Patients suffering from chronic disease ulcerative colitis that can limit life to few social functions and trips away from home can finally expect some respite after a promising new therapy was pioneered by University of Kentucky gastroenterology specialists.

Ulcerative colitis brings inflammation and ulcers in the colon leading to frequent toilet trips and abdominal pain. Some of the currently available options of treatment are steroids, surgery, or anti-inflammatory drugs.

From Sciencedaily.com:

One of the study participants is Robert Lewandowski, of Hager Hill in Johnson County. Lewandowski was diagnosed with the disease a decade ago and saw the retirement plans he and his wife made slipping away as he became more and more reluctant to leave home.

“The first thing you do is when you think about going somewhere, you have to think about where the bathroom is and how quickly you can get to it,” Lewandowski said. “Eventually, you stop going and doing things because it’s too much of a problem.”

Lewandowski’s disease went into remission after a few years, then reappeared, sending him to the bathroom 20 or more times a day. Therapies he used in the past didn’t work, so his physician referred him to the clinical study at UK. He saw an improvement almost immediately, and a year later, he is able to lead a normal life, with no symptoms of the disease. “I’m happy,” he said.

Willem J.S. deVilliers, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the UK Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, remarked that this findign can be described as a welcome addition to the treatment options.

Tags:  Steroids, surgery, Ulcerative Colitis

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Patients suffering from Ulcerative Colitis (UV) can expect significant relief with hypnotherapy coming into the picture.

It was remarked by Keefer, who is director of the Center for Psychosocial Research in Intestinal Bowel Disease at Northwestern’s Feinberg School, that hypnotherapy may be effective for offering relief to these patients by helping them in stress management and developing a sense of control over their health.

From Sciencedaily.com:

“The preliminary results on the improved quality of life for the 27 subjects in this ongoing study (aiming for a total of 80 subjects) look positive so far,” Keefer said.

Once the eight weeks of hypnotherapy are completed, subjects are expected to listen to the relaxation tapes or practice relaxation twice a week to maintain the benefits. They are also encouraged to “step up their practice” of relaxation tapes if they think they are at risk for a flare, Keefer said.

Currently the treatment for the disease is a maintenance medication called 5-ASA. “The problem is most people forget to take the full dose,” Keefer said. If that doesn’t work steroids are often the next treatment, but long-term use can cause joint problems and other side effects such as anxiety and insomnia. When doctors try to taper the patient off steroids, symptoms tend to flare again.

The findings were presented by Keefer at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s 13th Annual Medical Symposium and 14th Annual Patient and Family Conference in Chicago.

Tags:  Hypnotherapy, Steroids, Ulcerative Colitis

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