Treatment of IBD
Drugs:
At any one time, patients are taking an average of 1.4 drugs for IBD. The most widely prescribed drugs were Prednisolone and Sulphasalazine with 78% and 77% of patients respectively having taken these drugs at some time. Next came Flagyl with 32%, Mesalazine (Mesasal) 29%, Azathioprine (Imuran) 27%, and Olsalazine (Dipentum) 25%. UC patients were more dissatisfied with drugs. CD & IC patients had more undesirable side effects. 45% said drugs controlled disease, 27% said they controlled disease but caused undesirable side effects, 28% said drugs did not provide adequate control.
Surgery:
CD accounts for 66% of survey base but 92% of operations recorded. The most operations per patient = 26. 52% of CD patients had had an operation, but only 16% of UC patients.
Other Treatments:
46% had tried a special diet. 41% had attended various alternative medicine practitioners. 32% had had surgery and 7% total parenteral nutrition.
Stomas:
57 patients have a stoma, 53% are considered permanent of which 83% have CD.
Alternative Medicine:
45% of CD and IC patients had made attendances to alternative medicine practitioners whereas only 33% of UC patients had. 45% of females had sought help and 32% of males.
