Effective Relief
withTRUD™

Depending on the severity of the disease, mild to moderate “flare-ups” can usually be treated at home. The most common current treatment is the administration of 5-ASAs or steroids. In April 2013, a new treatment option product by the name of TRUD™ (medical device- a regulatory classification) has been developed and registered across Europe effective for patients suffering from mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. TRUD™ contains biocompatible and natural components which are also produced by your body system and promotes the healing of ulcers in the colon and rectum.
In some cases, patients might be intolerant to certain medication, and/or have used it and no longer respond to the medication. The latter group are also known as non-responders. TRUD™ might be an effective option for these patients or for patients looking for a non-drug approach to ulcerative colitis.

A severe flare-up needs to be treated in hospital as there is a chance of serious complications. Severe active ulcerative colitis should be managed in hospital to minimise the risk of dehydration, malnutrition and potentially fatal complications such as your colon rupturing. You will be given intravenous (injected directly into your vein) fluid to treat dehydration.
Medications such as aminosalicylates (5-ASAs) and corticosteroids (steroid medications) are most often used but are also dependent on a patient’s response to the medication(s) and severity of the disease.

There is a general treatment scheme which is followed by physicians with increasing severity of treatment:
First line: 5-ASAs (click here for more information)
Second line: Steroids (click here for more information)
Third line: Immunosuppresants (medication that works by suppressing your immune system) (click here for more information)
Fourth line: anti TNF-α (click here for more information)
Fifth line: Surgery (click here for more information)

The choice of treatment is dependent on the patient’s history and severity of the disease (recognised from the symptoms).
If you experience a severe flare-up you may need to be admitted to hospital where you can be given injections of corticosteroids or immunosuppressants.

Once your symptoms are under control it may be recommended that you continue to take certain medication (usually 5-ASA) as these can help prevent further flare-ups; this is known as maintenance therapy.

Once the symptoms are in remission, taking a regular dose of 5-ASA should help prevent symptoms reoccurring. If the condition frequently reoccurs, a regular dose of an immunosuppressant might be recommended.
If your ulcerative colitis flare-up was extensive, a lifelong maintenance therapy is normally recommended.

If your ulcerative colitis flare up was limited to a small part of your colon, you may be able to stop therapy, if two years pass without a return of symptoms.

The reduced absorption of vitamins and some trace elements (minerals) in patients with ulcerative colitis might result in symptoms such as:
• Night blindness,
• Deafness,
• Changes in taste sensation,
• Vulnerability to infection,
• Hair loss, infertility (in men),
• Growth retardation (in children) and,
• Certain skin changes

Not all patients have experience these physical changes.

For example, a patient might encounter:
• Anaemia due to iron deficiency, loss of blood from the bowel, and/or by vitamin B12 mal-absorption;
• Reduced uptake of bile acids in the small bowel and an increased absorption of bilirubin (bilirubin is the yellow breakdown product of normal heme catabolism. Heme is a principal component of red blood cells) in the colon and have an increased risk of gallbladder stones;
• Increased loss of water which may result in kidney stones;
• Inflammation of the bile ducts (tubes that transport bile out of the liver) – this is known as primary sclerosing cholangitis and can cause symptoms such as itchy skin and tiredness

These can affect a few patients. Serious complications that have been reported are: Acute ballooning of the bowel due to gases becoming trapped inside the colon (“toxic megacolon”) – affecting approximately 1 in 20 persons with severe ulcerative colitis;
• Perforation, the formation of a hole in the wall of the bowel;
• Extensive haemorrhage;
• Primary sclerosis cholangitis (PSC) – affects 1 in every 20 cases;
• Bowel cancer;
• Osteoporosis – affecting an estimated 1 in 6 people;

Due to these serious complications, peritonitis (inflammation of the membranous lining of the abdomen), and/or intestinal obstruction (medically known as ileus) may occur. These are life-threatening conditions requiring immediate hospital admission and often emergency surgery. People with ulcerative colitis also have an increased risk of developing bowel cancer. Because of this, regular bowel cancer check-ups are recommended.

Toxic megacolon is a rare and serious complication that occurs in approximately 1 in 20 of cases of severe ulcerative colitis. In severe cases of inflammation, gases can get trapped in the colon, causing it to swell.

PSC is where the bile ducts become progressively inflamed and damaged over time. Bile ducts are small tubes used to transport bile (digestive juice) out of the liver and into the digestive system. PSC does not usually cause symptoms until it is in an advanced stage.

People who have ulcerative colitis have an increased risk of developing bowel cancer (cancer of the colon, rectum or bowel), especially if the condition is severe or extensive.

Osteoporosis is a common complication affecting an estimated 1 in 6 people with ulcerative colitis. Osteoporosis is a condition that affects the bones, causing them to become thin and weak. The condition is not directly caused by ulcerative colitis, but develops as a side effect of prolonged steroid use. Although risks associated with steroid use are well-known, in some people long-term use of steroids is the only way to control symptoms of ulcerative colitis.