Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

Treatment for ulcerative colitis should:

• control inflammation
• correct nutritional deficiencies
• reduce abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding

Treatment may include nutrition supplements, drugs, hospitalization, surgery, or a combination of these.

Nutritional treatment.
If symptoms are produced by certain foods, they may be controlled by avoiding foods that upset the intestines, such as seasoned foods or milk sugar called lactose.

Medications.
Different types of medications may be used to treat ulcerative colitis. These include aminosalicylates, corticosteroids and immunomodulators.

Aminosalicylates help to control inflammation. People with mild or moderate ulcerative colitis are usually treated with this type of drug first. Aminosalicylates also help if a person has a relapse.

Corticosteroids also reduce inflammation. They are often prescribed for people with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or those who don’t find relief with aminosalicylates. Corticosteroids can cause side effects including weight gain, hypertension, diabetes, acne, facial hair, mood swings, bone mass loss and an increased risk of infection. Because of the side effects, it’s not recommended to use them long-term, but they are usually very effective for short-term use.

Immunomodulators reduce inflammation by affecting the immune system. These drugs are usually prescribed to patients who aren’t finding benefits with aminosalicylates or corticosteroids or who are dependent on corticosteroids. It can take up to 6 months before the full benefits of immunomodulators are noticed. Healthcare providers moitor patients taking immunomodulators
in case they would have complications such as pancreatitis, hepatitis, a reduced white blood cell count or an infection. Other drugs may be given to relax the patient or to relieve pain, diarrhea, or infection.

Hospitalization.
Sometimes symptoms are so severe that the person must be hospitalized. Such symptoms include severe bleeding or diarrhea causing dehydration. At the hospital, the doctor will try to stop diarrhea and blood loss, and replace lost fluids.

Surgery.
About 25-40% of ulcerative colitis patients must eventually have their colon removed due to massive bleeding, severe illness, rupture of the colon, or risk of cancer. Sometimes the doctor will recommend removing the colon if medical treatment fails, or if side effects of corticosteroids or other drugs threaten the patient's health. Some surgeries to remove the colon reroute the small intestine to the outside of the body; this is called an ileostomy. In these operations, patients lose bowel control.

Other operations take the colon out and attach the small intestine to the rectum, allowing normal bowel movements