The incidence is 5 out of 10,000 people. Return to Top Treatment Treatment for ulcerative colitis depends on the seriousness of the disease. Each person may experience ulcerative colitis differently, so treatment is adjusted accordingly. Medication - Most people are treated with medication. Surgery is the only cure for ulcerative colitis.
Some people have remissions periods when the symptoms go away that last for months or even years.
However, most patients' symptoms eventually return. This changing pattern of the disease makes it difficult to determine when a treatment actually helps. Most patients with mild or moderate disease are first treated with 5-ASA agents, a combination of the drugs sulfonamide, sulfapyridine, and salicylate that helps control the inflammation. Possible side effects of 5-ASA preparations include nausea, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea, and headache. People with severe disease and those who do not respond to mesalamine preparations may be treated with corticosteroids.