| Rectal Salofalk may cause acute intolerance (sensitivity reactions). This is characterised by abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea, fever, pruritus and rash. These are unrelated to dose. The most common adverse effects following treatment with rectal mesalazine are:- General symptoms such as dizziness, malaise, paraesthesia, arthralgia and pyrexia may develop following rectal administration of sulphasalazine. - GI effects: abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea, worsening or development of diarrhoea. - CNS effects: Headache, malaise, dizziness and peripheral neuropathy.- Sensitivity reactions: Mesalazine may be associated with an exacerbation of the symptoms of colitis in those patients who have previously had such problems with sulfasalazine. Allergic skin reactions such as rash, bullous skin reactions including erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome. - Other adverse effects: Fever, arthralgia, pericarditis, myocarditis, pancreatitis Other adverse effects were reported following oral administration of mesalazine.There have been rare reports of leucopenia, neutropenia, agranulocytosis, aplastic anaemia and thrombocytopenia, abnormalities of hepatic function, hepatitis, cholestatic hepatitis, allergic lung reactions, interstitial nephritis and nephrotic syndrome with oral mesalazine treatment, usually reversible on withdrawal. Renal failure has been reported. Mesalazine-induced nephrotoxicity should be suspected in patients developing renal dysfunction during treatment. Increased methaemogloblin levels may occur. Headache and digestive disturbances such as nausea and diarrhoea may occur. Isolated cases of hair loss have been reported. | |