Regardless of the severity of your ulcerative colitis, it is possible to take some control over your abdominal pain and other symptoms, such as diarrhea and weight loss. Taking medication, eating a healthy diet, and minimizing stress can all help reduce the chances of a flare, says Sunanda V. Kane, MD, MSPH, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Here are some ways to manage pain from ulcerative colitis.
How to Define Ulcerative Colitis Pain
To help your doctor figure out what’s causing your abdominal pain and other symptoms, you need to be able to accurately describe the sensation. Before seeing your doctor, take stock of what you’re feeling. It may be useful to keep a colitis symptom journal to write down what you are experiencing. Be ready to describe:
How long you’ve had your painWhere you feel your painHow it feels, both in sensation and intensityThe frequency and duration of your painWhat seems to trigger your abdominal painWhat seems to help ease the painWhat time each pain occurred, including how long after eating, and how long it lasted
“The more specific you can be about your pain, the better,” Dr. Kane says.
How to Manage Ulcerative Colitis Pain
Once you’ve described your pain accurately, your doctor will likely be able to track down the cause of your pain and begin treating it. Here are some methods of pain management that have been shown to help people with ulcerative colitis.
1. Medication
Sticking to your prescribed medication regimen is the best way to control ulcerative colitis. There are a number of drugs your doctor can prescribe to treat your specific symptoms; some work by modifying how your immune system functions, while others decrease the inflammation in your gut. If you skip doses or don’t take the medication as prescribed, you will reduce its effectiveness and risk having a flare. If you’re experiencing mild pain, your doctor may recommend acetaminophen, but you may have to avoid taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, because they can increase pain and worsen symptoms.
2. Diet and nutrition modifications
Although food specifically doesn’t cause ulcerative colitis, your diet can play a role in triggering or easing your symptoms. You may find that adopting a diet low in certain sugars or fiber — particularly insoluble fiber, which passes through the GI tract undigested — or free of lactose or gluten helps you manage your inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Caffeine and carbonated beverages might also worsen your symptoms, as could spicy dishes. Finally, if ulcerative colitis interferes with your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, ask your doctor whether you should take a vitamin supplement.
3. Stress management
Stress functions much like depression in exacerbating the pain and other symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Learning ways to manage stress through meditation, yoga, tai chi, or deep breathing may help relieve stress and, as a result, lessen your ulcerative colitis pain. You might also consider joining a support group, where you can find helpful advice and comfort in talking with others who have ulcerative colitis. And if you experience consistent stress, seeing a mental health professional could help you learn coping strategies.
4. Complementary therapies
Adding complementary therapies to your existing treatment plan may help lessen the frequency and intensity of your pain and other symptoms, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. “Therapies like yoga, massage therapy, acupuncture, and hypnotherapy have been shown to help,” Kane says. Discuss complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies with your doctor before starting any, so you’ll be aware of their pros and cons. Other complementary therapies include relaxation techniques, mindfulness, hypnosis, biofeedback, and acupressure.
5. Surgery
Surgery is a long-term treatment option for ulcerative colitis. According to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, 23 to 45 percent of people with ulcerative colitis may require surgery at some point, in part because of severe symptoms that no longer respond to medication. Surgery options include a proctocolectomy (the removal of the rectum and all or part of the colon); a colectomy (the removal of all or part of the colon); and an ileostomy (a surgically created hole in the abdomen that allows waste to leave the body). Although complications can occur after the surgery and it can take up to a year to recover, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation notes that in most cases, the procedures are successful. —Additional reporting by Bernadette Young
