Ulcerative Colitis

Home care

No one knows what exactly causes IBD. The goal is to control and relieve the symptoms and prevent complications, so you can lead a full and active life. No medicine can cure the disease. In some cases, surgery to remove the whole colon can be healing. But surgery causes other side effects, so medicines are often preferred. Discuss your options with your doctor.

Diet

Your diet did not cause your condition, but what you eat can affect it. There is no one diet that works for everyone, so you have to experiment. Below are some recommendations. But what works for you may be different. Keep a food log to find out what you are sensitive to.

• Eat more slowly. Eat smaller amounts at a time, but more often.

• High-fiber foods may help constipation. But they can make bloating, cramping, gas, and diarrhea worse.

• Eat less sugar.

• Try cutting out dairy products if you feel you are sensitive to lactose.

• Try cutting out foods that are high in fat, including fatty meats.

• Be careful of eating gassy foods, such as beans and some vegetables, and drinking carbonated drinks and fruit juices. They can make bloating and diarrhea worse.

• Caffeine, alcohol, and stimulants may make symptoms worse.

Lifestyle

Stress doesn't cause IBD. But it's a factor in flare-ups, and how you feel and react to your condition.

• Look for things that seem to make your symptoms worse, such as stress and emotions.

• Counseling can help you deal with stress. So can self-help treatments such as exercise, yoga, and medicine.

• Depression can be a part of this illness, so antidepressant medicine may be prescribed. Besides symptoms of depression, this medicine may also help with diarrhea, constipation, and cramping.

• Lack of sleep can make symptoms seem worse.

• Alcohol use can make symptoms worse.

Medicines

Your doctor may prescribe medicines. Take them as directed. In most cases, you will need to take the medicines for the rest of your life. For acute flare-ups, more prescription medicines can be prescribed. Call your doctor if you need these.

• Ask your doctor before taking any medicines for diarrhea.

• Don't take anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen or naproxen.

• Think about taking nutritional supplements. This is especially true if the diarrhea is prolonged, or you aren't eating, or you are losing weight.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your doctor, or as advised. Tell your doctor if you lose more than 5 pounds over 3 to 6 months, but you aren't trying to lose weight.

If a stool sample was taken, or cultures were done, you will be told if they are positive, or if your treatment needs to be changed. You can contact your doctor as directed for results.

If you had X-rays done, you will be told of any new findings that may affect your care.

You may need a test regularly to look into the colon. This is called a colonoscopy. It allows your doctor to see inside the inflamed area. The doctor can take tissue samples to look at more closely. It's very important to tell your doctor if you plan to get pregnant, or you find out you are pregnant. You will need to discuss your disease, medicines, and plan as early as possible, preferably before you conceive.

Call 911

Call 911 if:

• You have a large amount of bleeding from your rectum, or in diarrhea.

• You have trouble breathing.

• You have confusion.

• You feel very drowsy or have trouble waking up.

• You faint or lose consciousness.

• You have a rapid heart rate.

• You have chest pain.

When to seek medical advice

Contact your doctor right away if:

• You have a small amount of bleeding from your rectum, or in diarrhea.

• You have frequent diarrhea or belly pain that's not controlled by your medicine.

• You have a fever of 100.4ºF (38ºC) or higher, or as directed by your doctor.

• You have nausea that does not get better, or repeated vomiting.