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
Accurate Diagnosis for IBD
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.
Clinical Trials
Through research, we are committed to advancing our understanding of Crohn’s
disease and ulcerative colitis. The care of patients with IBD is not complete
without access to the latest clinical trials. If your IBD symptoms have
not responded to currently approved medications, know that our clinical
trials team may be able to help.
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