Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis Treatments

The first point to make is that treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis) is a very complicated area and no amount of literature and on-line reading will replace a thorough discussion with your treating Gastroenterologist.

At GastroMedicine & ENDOSCOPY, we have three specialists who hold special interests in Inflammatory Bowel Disease including Crohn’s Disease. All our Specialists very much welcome the discussion of complex issues including long-term fertility; travel issues in patients who live with Crohn’s Disease; and newer therapies including what is termed “biologics” – Infliximab, Adalimumab, Vedolizumab and Golimumab. If you have a more severe form of Crohn’s Disease, it may well be worth your while being enrolled in a trial that potentially can make huge differences in symptom improvements and prevention of long term complications.

Talk to your Gastroenterologist about smoking, about the classes of drugs including "5-ASA compounds" and immuno-modifying therapies (Azathioprine, Mercaptopurine and Methotrexate). Ask your Gastroenterologist how safe or unsafe it is to use Prednisolone and whether steroid therapy changes the natural history of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Enquire about the extra-colonic disease that are often associated with inflammatory Bowel Disease including liver and bile duct complications.

You can also discuss about recent new tools in drug and disease monitoring, including faecal Calprotectin and Thiopurine metabolites, which are now the standard of care in managing patients with Crohn’s Disease.

The ultimate aim of our Specialists in looking after patients with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis is to avoid long term complications including bowel cancer, surgeries of the small and large bowel. The concept of bowel cancer prevention is an important discussion to make with your Gastroenterologist and particularly the use of what is termed "chemoprevention"