There is usually an improvement in 3 to 21 days. You may need about 6 weeks of treatment to get good results. Do not change the brand of this medicine that you are taking without talking to your doctor or health care professional.

Does mesalamine work right away?

How long does it take to work? Lialda will start to reduce the inflammation in your bowel as soon as you start taking it. However, it may take a few weeks before your symptoms improve.

How effective is mesalamine?

In mild/moderate active disease mesalamine has response rates between 40%–70% and remission rates of 15%–20%. Considering that the efficacy of 5-ASA is dose dependent, 4.8 g/day and 2.4 g/day have been shown to be the optimal dosages for mild-moderate distal active disease and for maintenance therapy, respectively.