Mechanism of action Budesonide

[dianebarkeridaho]

Hello all. Sorry if I am reposting this, I cannot find the original, so may have not done it correctly.

Anyway, I am curious what it is, (mostly), about Budesonide that causes it to work. Is it mostly anti inflammatory, or is it just mostly constipating (like opioids are constipating).

Another way to ask this….would perfectly healthy person get constipated from taking Budesonide?

I guess I am asking this because if it is just a constipating drug, then I may as well take Imodium.

[tex]

There are more attributes to budesonide than simply a constipating effect. That said, yes, it probably would constipate someone in the general population, because it is certainly constipating for MC patients who do not have diarrhea.

Although budesonide's main function is suppressing inflammation (and most gastroenterologists probably believe that's it's only function), it also enhances reuptake of bile salts in the terminal ileum, so that less bile is able to reach the colon, thereby providing another significant benefit not only for reducing diarrhea, but also reducing the workload of the liver by recovering the additional bile. This enhanced recycling reduces the need for the liver to convert cholesterol into bile. There may possibly be other therapeutic benefits, because the mechanisms by which budesonide lowers inflammation is actually poorly understood.

The suppression of inflammation improves nutrient absorption, and this is one of the reasons why some people gain weight while taking budesonide.

Tex

[dianebarkeridaho]

Thank you Tex. I appreciate having a better understanding.