Ulcerative Colitis

My struggle with Ulcerative Colitis and the start of a journey to cure myself

About a week ago I shared a personal story on Facebook about my struggle with health and gut issues, the ineffectiveness of medical institutions in helping me, and my plan for how to matters into my own hands and address this head on. The level of interaction and response that my post got absolutely blew me away and showed me that the topic of struggling with and learning how to overcome health issues is something that needs to be discussed much more than it is.

Myths of Living with Ulcerative Colitis

One of the most important responsibilities of being diagnosed with a chronic illness like ulcerative colitis (UC) is learning as much about the condition as possible. Typically, most people turn to Google for answers. But a lot of times internet searches lead to misinformation.

9 People Describe How They Were Diagnosed With Ulcerative Colitis

Managing UC is a complex puzzle of treatment options and unpredictable symptoms. We spoke with nine women to find out what life is like with the disease.

Can strawberries help cure intestinal inflammation?

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts have found that strawberries are not only delicious, rich in vitamins and low in calories — they can even help with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Could Viruses Attacking The Microbiome Be Responsible For Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

The possible role of the microbiome in inflammatory diseases has been a busy area of research recently, with a study in May showing that gut bacteria may play a role in multiple sclerosis. The relationship between bacteria in the gut microbiome and IBD is an active area of research, but new research published in Nature Microbiology yesterday suggests that viruses called phages, which infect gut bacteria may be important in controlling the disease.

Does Food Poisoning Cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

What causes inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? No one knows for sure, though both genetic and environmental factors likely contribute. A new study in Science, modeling disease in mice, suggests that recurrent infections might be a major trigger for IBD.

Five Ways You Can Help Someone Suffering With Ulcerative Colitis

Like all chronic illnesses, Ulcerative Colitis makes you feel awful (physically and emotionally) and the impact it has on your loved ones is pretty dire too. With the right attitude however, you can make a massive difference to someone's recovery. If you know someone with UC or IBD, here are a few things you can do to help them through that poxy relapse...

Living With Ulcerative Colitis

Over the past year, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs when it comes to my UC; I’ve felt great, I’ve felt terrible, I’ve been on various medications, and had a few colonoscopies. Not the average life of a 20-something. And that’s the hardest part.

Top 10 Apps to Help You Manage Ulcerative Colitis

There are tons of apps out there to help you manage your ulcerative colitis (UC). From apps that are UC- or IBD-specific to general health-focused apps, there's a wide variety of Apple and Android apps you can use to manage your UC in a more mobile-friendly way.

What You Need to Know About Xeljanz

For ulcerative colitis, Xeljanz is given twice a day in either a 5 mg or a 10 mg dose. Xeljanz may be given by itself (called monotherapy) or at the same time as other therapies for ulcerative colitis that do not suppress the immune system. There is an extended release version of this medication that is approved for use in rheumatoid arthritis but not for ulcerative colitis.

Emerging Treatment Options in Mild to Moderate Ulcerative Colitis

A budesonide extended-release formulation allows once-daily dosing and delivers the agent locally throughout the colon. Biologic agents used for the treatment of moderate to severe UC include the tumor necrosis factor inhibitors infliximab, adalimumab, and golimumab, and the integrin inhibitor vedolizumab.

The Best Diet For Ulcerative Colitis: Splitting Fact From Fiction

Many people claim to have “cured” their ulcerative colitis with diet or supplements. Unfortunately, there is no diet or pill that can cure the disease.

Ulcerative Colitis Diet: Foods to Eat and Avoid

While ulcerative colitis is not caused by any specific diet, research shows that certain foods trigger symptoms so for this reason an ulcerative colitis diet has emerged.

(Hopefully) an inspiring story about my life with Ulcerative Colitis!

I just wanted to share my experiences of ulcerative colitis in the hope that it may help some of you out there with colitis!

6 common mistakes when treating patients with ulcerative colitis

When a patient with ulcerative colitis is sick enough to be admitted to the hospital, the stakes can be incredibly high. In a presentation at Advances in IBD 2018, Corey Siegel, MD, of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, said there is little room for mistakes with these patients.

A Surprise Medical Solution: Hypnosis

Major hospitals are finding hypnotherapy can help sufferers of digestive conditions like heartburn, colitis, acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome.

American Idol Hopeful Hospitalized

Casey Abrams typifies the increasing incidence of colitis and auto immune disorders in young people. Could it have anything to do with our modern way of living?

Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Don’t Mean the End for Athletes

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis aren’t sexy diseases. They involve a part of the body that people are embarrassed to talk about publicly. And in a career where your physical health is the key to your success, it is incredibly brave to speak openly about having a chronic illness.

Cure Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Without Medication

I’m here to tell you it’s possible to alleviate symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases, like Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis and it doesn’t always have to take dangerous medications. You can do so with a change in diet or by consuming healing nutraceuticals...

How to Know if Your Bathroom Issues Are Actually Ulcerative Colitis

Plus, why this condition should be on your radar.

I'm sick. It's not my fault. And I shouldn't have to pay more for my health insurance.

Here’s what this disease does to one’s body: My colon, left to its own devices, gets inflamed to the point of ulceration. To control the disorder, I take an immunosuppressant every day, enough to keep things in check. When flares occur, there’s pain, diarrhea, and a significant chance of my pooping my pants. It’s not only inconvenient; if left untreated, the long-term consequences of the disorder can be catastrophic. But there is nothing about this disease that ties it to choices I’ve made. I was 22 when I was diagnosed. None of it was my fault.

I've been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis… Now what?

Well you are probably a bit shell shocked and confused as to what the hell this disease is.

New Therapies for Bowel Diseases

Dr. Scherl said that sugars, other carbohydrates and fats can lead to uncontrolled inflammation in the gut of people genetically predisposed to inflammatory bowel diseases. When a flare-up occurs, she said patients “must step back and eat simpler food — a so-called white diet — until the inflammation subsides.

Ulcerative Colitis vs. Crohn’s Disease – Similarities And Differences

The two most common IBDs are Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Both are conditions characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. They do share many similarities, yet they also have key differences between them.

What We Eat Affects Everything

How men and women digest differently, diet changes our skin, and gluten remains mysterious: A forward-thinking gastroenterologist on eating one's way to "gutbliss"

How I Came to Terms with my Ulcerative Colitis Diagnosis

Ulcerative colitis can be described many ways through a variety of symptoms, but only those who live with it every day know how detrimental it can truly be. At first, the pain was terrifying. Coupled with the large amounts of blood I would see in the toilet I knew something was very wrong. Yet I didn’t tell anyone.

uBiome

Learn about your microbiome and join the thousands who have had their microbiomes sequenced.

Uceris

UCERIS® (budesonide) rectal foam is a prescription corticosteroid medicine used to help get active, mild to moderate ulcerative colitis that extends from the rectum to the sigmoid colon under control (induce remission)

Xeljanz

XELJANZ (tofacitinib) is a prescription medicine called a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor used to treat: Adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

Colitis Ninja

Colitis Ninja seeks to raise awareness for all aspects and classifications of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, indeterminate colitis, etc.). We need to show the world what it’s like to live with these wretched diseases. They aren’t just “poop diseases.” People with IBD are in a daily battle, yet they go through life attempting to be “normal.”

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation

Beyond research, the Foundation is collaborating with healthcare providers to improve IBD quality of care, as well as educating, supporting, and empowering patients and their caregivers through patient-centric education and advocacy programs.

Crohn's and Colitis UK

We work with everyone affected by Crohn’s and Colitis, and help them achieve a better quality of life by providing support, improving services and ultimately finding a cure.

Fierced and Flared

A Gutsy Girls Guide: tales from a normal girl living with UC, an Ostomy and a JPouch.

Healed From Ulcerative Colitis

How I used diet and fecal transplants done at home to heal my gut from UC.

Hope Inflamed

Writing about my experience helps me cope with living with a chronic illness and I hope reading about it will help you navigate your own challenges.

IBD Relief

An information sharing platform to help educate, support and guide those affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and improve their quality of life

iHaveUC

There is all sorts of things you can do here to help out with you colitis. It has taken me thousands of hours to put it all together over the years, but it has been well worth it. There is a ton of super valuable information here, written by and for people who have ulcerative colitis.

So Bad Ass

So Bad Ass came into being as a website and blog about Inflammatory Bowel disease and my journey with Ulcerative Colitis and living with a stoma.

The Blessed Mess

When I was 14 years old I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC), an Autoimmune Disease, and have struggled with going in and out of remission for the last 15 or so years. I hope that through this blog I can raise awareness about IBD and help others going through the same thing as other bloggers with UC like Carrots ‘n Cake and Against All Grain have helped me by sharing their stories.

Uh, Oh, Charlie

I have Ulcerative Colitis. Why am I telling you this? It's certainly not because I want your pity. Don't feel sorry for me. I just want you to be able to understand who I am. I want you to see life through my eyes. I want you to be aware. I want you to read "My Story".

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Ulcerative colitis most often begins gradually and can become worse over time. Symptoms can be mild to severe. Most people have periods of remission—times when symptoms disappear—that can last for weeks or years. The goal of care is to keep people in remission long term.

VMC

Individuals who exhibit anxious or obsessive personality traits and/or are introverted or emotionally immature have a higher risk of UC than those who do not. One study reported that 84% of individuals with UC have these personality traits.