Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) affect the digestive tract (stomach,
small and large bowel). With their long-term (chronic) inflammation comes
the potential for scarring and bowel damage that may require surgery if
not properly treated. In IBD, often considered an autoimmune disease,
the body’s own immune cells attack healthy cells by mistake. IBD
differs from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which may show similar symptoms
but does not cause bowel damage. IBD typically produces debilitating symptoms
that can negatively impact your quality of life.
IBD consists of two diseases, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis,
both treatable conditions. You and your primary care doctor can consider
a referral to the OU Health Physicians IBD team if you experience common
symptoms such as:
Abdominal cramping and pain
Chronic diarrhea that may contain blood
Fatigue
Fever
Malnutrition
Urgent need to move bowels
Weight loss
Make an Appointment
Request an appointment with a digestive health specialist at OU Health.
For early diagnosis and appropriate treatment to avoid long-term complications,
your doctor may refer you to OU Health Physicians gastroenterology specialists
who use a combination of blood work, endoscopy (including colonoscopy
or camera scope tests) and X-ray tests, CT scans or MRI scans to develop
an accurate diagnosis.
Comprehensive IBD Treatment
As part of your OU Health experience, you and your gastrointestinal care
team develop an individualized treatment plan that typically begins with
medication, including:
Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and metronidazole for short-term infections
that may complicate IBD
Aminosalicylates such as sulfasalazine and mesalamine for anti-inflammatory treatment
Biologics for moderate or severe IBD to help block key inflammation steps
within the condition
Corticosteroids such as prednisone for short-term (2-3 months) treatment
of bowel inflammation
Immunomodulator drugs such as 6-mercaptopurine
Jak inhibitors such as tofacitinib
If your condition would benefit from surgery, your OU Health Physicians
team includes highly skilled colorectal surgeons with extensive experience
in performing minimally invasive procedures to remove the affected section of bowel.
Access to Clinical Trials
When you choose OU Health to care for your IBD condition, you gain access
to the latest innovative treatments and therapies that result from research
studies led by OU Health physician-investigators. If your IBD symptoms
have not responded to other treatments, ask your doctor or talk with a
research nurse on the clinical trials team to find out if you may qualify
to participate in clinical trials at OU Health that can offer treatments
before they become publicly available.
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