Welcome to Life Crohns and Colitis Online Support Group. Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and even malnutrition. Inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease can involve different areas of the digestive tract in different people. The inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease often spreads deep into the layers of affected bowel tissue. Like ulcerative colitis, another common IBD, Crohn’s disease can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic disease of the colon and rectum, together known as the large intestine. When inflammation and ulceration of the large intestine mucosa, or innermost lining, occurs, tiny open sores may form on the surface of the lining.Because inflammation damages the lining of the intestinal wall, it may bring about the onset of a flare, including diarrehea, bloody stoo, and abdominal pain or cramping. , UC affects only the innermost lining, whereas Crohn’s disease can affect the entire thickness of the intestinal wall.
Ulcerative colitis differs from another inflammatory bowel condition, Crohn’s disease. While Crohn’s may affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, UC only involves the colon and rectum.

Describe your symptoms especially those that might be different. What treatment is working for you (or not)?

Discussion, Education and peer to Peer Support for families and patients with Chron’s & Colitis

Feeling down? Need to rant? This is the place

Our mission at Ben’s Friends is to ensure that patients living with rare diseases or chronic illnesses, as well as their caregivers, family, and friends, have a safe and supportive place to connect with others like them.

Anyone whose life has been touched by a rare disease is welcome in a Ben’s Friends community. Most of our members are patients, but we have spouses and parents, besties and caregivers here as well.