What is the Difference Between Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease?

Irritable bowel syndrome has similar symptoms to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease. However, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease are bowel disorders with inflammation and IBS is not.

Ulcerative colitis is when the lining of the colon becomes inflamed and develops ulcers. The chronic symptoms of this disorder may include bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, nutritional deficiencies, food intolerances, achiness, joint pain, itchiness, flatulence and bloating.

Crohn's Disease is an inflammatory bowel disorder that commonly affects the small intestine. Inflammation of the bowel lining is severe and deep in the intestinal wall. Scar tissue can build up from sores and ulcers and cause blockages in the intestines. Symptoms may include abdominal cramping, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, anorexia, nausea, food intolerances, nutritional deficiencies, vomiting, headaches, itchiness, flatulence, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Diagnosis of these digestive disorders can be complicated because of the similarity of symptoms.

Is prescription medication my only option for controlling bowel disorder symptoms?

The television is filled with prescription medication commercials vowing to "give" people their life back from painful disease symptoms. The problem with this picture though is that the use of synthetic chemicals is only an attempt to "relieve" illness symptoms, and they do not "fix" the underlying cause. Also, there are significant side effects when taking drug medications.

Initially, drugs may seem to be making you better, because the painful symptoms have diminished or have subsided altogether. However, what has really happened is your body's warning system has been shut off. The underlying cause of the symptoms is just being ignored.

When a problem is not truly dealt with and resolved, it will rear its ugly head at some point in the future. Your own experience may have taught you this, and it is why you are looking for a natural solution.

IBS and other bowel disorders can be addressed through natural holistic means. You won't only be addressing the symptoms, but you will be healing your body at the core.

Detoxification: What Is Real and What Is Snake Oil?

Detoxification Benefits:

Detoxification can have positive effects on many health challenges, such as allergies, weight gain, digestion, and any sort of inflammatory situation. Unfortunately, there is a lot of snake oil out there claiming detoxification.

Mucoid Plaque

The number one myth of detoxification is "mucoid plaque" in the colon or large intestine. This is a myth perpetrated because of what people pass from their bowels doing a colon cleanse; but it is in fact an artifact of the clay and psyllium fiber that is a big component of these cleanses.

Keep in mind that clay is a proven topical detoxifier, so having clay pass through your intestines could have a positive benefit regardless of the lack of mucoid plaque. More on this later.

Many of the benefits of detoxification come from severe reduction of caloric intake, giving the body a break from the task of processing all these calories, allowing it to use those enzymatic resources to "clean house" so to speak.

Unscientific Detoxification Methods:

Water Fasting

The ultimate detoxification using the caloric restriction idea is the water fast. It's most famous promoter was Arnold Ehret, who conducted public water fasts as long as 49 days, and claimed many benefits including strength and endurance. He once rode his bicycle 800 miles from Algiers to Tunis to prove his point. I am not a fan of water fasting for more than a day or two. I have noticed that it's proponents tend to look prematurely aged, with early white and grey hair, which to me indicates mineral deficiency.

Juice Fasting

Another approach to detoxification is juice fasting. I am not a fan of fruit and carrot juice fasting because removing all the fiber from your fruit increases the rate at which the sugars enter the bloodstream, and you miss out on fiber's many proven health benefits. Definitely a bad idea if you have blood sugar or insulin issues. Dr. Joe Mercola recommends using a masticating juicer that maintains the fiber content on green vegetables (not fruits) and eating the resulting puree. This makes a lot more sense to me.

Fruit Fasting

A healthier variation of the fruit juice fast is to only eat fruit for a period of time, this way you get the whole food benefits. The downside to this approach is that you maintain your carbohydrate intake relatively high while drastically reducing your protein intake. I have noticed that many people using this approach are overweight. If you are fasting, you should reduced your carbohydrate intake, not maintain it. Still, there is some value to this approach.

Green Juices

An exception to the no-juice rule would be cereal grass juices, such as wheat grass, barley, and kamut grass juices. Alfalfa juice would fall in this category as well. Cereal grasses are extremely nourishing, and worth consuming, but only in juice form with all the fiber removed. Grasses have a fiber structure akin to barbed razor blades which are extremely irritating to us non-ruminants. Make sure that any cereal grass supplement that you does not contain any whole grass with it's razor-like fiber. Since ground up grass is about a twentieth the cost of the juice, many formulators like to add this as a cost reduction strategy. The taste, texture, and odor do not compare to 100% juice.

Colon Cleansing

The most common approach to detoxification is to "colon cleanse" which usually involves an approach to remove the mythical "mucoid plaque" we spoke of earlier. I have seen some benefits from this approach, usually with people who are quite toxic. These people would improve with just about any approach where they make a serious reduction in their caloric intake. The major downside to the colon cleanse approach comes when the formulators look to add anti-parasitic ingredients and they sell this to someone with Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis, and all of a sudden this person is passing bloody stools and bleeding from their rectum. Not to mention the fact that these formulations are based on a myth.

The Master Cleanse

Another popular unscientific method of detoxification is the so-called "Master Cleanse." The Master Cleanse advocates drinking a sugary mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, sea salt and water for days on end. The lack of protein in this formula means that you body will run out of multiple substrates needed for metabolic detoxification pathways. This is very counter-productive, so when you hear of master cleanse adherents brag about their headaches and runny noses, you will now know that these symptoms are a result of the toxicity due to lack of nutrients in this snake-oil approach.

Detoxification Depends on Nutrients

All of the above approaches suffer from a major flaw: Not enough nourishment! You need protein to maintain your muscle mass and keep detoxification pathways flowing in the liver, as well as vitamins and minerals to maintain all sorts of body processes including detoxification.

A Better Approach to Detoxification

I use scientific methodologies using clinically proven medical foods, supplements, and dietary interventions which have been proven in human clinical trials. In particular, I have great clinical tools to use with any sort of inflammatory condition, including intestinal inflammation and irritation conditions that are poorly addressed by allopathic medicine and the more traditional detoxification interventions described above.

Medical Food Cleanses

The cleanses I recommend typically use a medical food that average 160 calories per serving, including healthy fats, slow carbohydrates, and about 16 grams of protein. Getting protein into your body while you are on a cleansing fast minimizes muscle loss, prevents hunger, keeps your metabolism cooking, and improves detoxification. Most people don't know that the body needs more protein when you are reducing calories, as carbohydrate and fat "spare" protein.

Accelerated Weight Loss

A neat benefit of cleansing is that you reducing body-fat and what I call "fluff". Fluff is water and carbohydrate that is held by the body when it is in a toxic state. When you lose the "fluff", you lose more weight faster than you could by losing fat alone.

Detox Fasting

Don't get me wrong, detoxification fasting is the very best way to strip fat off your body quickly that there is. In fact, people who are extremely fit and lean will often see those stubborn pockets of body-fat melt away. I believe this is because many stored toxins are fat-soluble. If your body doesn't have the resources to access, conjugate and excrete the toxins, then it needs those pockets of fat for "toxin storage".

Supplying the nutrients that your system needs to deal with the toxins, while restricting the calories to promote the whole body cleansing process, and maintaining or increasing protein intake is a winning combination.

Typical Detoxification Recommendations

Typically I recommend a calming, cleansing medical food that uses hypoallergenic rice protein and rice carbohydrate. Depending on your history of exposure to heavy metals, and other factors, I may recommend a green food supplement for your detoxification cleanse. Again, I like to stick to products that have been proven to detoxify particular chemicals or heavy metals in multiple human clinical trials. The green food that I recommend the most has been proven in literally hundreds of clinical trials with real people.

Wheatgrass: Reality And Fiction

Sorting wheatgrass truths from fiction can be a difficult process. From the initial research on the useful effects of wheatgrass on ailing chickens in the 1920s, claims for wheatgrass benefits for individuals have burgeoned. Dissenters, too, have multiplied as quickly as wheatgrass grows. In 2006, Brian Dunning published Speptiod # 06, which criticized many claims, focusing on the lack of scientific research into the claims. In the following years, that research has begun to be published.

So what are the wheatgrass facts? In a nutshell, there's a grain of fact in the majority of the claims--but not many are the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Claim: wheatgrass is very high in vitamins and other nutrients.

Fact: It is just about the same as any other green vegetable. Match up two ounces of wheatgrass juice to a large serving of broccoli or spinach and you find the protein of all three to be virtually the same. Wheatgrass has 4 times the vitamin E of broccoli and 1/3 more than spinach, but broccoli has 25 times as much vitamin C as wheatgrass and spinach has 8 times. Vitamin B12 is frequently touted as one of wheatgrass' major components. Two ounces have 0.3 micrograms--admittedly more than spinach and broccoli, neither one of which have any, but this is still only 1/2 of 1% of the minimum daily requirement for B12. Wheatgrass does have significant, just not overwhelming, amounts of numerous important vitamins, minerals, and other micro-nutrients. It is good for you.

Claim: wheatgrass is 70% chlorophyll, and chlorophyll will cure cancer, digestive conditions, and heavy metal poisoning.

Fact: There have been some small trials that have found that wheatgrass juice can be helpful in all these areas, although it doesn't alleviate all such ailments. Some children with a hereditary anemia were able to increase the time between blood transfusions when they drank 100 ml. of wheatgrass juice each day. Women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy required fewer of the drugs which help re-build blood components if they had a similar amount of daily wheatgrass. Similar quantities seem to ameliorate the extent of ulcerative colitis. Wheatgrass, additionally, showed no counter-indications in any of these situations (if you don't consider its flavor). So, wheatgrass is probably an aid to good health without significant side effects for the majority of people.

Claim: wheatgrass has no gluten.

Fact: Wheatgrass that has been cut after the seed has been entirely absorbed for plant growth usually has no gluten. Cut too early, it can still have some of the gluten proteins that will be concentrated in juice. Probably a tiny amount--but if you have sensitivities, you may prefer to stay clear of it.

Claim: even mold on wheatgrass can be avoided in the juice. Fact: wheat grown indoors in closely packed trays is prone to having the ungerminated seeds mold in damp environments. The obvious mold may be cleared away, and, of course, you don't juice the unsprouted grain. However, mold reproduces by microscopic spores which might be on the grass blades. If your intolerance to mold is high, it may be good to avoid wheatgrass juice.

To preserve the good things in wheatgrass, you need to juice it properly. Either a hand-cranked juicer or an electric single- or double-auger masticating juicer like the Omega 8004 is needed. These slow-speed juicers squeeze the juice out, rather than chopping it up and pushing it out a strainer as do the high-speed juicers. The cutting both bruises the blades and produces much higher oxidation--neither one of which safeguards the nutrients. In addition, the high-speed juicers produce significant heat which further degrades the juice. Another caution: if you won't be able to drink it promptly, keep it in the refrigerator in a container just the size of the juice so it can not further oxidize.

Miracle? No, but not a myth either. In reality, there are rewards to consuming wheatgrass juice. Its juice--properly grown, harvested, juiced, and stored--is a healthy choice, and that is a fact.

Home Remedies For Thrush

Home remedies for thrush should be used whenever there are creamy white lesions, usually on your tongue or inner cheeks.

Oral thrush is the fungus "Candida albicans" and manifests as it accumulates on the lining of your mouth. Thrush can be treated at home and should not be viewed as a disease, but rather as a need to build the immune system up again.

The lesions can be painful and bleed some when you scrape them. Oral thrush can spread to the roof of your mouth, your gums, tonsils or the back of your throat.

Oral thrush can affect anyone, but it's more likely to occur in people that have compromised immune systems, like babies, people who wear dentures or those who use inhaled corticosteroids. If you have a weakened immune system, symptoms of oral thrush may be severe and difficult to control.

In the beginning, you may not even notice the symptoms of oral thrush. Signs and symptoms may develop suddenly and persist for a long time, before you realize what it is.

Home remedies for thrush should be started as soon as you notice any of these symptoms:

- Loss of taste
- White lesions on your tongue, cheeks or roof of your mouth, gums and tonsils
- Lesions with a cottage cheese-like appearance
- Pain
- Bleeding if the lesions are rubbed or scraped
- Cracking or redness on your mouth (especially denture wearers)
- Cotton feeling in your mouth

In severe cases, the lesions may spread into your esophagus. This is called Candida esophagitis. When that happens, you may experience difficulty swallowing, or feel like food is getting stuck in your throat. Another good reason to implement home remedies for thrush as soon as possible.

Babies may be fussy, irritable, and have trouble feeding. The infection can be passed back to their mothers during breast-feeding.

Women need to use home remedies for thrush when they experience the following signs or symptoms:

- Red, sensitive or itchy nipples
- Shiny or flaky skin around the nipple (areola)
- Pain during nursing or in nipples between feedings
- Deep stabbing pains within the breast

Home remedies for thrush will strengthen the immune system, since oral thrush and other Candida infections occur when your immune system is weakened. Anytime you have to take antibiotics, your good intestinal flora is damaged. Your immune system can also be damaged from disease, drugs like "prednisone," (Prednisone is used to treat allergic disorders, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis and arthritis) or anything that disturbs the natural balance of your bodies microorganisms.

Normally your immune system works to repel viruses, bacteria and fungi, but sometimes, when the immune system has been weakened, these protective mechanisms fail, which can allow an oral thrush infection to invade.

Home remedies for thrush will help weakened immune systems from related diseases like HIV/AIDS. The human immunodeficiency virus or (HIV) causes AIDS. Repeated signs of oral thrush may be the first sign a person has HIV.

Use home remedies for thrush if you've been receiving treatments for cancer, like chemotherapy and radiation.

Both the disease and treatments increase your risk of having a Candida infection like oral thrush.

Home remedies for thrush should be started also, if you have untreated diabetes or the disease isn't well controlled. When your saliva has large amounts of sugar, which encourages the growth of candida, you may develop thrush.

I recommend home remedies for thrush for vaginal yeast infections too. These infections are caused by the same fungus that causes oral thrush. Even though a yeast infection isn't dangerous, a pregnant woman can pass the fungus to their baby during delivery.

You don't want your baby to start out with "oral thrush."

Some people insist that the extract of grapefruit seed is one of the best home remedies for thrush that you can use.

Grapefruit seeds contain certain chemicals that act as anti microbial agents. The grapefruit seed extract actually works as a "natural antibiotic."

The recommended dosage is one teaspoon of grapefruit seed extract, with a glass of lukewarm water, twice a day.

Unrefined raw coconut oil has also been said to be an excellent home remedy for thrush. A compound known as caprylic acid is the benefit of raw coconut oil, which is a strong antimicrobial agent.

Simply apply a small amount directly on the areas of the body with thrush symptoms. Raw virgin coconut oil is also excellent for diaper rashes, as well as thrush of the mouth areas.

Since home remedies for thrush and home remedies for yeast infections have the same "causes and affects," the need to balance your good intestinal flora is the same.

Colon Health Problems - Is Your Health at Risk?

Many people suffer from colon related health problems today. There are so many different types of colon (large intestine) problems it is hard to believe. Did you know that in 2005 in the United States of America, 72,007 men and 69,398 women were diagnosed with colorectal (colon) cancer? Shockingly, 26,781 men and 27,259 women died from colon cancer in that same year. Most people know someone close to them who has suffered from the disease or a similar illness. It has become an epidemic in our society.

It is very important to see a health care provider that can treat and diagnose these problems. But, first, how do you know if you have problems with your large intestine ? Here is a list of common disorders involving this critical internal organ.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a disorder that affects the GI tract; it is the most common colon health related problem that doctors see today. The cause is unknown and symptoms include bloating, gassiness, abdominal pain, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, constipation and blood in the stool. These symptoms tend to worsen during times of stress, bad diet and some sexual activities.

Treatment of IBS includes diet change, lifestyle change and sometimes medication. Staying away from certain foods can help avoid bloating and gassiness such as beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

Another common treatment is the addition of fiber into the diet. It helps reduce the chances that the digestive tract will spasm as it digests food. Adding fiber to the diet also helps with regular bowel movements and reduces the chance of constipation.

Stress also causes flare ups of IBS to occur. By regularly exercising and eating a well balanced diet, you can reduce some stress and other problems associated with the illness.

Smoking can also worsen symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and some food can make IBS worse.

Constipation

It is important to understand that constipation is not a disease, it is a symptom. Constipation occurs when a stool is hardened because it doesn't contain enough water. This condition is hardened stools and can also mean difficulty passing said stool. Many people today suffer from this colon related health problem, but it can be treated.

A person with a blockage will experience less bowel movements; usually it will be from three movements a day to three movements a week. If the bowels are not moved for three straight days, there may be pain and difficulty when defecating.

There are many causes of constipation such as not eating enough fiber, some medications, being pregnant, IBS, ignoring the desire to make a bowel movement, and using laxatives too much.

There are many ways to prevent and alleviate this ailment, including eating more fiber (try flaxseeds, rice bran, oat bran, beans, peas, apples, pears, blueberries), regular exercise, drinking lots of fluids most importantly water, avoid using over the counter laxatives and going to the bathroom the same time each day.

There are also many types of colon cleansing products available that you can search for online or at your health food store. Having an enema will clear out the bowels and allow for feces to pass more easily. Enemas can be purchased over the counter and work by inserting a tube into the rectum and flowing water into the bowel. The water is then retained for a period of about ten minutes and then released.

Another colon cleansing choice is a colonic irrigation. A doctor or practitioner performs the colonic; the patient will lie on a table and have a tube inserted into the rectum allowing water to flow in and out of the bowel taking the waste out of the colon. Colonics are generally more comfortable than using an enema.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is the frequent passage of loose watery stools accompanied by bloating and gas. Diarrhea is also a symptom and not a disease although related complications can often cause severe illnesses. The most severe problem caused by diarrhea is dehydration, since stools are commonly watery; it causes the body to lose too much water. Diarrhea is often accompanied by vomiting which also causes the body to lose water.

Diarrhea can be brought on by a number of things such as, viral infections, bacterial infections, and IBS.

This annoying malady usually goes away within two to three days without medical treatment. Many people can treat it at home by drinking plenty of water and eating normally. Some medications can be used to treat diarrhea such as loperamide and some antibiotics.

Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis is basically inflammation of the colon. There are many different causes of colitis including poor blood flow, infections and autoimmune reactions. Viruses and bacteria are the cause of many different types of intestinal infections. Most come from food poisoning, E coli, shigella, and salmonella can cause colitis.

Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, blood in the stool, a consistent urge to have a bowel movement, often constant pain, fever and chills.

Treatment for colitis includes antibiotics, intravenous fluids, and a combination of medications that are given to the patient and then monitored for a period of time.

Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease affects around 500,000 people in the United States today. Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease or IBD; it causes inflammation and swelling in the digestive tract. It usually affects the small intestine and parts of the colon and is often mistaken for other colon disorders such as ulcerative colitis, IBD, and diverticulitis.

Symptoms of Crohn's illness include persistent diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and fatigue. There is no cure, but there are many treatments available to help manage the disease and keep symptoms from returning for a long period of time. Treatments include aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immune modifiers, biologic therapies, and antibiotics.

Some people suffering from the disorder may even have to have surgery at some point in their lives. Surgery can clear the intestinal blockage, treat symptoms medication couldn't, and repair the damage to the intestines.

Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal (Colon) cancer occurs when tumors form on the large intestine and or the rectum. Sometimes benign tumors called polyps form inside the intestine, while malignant tumors in the large intestine are called cancers. Benign polyps can be removed during a colonoscopy and they are not life threatening. If polyps are not removed, malignant cancers can form over time.

Colorectal cancer can be inherited or caused by a high fat diet, the presence of polyps in the intestine and chronic ulcerative colitis. As you may already know, it is fatal in some cases, but sometimes can be treated.

Surgery is the most common treatment for this intestinal cancer. During the operation, the tumor is removed. The patient is then watched and tested to make sure that the cancer hasn't spread to any other organs, but if it has, more surgery may be required and, or, chemotherapy will be administered.

Colon cancer is the most fatal of all colon health related problems. That is why it is so important to take care of yourself by eating a well balanced diet, exercising regularly, and reporting any abnormality to your doctor.

Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms 101 - How Do I Get Rid of Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms?

Ulcerative colitis symptoms represent a broad array of physical problems and can actually be affected by many aspects including diet, genes, age and mental attitude. It is often associated with ulcerative colitis but can even be linked to other intestinal ailments.

If you're suffering from ulcerative colitis symptoms, and doubtful about what they are or how to take care of them, here are a few helpful tips to understanding this painful disease and what you could possibly do to get back to healthy life.

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a swelling of the large intestine that may many times be a persistent situation. The exact factor for the problem is not known but many studies are being performed on the genetics linked to the problem.

There are a number of ulcerative colitis symptoms such as rectal bleeding, acute pain and diarrhea. Some sufferers may only have the rectal bleeding symptom while some with more severe inflammation may even feel urgency to relieve themselves and even pain when they use the bathroom.

Treatment

Once diagnosed, there are various treatment solutions, depending on the acuteness. Patients may be prescribed medicines in order to treat the problem.

The medications should help reduce the risks attached to the problem and strengthen the patient's overall well being. (Medications include anti-inflammatory agents and combination that suppress the body's immune system so as to decrease inflammation.)

Surgery?

Surgery may also be recommended for patients. If a patient does not improve with medications, has a long-standing condition, or has suffered for several years with no improvement, surgery may be the best choice.

Standard surgical treatments include extracting the entire colon and the rectum. Stool can be collected in a bag. In recent times, however, surgeries have been developed in order to make it easy for stools to pass through the anus again, making it much less disturbing.

Diet and Ulcerative Colitis

Many patients think that special diets could help ease their pain and suffering. To date, however, no single diet has been identified to slow the development of the problem to a concluding basis. (Although I've observed, as an ulcerative colitis patient, that diets can control the pain.)

You should, of course, start eating a well-balanced, healthy diet and restrict saturated fats to risk flare-ups. Some patients may be sensitive to various food items; constant tryout of which foods cause which reaction is helpful and very important.

Future

Research is ongoing on the disease so as to find prescription drugs with more positive impacts and fewer unwanted effects. Surgical developments are also being made. In the future, adults with bowel problems may even be able to receive vaccine shots to aid their trouble. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

How to Treat Crohn's Disease

Information about Budesonide and Crohns Treatment

Budesonide is one of the glucocorticoid steroids, a class of steroids which takes its name from two facts: they play an important role in the body's metabolism of glucose; and they are produced in the adrenal cortex. In addition to being naturally-occurring, this important substance is also available in a number of therapeutic preparations. Sold under various brand names, budesonide preparations have been approved for use in treating several health conditions.

Therapeutic Uses

These preparations are most frequently used to treat asthma and allergies with respiratory symptoms, such as hay fever. Nasal polyps ("nasal polyposis") can be treated (and in some cases prevented) with budesonide. However, it is also used as a Crohns treatment. Crohn's disease (also called "regional enteritis") is one form of inflammatory bowel disease ("IBD"). In addition to being used as a Crohns treatment, a new budesonide preparation is being tested to determine its efficacy as a treatment for ulcerative colitis.

Brand Names

AstraZeneca sells budesonide preparations under various brand names. Rhinocort, which is called Rhinosol in Denmark, is AstraZeneca's budesonide nasal inhalant. The company's oral budesonide inhalant is sold as Pulmicort (called Budicort in Israel). Symbicort is an AstraZeneca inhalant which combines budesonide with formoterol. The same preparation is sold in Brazil by Eurofarma, under the name Noex.

Budesonide is marketed by Prometheus Laboratories as an enema or a time-release capsule, both of which are called Entocort. The same company also sells Entocort EC, which is an immediate-release budesonide capsule. Budesonide capsules are typically taken in one of two treatment courses: either 9 mg per day for a total of 2 months; or 6 mg per day for a total of 3 months.

Pharmacological Characteristics

Compared to other corticosteroids, the body metabolizes budesonide quickly. When used as a Crohns treatment, the substance is most effective in the ileum and right colon. Prednisolone is also a corticosteroid, but budesonide has a less severe effect on bone density. And, because it has very little impact on pituitary, hypothalamus and adrenal gland function, a patient does not need to gradually decrease the dosage before discontinuing budesonide.

Side Effects

Budesonide's side effects are typically milder than those seen with similar medications. They can include the following:

• Dry mouth


• Coughing


• Sore throat


• Nasal irritation and/or nose bleeds


• Change in mucus color


• Dizziness or lightheadedness


• Muscle cramps


• Rash


• Nausea

In rare cases, one or more of the following side effects can occur:

• Facial swelling


• Severe acne


• White areas in the oral cavity


• Respiratory difficulty


• Irregular menstruation

The occurrence of any of these side effects should be immediately reported to the patient's physician. A very small number of children taking budesonide have exhibited behavioral changes.

Potential Drug Interactions and Contraindications

Several drug interactions are possible with budesonide, including interactions with the following medications:

• Erythromycin


• Clarithromycin


• Telithromycin


• Nefazodone


• Indinavir


• Ritonavir


• Ketoconazole


• Nelfinavir


• Itraconazol

Furthermore, budesonide may be contraindicated if you suffer from tuberculosis, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis or glaucoma. Before taking budesonide, patients must tell their physicians if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Finally, patients taking budesonide must avoid being near anyone with measles or chicken pox - especially if they have not been immunized against those conditions.