Crohn's Disease Vs. Ulcerative Colitis

When I first got diagnosed with IBD, I had no idea what that actually meant. Was it Crohn’s? Was it ulcerative colitis? Or somehow both? My doctors couldn’t even decide at first. All I knew was that I was dealing with intense symptoms that didn’t fit neatly into one box.

Years later, after a lot of trial and error (and multiple colonoscopies), I came to understand that I had Crohn’s colitis, a form of Crohn’s disease that affects the colon, which explains why my symptoms looked like a hybrid of both conditions.

If you’re in a similar place, confused by overlapping symptoms or stuck in diagnosis limbo, I get it. That’s exactly why I want to break this down clearly both from the general perspective of what the medical world says and from my own lived experience.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can show up anywhere in the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus, but most commonly hits the small intestine and colon. It’s unpredictable, patchy, and can affect every layer of the intestinal wall.

When I was dealing with Crohn’s symptoms, it felt like my gut had a mind of its own. Sometimes it would be diarrhea, other times constipation. Sometimes pain, sometimes nothing. That variability is classic Crohn’s.

In my case, the inflammation showed up primarily in the colon, which is why it was technically called Crohn’s colitis. That overlap in terminology made it even more confusing early on.

Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, only affects the large intestine and rectum. The inflammation stays on the surface of the inner lining and progresses in a continuous path starting at the rectum.

I had symptoms that matched UC too like bloody stools, urgency, and feeling wiped out all the time. At one point, a doctor even suggested I might have both. But UC doesn’t skip around in the digestive tract, and mine clearly did. Eventually, the diagnosis settled into Crohn’s colitis, which explained why my symptoms overlapped.

For me, the most helpful way to think about the difference is this: Crohn’s is patchy and deep, UC is continuous and shallow.

Crohn’s can hit any part of the digestive system, and it can affect every layer of tissue. UC sticks to the colon and only the innermost lining. Crohn’s also tends to have more complications like fistulas or strictures. I didn’t have those, but I definitely dealt with the kind of inflammation that made my colon feel like it was under attack from the inside out.

Crohn’s can feel like a moving target, whereas UC is more centralized. But both can absolutely wreck your quality of life if left unmanaged.

Honestly, day to day, the overlap between Crohn’s and UC can feel massive. Fatigue. Diarrhea. Urgency. Blood in the stool. Food sensitivity. The emotional toll. The social anxiety.

Whether you’re living with IBD, Crohn’s colitis, or classic UC, it’s hard not to feel like your digestive system is holding your life hostage.

And it’s not just the physical stuff either. Living with IBD messes with your confidence, your energy, and even your ability to feel safe in your own body. I spent years afraid to eat, afraid to leave the house, afraid I was going to “lose control” in public. That fear, that level of vigilance, is something I think everyone with IBD experiences, regardless of diagnosis.

I went through all the tests: colonoscopy, endoscopy, CT scans, stool tests, bloodwork. At one point, I was told it might be indeterminate colitis because the results were all over the place.

Eventually, the colonoscopy showed inflammation in the colon with patchy areas and deeper tissue involvement, a classic signs of Crohn’s. The symptoms felt like UC, but the imaging and biopsies pointed to Crohn’s colitis. So that’s where the diagnosis landed.

If your symptoms feel mixed, you’re not alone. Diagnosis isn’t always cut and dry, and the overlap can be frustrating.

Doctors offered me treatments like Stelara, immunosuppressants, or surgery. I didn’t want any of it. I have taken mesalamine since about 2013, though.

I created the Remission Roadmap and started tracking everything including what I ate, how I felt, and what triggered my symptoms. I leaned hard into an anti-inflammatory Crohn’s diet, avoided gluten, dairy, sugar, seed oils, and focused on gut-healing foods like bone broth, wild-caught salmon, and steamed veggies.

Supplements helped too. Fish oil, zinc, ginger, vitamin D, and magnesium were some of my staples. I break it all down in my Supplement Guide.

I’m not saying this is what anyone else should do, but it worked for me. I went from daily flare-ups to stable, consistent digestion. I haven’t needed biologics, and I’ve avoided surgery. That might not be everyone’s story, but it’s mine.

Both Crohn’s and UC are chronic, and flare-ups can come and go. But remission is real. I’ve been in remission for long stretches now, and the difference it makes in everyday life is huge.

When I was flaring, I had blood and mucus in the stool, urgency, and constant fatigue. I couldn’t plan anything. Now, I can go to the gym, eat without panic, travel, and sleep through the night. I even wrote a book about it: How I Stopped Flare-Ups & Achieved Remission.

I still pay close attention to what I eat, manage my stress, and keep up with what I call “gut hygiene.” But it’s no longer about surviving. It’s about actually living.

Whether it’s Crohn’s, UC, or something in between, living with IBD changes everything. There’s the physical stuff, of course, but also the mental and emotional impact. I used to obsess over symptoms, constantly researching “what causes Crohn’s” or how to make flare-ups stop.

Eventually, I stopped chasing external solutions and started focusing on my body. That’s when things started to shift. I simplified my diet. I built routines. I stopped eating foods that made me feel like garbage, even if they were labeled “healthy.”

If you’re still in the thick of it, just know that I’ve been there. I get it. There’s a way forward, even if it takes time to figure out.

People ask me all the time: “Can you really heal without biologics or surgery?” I’m not giving medical advice. I’m just saying I did.

I’ve had clean colonoscopies, normal lab results, and zero flare-ups for long stretches of time. I put everything I learned into the GutMellow Remission Bundle so people don’t have to spend 10 years trial-and-erroring like I did.

If you’re stuck trying to figure out the difference between Crohn’s disease vs ulcerative colitis, or you’re dealing with a diagnosis that doesn’t quite fit into one box, I’ve been there. I know how frustrating and isolating it can feel.

But I also know that healing is possible. I believe the body wants to heal, it just needs the right environment to do it.

Check out my resources on gutmellow.com if you’re looking for ideas, meal plans, or just someone who gets it.

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.