Colitis & Crohns

I was diagnosed with crohns & colitis and I recently have come across people saying their relatives have died from crohns. I believe what they are saying and I was wondering if its normal for drs to tell you when diagnosed that you could die from crohns? Should I be looking at a time frame?

[Ratnakar Kini, MD]

Hi Lalasoto,
Crohn's disease in most of the patients causes disability rather than being fatal.
Patients with Crohn's disease die of it only when they develop complications like cancer.
The risk of cancer depends on the segment of intestine involved and the duration of the disease.
A periodic follow up is essential to rule out this complication.
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The information provided is for patients’ education only and is not a medical advice. Always consult your personal physician for complete evaluation of your health problem.

- Ratnakar Kini M.D.

[Lalasoto]

Thank you so much for your answer to my question. It was a lot of help.