Colitis treatments have long been buried in controversy.  Is colitis caused by what we eat how we feel or how we are born? Ask 5 experts and get 7 different answers.

This colitis treatment review will attempt to shed some common sense on the different options for making your colon happy.  This disease is much like a hornets nest.  Once you stir up trouble it can be very difficult to calm the environment down.  If you had a hornets nest in your home you would have to move out to let them calm down.  Other wise you would keep the hornets irritated all the time and they would get even more angry and want to be left alone.  Well when we continue to eat to much of the wrong food we are stiring the hornets nest.  Unfortunately the wrong food is different for everyone.

Now add the stress in our lives and those of us that are genetically prone to have sensitive colons and it’s a vicious circle that non of the experts can predict. Of course now we have so many treatments that they alone add to the anxiety of what to do. I know I’m scared of the colonoscopy. You said you want to stick what up my &^%$, very scary.

So what treatments are available?

The goals of treatment include:

* Relieving symptoms and ending sudden (acute) attacks as quickly as possible.
* Treating complications, such as anemia or infection. Treatment may include taking nutritional supplements to restore normal growth and sexual development in children and teens.
* Preventing or delaying new attacks.

Treatment for ulcerative colitis depends mainly on the severity of the disease and usually includes medicines to control symptoms, such as diarrhea, and changes in diet. A few people have symptoms that are persistent and severe, in some cases requiring treatment with additional medicines or surgery.

Mild symptoms may respond to antidiarrheal medicines and changes in your diet. Sometimes you may need to use enemas or suppositories. Talk with your health professional before taking antidiarrheals. Prescription medicines may be used to treat mild symptoms and keep the disease in remission. Usually, corticosteroids (such as hydrocortisone or prednisone) are given for a few weeks to control active disease.

Initial treatment

If you don’t have any symptoms of ulcerative colitis or if your disease is not active (in remission), you may not need treatment. If you do have symptoms, they usually can be managed with medicines to put the disease in remission. It often is easier to keep the disease in remission than to treat a flare-up.

Mild symptoms may respond to antidiarrheal medicines and changes in your diet. Sometimes you may need to use enemas or suppositories. Talk with your health professional before taking antidiarrheals. Prescription medicines may be used to treat mild symptoms and keep the disease in remission. Usually, corticosteroids (such as hydrocortisone or prednisone) are given for a few weeks to control active disease.

When your symptoms are under control, you may take aminosalicylates (such as sulfasalazine or mesalamine) to keep the disease in remission. Aminosalicylates relieve inflammation in the intestines.

Moderate to severe symptoms usually require corticosteroids to control inflammation. The required dose of steroids may be higher than that needed to treat mild colitis. When inflammation goes away, you will take aminosalicylates to keep the condition in remission.