Mesalamine affects a substance in the body that causes inflammation, tissue damage, and diarrhea.

Mesalamine is used to treat ulcerative colitis, proctitis, and proctosigmoiditis. Mesalamine is also used to prevent the symptoms of ulcerative colitis from recurring.

Mesalamine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to mesalamine or to aspirin or other salicylates (such as Disalcid, Doan's Pills, Dolobid, Salflex, Tricosal, and others).

Before you take mesalamine, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver disease, a stomach condition called pyloric stenosis, a heart condition such as congestive heart failure, or a history of allergy to sulfasalazine (Azulfidine).

Do not crush, break, or chew a mesalamine tablet or capsule. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially formulated to release the medicine after it has passed through your stomach into your intestines.

Call your doctor if you find undissolved tablets in your stool.

Stop using mesalamine and call your doctor at once if you have severe stomach pain, cramping, fever, headache, and bloody diarrhea.

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to mesalamine or to aspirin or other salicylates (such as Disalcid, Doan's Pills, Dolobid, Salflex, Tricosal, and others).

To make sure you can safely take mesalamine, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

• a stomach condition called pyloric stenosis;

• a history of allergy to sulfasalazine (Azulfidine);

• a heart condition such as congestive heart failure;

• kidney disease; or

• liver disease.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether mesalamine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.

Mesalamine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.