Treatment for Microscopic Colitis
How do doctors treat microscopic colitis?
To treat microscopic colitis, your doctor may recommend
- quitting smoking, if you smoke
- changing any medicines you take that could be causing microscopic colitis or making your symptoms worse
- taking medicines to treat microscopic colitis
- changing what you eat and drink to help improve symptoms
Medicines most often treat microscopic colitis effectively. In rare cases, doctors may recommend surgery.
Medicines
Doctors prescribe medicines to improve symptoms and achieve remission—a time when you have fewer symptoms or symptoms disappear. Medicines that doctors recommend to treat microscopic colitis include
- corticosteroids, also called steroids, most commonly in the form of budesonide
- aminosalicylates
- antidiarrheal medicines
- bile acid binders
- immunosuppressants
- biologics
Doctors prescribe medicines to improve microscopic colitis symptoms.Surgery
Doctors rarely recommend surgery to treat microscopic colitis. Surgery may be an option if microscopic colitis causes severe symptoms that don’t improve after treatment with medicines.
This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.