About IBD

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease) are about more than diarrhea: they affect the whole person. About IBD focuses on health and lifestyle issues important to people living with Crohn's or colitis. IBD patients, doctors, therapists, and care partners give their tips and advice on topics including diet, nutrition, treatments, mental health, family dynamics, and sexuality as it relates to living with IBD.

The Hosts of Bowel Moments 11/12/2024

Finding the Balance - Honoring Veteran's Day With Stephanie Gish 10/29/2024

Parenting With IBD (With Alison McGauley) 10/15/2024

Choosing Ostomy Surgery With Hannah Martin-Spencer 10/01/2024

Choosing Ostomy Surgery With Hannah Martin-Spencer Is it surprising to learn that some people living with IBD choose to have ostomy surgery? Hannah, a 24-year-old woman, shares her journey through the initial symptoms of IBD at the age of 15, to getting a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. She describes how her symptoms worsened after diagnosis, including bleeding, bowel urgency, and fatigue, which led to multiple hospitalizations. Hannah advocated for surgery to treat her pancolitis, despite an initial difference of opinion with her medical team. After surgery, Hannah's symptoms were significantly improved and she regained a sense of normalcy in her life. Hannah discusses the pros and cons of choosing an ostomy over a J-pouch, the importance of quality of life, and how surgery could impact her future fertility. Concepts discussed on this episode: Yang X, He M, Tang Q, et al. Assessment of anti-inflammatory efficacy of acupuncture in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complement Ther Med. 2023;74:102946. doi:. Bao C, Wu L, Wang D, et al. Acupuncture improves the symptoms, intestinal microbiota, and inflammation of patients with mild to moderate Crohn's disease: A randomized controlled trial. EClinicalMedicine. 2022;45:101300. doi:. Bae JH, Kang SY, You SE, Jeong HI, Jang S, Kim KH. The Effects of Acupuncture on Crohn's Disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pharmacopuncture. 2023;26(3):211-226. doi:. Find Hannah Martin-Spencer on: Instagram: Find Amber J Tresca at: AboutIBD.com: Verywell Health: Facebook: Twitter: Pinterest: Instagram: YouTube: https://www.threads.net/@about_ibd Find Mac Cooney (mix, sound design, and theme music) at: Facebook: Instagram: YouTube: Web: Theme music, , is from ©Cooney Studio. Episode transcript and more information at: These show notes contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, Mal and Tal Enterprises, LLC may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. /episode/index/show/aboutibd/id/33267657

Starting College After a Crohn’s Diagnosis 09/17/2024

IBD and the Patient-Physician Relationship 08/13/2024

IBD and Accommodations at Work With Katie Connelly 07/30/2024

Connecting to Cure Crohn's and Colitis With Stacy Dylan 07/09/2024

Men's Health and IBD 06/25/2024

"Boo Can't Poo!" With Iris Wang, MD 06/04/2024

The GEM Project With Chantel Wicks 05/14/2024

The Harms of Copay Accumulators 04/30/2024

The Harms of Copay Accumulators Did you notice that suddenly one year you started paying more for your healthcare? Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are sometimes treated with medications that are expensive. Manufacturers create programs to help patients afford these drugs. In the beginning, these payments from assistance programs counted toward a yearly health insurance deductible. Then, suddenly: they stopped counting. Overnight, patients found themselves responsible for more costs, while insurance carriers received what amounts to double payments. A 2023 court ruling says that this practice should be reversed again, but it's not happening. Amber McCown tells her story of how a copay accumulator program took her by surprise and why she's partnering with the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute and working with legislators and agencies to advocate for change. Aimed Alliance. How a Loophole in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Can Impact Access To Your Necessary Treatments: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2021; Notice Requirement for Non-Federal Governmental Plans: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/05/14/2020-10045/patient-protection-and-affordable-care-act-hhs-notice-of-benefit-and-payment-parameters-for-2021 Copay Accumulator Programs: State Insurance Departments: https://content.naic.org/state-insurance-departments From the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute: In 2022,, two diabetes groups, and individual chronic disease patients filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the federal rule that allowed "copay accumulators." Insurers use "copay accumulator" programs to avoid counting the value of copay coupons that patients get from drug manufacturers toward a patient's deductible and out-of-pocket costs -- effectively double charging the patients. In 2023, of the plaintiffs and struck down the federal rule that had allowed health insurers to avoid counting copay assistance from drug manufacturers toward a patient's out-of-pocket cost. But the government isn't enforcing the court's ruling, so patients are still subject to copay accumulator schemes. . Far worse is the fact that patients are still being unjustly subjected to copay accumulators that prevent them from being able to afford their prescription drugs as a result. Patients need the federal government to issue a new rule ASAP. Find Amber J Tresca at: : Verywell: Facebook: Twitter: Pinterest: Instagram: Find Mac Cooney (mix, sound design, and theme music) at: Facebook: Instagram: Web: Theme music, , is from ©Cooney Studio. Episode transcript and more information at: https://bit.ly/AIBD151 These show notes contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, Mal and Tal Enterprises, LLC may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. /episode/index/show/aboutibd/id/31030388

IBD and Somatic Therapy With Abri Bernstein 04/16/2024

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month With Dan "Dry Dock" Shockley 03/26/2024

Making Crohn's Disease Funny With Matt Nagin 02/13/2024

Amber's Year in Books 2023 01/30/2024

IBD Connect With Lisa Fournier 01/16/2024

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and IBD With Stephanie Brenner, LCSW, MSW 12/19/2023

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and IBD With Stephanie Brenner, LCSW, MSW My guest is Stephanie Brenner of Chronic Illness Psychotherapy. Stephanie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has experience in working with clients with chronic illnesses. She has also taken on a variety of roles in GI space, including previously serving on both the advisory team for the Pediatric Crohn’s Guidebook and the recruitment committee for the Rome Foundation’s GastroPsych organization. Stephanie lives with Crohn’s disease and a permanent ileostomy and is also a cancer survivor. I asked her to help us better understand PTSD and PTS as they relate to having a chronic illness like IBD. She defines PTSD and why it can happen with IBD, what some of the signs and symptoms might look like, and what patients can do to address their mental health. Episode transcript and more information at: Find Stephanie Brenner, LCSW, MSW at: Web: Facebook: Concepts discussed: An Overview of Rectovaginal Fistula: An Overview of Anal or Rectal Abscess: Proctectomy Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Sacha McBain, PhD: What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?: The Psychology of the Sickbed: Taft TH, Quinton S, Jedel S, Simons M, Mutlu EA, Hanauer SB. Posttraumatic Stress in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Prevalence and Relationships to Patient-Reported Outcomes. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2022;28(5):710-719. doi:10.1093/ibd/izab152 What Is EMDR Therapy?: Understanding Diaphragmatic Breathing: All About Grounding: Techniques to Connect to Nature: Self-Report PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5): (other checklists ) Rome Foundation: Samantha Irby: Tig Notoro: Hannah Gatsby: Cameron Esposito: Find Amber J Tresca at: : Verywell: Facebook: Twitter: Pinterest: Instagram: Find Mac Cooney (mix, sound design, and theme music) at: Facebook: Instagram: Web: LinkedIn: Theme music, , is from ©Cooney Studio. These show notes may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, Mal and Tal Enterprises, LLC may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. /episode/index/show/aboutibd/id/29127653

IBD in the Hispanic Community With Oriana Damas, MD 12/05/2023

Positivity Beats IBD With Josef Miller 11/28/2023

Designer $hit: A Microbiome Love Story With Saffron Cassaday 11/14/2023

Coping With IBD While in Military Service With Dr Anish Patel 11/08/2023

Learning to Accept IBD 10/24/2023

IBD and Menopause 10/17/2023

IBD and Menopause Menopause is a topic that's not well understood in general and there's even less information when it comes to menopause and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis). October is World menopause Awareness Month. World Menopause Day is on October 18 every year. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of menopause and the support options available for improving health and well being. Learn more about how IBD may affect perimenopause and menopause, as well as the reverse. Concepts discussed on this episode: World Menopause Day: The North American Menopause Society: Menopause and IBD: What a Gastroenterologist Wants You to Know: Living Well with IBD: Women's Health and IBD: Can You Treat Menopause Symptoms With Over-the-Counter Medications: Maya Minding Menopause: A 4-Part Series: Find Amber J Tresca at: : Verywell: Facebook: Twitter: Pinterest: Instagram: Find Mac Cooney (mix, sound design, and theme music) at: Facebook: Instagram: Web: LinkedIn: Theme music, , is from ©Cooney Studio. Episode transcript and more information at: Sources: 1. Rolston VS, Boroujerdi L, Long MD, et al. The influence of hormonal fluctuation on inflammatory bowel disease symptom severity—a cross-sectional cohort study. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2018;24:387–393. doi:10.1093/ibd/izx004 2. Lichtarowicz A, Norman C, Calcraft B, Morris JS, Rhodes J, Mayberry J. A study of the menopause, smoking, and contraception in women with Crohn's disease. Quarterly Journal of Medicine. 1989;72:623–631. 3. Kane SV, Reddy D. Hormonal replacement therapy after menopause is protective of disease activity in women with inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2008;103:1193–1196. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2007.01700.x 4. “The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society” Advisory Panel. The 2022 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2022;29(7):767-794. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002028 5. Lungaro L, Costanzini A, Manza F, et al. Impact of Female Gender in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Narrative Review. J Pers Med. 2023;13(2):165. Published 2023 Jan 17. doi:10.3390/jpm13020165 6. Lewandowski K, Kaniewska M, Więcek M, et al. Risk Factors for Osteoporosis among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Do We Already Know Everything?. Nutrients. 2023;15(5):1151. Published 2023 Feb 24. doi:10.3390/nu15051151 7. Schüle S, Rossel JB, Frey D, et al. Widely differing screening and treatment practice for osteoporosis in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases in the Swiss IBD cohort study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(22):e6788. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000006788 8. Hidalgo DF, Boonpheng B, Phemister J, Hidalgo J, Young M. Inflammatory bowel disease and risk of osteoporotic fractures: A meta-analysis. Cureus. 2019;11:e5810. doi:10.7759/cureus.5810 9. Palomba S, Manguso F, Orio F Jr, et al. Effectiveness of risedronate in osteoporotic postmenopausal women with inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective, parallel, open-label, two-year extension study. Menopause. 2008;15(4 Pt 1):730-736. doi:10.1097/gme.0b013e318159f190 Additional Sources: Gold EB. The timing of the age at which natural menopause occurs. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2011;38:425–440. doi:10.1016/j.ogc.2011.05.002 Sheth T, Pitchumoni CS, Das KM. Musculoskeletal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease: a revisit in search of immunopathophysiological mechanisms. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2014;48:308–317. doi:10.1097/MCG.0000000000000067 Harbord M, Annese V, Vavricka SR, et al. The first European evidence-based consensus on extra-intestinal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease. J Crohns Colitis. 2016;10:239–254. doi:10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjv213 /episode/index/show/aboutibd/id/28334336

Having a Screening Colonoscopy 09/26/2023

Managing IBD Diet and Lifestyle With Clemmie Oliver 09/12/2023

Where to Invest Money: Healthcare Disparities in IBD 08/08/2023

We Have to Invest in the Health Wealth of Our Nation With Brooke Abbott: Healthcare Disparities in IBD 08/01/2023

I Wanted People to Know That They're Not Alone With Fasika Shimeles Teferra, MD: Healthcare Disparities in IBD 07/25/2023

I'm Letting You In With Cedric Pulliam, PhD: Healthcare Disparities in IBD 07/11/2023

About IBD

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