowing the growth of skin cells to stop scales from forming. Methotrexate may treat rheumatoid arthritis by decreasing the activity of the immune system.
Cancer risks: Methotrexate may cause very serious, life-threatening side effects. Taking methotrexate may increase the risk that you will develop lymphoma.
Biologic Therapies
adalimumab
certolizumab
certolizumab
ALTERNATE NAMES: Humira
APPLICATION: Adalimumab injection is used alone or with other medications to relieve the symptoms of certain autoimmune disorders (conditions in which the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body and causes pain, swelling, and damage)
Adalimumab injection is in a class of medications called tumor necrosis fa
ALTERNATE NAMES: Humira
APPLICATION: Adalimumab injection is used alone or with other medications to relieve the symptoms of certain autoimmune disorders (conditions in which the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body and causes pain, swelling, and damage)
Adalimumab injection is in a class of medications called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of TNF, a substance in the body that causes inflammation.
CANCER RISKS: Some children, teenagers, and young adults who received adalimumab injection or similar medications developed severe or life-threatening cancers including lymphoma. Some teenage and young adult males who took adalimumab or similar medications developed Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a very serious form of cancer that often causes death within a short period of time. Most of the people who developed HSTCL were being treated for Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis with adalimumab or a similar medication along with another medication called azathioprine (Imuran) or 6-mercaptopurine (Purinethol)
certolizumab
certolizumab
certolizumab
ALTERNATE NAMES: Cimzia
APPLICATION: Certolizumab injection is used to relieve the symptoms of certain autoimmune disorders including the following:
> Crohn's disease that has not improved when treated with other medications,
> rheumatoid arthritis,
> psoriatic arthritis,
> active ankylosing spondylitis with changes seen on X-ray,
> active no
ALTERNATE NAMES: Cimzia
APPLICATION: Certolizumab injection is used to relieve the symptoms of certain autoimmune disorders including the following:
> Crohn's disease that has not improved when treated with other medications,
> rheumatoid arthritis,
> psoriatic arthritis,
> active ankylosing spondylitis with changes seen on X-ray,
> active non-radiographic axial > spondyloarthritis, but without changes seen on X-ray,
> plaque psoriasis in people who may benefit from medications or phototherapy.
Certolizumab injection is in a class of medications called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. It works by blocking the activity of TNF, a substance in the body that causes inflammation.
CANCER RISKS: Some children and teenagers who received medications similar to certolizumab injection developed severe or life-threatening cancers including lymphoma. Children and teenagers should not normally receive certolizumab injection, but in some cases, a doctor may decide that certolizumab injection is the best medication to treat a child's condition.
infliximab
certolizumab
natalizumab
ALTERNATE NAMES: Remicade, Avsola, Inflectra, Renflexis, Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Anti-TNF-alpha, cA2
APPLICATION: Infliximab, infliximab-dyyb, and infliximab-abda injection are used to relieve the symptoms of certain autoimmune disorders (conditions in which the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body and causes pain, sw
ALTERNATE NAMES: Remicade, Avsola, Inflectra, Renflexis, Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Anti-TNF-alpha, cA2
APPLICATION: Infliximab, infliximab-dyyb, and infliximab-abda injection are used to relieve the symptoms of certain autoimmune disorders (conditions in which the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body and causes pain, swelling, and damage)
Infliximab, infliximab-dyyb, and infliximab-abda injection are in a class of medications called tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors. They work by blocking the action of TNF-alpha, a substance in the body that causes inflammation.
CANCER RISKS: Some children, teenagers, and young adults who received infliximab injection or similar medications developed severe or life-threatening cancers including lymphoma. Some teenage and young adult males who took infliximab or similar medications developed Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a very serious form of cancer that often causes death within a short period of time. Most of the people who developed HSTCL were being treated for Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis with infliximab or a similar medication along with another medication called azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine.
natalizumab
natalizumab
natalizumab
ALTERNATE NAMES: Tysabri
APPLICATION: Natalizumab is used to prevent episodes of symptoms and slow the worsening of disability in people who have relapsing-remitting forms of multiple sclerosis. Natalizumab is also used to treat and prevent episodes of symptoms in people who have Crohn's disease who have not been helped by other medicat
ALTERNATE NAMES: Tysabri
APPLICATION: Natalizumab is used to prevent episodes of symptoms and slow the worsening of disability in people who have relapsing-remitting forms of multiple sclerosis. Natalizumab is also used to treat and prevent episodes of symptoms in people who have Crohn's disease who have not been helped by other medications or who cannot take other medications. Natalizumab is in a class of medications called monoclonal antibodies. It works by stopping certain cells of the immune system from reaching the brain and spinal cord or digestive tract and causing damage.
CANCER RISKS: Receiving natalizumab injection may increase the risk that you will develop progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML; a rare infection of the brain that cannot be treated, prevented, or cured and that usually causes death or severe disability).
vedolizumab
natalizumab
vedolizumab
ALTERNATE NAMES: Entyvio
APPLICATION: Vedolizumab injection is used to relieve the symptoms of certain autoimmune disorders of the gastrointestinal tract including:
> Crohn's Disease that has not improved when treated with other medications.
> ulcerative colitis that has not improved when treated with other medications.
Vedolizumab injecti
ALTERNATE NAMES: Entyvio
APPLICATION: Vedolizumab injection is used to relieve the symptoms of certain autoimmune disorders of the gastrointestinal tract including:
> Crohn's Disease that has not improved when treated with other medications.
> ulcerative colitis that has not improved when treated with other medications.
Vedolizumab injection is in a class of medications called integrin receptor antagonists. It works by blocking the action of certain cells in the body that cause inflammation.
CANCER RISKS: none described.
ustekinumab
natalizumab
vedolizumab
ALTERNATE NAMES: Stelara
APPLICATION: Ustekinumab injection is used to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults and children 12 years or older who may benefit from medications or phototherapy. It is also used alone or in combination with methotrexate to treat psoriatic arthritis in adults. Ustekinumab injection is also used to
ALTERNATE NAMES: Stelara
APPLICATION: Ustekinumab injection is used to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults and children 12 years or older who may benefit from medications or phototherapy. It is also used alone or in combination with methotrexate to treat psoriatic arthritis in adults. Ustekinumab injection is also used to treat Crohn's disease in adults that has not improved when treated with other medications.
Ustekinumab injection is in a class of medications called monoclonal antibodies. It works by stopping the action of certain cells in the body that cause the symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
CANCER RISKS: Ustekinumab injection may increase the risk that you will develop cancer.
Corticosteroids
budesonide
hydrocortisone
hydrocortisone
ALTERNATE NAMES: Entocort
APPLICATION: Budesonide is used to treat Crohn's disease. Budesonide is in a class of medications called corticosteroids. It works by decreasing inflammation in the digestive tract of people who have Crohn's disease.
CANCER RISKS: none described.
hydrocortisone
hydrocortisone
hydrocortisone
ALTERNATE NAMES: Cortef, Cortril , Hydrocortone, Cortisol
APPLICATION: Hydrocortisone, a corticosteroid, is similar to a natural hormone produced by your adrenal glands. It is often used to replace this chemical when your body does not make enough of it. It relieves inflammation and is used to treat certain forms of arthritis; skin, blood, kidney, eye, thyroid, and intestinal disorders (e.g., colitis); severe allergies; and asthma. Hydrocortisone is also used to treat certain types of cancer.
CANCER RISKS: none described.
methylprednisolone
methylprednisolone
methylprednisolone
ALTERNATE NAMES: Medrol
APPLICATION: Methylprednisolone, a corticosteroid, is similar to a natural hormone produced by your adrenal glands. It is often used to replace this chemical when your body does not make enough of it. It relieves inflammation and is used to treat certain forms of arthritis; skin, blood, kidney, eye, thyroid, and intestinal disorders (e.g., colitis); severe allergies; and asthma. Methylprednisolone is also used to treat certain types of cancer.
CANCER RISKS: none described.
prednisone
methylprednisolone
methylprednisolone
ALTERNATE NAMES: Rayos, Prednisone Intensol, Sterapred, Sterapred DS
APPLICATION: Prednisone is used alone or with other medications to treat the symptoms of low corticosteroid levels. Prednisone is also used to treat other conditions in patients with normal corticosteroid levels. These conditions include certain types of arthritis; severe allergic reactions; multiple sclerosis; lupus; and certain conditions that affect the lungs, skin, eyes, kidneys blood, thyroid, stomach, and intestines. Prednisone is also sometimes used to treat the symptoms of certain types of cancer. Prednisone is in a class of medications called corticosteroids. It works to treat patients with low levels of corticosteroids by replacing steroids that are normally produced naturally by the body. It works to treat other conditions by reducing swelling and redness and by changing the way the immune system works.
CANCER RISKS: Some patients who took prednisone or similar medications developed a type of cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma. .
Aminosalicylates
balsalazide
balsalazide
balsalazide
ALTERNATE NAMES: Colazal, Giazo
APPLICATION: Balsalazide is used to treat ulcerative colitis. Balsalazide is an anti-inflammatory drug. It is converted in the body to mesalamine and works by reducing bowel inflammation, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and stomach pain.
CANCER RISKS: none described.
mesalamine
balsalazide
balsalazide
ALTERNATE NAMES: Apriso, Asacol, Asacol HD, Delzicol, Lialda, Pentasa, 5-ASA, Mesalazine
APPLICATION: Mesalamine is used to treat ulcerative colitis and also to maintain improvement of ulcerative colitis symptoms. Mesalamine is in a class of medications called anti-inflammatory agents. It works by stopping the body from producing a certain substance that may cause inflammation.
CANCER RISKS: none described.
olsalazine
sulfasalazine
sulfasalazine
ALTERNATE NAMES: Dipentum
APPLICATION: Olsalazine, an anti-inflammatory medicine, is used to treat ulcerative colitis. Olsalazine reduces the bowel inflammation, diarrhea (stool frequency), rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain.
CANCER RISKS: none described.
sulfasalazine
sulfasalazine
sulfasalazine
ALTERNATE NAMES: Azulfidine
APPLICATION: Sulfasalazine is used to treat bowel inflammation, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain in patients with ulcerative colitis, a condition in which the bowel is inflamed. Sulfasalazine delayed-release (Azulfidine EN-tabs) is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children whose disease has not responded well to other medications. Sulfasalazine is in a class of medications called anti-inflammatory drugs. It works by reducing inflammation (swelling) inside the body.
CANCER RISKS: none described.