Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) drugs

Modified on Thu, Feb 16, 2023 at 11:30 AM

Drug Name	Drug Class	Indication	Route of Administration	Side Effects	Pregnancy Category
Mesalamine	Aminosalicylate	Mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis	Oral, Rectal	Nausea, headache, diarrhea	B
Sulfasalazine	Aminosalicylate	Mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis	Oral	Nausea, vomiting, headache	B
Budesonide	Corticosteroid	Crohn's disease	Oral	Nausea, headache, stomach pain	C
Prednisone	Corticosteroid	Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis	Oral	Mood changes, weight gain, and increased appetite	C
Azathioprine	Immunosuppressant	Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis	Oral	Nausea, vomiting, increased risk of infection	D
Methotrexate	Immunosuppressant	Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis	Oral, Injection	Nausea, vomiting, and hair loss	X
Infliximab	Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Inhibitor	Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis	IV	Fever, headache, nausea	B
Adalimumab	Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Inhibitor	Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis	Subcutaneous Injection	injection site reaction, headache, upper respiratory infection	B
Vedolizumab	Integrin receptor antagonist	Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis	IV	Headache, nausea, and fever	B
Ustekinumab	Interleukin-12 and Interleukin-23 inhibitors	Crohn's disease	IV, Subcutaneous Injection	Nausea, injection site reaction, headache	B
Tofacitinib	Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitor	Ulcerative colitis	Oral	Headache, diarrhea, and nausea	C

Please be aware that this list is not exhaustive and that there may be additional drugs that are used to treat inflammatory bowel disease but are not included on this list. Additionally, because they are subject to change as new research becomes available, the categories for side effects and pregnancy listed here may not be current. Before taking any medication, it's crucial to speak with a healthcare provider.