If you have ulcerative colitis (UC), there are many different treatment options available to you. Luckily, this increases the chances that you’ll find relief from your symptoms.
What are oral medications to treat mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis?
What you take depends on how severe your ulcerative colitis is. If you have mild to moderate UC, your doctor might prescribe oral aminosalicylates to help relieve your symptoms.
You can also take steroids known as corticosteroids, which can quickly relieve inflammation. These are typically only used to get a UC flare under control. These are taken either orally or rectally.
If you find yourself needing to rely on corticosteroid treatments too often, this may be a sign that your UC is not well controlled. You may benefit from a different treatment plan.
What are oral medications to treat moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis?
If you have more severe UC, your care team may prescribe a biologic treatment. Generally, these can be injected or infused. Biologics may be effective for many people, but injections and infusions can be undesirable for some.
Luckily, there are also oral medications available for more advanced ulcerative colitis. Two newer medications include:
Small molecule medications
Another class of small molecule medications for UC include S1P modulators, which was initially used to treat multiple sclerosis. S1P modulators work by blocking the lymph nodes from releasing a component of inflammation that may be linked to UC.
Both S1P modulators and JAK/STAT inhibitors aim to reduce inflammation. This may help reduce symptoms, inflammation, and the risks of complications.
The bottom line
There are many different types of treatment options available to you for your ulcerative colitis in oral, injectable, and IV formats. For mild-to-moderate UC, you might take oral aminosalicylates. For more severe UC, you might take medications like S1P modulators or JAK/STAT inhibitors. Oral corticosteroids can also help treat a flare, usually for short-term relief.
Why trust our experts?
Dr. Gottlieb is a board-certified gastroenterologist and assistant professor at Mount Sinai Hospital.
References
Barrett, Kevin. (2018.) British Journal of General Practice. Using corticosteroids appropriately in inflammatory bowel disease: a guide for primary care.
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. (2018.) Janus kinase inhibitors (JAK inhibitors).
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2020). Treatment for ulcerative colitis.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (N.D.) Ulcerative colitis.
Wang, Jie, el al. (2022). Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Review article: the sphingosine 1 phosphate/sphingosine 1 phosphate receptor axis - a unique therapeutic target in inflammatory bowel disease.
