Fulminant colitis is an emergency. If you’re experiencing severe symptoms, you should go to the hospital immediately. Don’t eat or drink, and stop taking any antidiarrheal medications you may have been using, as they could make fulminant UC worse.
Once you’re there, the hospital may order imaging tests and possibly a sigmoidoscopy to see what’s happening inside your colon. You’ll also have blood and stool tests to check for markers of inflammation and possible infections.
- IV fluids and electrolytes to help you stay hydrated
- IV antibiotics
- IV immunosuppressant medications, such as corticosteroids
- In some cases, a biologic drug or another advanced immunosuppresant therapy
You’ll be monitored closely for several days after starting treatment. If medications haven’t done enough to control the fulminant colitis after three to five days, your care team may recommend emergency surgery, such as an end ileostomy or J-pouch surgery, to remove your colon and rectum.