Treating symptoms and side effects

Main Treating symptoms & side effects Common procedures & labs Arthritis

Don't let symptoms get the best of you. Increase your comfort with these tips for dealing with common symptoms. If at any time you begin experiencing a symptom associated with IBD that you have not experienced before, contact your doctor.

• Gas

  • Drink chamomile or spearmint tea.

  • Old-fashioned charcoal tablets are highly effective.

• Erythema nodosum (painful, tender bumps on shins)

  • Take acetaminophen.

  • Put warm compresses on the affected area.

• Vomiting

  Stoplight plan Work with your doctor to develop a personal action plan that will help you identify whether you are having a routine day, an urgent situation or an emergency. Together, you can outline what you should do in each situation. Your action plan should include: Symptoms and frequency Dietary restrictions Medications and dosage Things to do

  • If you are vomiting without bowel movements or vomiting often with green vomit, you may have an obstruction. Call your doctor and go to the hospital as this is very serious.

  • If you’re vomiting and don’t have the above problems, try acid-blocking medications like Zantac®, Pepcid® or Prilosec® and avoid trigger foods.

• Fatigue/weakness

  • Eat right, rest, exercise and stay on your medications.

• Diarrhea or bloody diarrhea

  • Limit fiber and trigger foods.

  • Take Imodium®.

  • Drink caffeinated tea with lemon (not without).

  • Call your doctor.

• Severe abdominal pain or cramping

  • Apply a heating pad to your stomach.

  • Drink chamomile tea. It has a relaxing effect.

  • Use anti-spasmodic prescription medications if needed.

  • Call your doctor.

• Nausea

  • Use acid-blocking medications like Zantac®, Pepcid® or Prilosec®.

  • Ginger, in crystallized or lozenge form or in ginger ale, helps reduce nausea.

• Fever and chills

  • Take acetaminophen (Tylenol®).

  • Call your doctor.

• Arthritis

  • Take acetaminophen, use warm compresses and exercise and stretch lightly.

• Skin tags, fistulas, fissures or abscesses

  • Maintain very good hygiene in the affected area.

  • Use topical anesthetic creams or pads for tags if needed.

    • Use sparingly, as topical anesthetics can cause an allergic reaction.

• Mouth sores

  • Practice good oral hygiene.

  • Use topical pain medications such as Orabase® if needed.

• Heartburn

  • Avoid trigger foods.

  • Use acid-blocking medications such as Zantac®, Pepcid®, Prilosec® or Tums® if needed.
     

It is not the intention of this Web site to provide specific professional medical advice, but rather to provide users with information about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). If you are experiencing any symptoms associated with IBD, please contact a licensed medical doctor to diagnose, treat and professionally address those symptoms.

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