This animation describes ways patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can prepare for their therapy and medications.
Preparing for ibd therapy patients can prepare themselves for inflammatory bowel disease or ibd therapy by understanding the risks of untreated or under-treated ibd learning about the risks and benefits of the therapy and being aware of the side effects associated with the treatment patients should understand the risks of untreated or under-treated ibd for some
Types of crohn’s disease no treatment or inadequate treatment can increase the likelihood of needing surgery to as high as 70 percent within 10 years therapy can help to establish and maintain disease control reduce the frequency of relapse improve a patient’s quality of life and in children facilitate normal growth and development patients can prepare for their
Ibd therapy by understanding risks and benefits of medications potential benefits of therapies for ibd include control of inflammation improvement of symptoms improvement in quality of life prevention of relapse reduction in complications of ibd and reduction in the chance of requiring surgery on the other hand potential risks include short-term side effects
Long-term toxicity and the cost of the therapy patients should discuss the risks and benefits of their therapy with their physicians it is important to consider the risks and benefits of therapy compared to the risks of untreated disease reliable websites can also provide useful information for example you and ibd.com ask your doctor for other reliable sources
Depending on the therapy used to treat ibd patients may need to undergo tests to ensure that the medication is not affecting different parts of the body for example although five amino salicylates which are known as five asas or mesalamines are considered extremely safe and very effective to reduce colonic inflammation it is recommended to have blood or urine
Tests of kidney function at least annually although sometimes medically necessary steroids are associated with many side effects so patients on steroids even short term should communicate with their doctor to determine if blood pressure blood sugar bone density and other tests are required immuno modulators such as 6-mercaptopurine azathioprine and methotrexate
Are considered quite effective and safe however patients on immunomodulators should have blood tests every few months and protect their skin from excessive sun exposure due to an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancers with azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine some of these risks are minimized by checking the activity of a genetically determined enzyme tpmt
Prior to starting therapy this assessment allows for dosing and discussions of benefits and risks that are individualized for the patient biologics such as anti-tnf therapy have been shown to be the most effective way to treat some types of ibd and overall are considered quite safe however patients should inform their doctors if they have had prior exposure to
Tuberculosis a history of multiple sclerosis or optic neuritis or severe congestive heart failure before starting on anti-tnf therapy patients need to be tested for tuberculosis and to see whether they have immunity to the hepatitis b virus this is important because if present latent tuberculosis or chronic hepatitis b infection can worsen or reactivate due
To the anti-tnf therapy the doctor should also take a history about vaccinations and check to see whether the patient has immunity to the varicella zoster virus which causes chickenpox immunity to varicella zoster virus may be from prior infection or from prior vaccination if a patient does not have immunity to the chickenpox virus a vaccine can be given prior
To starting anti-tnf therapy the timing between getting the vaccine and starting therapy needs to be discussed with your doctor reactivation of varicella zoster is known as shingles and can happen with biologic therapies if immunity is not adequate patients should know that smoking cigarettes might reduce the efficacy of anti-tnf therapy and therefore patients
Should be encouraged to quit smoking and get help to do so if necessary before beginning therapy effective communication between patients and their doctors can prevent adverse events with therapy in addition patients should be up to date on all of their cancer screening and recommended vaccinations to prevent infections while on therapy patients should discuss
Their immunization record with their doctors to determine which if any vaccines they should receive and when they should be given a bacteria known as streptococcus pneumonia is a common cause of pneumonia and can cause other infections it is recommended that children and adults with ibd should receive the pneumococcal vaccine this vaccine is only given every
Five years some patients should receive the hepatitis b vaccine including health care workers people who engage in high-risk behaviors those who have had multiple blood transfusions or tattoos and anyone who wants to receive the vaccine human papillomavirus which is also known as hpv is sexually transmitted and has been linked to cervical cancer in women and
Anal cancer in men and women it is recommended that women and men with ibd who are under 26 years of age should receive the hpv vaccination regardless of whether they are immunosuppressed live virus vaccines such as yellow fever measles mumps and rubella or mmr rotavirus and nasal influenza should not be given to patients on immunosuppressive therapies including
Those on steroids greater than prednisone 20 milligrams per dosage azathioprine or 6 mercaptopurine 6mp methotrexate or biologics however non-live influenza vaccines via injection are available for these patients patients can prepare for ibd therapy by learning about the side effects that are associated with their treatment choice by understanding the possible
Side effects of their therapy patients can take steps to prevent them
Transcribed from video
Preparing for IBD therapy By Animated IBD Patient