FAQs

Q: What should you do if you think you have a flare of your colitis or Crohn’s Disease?

A: Step 1: Check your symptoms, are you:

• Pooing more frequently than you normally do
• Loose poo for over 3 days
• Passing small amounts of blood from your bottom or blood in your poo
• Low energy, feeling generally unwell
• Mild abdominal pain

Step 2: Self-management advice:

Check guidance from Crohn’s Colits (CCUK) information leaflet on “flare-ups” via the link below:

• Flare-ups with Crohn’s or Colitis

This information leaflet will also advise you what to do if you take mesalazine medications for colitis and how you can self-manage these medications.

If you have no improvement after self-managing your medications, or are not on a medication you can self-manage, please move to the next step

Step 3: Arrange tests:

Please use your flare pack which includes:

• Blood tests: FBC, U&E, LFT and CRP
• Stool sample to check for any infection
• Stool sample to check inflammatory markers (Calprotectin)

If you do not have a flare pack at home, please contact the secretary team and a pack will be sent out to you.  Alternatively, you can ask you GP to complete these tests for you.

Step 4: Contact the IBD team:

Once you have used the flare pack, please contact the IBD Nurse Specialist team or your consultant’s secretary.

Important information:

The IBD advice line is currently closed while we set up and test a new digital platform. While the advice line is closed, we ask all patients who are experiencing a flare and require urgent assistance to contact their GP, NHS 111 or attend your local hospital Emergency Department.

Non-urgent queries can be directed to your consultant secretary, contactable via the hospital switchboard on 01603 286286.

 

Q: How frequently should I have blood monitoring for my IBD medication?

This depends on your medication:

A: Mesalazine preparations

• If these are prescribed by your GP, blood tests are completed by your GP practice.

Azathioprine or mercaptopurine,

• Blood tests 2-weekly for the first 8-weeks of treatment, forms provided by IBD staff.
• Your GP will take over the prescribing and monitoring of these medications once you have completed the induction period.

Methotrexate

• Blood tests at weeks: 2, 4, 8, 12 from starting treatment.
• Your GP will take over the prescribing and monitoring of these medications once you have completed the 12-week induction period.

Biologic therapies (hospital infusions)

Loading doses:

• Blood tests prior to 1^st and 3^rd dose of treatment

Maintenance doses (for patients who do not switch to subcutaneous injectables following infusion loading doses):

• Prior to each infusion (can be completed up to 2 weeks prior to infusion)

Biologic injections (self-administered at home)

• Blood tests every month for the first 3 months of treatment, then every 6 months

Oral small molecule medication

• blood tests monthly for the first 3 months, then every 3 months.

If you need blood test forms, please contact the IBD nurse secretaries on 01603 288863.

 

Q: I have not received my home care delivery

Please contact your homecare provider in the first instance.

Homecare contact details:

Healthnet: 0800 083 3063

Lloyds Clinical: 03452636123

Sciensus homecare: 0333103949

If you are waiting for a homecare delivery but have not had monitoring blood tests taken recently, please ensure these are completed before contacting homecare.

 

Q: Pregnancy and conception advice.

A: We have a specialist maternal medicine clinic for women living with IBD and who:

• Are planning a pregnancy
• Are currently pregnant

Please contact the IBD nurse secretaries on 01603 288863 and ask to be referred to the IBD clinic.