If you’re one of the unlucky 15% of Brits who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), you’ll be all too familiar with the symptoms.
It’s a condition that disrupts the body’s digestive system. But, for some, there’s a strong chance that their symptoms are a red flag for another, more serious health issue – ulcerative colitis (UC).
Both manifest in a similar way, a key shared indicator being diarrhoea. But UC, which is classed as an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), has more severe symptoms including the potential permanent damage to your intestines which can lead to invasive surgery further down the line. It also increases your risk of colon cancer.
In a nutshell, it can massively impact quality of life, with chronic stomach pain, and multiple toilet dashes a day, sometimes accompanied by blood in the stools.
Various meds can ease symptoms, but until now, there has been no cure for the 146,00 estimated UK sufferers. However there’s good news on the horizon.
A new medical trial has discovered that injections of a drug called mirikizumab are highly effective in treating UC.
“People with ulcerative colitis have mucosal inflammation in the colon, which is what causes the rectal bleeding, frequent trips to the bathroom and the urgent need to have a bowel movement,” explains Geert D’Haens, lead author of the study, and a Professor of Gastroenterology.
“Mirikizumab has the potential to significantly reduce inflammation, help people achieve remission and reduce bowel urgency.”
The drug was originally created to help psoriasis, another inflammatory condition that affects the skin. It works by blocking interleukin-23, a protein in the body that triggers inflammation.
Some sufferers reported an improvement in just one week, with half of those who took part in the research found major symptoms vanished after only four weekly jabs. Almost a quarter were in full remission after 12 weeks.
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Mirikizumab is potentially set to bring further good news to those who suffer from Crohn’s Disease too, another as yet incurable IBD.
The company behind the jab say they “look forward to sharing data in the first half of this year” to “reinforce” the drug’s potential to be the first treatment of its kind for ulcerative colitis sufferers. Watch this space.
IBS vs UC
Both conditions affect the large intestine, but come with a number of distinguishing factors
Spot the difference
IBS is a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract but it does not cause inflammation. Potential causes including stress, oversensitive gut nerves, or genetics. It’s also thought it could be down to a miscommunication between the brain and the gut.
UC is an autoimmune condition. The immune system attacks harmless bacteria in the colon, causing it to become inflamed. Ulcers can then develop on the lining that may bleed and produce mucus.
Symptom checker
IBS symptoms range from diarrhoea to constipation (sufferers can have flare ups and can experience both or either) and also bloating and stomach cramps, nausea, flatulence and backache.
UC has similar symptoms – primarily diarrhoea, as well as stomach pain and having to empty your bowels often. Flare-ups can have an effect on other parts of their body, such as arthritic joints, mouth ulcers and red eyes.
In severe cases – where you go to the loo more than six times a day – a fever or a fast or irregular heartbeat can occur.
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Crohns and Colitis UK say, ‘if you’re experiencing diarrhoea, blood in your poo, unexplained weight loss or extreme pain or tiredness, then there’s a chance you might have Colitis.’
Anaemia, bleeding, weight loss, and fever are not symptoms of IBS.
Their advice? Seek medical treatment. If doctors suspect UC, they can run blood and stool tests to see if you have a protein called calprotectin present in your stools. Colonoscopies, MRI and CT scans determine any damage to your colon.
Current treatments
IBS is often managed through dietary changes, including avoiding foods that are difficult to digest or that are fatty, spicy or processed.
Keeping a food diary to identify triggers helps, while cutting down on alcohol, fizzy drinks and caffeine is advised. Over-the-counter medicines like Fybogel for constipation and Imodium for diarrhoea are recommended.
UC is managed by a variety of medicines. Steroids or aminosalicylates can reduce inflammation and heal damaged tissue, while immunosuppressants reduce the overactivity of your immune system.
Severe flare-ups can result in hospital admission and if medicine isn’t effective, surgery to remove the colon can be needed. Up until now, around 15% of UC patients have required this.
• For more info on Inflammatory Bowel Disease, go to crohnsandcolitis.org.uk.
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