Is Crohn’s Disease An Autoimmune Disease? Causes & Facts

I remember when I was newly diagnosed with Crohn’s colitis, trying to make sense of everything, and honestly just overwhelmed. I wanted to know if Crohn's is an autoimmune condition and the answers I found online were confusing. Some sources called it autoimmune. Others didn’t. Meanwhile, I was dealing with real symptoms: pain, urgency, mucus, blood, and no roadmap for what to actually do. So I went looking for answers.

What I found is that Crohn’s doesn’t always fit neatly into one category. It’s not your textbook autoimmune disease, but the immune system still plays a central role. After years of personal trial, research, and healing, I’ve come to understand Crohn’s differently than most GI doctors explained it to me. Let me walk you through what I’ve learned.

Crohn’s Disease is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or IBD, and in my case, it affected both my colon and the end of my small intestine. It's not the same thing as IBS (which is more about motility than inflammation). When Crohn’s flareups, it can cause everything from cramping, diarrhea, and weight loss to bleeding and fatigue. Sometimes you get hit with joint pain, skin issues, or eye inflammation too. It can affect your whole life.

For years, I was told by doctors that medication was the only way forward. But I never got a satisfying answer for why this was happening in the first place or why some foods made it worse.

Autoimmune diseases happen when your immune system starts attacking your own healthy tissues by mistake. It sees normal cells as threats. Think rheumatoid arthritis attacking joints or lupus going after multiple systems. They often involve autoantibodies which are specific proteins your body makes that target itself.

That’s the classic autoimmune profile. Crohn’s isn’t quite that simple.

This is where it gets tricky. Crohn’s isn’t considered a classic autoimmune disease. It’s more often labeled immune-mediated or autoinflammatory. That might sound like splitting hairs, but it’s not. With typical autoimmune diseases, you usually see those autoantibodies. Crohn’s usually doesn’t have them.

Instead, your immune system goes into overdrive in the gut. Triggered by bacteria, food particles, or unknown factors, and the inflammation spirals.

In my case, it felt like my immune system was always on edge, reacting to things that shouldn’t be threats. It wasn’t about my body attacking itself directly, it was about constant overreactions, as if my gut was stuck in panic mode.

Crohn’s is definitely driven by immune dysfunction. Researchers have found that people with Crohn’s have an exaggerated response to normal bacteria in the gut. That leads to chronic inflammation and all the chaos that comes with it. In my own experience, that inflammation wasn’t random but it was triggered by specific foods, stress, and other factors.

Cytokines, T-cells, and other immune components are all involved. My healing started when I stopped trying to “fight” my immune system and instead focused on calming it down and restoring balance.

That shift was huge. I eventually created Gutmellow to share the exact roadmap I used to stop flare-ups and support immune regulation, not suppression.

Crohn’s doesn’t come from a single cause. It’s more like a perfect storm. For me, I think it was a mix of early antibiotics, high stress, bad diet, and genetics. There are some known gene variants like NOD2 that increase risk. But genes alone aren’t destiny.

Crohn’s tends to show up when the immune system is already dysregulated and the gut microbiome is out of balance. The foods I was eating back then like dairy, gluten, and processed oils were definitely feeding the fire. Once I removed those and focused on healing my gut lining, things started to shift.

I was diagnosed after a colonoscopy. But before that, it was a blur of tests including blood work, stool tests, and imaging. My inflammation markers were high, and there was blood and mucus in my stool almost daily. I was told my colon showed signs of ulcerative colitis, but what surprised me was how much of that inflammation was reversible when I changed how I was eating and living.

Unlike autoimmune diseases, Crohn’s rarely shows up with specific autoantibodies. That’s one reason it’s not lumped in with conditions like lupus or MS.

Even though Crohn’s isn’t technically autoimmune, a lot of treatments overlap with autoimmune protocols. Doctors often prescribe immunosuppressants, steroids, and biologics like Humira, Skyrizi, or Stelara. I was offered these too but I held off.

I didn’t want to rely on meds with long-term side effects if I didn’t have to. So I focused on diet, supplements, and lifestyle. Things like bone broth, ginger, omega-3s, and rest became staples for me during flare-ups. I also took mesalamine, but that was the only prescription I stayed on.

I detail this whole approach inside the GutMellow Remission Roadmap which is the exact blueprint I wish I had earlier.

Regardless of the label, Crohn’s is considered chronic. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck suffering forever. I’ve been in remission without biologics for a while now, and it wasn’t luck. It was consistency with the foods I eat, the supplements I take, and the way I handle stress.

I don’t consider myself cured, but I’m living a life that once felt impossible. And that’s why I created GutMellow, to help others get out of survival mode and into a rhythm that supports real healing.

There are a few big differences:

- Crohn’s usually lacks autoantibodies

- The inflammation is concentrated in the digestive tract

- The immune response is often to external factors (like food or bacteria), not the body itself

- Responses to medications can vary more than in classic autoimmune conditions

So while Crohn’s behaves like an autoimmune disease in some ways, it’s not exactly the same. And that matters when thinking about how to support your body.

For a long time, I didn’t care what the label was. I just wanted to stop the bleeding, urgency, and pain. But over time, I realized the label does affect how doctors treat it and how patients understand it.

If Crohn’s is seen strictly as autoimmune, the only solution seems to be long-term immunosuppression. If it’s immune-mediated, it opens the door to other options: microbiome healing, diet changes, and stress reduction. That’s the approach that actually worked for me. And it’s what I now share through GutMellow.

Research into Crohn’s is evolving fast. More studies are looking into the gut-brain connection, the microbiome, and even early childhood antibiotic exposure. Personalized medicine is gaining traction, and that’s good news for all of us.

For years, I felt stuck in a cycle of one-size-fits-all solutions. Now, I’m seeing more practitioners open up to alternative routes. And the more I tuned into my own body, the more confident I became in choosing what felt right for me.

So, is Crohn’s an autoimmune disease? Technically, no, not in the classic sense. But the immune system is still at the heart of it. I think of it more as an immune system that’s confused, overreactive, and stuck in defense mode.

What helped me wasn’t suppressing that system entirely, but calming it down and supporting it with the right food, supplements, and daily habits. That’s what got me to remission.

If you’re in the thick of it and trying to figure this out, I’ve been there. That’s why I created Gutmellow, to take out the guesswork and share everything I learned the hard way. You don’t have to stay stuck. And even if Crohn’s isn’t classified as autoimmune, you can still reclaim control over your gut, one step at a time.

After a decade of trial and error, I finally found a combination of strategies that actually worked. 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.