Treatment & Lifestyle Changes Can Keep Condition In Check
RALEIGH, N.C.--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Aug 26, 2002--It’s hard enough adapting to a new environment for most incoming freshmen. But for a student leaving home for the first time with a chronic disease that sometimes sends them running for the bathroom, the first few semesters of school can be a lot worse.
Ulcerative colitis, one of two forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects more than half a million people in the U.S., is one of those diseases. It is often diagnosed in young adults (between the ages of 15 and 30) and it includes symptoms that can, if not managed properly, incapacitate a college student trying to juggle both academic and social activities: varying degrees of abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding and rectal urgency.
“It is indeed a cruel irony for students coping with ulcerative colitis: the busier and more stressful their days become, the more likely disruptive flare-ups can occur,” said Ellen Scherl, MD, director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital. “While flare-ups may not be caused by stress, they can certainly add to the stress of college life, as students with this condition have to contend with incapacitating symptoms that force them to plan their busy schedules around the nearest restroom. When the disease is active, symptoms may preclude students from such everyday activities as attending classes, visiting friends or even simply leaving the house.”
So What’s a Student to Do?
“Like most chronic diseases, ulcerative colitis can change your lifestyle, but it doesn’t have to control your life,” said Dr. Scherl. “There are several specific things you can do to help make life with ulcerative colitis easier and take back control of your life.”
Learn About It... Talk About It
Dr. Scherl encourages students to educate themselves, their friends, family members and professors about the particulars of this disease. Because of the embarrassing nature of symptoms, students often withdraw from social activities rather than explain their condition. But experts say this withdrawal creates a sense of isolation that can have a negative impact on a person’s overall well being and ability to heal.
Manage Your Diet...
A school dining program with all-day access to well-stocked dining halls can be a real help in identifying the foods and eating patterns to best manage colitis. The Crohn`s and Colitis Foundation of America recommends eating small quantities of food at regular intervals throughout the day -- every three to four hours. Avoid high-fiber foods, and raw fruits and vegetables. Caffeine and alcohol should be kept to a minimum, too -- particularly when symptoms are active.
...and Exercise
A regular exercise program can go a long way in managing ulcerative colitis… from a physical, psychological and social perspective. Make full use of the school’s fitness facilities, exercise equipment, workout classes, team sports clubs, and walking and jogging trails. Consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program.
Investigate Treatment Options
While there is no cure for ulcerative colitis, the recent availability of COLAZAL(R) (balsalazide disodium) Capsules 750 mg can provide effective symptom relief for patients with mild to moderately active ulcerative colitis. As the first FDA-approved treatment for ulcerative colitis in the last decade, COLAZAL delivers anti-inflammatory medication directly to the colon -- the site of the disease -- where it appears to work topically.
''COLAZAL is an important treatment option for the thousands of young people who suffer with this disease,'' said Dr. Scherl. “Thankfully, this treatment helps manage the condition and induce remission -- an absence of symptoms -- improving patients’ ability to lead normal lives.”
For more information about ulcerative colitis and local support groups designed to help young patients, contact the Crohn`s & Colitis Foundation of America at 800-343-3637 or visit its web site at http://www.ccfa.org. If you or your physician would like more information about COLAZAL, visit Salix Pharmaceuticals’ website at http://www.salixpharm.com, or call (866) 669-SLXP (7597).
COLAZAL is the lead product of Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, which develops and markets prescription pharmaceutical products for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.
Additional Information
COLAZAL does not relieve symptoms in all patients; results may vary. In four well-controlled clinical trials, patients receiving a COLAZAL dose of 6.75 g/day most frequently reported the following events (reporting frequency >3%): headache (8%), abdominal pain (6%), diarrhea (5%), nausea (5%), vomiting (4%), respiratory infection (4%), and arthralgia (4%). Withdrawal from therapy due to adverse events was comparable to placebo. COLAZAL is contraindicated in patients with a hypersensitivity to salicylates. Safety and effectiveness of COLAZAL beyond 12 weeks have not been established. Please consult full prescribing information.
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