Bowel Disease (IBD)
 |
print the page |  |
email the page |  |
|
- What is IBD?
- Symptoms of IBD
- Causes of IBD
- Prevention of IBD
- Risk factors for IBD
- Complications of IBD
- When to see a doctor about IBD
- Diagnosis of IBD
- Conventional treatment of IBD
- Alternative/complementary treatment of IBD
- Living with IBD
- Caring for someone with IBD
Conventional treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Mild inflammatory bowel disease
Treatment of mild inflammatory bowel disease (less than four stools per day with no other major gastrointestinal symptoms):
- Topical treatment - a variety of topical treatments can be used to treat symptoms, especially of they occur in the lower end of the colon:
- Enema - a corticosteroid enema is placed in the rectum as a retention enema to help reduce symptoms
- Suppository or foam - a corticosteroid suppository is placed in the rectum as a retention suppository to help reduce symptoms
- Medication - a number of different medications are prescribed depending on symptoms:
- Aminosalicylates - such as sulfasalazine, mesalazine, olsalazine are used for mild to moderate Crohn's disease and all forms ulcerative colitis
- Antibiotics - are used to treat Crohn's disease and the complications of Crohn's disease (fistulas and abscesses), but are generally not used in ulcerative colitis (unless there is an infection or abscess of some sort)
- Glucocorticoids - such as prednisolone, hydrocortisone, budesonide are used to treat Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis because their anti-inflammatory properties act very quickly to reduce symptoms. Long-term, these types of drugs can cause a variety of side effects and should never be stopped abruptly as this can cause disruption to hormone levels and cause serious ill health (the dose needs to be tapered gradually to avoid this)
- Vitamin B12 and iron shots - these are given through shots or via a drip as the intestines may not absorb them properly and can cause anaemia through the lack of iron and/or vitamin B12 (a deficiency of either can cause anaemia)
Advertisement
Moderate to severe inflammatory bowel disease
Treatment of moderate to severe inflammatory bowel disease (more than four stools per day with other major gastrointestinal symptoms):
- Immunosuppressants - such as cyclosporine, methotrexate and thiopurine agents are used to treat active Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and to maintain remission in people that have not responded to other drug therapy (glucocorticoids and antibiotics). Thiopurine agents are excellent at helping to heal fistulas. The only downside to these medications is that they can often take months to reach their full effects. The other disadvantage is that using these drugs long term may suppress the immune system too much and raise risk of infection, plus there is also a small risk of lymphoma (cancer of the lymph glands) when using these drugs long term
- Intravenous iron and vitamin B12 - these nutrient are given through shots or a drip as the intestines may not be able to absorb them properly and this can cause anaemia through the lack of iron and/or vitamin B12 (a deficiency of either can cause anaemia)
- Electrolyte and fluid replacement - when inflammatory bowel disease is really severe, replacement fluids including the electrolyte minerals (chloride, sodium, potassium) are given via a drip (usually in hospital) to replace the fluids and electrolytes lost through diarrhoea (and vomiting)
- Total parenteral nutrition - if the inflammatory bowel disease is really severe and absorption of food is greatly impaired because of bowel obstruction, or due to inability to absorb nutrients at all because of the severity of the disease, then total parenteral nutrition must be given via drip in hospital, which allows the gastrointestinal tract to rest and heal. This provides all the nutritional requirements through the blood so that nothing goes through the bowel and this enables the inflammation and other symptoms of the bowel to be healed
Surgery
Surgery is not often recommended as a treatment for Crohn's disease, because once it is performed, the need for recurrent surgery increases.
The most likely reasons for surgery are for serious complications of this condition such as: fistulas, abscesses, internal bleeding, perforation, cancer, strictures and bowel blockages.
Advertisement
Sections: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
< 8: diagnosis 10: alternative treatment > Last reviewed: 31 July 2008 || Last updated: 14 February 2009
Related Articles
NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
