The pills and the enemas or suppositories can be used together. Often suppositories or enemas are used to get the colitus under control. Then, they are gradually tapered off, and the person continues to take one of the pills. The next line of therapy involves the use of steroids. Prednisone is the main steroid used in the treatment of colitis.
Prednisone is fairly inexpensive.
When taken in high doses, it has side effects which include lessened immunity to infections, weight gain, nervousness and mental hyperactivity, some emotional changes, facial changes or fattening, and stretch marks on the skin. These side effects generally occur only if the steroids are used for more than a few weeks. Usually, the steroids are used in high doses for only a few days or weeks, to gain control of the disease. Then, their use is tapered off over a week or two. The colitis is then controlled by using a pill such as Dipentum or Asacol, with or without the enemas or suppositories.