About IBD

Have you ever been out in public and needed a toilet — but there wasn't one available? This has happened to everyone who lives with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), which is why so many of us have "bathroom accident" stories. Needing to use the bathroom is a basic human need, but it's treated like an afterthought. That's where the Restroom Access Act come...

There are significant unmet needs for IBD patients that include pain control, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression. Some patients turn to medical cannabis for these symptoms. But is that a good idea, does it work, and what should patients and their doctors know about medical cannabis? To answer these questions and more, Amber talks to cannabis and IBD expert Dr Jami Kinnucan, who is a Senio...

When you think of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, you might not think of physical therapy. But physical therapy and pelvic floor therapy can be integral to helping with function, pain, and having better bowel movements. To learn more, I connected with Nancy Cullinane, who is a Board-Certified Women's Health Clinical Specialist at Overlake Hospital and Clinics Outpatient Rehab in Washington...

There are tools available to address the psychosocial impact of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Learn what's available to you from Dr Jessica Naftaly, a GI behavioral health fellow at the University of Michigan and Amy Bugwadia, higher education coordinator for Generation Patient, Teaching Assistant at Stanford University School of Medicine, ulcerative colitis patient, and key opinion leader in...

Whether in remission or not, the day-to-day of life with IBD can be challenging. Living with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, even when feeling well, might mean making lifestyle changes, going to doctor's appointments, and taking medications. Many people are diagnosed young, at a time when their friends aren't going through anything similar. To understand how people might deal effectively wi...

Myths and misconceptions about IBD are common. Even amongst patients, there's things that take time and education to understand because the things that swirl around in the public consciousness are not always true. To help understand why we can't get rid of some of these common misconceptions, Amber Tresca is joined by gastroenterologist and IBDologist Siobhan Proksell, MD, and ulcerative colitis a...

People who live with chronic illness don't get training on how to deal with health insurance. Yet it is a major part of living with conditions such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Plus, it not only affects patients living with IBD, but our doctors and other healthcare providers are also frustrated and overburdened with dealing with red tape such as prior authorizations. Dr Shubha Bhat, a...

People who live with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis don't want to feel like a burden. They may feel guilty about changing or canceling plans. Sometimes, people with IBD may not even want to make plans in the first place. A strong support system can help overcome these issues and help patients manage their new normal. Dr Alexandra Fuss, a clinical health psychologist and an Assistant Profess...

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are complicated. There are choices to make along the treatment journey, which means that patients and their healthcare providers need to work together to find the right path. That's where shared decision-making comes into play. Healthcare providers can help patients learn about their options but patients need to speak up and help their doctors understand what...

After being diagnosed with a form of IBD, it can be a real challenge to understand that treatment is ongoing. Which might mean taking medications for long periods of time. It also means adding in lifestyle changes such as focusing on nutrition and diet, sleep, exercise, stress reduction, and learning about complimentary treatments that might be helpful. There are a lot of barriers to getting treat...

Setting goals is an important part of managing IBD. But after controlling symptoms: what other goals do patients have? They can be anything from being able to go up and down the stairs, to cooking a meal, to going back to an exercise program. Treating to target is a concept that helps in goal-setting. But patients might not be using this method with their clinicians. Dr Neilanjan Nandi, Associate...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects our quality of life. What that means, however, is going to be different for each person. It may depend on many factors including disease severity, access to care, and support structure. The symptoms of ulcerative colitis such as diarrhea can prevent people from taking part in activities that aren't near a bathroom. Bleeding can cause anemia, leaving people...

Once people understand that symptoms like ongoing diarrhea and bloody stools are not normal, they need a way to overcome embarrassment and talk their symptoms over with a health care provider. Having an open and honest conversation will help ensure a quicker diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and getting the right treatment. On this episode, Rasheed Clarke, ulcerative colitis and j-pouch patient and...

How is IBD different in kids than it is in adults? When should kids be transitioned from pediatric to adult care? What's next for IBD treatments? My guest is Dr Jeffrey Hyams, the head of the Division of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology and Nutrition at Connecticut Children's, and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He provides a historical perspective on t...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and indeterminate colitis) is being diagnosed in young people with greater frequency. Research on how to treat pediatric patients, and indeed how to prevent IBD in the first place, is still lacking. What's not in short supply is the strength and resilience shown by pediatric IBD patients and their families. Meet Brooke, a pediat...

Did you know that being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease is a disqualifying condition to serve in the United States military? However, it seems that it's not always an automatic reason for discharge. Lt Colonel Joshua Nelson was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and needed to have ileostomy surgery. It cast into question his future as a pilot in the Air Force Reserve. Learn his...

Ulcerative colitis surgery is sometimes viewed as the last stop for treatment but it can be a good option to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dr. Vikram Reddy, Division Chief of Yale Medicine, Colon and Rectal Surgery, answers questions about j-pouch surgery including how patients feel about it, how he manages his patients after surgery, what complications might occur, and why surgery for u...

IBD is not a condition that is easy to diagnose or treat. People who live with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis have needs that include guidance on nutrition. Diet is notoriously difficult to study but some research is starting to be done. Dannielle Jascot, MS, CNS, CDN, certified nutritionist and IBD patient talks over the recent results of the DINE-CD study, which compared the Specific Carb...

What should people who live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) eat? What diet plans are available? Barbara Olendzki, the Director of the Center for Applied Nutrition and an Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, helped developed the inflammatory bowel disease anti-inflammatory diet (IBD-AID). The IBD-AID is currently being studied in pregnant people in the M...

How do your pets help you with your IBD? I speak to Meredith Mangold, "The Bowel Battling Badass," about the role her dogs have played in her life. She became seriously ill with ulcerative colitis, which progressed into a rare complication called toxic megacolon. As her journey with IBD progressed, she eventually needed colectomy surgery, and has since been diagnosed with other immune-mediated con...

The back to school period is already a time of so much change but once again in this pandemic, parents and school systems are also facing difficult choices. The experiences of families during the pandemic has been diverse, which means that individual needs need to be addressed. But how do we manage that? Dr Brad Jerson Pediatric Psychologist in the Division of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology, and N...

This is the second part of my conversation with Kathleen Nicholls, author of "Go Your Crohn Way: A Gutsy Guide to Living with Crohn's Disease" and "My Flare Lady: A Handbook for Today's (Diseased) Dame." Hear the first part in Episode 97, where Kathleen tells us about her Crohn's disease diagnosis and how blogging became the way she processes her disease journey. We talk about how to answer when p...

Life with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) brings challenges and many life changes but it can also sometimes bring unexpected opportunities. Kathleen Nicholls, author of "Go Your Crohn Way: A Gutsy Guide to Living with Crohn's Disease" and "My Flare Lady: a handbook for today's (diseased) dame" was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in her 20s. She started a blog as a way to process her disease journe...

The patient advocacy space is lacking the voices of men and especially men of color. The result is that the IBD community is not diverse enough to provide the kind of support that they need. Jordan McConnell, the founder of Crohn's Veteran, is looking to change the dynamics of the online IBD space. Jordan served in the military and was eventually discharged due to his Crohn's disease. It was a sho...

What is the next innovation in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? Is it the microbiome? Stem cells? Or, is it the emerging field of bioelectric medicine? IBD is a complicated disease to treat and can bring complications and other, related conditions. The problem is the immune-mediated nature of the disease and how it affects the entire body. For Kelly Owens, who lives with Crohn's...