Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis

Symptoms of ulcerative colitis frequently include chronic diarrhea (often bloody), abdominal pain (or stomach pain), cramping, and urgency to have a bowel movement. Depending on the severity of a person's condition, other ulcerative colitis symptoms may also be present. Ulcerative colitis can also lead to complications, such as arthritis, liver disease, and kidney stones.

 

Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis: An Overview

The symptoms of ulcerative colitis a person experiences will vary based on the severity of the disease. For some people with mild ulcerative colitis, symptoms occur now and then. Other people have a more severe case of ulcerative colitis and regularly experience diarrhea and abdominal pain (or stomach pain), as well as other complications. It is also possible to have periods of remission, during which the symptoms of ulcerative colitis go away for months or even years. Unfortunately, it is not possible for healthcare providers to know whether a person will have mild or severe ulcerative colitis symptoms.
 

Common Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms

The most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis are:
 
  • Chronic diarrhea, which is often bloody
  • Abdominal pain (or stomach pain) and cramping
  • Feeling an urgency to have a bowel movement
  • Feeling like you can't fully empty your bowels.
     
Some other possible ulcerative colitis symptoms include:
 
  • Fatigue
  • A fever
  • Weight loss
  • A loss of appetite
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Mucus in the stool.
     
People who have mild symptoms of ulcerative colitis usually have diarrhea up to four times a day. These people with mild ulcerative colitis symptoms only occasionally experience blood in their stool or symptoms from other complications. About half of the people with ulcerative colitis have mild symptoms.
 
(Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis Continued: Page 2)
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD