You may feel nervous to try biologics for ulcerative colitis if you haven’t taken them before. However, if other treatments have not worked for you, these medications might be more effective.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) can significantly affect your life. This inflammatory bowel disease causes chronic inflammation and ulcers in your large intestines.
You may have led an active life before you developed UC. However, since receiving a UC diagnosis, you might have reduced your activity outside of your home because you’re fearful of having a flare-up in a public place.
Although this disease is unpredictable, several treatments can help manage symptoms and may induce remission (a period of time with no symptoms or flare-ups). Remission occurs when treatment effectively controls inflammation.
After diagnosing UC, your doctor might prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication as a starting point for treatment. This type of medication treats UC symptoms by reducing inflammation in your intestines.
If anti-inflammatory medication doesn’t work, your doctor might recommend an immunosuppressant drug. UC can develop from an atypical immune system response, and immunosuppressants treat UC by reducing immune system activity.
Your doctor might prescribe an immunosuppressant along with an anti-inflammatory medication.
Anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant drugs don’t always bring about remission or adequately relieve UC symptoms. Some people need a different type of medication called biologics.
However, even if your doctor recommends biologics, you may be hesitant to try them. Learning more about this type of treatment may ease some of your worries.
The main goals of UC treatment are to get the disease into remission and to maintain that remission. Biologics are usually recommended for moderate to severe UC.
If you’ve had little success with other treatments for this disease, biologics may help. They’re different from other types of medication for UC. Biologics attack inflammation at its source by targeting the proteins responsible for causing inflammation in your intestines.
Several biologics are available to treat UC. You can inject some of these medications at home, while others require a visit to your doctor’s office for scheduled infusions. Only one of the currently approved biologics can be taken by mouth.
Biologic medication options include:
As with other types of treatment for UC, it may take a few weeks for you to see an improvement in your condition when taking biologics. Some people don’t notice an improvement until 8 weeks after starting biologics, whereas others may notice immediate improvement.
UC symptoms such as chronic diarrhea, frequent bowel movements, and stomach pain can interfere with your quality of life.
Some people with mild UC respond well to treatment with anti-inflammatory medications and lifestyle changes, and the disease goes into remission. But if you’re living with moderate to severe UC, you may need treatment with a biologic to get your UC into remission.
Remission not only relieves common UC symptoms but can also reduce your risk of certain complications of the disease. For example, frequent bouts of diarrhea and bloody stools increase the likelihood of dehydration and iron deficiency anemia.
Biologics may be suitable for those who don’t respond to conventional UC medications, but they’re not recommended for everyone. Talk with your doctor to see if you’re a good candidate for this particular treatment.
Like other immunosuppressant drugs, biologics decrease your immune system’s activity and increase your risk of infection. As a result, they may not be recommended for people with a weakened immune system or certain other health conditions, such as:
- HIV
- certain cancers
- multiple sclerosis
- heart failure
Additionally, your doctor might not recommend biologics if you’ve had an organ transplant.
Biologics increase the risk of reactivating an inactive tuberculosis infection. As a result, you’ll need tuberculosis testing and possibly treatment before beginning biologic therapy. If you’ve had hepatitis B before, biologic treatment can also increase the risk of reactivation of the hepatitis B virus.
Understanding the risks associated with biologics and knowing how to reduce the risk of complications may calm your fears about this type of treatment.
Possible mild side effects of biologic treatment include a rash and skin redness or discoloration, swelling, or itching at the injection site.
Because biologics decrease the activity of your immune system, you’ll have a greater likelihood of developing several types of infection, including upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and skin infections.
Symptoms of infection include:
- fever
- fatigue
- coughing
- flu-like symptoms
Seek medical attention if you have symptoms of infection during biologic therapy.
It’s important to take steps to reduce your risk of developing an infection, including washing your hands regularly. Your doctor might also recommend wearing a face mask in certain situations.
Vaccinations are important too. Ask your doctor about getting an annual influenza vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine. If you’ve had chickenpox before, talk with your doctor about getting a shingles vaccine. Also, talk with them about the HPV vaccine if you haven’t yet received it.
Some types of biologics might also increase your risk of skin cancer.
Protect yourself from the sun when outdoors: Apply sunscreen as directed and reapply it every 2 hours. Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and a hat to protect your skin from too much sun exposure. And avoid using tanning beds.
You should also visit a dermatologist for an annual skin check to monitor for signs of skin cancer.
Biologics are often effective when other therapies for UC have not worked. These medications can promote remission and help you maintain a better quality of life, but you’ll need to keep taking them to continue experiencing the benefits. Continuing biologics once symptoms disappear can help keep the disease in remission.
UC isn’t a fatal disease, but it can have life threatening complications, such as infection, damage to your colon, and worsening inflammation. It’s important to do what you can to manage the disease.
You can work with your doctor to find a treatment plan that will help you have the best possible outcomes.
