The disease is obviously distressing at times and may lead to anxiety or depression when a sufferer has diarrhoea, pain and has to rush to the toilet. Sufferers may need to explain to friends and people at work that they have a problem with the gut which means they have to rush to the toilet very suddenly. Pregnancy Women with ulcerative colitis have normal fertility. In Crohn's disease, fertility may be reduced when the disease is active. Sulphasalazine can cause men to become less fertile.
Fertility usually returns to normal when the drug is stopped.
If possible, women should try to get pregnant when the disease is in remission. Flare-ups can occur during pregnancy but they are usually mild and will respond to medical treatment. Clinical experience has shown that the risk from steroids and sulphasalazine to the baby is extremely low. Some doctors advise women to avoid pregnancy while on azathioprine because of theoretical risks, though many successful pregnancies have been recorded while taking the drug. In a few people, milk can make symptoms worse, but the majority of sufferers can take milk products without harm.