Methotrexate for keeping ulcerative colitis inactive   

One study that tested the effectiveness of low dose oral methotrexate (12.5 mg/week) as treatment for inactive ulcerative colitis was reviewed. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon. Typical symptoms include bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Methotrexate is an immunosuppressive drug that may suppress inflammation associated with ulcerative colitis. The study compared oral methotrexate (12.5 mg/week) with placebo (inactive pill) and found that methotrexate is not effective for preventing relapse (a recurrence of disease symptoms) in patients with inactive ulcerative colitis. Three patients were withdrawn from the study for suspected side effects which included temporary leukopenia (an abnormal decrease in white blood cells), headache and severe rash. The use of methotrexate for maintaining remission in inactive ulcerative colitis is not recommended. Further well-designed studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of higher doses of methotrexate (e.g. 15 to 25 mg/week) and parenteral administration (e.g. intramuscular injection).