Treatments for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Most treatments for inflammatory bowel disease are either medical or surgical. There are several classes of drugs that are used in treating IBD, including 5-ASA, immunosuppresants, and corticosteroids. Several drugs are used to treat either form of IBD, but some have been found to be more effective for either one form or the other. Surgery is also used to treat IBD, typically only after all medical options have failed. Between 25% and 40% of all people with ulcerative colitis will need surgery, and about 50% of all people with Crohn's disease will have surgery in the first 10 years after diagnosis.