Most people diagnosed with either Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s Disease receive a range of medications designed to control or reduce the inflammation and symptoms, and suppress the body’s immune response.
When inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is active, the doctor’s main aim is to:
- Control the symptoms of the flare-up as rapidly as possible
- Correct any disturbances to the body’s nutritional, water, vitamin and mineral levels
- Prevent serious complications developing
- And finally, minimise risk of future flare-ups by choosing an effective maintenance therapy
Maintenance therapy for long term control of IBD
Long term control of inflammatory bowel diseases requires regular medication, known as maintenance therapy, to keep flare-ups at bay and reduce the risk of more serious complications developing.
The aminosalicylate group of medications, such as Ferring’s PENTASA (mesalazine), is commonly prescribed as maintenance therapy for IBD patients.
Clinical evidence has shown that without mesalazine maintenance therapy up to 80 per cent of mild/moderate active Ulcerative Colitis patients relapse within a year giving way to further flare-up and symptoms. But the research has also shown that if patients take their maintenance therapy correctly, many of these relapses could be prevented.
More severe inflammation may need a number of different therapies to achieve long-term control. Usually the medication initially required to control the patient’s flare-up should be continued as part of maintenance therapy.
Prevention of serious long term complications
Individuals feeling quite well and free of symptoms between flare-ups may be less careful about complying with their doctors’ recommendations for taking maintenance medication and attending the gastroenterology clinic for check-ups.
New findings suggest that long-term health benefits and reduction in the risk of developing cancer of the colon and/or rectum can be achieved if patients continue to take their medication as recommended by the doctor.
Diet in controlling IBD
The long-term management of inflammatory bowel diseases to reduce relapses also needs to address the role of stress and diet. Stress reduction (which may be difficult) and an adequate diet containing fibre (except in case of strictures) with vitamin and mineral supplements, is usually recommended by doctors.
A well-balanced, high carbohydrate, high protein diet minimises the possibility of nutritional deficiency due to chronic diarrhoea. Crohn’s disease appears to respond well to special diets and some patients respond to milk- or wheat-free diets (lactose and gluten-free).