Ulcerative Colitis

Treatment for ulcerative colitis depends mainly on how bad the disease is. It usually includes medicines and changes in diet. A few people have symptoms that are long-lasting and severe, in some cases requiring more medicines or surgery.

You may need to treat other problems, such as Reference anemia Opens New Window or infection. Treatment in children and teens may include taking nutritional supplements to restore normal growth and sexual development.

If you don't have any symptoms or if your disease is not active (in Reference remission Opens New Window), you may not need treatment. But your doctor may suggest that you take medicines to keep the disease in remission.

If you do have symptoms, they usually can be managed with medicines to put the disease in remission. It often is easier to keep the disease in remission than to treat a flare-up.

Mild symptoms

Mild symptoms may respond to:

• Reference Antidiarrheal medicines.
• Enemas or suppositories that contain medicine.
• Aminosalicylates. These medicines relieve inflammation in the intestines. They are also taken to keep the disease in remission.
• Steroid medicines. Your doctor may prescribe these for a few weeks to control active disease.
• Changes in your diet.

Moderate to severe symptoms

These symptoms usually require steroid medicines to control inflammation. The dose you need may be higher than that needed to treat mild symptoms. When inflammation goes away, you will take aminosalicylates to keep the condition in remission.

Severe symptoms also may be treated with:

• Immunomodulator medicines or cyclosporine. These strong medicines suppress the Reference immune system Opens New Window to prevent inflammation.
• Biologics. They block the inflammatory response in your body and help reduce the inflammation in your colon. They may be used if other medicines don't control your symptoms.
• Surgery. Removal of the Reference large intestine (colon) Opens New Window Reference Opens New Window cures ulcerative colitis. But surgery may not cure all of the problems that the condition can cause in other areas of the body, such as the liver and joints. Surgery also is done to treat problems such as bleeding or Reference toxic megacolon Opens New Window.

Treatment in the hospital

You may need treatment in the hospital if you have severe ulcerative colitis with symptoms outside the digestive tract, such as fever or Reference anemia Opens New Window. Treatment includes replacing fluids and Reference electrolytes Opens New Window lost because of severe diarrhea.

Follow-up visits

Your doctor will want to see you for a follow-up visit about every 6 months while your condition is stable. You'll need to see the doctor more often if you are having problems. Many people are so familiar with their condition that they can handle minor flare-ups on their own. In some cases, you may be able to talk with your doctor on the phone for minor problems.

If you are taking medicines, you may need to have lab tests regularly.

© 1995-2011, Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.