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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTreatment for proctitis depends on the underlying cause of the inflammation.
Treatment for proctitis caused by an infection
Your doctor may recommend medications to alleviate the cause of your infection. Options may include:
- Antibiotics. For proctitis caused by bacterial infections, your doctor may recommend an antibiotic.
- Antivirals. For proctitis caused by viral infections, such as the sexually transmitted virus herpes, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication.
Treatment for proctitis caused by radiation therapy
Mild cases of radiation proctitis may not require treatment. In other cases, radiation proctitis can cause severe pain and bleeding that requires treatment. Your doctor may recommend treatments such as:
- Medications to control bleeding. Steroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs can be administered in pill, suppository or enema form. These medications can help control inflammation and reduce bleeding.
- Treatment to destroy damaged tissue. These techniques improve proctitis symptoms by destroying abnormal, bleeding tissue. Ablation procedures used to treat proctitis include laser therapy and argon plasma coagulation (APC). Laser therapy uses a hot beam of light (laser) inserted in the rectum to burn away lesions, while APC uses a jet of argon gas along with an electric current.
Proctitis caused by inflammatory bowel disease
Treatment of proctitis related to Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis is aimed at reducing the inflammation in your rectum. Treatment may include:
- Medications to control rectal inflammation. Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications, such as mesalamine (Asacol, Canasa, others) or corticosteroids. These drugs are available in pill, suppository or enema form. Steroid suppositories or enemas may ease inflammation in your rectum.
- Surgery. If drug therapy doesn't relieve your signs and symptoms, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove a damaged portion of your digestive tract.
- Proctitis. National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/proctitis/index.htm. Accessed Feb. 26, 2010.
- Leiper K, et al. Treatment of radiation proctitis. Clinical Oncology. 2007;19:724.
- Lee PK, et al. Condyloma and other infections including human immunodeficiency virus. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2010;90:99.
- Coates WC. Disorders of the anorectum. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..X0001-1--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&uniq=192498651. Accessed Feb. 26, 2010.
- Zuckerman KS. Approach to the anemias. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/186591636-6/0/1492/0.html. Accessed March 2, 2010.
- Stamm WE, et al. Chlamydia trachomatis (trachoma, perinatal infections, lymphogranuloma venereum and other genital infections). In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..X0001-X--TOP&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&uniq=192498651. Accessed March 2, 2010.
- Stenson WF. Inflammatory bowel disease. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/186591636-6/0/1492/0.html. Accessed March 2, 2010.
- Lakatos PL, et al. Ulcerative proctitis: A review of pharmacotherapy and management. Expert Opinion Pharmacotherapy. 2008;9:741.
- Picco MF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. March 10, 2010.
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