What is Crohn's Colitis?

When I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s colitis, it felt like my body had turned on me. I was told it was a type of IBD that only affected the colon, and for me, that turned out to be true, it never spread anywhere else.

At the time, I didn’t fully grasp what that would mean for my daily life or the years ahead. All I knew was that I was constantly uncomfortable, always scanning for the nearest bathroom, and being told that my only options were biologics or surgery.

That wasn’t the path I wanted. And while this isn’t medical advice or a promise of results, I’ll share everything I learned from the years I spent figuring this out the hard way.

Crohn’s colitis is a form of Crohn’s disease that affects the large intestine. Unlike classic Crohn’s that can pop up anywhere along the GI tract, this version stays localized to the colon. It still falls under the broader category of IBD, but the location of inflammation changes how it shows up and sometimes how it's treated.

In my case, it meant a lot of urgency, blood, mucus, and unpredictable bowel habits. Sometimes several times a day, sometimes none. Even though it was “just the colon,” it made life feel chaotic.

There’s no single answer for what causes Crohn’s or colitis, and that used to frustrate the hell out of me. I wanted a clean explanation. Over time, I stopped looking for one cause and started focusing on patterns. Here’s what seemed to matter most for me:

• Stress and anxiety, especially chronic stress, made everything worse.

• Antibiotics as a kid. I was on them a lot growing up. Not sure if that was the trigger, but it lines up with what I’ve read.

• Standard American diet: I lived on processed food and sugar without realizing what it was doing to my gut.

• Environmental stuff like toxic cleaning products and plastics also seemed to play a role.

Maybe it’s genetics, maybe it’s environmental, maybe it’s both. I now just think of it as an immune system gone rogue, but one that responds when you take away the fuel.

IBD symptoms can be intense, and Crohn’s colitis definitely checked the box on most of them for me:

• Frequent bowel movements with urgency, especially in the morning

• Blood and mucus in the stool (sometimes just that, nothing solid)

• Occasional cramping and bloating, though less pain than others report

• Fatigue that made it hard to focus

• A deep sense of exhaustion that went beyond being tired

Some days felt normal, and other days I felt like I couldn’t leave the house. That unpredictability is what made living with IBD so hard for me.

I used to get confused by this too. They’re both types of IBD, both affect the colon, but they’re not the same:

• Crohn’s colitis has skip lesions which can be patchy and go deeper into the bowel wall

• Ulcerative colitis is continuous inflammation in the inner lining only

• Crohn’s colitis can cause strictures and fistulas while ulcerative colitis doesn’t usually do that

I needed a colonoscopy to confirm my diagnosis, which is pretty standard. Biopsies helped clarify that I had Crohn’s colitis and not UC.

For me, diagnosis came after several months of symptoms and a flare that left blood in the toilet daily. I did:

• Blood tests (inflammation markers were high)

• Stool tests to rule out infection

• Colonoscopy, which showed inflammation in parts of the colon and inflamed polyps

• Imaging wasn’t needed at the time, but later I had an MRI just to be sure it hadn’t spread

The colonoscopy was the turning point. It confirmed the diagnosis and let me see exactly what I was dealing with.

When it comes to treatment I was offered medications like mesalamine and later, Stelara, which is one of the newer biologics. I took mesalamine for a while but never started Stelara. I wanted to explore other options before committing to something long-term.

Here’s what worked for me:

Food (my biggest lever)

I stripped my diet down to the basics. My version of a Crohn’s diet was super simple and mostly based on what didn’t make me flare. I share it all at GutMellow.com and in my book How I Stopped Flare-Ups & Achieved Remission.

Some basics:

• Bone broth

• Steamed or roasted vegetables (nothing raw during flares)

• Grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs

• No dairy, gluten, seed oils, or sugar

Supplements

These helped fill the gaps and reduce inflammation when food alone wasn’t enough. I cover everything in the Supplement Guide on GutMellow, but the key ones for me were:

• Omega-3 fish oil

• Vitamin D3 + K2

• Zinc

• Magnesium

• Ginger

• Oregano oil

I also used edible cannabis occasionally during flares to relax my gut and lower inflammation.

Lifestyle

Stress was a huge trigger. I had to change how I approached everything:

• Walks daily instead of high-intensity workouts

• Sleep before midnight

• Less phone time, more reading and breathing

• Using symptom tracking to see what helped or hurt

Living with IBD isn’t just about managing symptoms but also about figuring out how to live again. For me, remission didn’t mean being “cured,” it meant getting my life back to normal.

No more racing to the bathroom.

No more fear after every meal.

No more planning my day around toilets.

I keep things super consistent...same foods, same sleep schedule, same supplements. Not boring, just peaceful. I’d rather eat the same safe breakfast 100 times than roll the dice with something that sets me back.

I wasn’t diagnosed as a teen, but I know people who were. The main things I hear are that the symptoms hit just as hard, but they’re harder to manage at school. Growth and development can get impacted too. I’d imagine support from family, teachers, and flexible routines are key there.

I tried a lot. Some worked, some didn’t.

• Acupuncture didn’t do much for me.

• Herbal teas like ginger and chamomile made a noticeable difference.

• Marshmallow root, slippery elm, I’ve experimented with those too.

• Functional medicine testing helped me spot deficiencies.

Ultimately, nothing replaced food and lifestyle. Those were the foundation.

If you want the full list, it’s in the Remission Roadmap Bundle, but here’s a snapshot:

Eat:

• Bone broth

• Scrambled eggs

• Organic meats and proteins

• Roasted carrots, zucchini, broccoli

• Olive oil, coconut oil

• Almond butter and safe nuts/seeds

• Berries in small amounts

Avoid:

• Dairy (my biggest trigger)

• Gluten, oats, rice, potatoes

• Sugar and sweeteners

• Coffee and alcohol

• Canola and seed oils

• Chocolate, peanuts, processed anything

I still eat this way even in remission because I feel better and stay stable.

Is Crohn’s colitis curable?

Not that I know of. But I’ve been in long-term remission without biologics, and that’s all I really wanted.

Can you live a normal life with Crohn’s colitis?

Yes definitely, I have Crohn's colitis and live a pretty normal life.

How often do flare-ups happen?

Used to be every couple years. Now, years go by without one as long as I stick to what works.

Does Crohn’s colitis increase cancer risk?

Yeah, especially if inflammation sticks around for years. That’s why I keep an eye on symptoms and get scoped as needed.

I’m not here to say I found the answer for everyone, only that I found something that works for me. Crohn’s colitis wrecked my quality of life for a long time, but once I stopped fighting symptoms and started supporting my gut, everything shifted.

I share the exact strategy in the GutMellow Remission Roadmap, and I break it all down step-by-step in my book How I Stopped Flare-Ups & Achieved Remission. It’s the guide I wish I had when I was desperate, confused, and overwhelmed.

If this post resonated, you can check it out. And if not, I hope it helped you feel a little less alone with this thing. Healing is possible. It just takes time, consistency, and listening to your gut...literally.

After years of trial and error, I finally found a combination of strategies that worked for me. I went from constant flare-ups to long-term remission, without biologics or surgery. I created GutMellow to share my experience and help others navigate their own healing journey.

The GutMellow Remission Roadmap includes everything I wish I had when I was first diagnosed. It’s a comprehensive resource that outlines the exact steps I took to regain control of my gut health, including:

This blog is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. While I am sharing my personal experience, every individual’s health journey is unique. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet, supplements, medications, or lifestyle. Healing is a personal journey, and what worked for me may not work for everyone.