You may have a nebulous idea of what takes place during a clinical trial. You may have seen it talked about on medical drama TV shows, especially as a last-ditch effort to prolong the life of someone who is gravely ill, usually with cancer. But do you know that there are many clinical trials, for all kinds of diseases and disorders? That there are clinical trials for people with IBD too?

Clinical trials are a way for researchers to find out if a particular drug or treatment is effective. In all honestly, not all of them are going to be for promising new drugs that will do wonders for IBD symptoms. Some of them might be small trials just to see if there is potential for a particular treatment. If the initial trials go well, the researchers may move on to a bigger trial, with more participants.

But what about being a guinea pig? Yes, it's true, involvement in a clinical trial means that you could be taking a drug that has not gone to market yet. Or, you could be trying a drug that has been in use for a long time to treat another condition, but it was recently realized that it might help people with IBD too. And, of course, there is a chance that you could receive no drug at all, and, in fact, receive a placebo.

If you decide that you would like to try a clinical trial, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) has a database of clinical trials that you can search. You can search by disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), by up to 3 states, by zip code, how you are willing to travel, and keyword. (No word on whether trials for Crohn's-colitis or microscopic colitis are included here -- I couldn't find any when I searched.)

Are you ready for a clinical trial?

More about clinical trials:

• What Is A Clinical Trial?
• What Is A Placebo?
• CCFA Clinical Trial Database
• Types and Phases of Clinical Trials
• How to Participate in Clinical Trials

I put together a new e-course that is tailored just for young people who have IBD and their parents. Kids are not just little versions of adults, especially when it comes to treating chronic illness. Kids are being diagnosed with IBD in greater and greater numbers, yet there is still not much research on how to treat them. Even more scant is information about the social challenges that kids, teens, and young adults who have IBD face every day. In this e-course you will learn more about how IBD is treated in young people, and how they can meet the challenges that IBD poses for them at school and in social situations. Sign up for the e-course here.

More about kids and IBD:

• Free E-Course: Kids, Teens, And IBD
• Are Children with IBD At Risk For Stunted Growth?
• Advocating For Your Child With IBD At School
• Sending a Chronically Ill Child to School
• Drugs Used To Treat IBD in Children

The Feedback Lounge in West Seattle is holding an event to benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America on Thursday, January 26th at 7PM. The raffle being held at the event will feature Pearl Jam memorabilia, including some autographed items. As you may know, Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, who hails from Seattle, has Crohn's disease. To learn more, contact the Feedback Lounge.

Two Beers (or more), a benefit for the CCFA
Thursday, January 26th, 7:00 p.m.
Feedback Lounge, 6451 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA
Feedback Lounge

It's not always a cut-and-dry decision to determine which physician should be managing your care. Most people, when they have a new problem, probably call their primary care provider first, to find out what to do. And in many cases, that's where you would go first to seek treatment. But there are other times when a referral to a specialist would be appropriate. If you have a heart condition, you see a cardiologist, if you have a prostate problem you see a urologist, and if you have a digestive or liver problem, you might be referred to a gastroenterologist.

To some of you veterans of IBD, you may say "well, of course I need a gastroenterologist!" IBD is very complicated to treat. But I also know that some people have their IBD treated by their primary care physician or their internist. Children might be treated by their pediatrician, especially in places where a pediatric gastroenterologist is not available.

Find out more about what conditions gastroenterologists treat, why people may be referred to them, and if it's worth your while to see one.

More about doctors who treat digestive disease:

• Do I Need A Gastroenterologist?
• A Patient's Field Guide to Doctors
• What Is A Colorectal Surgeon?

_{Photo © Renjith Krishnan}