OMG, Asacol contains plastics/phthalates?!?!

[Zizzle]

This came as a huge surprise to me. Medications with enteric or slow-release properties may be made with plasticizers, the hormone disrupting evil phthalates!! Honestly, is there anything that Pharma does right?? So we buy vinyl-free shower curtains and fragrance free cosmetics, but we ingest plastic to help deal with intestinal diseases??

In a recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, U.S. researchers sampled a small portion of pills on the market—medicines for conditions ranging from acid reflux, infections, and inflammation to ulcerative colitis and high blood pressure, among others—and found that 10 to 20 percent contained two types of plasticizing chemicals tied to lifelong health problems. These plastic chemicals, known as phthalates, are often found in vinyl flooring and shower curtains, cleaning products, nail polish, perfumes, and fragranced personal care products, insecticides, and food packaging.

Here's a quote from the 2009 journal article:

The 2004 case study pinpointed Asacol®, a medication for treating ulcerative colitis, as a probable source of phthalate exposure. Asacol is covered with an enteric coating of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that prevents the medication from degrading before it reaches the small intestine. Concentrations of the main metabolite of DBP in the urine of the case study subject corresponded to an uptake of DBP exceeding by two orders of magnitude the 95th percentile reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the general population. The concentrations also surpassed the reference dose established for DBP by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the basis of animal testing.

To assess possible links between phthalate-containing prescription medication usage and excreted metabolites, the investigators searched National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from survey periods between 1999 and 2004 when urine samples were tested for phthalate metabolites and participants were asked about their use of prescription medications. Various enteric-coated medications identified as likely to contain phthalates included mesalamine (the generic form of Asacol), didanosine (an antiretroviral agent), omeprazole (which inhibits gastric acid secretion), and theophylline (used to treat asthma and other lung diseases).

Among the 6 documented mesalamine users, average urine concentrations of DBP metabolites were 50 times higher than those of nonusers. For 2 of the 6 mesalamine users, the DBP metabolite concentrations pointed to uptake exceeding the EPA’s reference dose.

http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetc ... p.117-a74a

http://www.rodale.com/drugs-inactive-ingredients

From the same website, here's a nice overview about the potential toxicity of wheat, with the author of "Wheat Belly"

http://www.rodale.com/wheat-free-diet-0 ... heatfarcry

[tex]

Zizzle,

Thanks, that's good information, (I need to add that to the reasons why meds are not the best choice, in my book).

Incidentally, the Rodale/Wheat Belly claim that 99% of the wheat grown around the world is only 2 feet tall is kind of an oversimplification of the problem. That claim may well be true, but not for the reasons that they cite, and their warped treatment distorts the perception of wheat unfairly. True, wheat grown under moisture-starved conditions, such as is often found in many arid and semi-arid parts of the word, (including the "wheat belt" in the plains states of the U. S.), is unable to reach optimum height, and 2 feet may be a typical height, for normal planted populations. That's not true in the PNW, where adequate rain falls, and anyone living there who has ever walked out into a mature wheat field can attest to that.

The primary reason for this is that anyone farming land that does not receive enough rainfall to produce corn, usually plants wheat, because it will still produce a crop - just not a good crop. The PNW has the opposite problem - it receives to much rain, (and at the wrong times), to produce good corn. However, if you plant wheat the way that the ancestors of wheat were found in the wild, (IOW, a clump of wheat growing here and there), modern wheat will be just as tall as those wild ancestors. And conversely, if you plant seed from those wild ancestors to the same stand population as modern wheat fields, it will almost certainly be even shorter than the most common wheat cultivars that we have today.

But more than that, given enough rain, and otherwise good growing conditions, modern wheat will outperform those wild ancestors, hands down. Even in normally somewhat dry Central Texas, I have personally grown wheat that averaged at least 4 to 5 feet tall. Wheat like that typically produces 2 to 3 times as much grain, as the shorter plants, but that's simply because it has more water available to work with, not just because of a difference in genetics. Believe it or not, the shorter wheat always has a higher protein content, (more gluten), and a higher concentration of other nutrients, as well. The faster a grain plant grows, the less nutritious the grain, (seeds), will be. Farmers can do what they want to increase yields, but the actual production still depends on mother nature.

Tex

[ssharril]

I take Apriso and have taken Lialda which is also mesalamine. Does anyone know if it is the mesalamine that is the problem here or the formulation Asacol? I have improved so much with the gf diet that I think I will be able to cut back on the meds. Thanks for helping me find that possible solution.

[Gloria]

For those taking Entocort EC, here is the list of ingredients:

Each capsule for oral administration contains 3 mg of micronized budesonide with the following inactive ingredients: ethylcellulose, acetyltributyl citrate, methacrylic acid copolymer type C, triethyl citrate, antifoam M, polysorbate 80, talc, and sugar spheres. The capsule shells have the following inactive ingredients: gelatin, iron oxide, and titanium dioxide.

http://www.rxlist.com/entocort-drug.htm

I don't see phthalate in the list - whew! I know that most of us have been switched to the generic form and I'm unable to locate a list of ingredients for the generic form.

Gloria

[tex]

I know that most of us have been switched to the generic form and I'm unable to locate a list of ingredients for the generic form.

One of the generics is made by the manufacturer of Encocort EC, (AstraZeneca), and they insist that the generic that they manufacture is identical in every way to the branded product. The other one almost surely contains different ingredients, and I don't know what they are, either.

Tex

[starfire]

Does anyone know if it is the mesalamine that is the problem here or the formulation Asacol?

I believe they were talking specifically about Asacol but you wouldn't know about others unless you could find out in the ingredient list for the coating/capsule such as Gloria did with entocort.

Shirley

[Zizzle]

The good news is that Entocort does not use phthalate plasticizers. The bad news is, it does use other plasticizers which seem to be safer. I remember being totally disgusted when I found out last year that my toddler's Allegra suspension, which treats her severe tree pollen allergy, was full of phthalates. Luckily she can use the chewables now, but allergy shots will soon be in her future.


Dicarboxylic/tricarboxylic ester-based plasticizers: Phthalate-based plasticizers are used in situations where good resistance to water and oils is required. Some common phthalate plasticizers are:

Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), used in construction materials and medical devices
Diisononyl phthalate (DINP), found in garden hoses, shoes, toys, and building materials
Bis(n-butyl)phthalate (DnBP, DBP), used for cellulose plastics, food wraps, adhesives, perfumes, and cosmetics - about a third of nail polishes, glosses, enamels, and hardeners contain it, together with some shampoos, sunscreens, skin emollients, and insect repellents
Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) is found in vinyl tiles, traffic cones, food conveyor belts, artificial leather, and plastic foams
Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), used for insulation of wires and cables, car undercoating, shoes, carpets, pool liners
Di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP or DnOP), used in flooring materials, carpets, notebook covers, and high explosives, such as Semtex. Together with DEHP it was the most common plasticizers, but now is suspected of causing cancer
Diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP), all-purpose plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, rubbers, cellulose plastics, and polyurethane.
Diethyl phthalate (DEP)
Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)
Di-n-hexyl phthalate, used in flooring materials, tool handles, and automobile parts


Biodegradable plasticizers: Safer plasticizers with better biodegradability and fewer biochemical effects are being developed. Some such plasticizers are:

Acetylated monoglycerides; these can be used as food additives
Alkyl citrates, used in food packagings, medical products, cosmetics and children toys
Triethyl citrate (TEC)
Acetyl triethyl citrate (ATEC), higher boiling point and lower volatility than TEC
Tributyl citrate (TBC)
Acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC), compatible with PVC and vinyl chloride copolymers
Trioctyl citrate (TOC), also used for gums and controlled release medicines
Acetyl trioctyl citrate (ATOC), also used for printing ink
Trihexyl citrate (THC), compatible with PVC, also used for controlled release medicines
Acetyl trihexyl citrate (ATHC), compatible with PVC
Butyryl trihexyl citrate (BTHC, trihexyl o-butyryl citrate), compatible with PVC
Trimethyl citrate (TMC), compatible with PVC
alkyl sulphonic acid phenyl ester (ASE), compatible with PVC , vinyl chloride copolymers, TPU, NBR etc.
It is compatible with a wide range of polymers including PVC.