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Sulfasalzine VS Pentasa

5 year old son recently DX with Crohns. Starting out on the lower level with omeprazole and Pentasa....except insurance will not cover Pentasa. So Dr told us to use Sulfasalzine. I can’t seem to find much difference between the two, other than the Sulfasalzine is more likely to lower the white blood cell count and increase potential to infections. Just looking to hear personal experience between the two. Thanks!
 

my little penguin

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Staff member
Both are basically the same drug
Sulfanazine is the older version or Pentasa
Pentasa is a 5-asa
Both treat the top layer of the intestine but do not treat the full thickness of the intestine and leave the rest of the layers in treated in crohns

Both are used a lot with success in ulcerative colitis

Neither is a recommended as monotherapy for Crohn’s disease
Most Gi equate Pentasa or sulfanazine as giving aspirin for a brain tumor
Not going to hurt but not going to help too much either

Since your child is only 5
Your kiddo falls in the very early onset ibd area
Veo ibd is harder to treat and control
If you are in the uS there are a few veo ibd clinics who specialize in just those type of kids

Children’s hospital of Philadelphia is one of those places



Please get a second opinion

Ds was started on Pentasa at age 7(dx)
He was on it for one month while we waited for a second opinion to confirm crohns at cchmc
He got worse
Gi there stated if Pentasa was going to work it would work within 30 days - some get lucky some don’t

He immediately placed Ds on EEN plus 6-mp (which they don’t use any more just methotrexate)
 
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