With ulcerative colitis (UC), symptoms typically come and go. When you have symptoms, it’s called a flare or flare-up. A flare-up can last days, weeks, or even months, and can recur at any time. Flare-ups often happen suddenly. The symptoms can include (but are not limited to):
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Frequent bowel movements that may contain blood or mucus
- “False urgency” (feeling that you have to go to the bathroom when you really don’t)
Ulcerative colitis symptoms may also appear in areas of the body beyond the digestive system. These symptoms include joint pain and skin rash. Lialda® (mesalamine) is not indicated to treat these symptoms.
Severity of ulcerative colitis symptoms
Your doctor may tell you that your UC is "mild," "moderate," "severe," or "fulminant." The severity is based on your symptoms, your test results, and procedures—called sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy—that let your doctor look directly at your colon. Here’s how most doctors define the severity of symptoms.
- Mild—fewer than 4 stools daily, with or without blood
- Moderate—more than 4 stools daily, low-grade fever, and some anemia (a condition that can cause weakness, pale skin, and general tiredness)
- Severe—more than 6 bloody stools daily, fever, rapid heart rate, and anemia
- Fulminant—more than 10 bowel movements daily, continuous rectal bleeding, fever, rapid heart rate, anemia, abdominal tenderness, and bloating
About 20% of the people diagnosed with UC have mild symptoms.
