Does Crohn's disease require medication for life?

Written by Peng Tao
Gastroenterology
Updated on May 01, 2025
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Crohn's disease has a treatment course and is not lifelong medication.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common types of inflammatory bowel disease, and the incidence is increasing in our country. It is mainly due to various external inducements causing an imbalance in the body's immunity, leading our immune system to attack our own normal tissues. In Crohn's disease, it mainly attacks the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn's disease can occur from the mouth to the anus, but the small intestine is the primary site.

This disease can be quickly controlled with medication, but it will relapse after discontinuing the medication because the real cause of this disease is endogenous, an internal immune imbalance, so this disease is incurable. However, the medication has its treatment course and is not for lifelong; however, there is always a possibility of relapse throughout life.

Other Voices

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
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Can people with Crohn's disease drink honey?

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, the exact cause of which is not very clear, and honey is safe to consume. The dietary principle generally involves eating small frequent meals, favoring low-fat, high-calorie foods. You can eat vegetables like carrots, yams, and potatoes, and should avoid raw, cold, spicy, and irritating foods such as onions, chili peppers, bean products, and leeks. The symptoms of Crohn's disease primarily include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and nutritional disorders. Currently, the disease is managed with a combination of medication and surgery to actively prevent complications. However, symptoms can recur frequently, and the disease course can be prolonged. It’s important to maintain reasonable work and rest habits and avoid excessive fatigue. (Please follow the guidance of a professional physician for medication usage.)

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What does Crohn's disease abdominal pain feel like?

Crohn's disease is an inflammation that occurs in the intestines, most commonly found in the terminal ileum and the right half of the colon. Due to the irritation from the inflammation, there is noticeable abdominal pain, which often presents as cramping, and sometimes as dull pain. The severity of the abdominal pain varies with the intensity of the inflammation. In addition to abdominal pain, symptoms may include diarrhea or manifestations of intestinal obstruction. Due to damage to the intestinal wall, complications such as intestinal perforation or rectal bleeding can occur, as well as fever and extraintestinal manifestations like malabsorption disorders. Crohn's disease tends to recur frequently and has a protracted course. It is not easily cured, and thus, strengthening daily care is essential.

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Written by Si Li Li
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What is the difference between Crohn's disease and colitis?

Crohn's disease is a chronic nonspecific inflammatory disease, whose cause is currently unclear but may be related to immune mechanisms. Its main symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and poor appetite. A colonoscopy can reveal longitudinal ulcers on the mucosa, distributed in segments. This disease has signs of lifelong recurrence, and currently, there are no specific effective medications, making treatment very challenging. The lesions can develop throughout the entire digestive tract. Chronic colitis primarily presents symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. A colonoscopy can show intestinal mucosal redness, swelling, and erosion. The condition generally responds well to treatment and is relatively milder compared to others.

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Differential Diagnosis between Intestinal Tuberculosis and Crohn's Disease

Intestinal tuberculosis often exhibits symptoms of extraintestinal tuberculosis, whereas Crohn's disease generally does not show signs of extraintestinal tuberculosis. Recurrence of intestinal tuberculosis is not common, whereas Crohn's disease has a longer duration and alternates between remission and relapse. Fistulas, abdominal abscesses, and perianal lesions are relatively rare in intestinal tuberculosis, but Crohn's disease may involve fistulas, abdominal masses, and perianal lesions. Tuberculin skin tests may be positive in patients with intestinal tuberculosis, while in Crohn's disease patients, the test may show a weakly positive result. After antituberculosis treatment, symptoms in patients with intestinal tuberculosis can significantly improve, whereas there is no significant improvement in symptoms in Crohn's disease patients following antituberculosis treatment. Furthermore, histopathological examination in patients with intestinal tuberculosis may reveal Mycobacterium tuberculosis and caseous necrosis. In contrast, Crohn's disease patients show negative results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pathologic testing and do not exhibit caseous necrosis.

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Changes in the anus with Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, generally without special changes to the anus. Typical symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bowel obstruction, nutritional disorders, and fever, among others. Complications can include intra-abdominal abscesses, bowel perforation, rectal bleeding, and malabsorption syndrome. The disease course tends to be recurrent and is not easily cured. Current treatments mainly involve medication and surgery. During active phases, it is important to focus on nutrition, rest, and supplementation of fluids and electrolytes to prevent imbalance. Enteral or parenteral nutritional support can also be used, and ample rest is essential. (Medication should be administered under the guidance of a professional doctor.)