I am currently on Canasa suppositories and did some research to find the oral equivalent and found out it is Pentasa. No surprise right? Well I was wondering if Pentasa is effective for cuffitis when you have a loop ilio? In other words would the medicine get to the cuffitis even though my poop isn't?

Its still early but the Canasa seems like it may be working but I still find the suppositories painful as they pass the cuff into my pouch. A pill instead instead of a suppository would make life much easier.

I wish I could tell you YES! ... but the answer is that Pentasa works only in the gut. It does not enter the bloodstream and work like an antibiotic or general anti-inflammatory would. It is a capsule full of tiny little white beads of medication which are evident in the stool when passed. Since it would empty out at your stoma, my guess is the cuff would never see the medication.

Debra is correct and the action is topical. With the loop ileostomy, it would never get to the cuff, or if any did, it would be very little. A certain percentage is absorbed into the bloodstream, but it is excreted quickly by the kidneys and does not return to the gut.

Pentasa or one of the other oral 5-ASA drugs could be useful for you after takedown. I have been taking Azulfidine for about 9 years for my cuffitis.

Jan