# Ulcerative Colitis **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 6, 2000, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ulcerative-colitis/772 "2000-03-06T05:10:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Haplo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@Haplo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haplo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ulcerative-colitis/772/1 "2000-03-06T05:10:00Z")
My wife, age 22, has ulcerative colitis. In the months since her condition was diagnosed we have tried to find as much information as possible about the disease, it’s symptoms, it’s cause(s) and treatment. There are varied opinions, a fact that leads me to question whether any of them can be considered accurate and conclusive. I would greatly appreciate any information that would help to treat her condition. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ulcerative-colitis/772/2 "2000-03-06T05:40:00Z")
At the risk of revealing myself as a complete crank, this isn’t exactly the proper Forum for this question. You may find that it has been moved to the **General Questions** Forum, pretty soon. Also, while we do have several regular posters with medical experience, you may find more information on a website devoted to health issues. Here are a few: [http://www.onhealth.com/ch1/index.asp](http://www.onhealth.com/ch1/index.asp) This site is put up by the U.S. government through the National Institute of Health: [Ulcerative Colitis](http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/colitis/colitis.htm) This site is from the Medical Sciences Bulletin with an emphasis on pharmacology: [http://pharminfo.com/pubs/msb/nih\_ibd.html](http://pharminfo.com/pubs/msb/nih_ibd.html) Here is a site from a doctor claiming holistic health and dietary remedies: [http://www.consciouschoice.com/holisticmd/hmd085.html](http://www.consciouschoice.com/holisticmd/hmd085.html) ## I found these sites (there are others) by entering “ulcerative colitis” into the search engine at [http://www.google.com/](http://www.google.com/) . Tom~ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ulcerative-colitis/772/3 "2000-03-06T06:27:00Z")
Here’s a Mayo Clinic review: [http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9512/htm/ulcercl.htm](http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9512/htm/ulcercl.htm) From PUBmed: [http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/colitis/colitis.htm](http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/colitis/colitis.htm) (may well be the same link as the one called ulcerative colitis above) from Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America: [http://www.ccfa.org/physician/colitisb.html](http://www.ccfa.org/physician/colitisb.html) From American Gastroenterological Association: [http://www.gastro.org/ibd.html](http://www.gastro.org/ibd.html) One current theory gaining acceptance is that UC is caused by a bacterium, _Mycobacterium paratuberculosis_. This is not yet accepted by most gastroenerologists, and remains highly controversial. * * * Sue from El Paso Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. ---
**Author:** ![lindsay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3be4f8/32.png) [@lindsay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsay)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ulcerative-colitis/772/4 "2000-03-07T04:26:00Z")
There is a very good recent treatment for this disease, a tumor supressor, found it in the Lancet. I will dig out the info again and mail it to you. After so many years, finally an improvement in treating this dreadful disease, other than surgery. * * * lindsay ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ulcerative-colitis/772/5 "2000-03-07T07:29:00Z")
Retraction: Last night I posted: > [@](#): > > One current theory gaining acceptance is that UC is caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. This is not yet accepted by most gastroenerologists, and remains highly controversial. This was in error. This applies to Crohn’s Disease, not Ulcerative Colitis. These two conditions are often lumped together and collectively termed Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but are are considered to be separate entities. Sometimes, when someone is first diagnosed, it is difficult to tell these two conditions apart, but over time, the conditions do behave differently & respond differently to treatment. In other cases, it is very clear at diagnosis which condition is present. I’m sorry if I’ve caused any confusion here. - Sue ---
**Author:** ![lindsay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3be4f8/32.png) [@lindsay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsay)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ulcerative-colitis/772/6 "2000-03-07T07:42:00Z")
The cause is unknown but thought to be an auto-immune response gone awry. Symptoms are bloody diahrea (don’t know the spelling), anemia, and pain. Crohn’s Disease and UC are bowel inflammations, Crohn’s Dis. is in the small bowel, Ulcerative Colitis is the large bowel. Crohn’s Disease can turn into ulcerative colitis, but UC is thought to not be able to turn in to Crohn’s. For more information I suggest you contact the United Ostomy Assocation, they are members who have these diseases and can tell you first hand what the disease is. Better, find a competent GI, such as Max Zimmerman, last I heard he was at Mt. Sinai Hosp. in New York City. H. Lochs of Berlin, Germany says there is now evidence that the diseases - called IBD - are caused by the normal bacterial flora invading the gut mucosa of geneticaly predisposed people. And that antibiotics are ineffective for IBD perhaps because the gut is quickly recolonised after elimination of bacteria, he suggests. This from The Lancet, 20 November 1999 v354 19192 p 1796. The latest treatment is CDP 571, a humanised monoclonal antibody against tumour necrosis factor (TNF). Hope this helps. As you might have guessed, I have firsthand knowledge and experience with these diseases. * * * lindsay