Budesonide

Budesonide is a corticosteroid. It is primarily used as inhaled prophylaxis in asthma but may also be prescribed for the relief of:

• allergic and vasomotor rhinitis
• severe skin inflammation, e.g. eczema and psoriasis
• Crohn's disease affecting the ileum or ascending colon; ulcerative colitis involving rectal and recto-sigmoid disease

Consider budesonide for a first presentation or a single inflammatory exacerbation in a 12‑month period for people:

who have one or more of distal ileal, ileocaecal or right-sided colonic disease and if conventional glucocorticosteroids are contraindicated, or if the person declines or cannot tolerate them. Budesonide is less effective than a conventional glucocorticosteroid, but may have fewer side effects.

Reference

1. NICE. Crohn’s disease: management. NICE guideline NG129. Published May 2019