In my last article I discussed IBS, which is something most people have heard of, but have you heard of IBD and do you understand what it is? IBD stands for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which covers the conditions Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis, and affects over 300,000 people in the UK.

Now the reason many of you may not have heard of or understand IBD is because it is what is known as an invisible illness and there is a lot of stigma and isolation attached to the disease. I myself have Ulcerative Colitis and I am passionate about raising awareness and helping people understand the symptoms and conditions.

Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis are chronic (on-going, lifelong) conditions and symptoms vary from person to person, ranging from mild to severe. People go through periods of remission and flare ups.

Symptoms

• Diarrhoea often mixed with blood, mucus and pus

• Pain in the abdomen, often crippling

• Appetite and weight loss, which can often be rapid and due to the body not absorbing nutrients because of inflammation of the gut

• Fatigue – this is one of the symptoms I always experience, even in remission

• Anaemia

• Mouth Ulcers

• Urgency and lack of bowel control

• Feeling generally unwell

• Inflammation in the joints and eyes

• Anxiety and Depression, often due to stigma, embarrassment and isolation of the above symptoms

Complications can arise, particularly with Crohn’s, such as strictures and fistulas, and depending on what medications you are on there can be several side effects.

There are a variety of medications to help reduce the symptoms and help people stay in periods of remission and I myself have tried most of them with little success. Many of the drugs used are anti-inflammatory such as steroids, 5ASA’s, immunosuppressant drugs like azathioprine, methotrexate and ciclosporin, and biological drugs like infliximab and adalimumab.

As with any drug there will be varying side effects for individuals, and it often becomes a case of weighing up the pros and cons to the medications and considering the long-term effects.

When drugs fail to keep IBD in remission, surgery is often required.

Alternative therapies can be helpful for relieving some of the symptoms. Hypnotherapy has been recognised as an effective way for relieving pain, fatigue and helping with anxiety and depression. Taking nutritional supplements can also help and in some cases going on a liquid diet is recommended to allow the gut to heal. IBD increases the risk of bowel cancer and regular checks are recommended. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, then see your GP and discuss your concerns.

www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk

www.nhs.uk/conditions/inflammatory-bowel-disease

www.hhhypnotherapy.co.uk