A Crohn's flare-up may last just a few days, or it may persist for several months. People should contact their doctor when they notice the first signs of a flare-up. Medications and bowel rest may help, and if severe symptoms or complications develop, surgery is an option.
The length and frequency of a Crohn's flare are highly individual, says David S. Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist at NewYork–Presbyterian in New York City. According to Harvard Health Publishing, a flare can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Flare-ups can happen after months or years of being in remission.
Calming techniques like deep breathing or meditation may help you relax. Make sure you get enough exercise and sleep, too. And set limits on how much you take on. That way, you won't have too much to do when a flare hits and you don't feel well.
Rest is crucial during a Crohn's or UC flare
In other words, rest is crucial and naps are always a good idea. Of course, if your body isn't calling for rest, then that is another story. But if you feel you need it, go for it!
Anti-inflammatory drugs are often the first step in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. They include: Corticosteroids. Corticosteroids such as prednisone and budesonide (Entocort EC) can help reduce inflammation in your body, but they don't work for everyone with Crohn's disease.
Bowel Rest
If you're in the middle of a flare, it may help to eat a liquid diet for a bit to give your digestive system a chance to reset. This can take anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks. You'll drink special fluids to make sure you get all the nutrients you need while the inflammation in your gut heals.
Crohn's disease is a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive system. Inflammation can affect any part of the digestive system, from the mouth to the back passage. But it mostly occurs in the last section of the small intestine (ileum) or the large intestine (colon).
Eating certain foods can sometimes help relieve the symptoms of a Crohn's flare-up. Refined grains, low fiber fruits, lean proteins, and yogurt are some options.
Symptoms of Crohn's disease can also include inflammation in the colon. Merely waking up in the morning stimulates the colon to start moving again. (It slows down — a lot — while you sleep.) Because of that, if someone has an active IBD flare that involves their colon, their symptoms could worsen when they wake up.
If your bowel movements are suddenly more frequent, you can't keep up with your hydration, you're experiencing significant pain, or your medication stops working, it's time to go to the hospital and get the flare under control. There, they can rule out any infections and administer medication or hydration by IV.
We won't sugarcoat it: Getting through a flare-up sucks. Crohn's disease symptoms like abdominal pain and cramping, heavy fatigue, and nonstop diarrhea can range from uncomfortable to straight-up painful, and they tend to get in the way of day-to-day life.
A person with Crohn's disease may notice a yellow coating on their stools. This coating is mucus, which helps the stools pass through the intestines, and it is no cause for concern if there are no other new symptoms.
Nausea and Vomiting
“Crohn's disease can lead to long-term inflammation that can cause a stricture, which is a narrowing in the small intestine that can lead to a blockage over time,” Dr. Holmer says. A stricture can prevent food from traveling normally through the digestive tract, causing nausea and vomiting.
Crohn's medications
Steroids (a common Crohn's medication) can also contribute to water retention and rapid weight gain. Though this is often temporary because you generally lose that weight when you no longer take steroids, it can be understandably worrying to suddenly put on extra pounds.
Stacking research has shown that complementary, nonpharmacological therapies including yoga, mindfulness, biofeedback, and diet changes can be used in tandem with medication to help reduce stress and calm Crohn's symptoms.
Doctors treat Crohn's disease with medicines, bowel rest, and surgery. No single treatment works for everyone with Crohn's disease. The goals of treatment are to decrease the inflammation in your intestines, to prevent flare-ups of your symptoms, and to keep you in remission.
“Hydration is especially important for people with Crohn's disease who are having active bowel movements or diarrhea and are losing fluids more quickly than others,” says Randy Longman, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist and an assistant professor of medicine in the Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at ...
Treatment often involves intravenous nutrition to allow the bowel to rest, which typically resolves the disease within one or two weeks.
One way Crohn's can affect sleep is by causing you to wake up at night, according to Dr. Ceppie Merry of Healthy But Smart. As such, people with Crohn's can have less restful sleep than those without it, even if they get more hours of sleep.