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Adolescent Ulcerative Colitis:
Overcoming Drug-Refractory Cases
Complete remission achieved without steroids or Remicade
A 16-Year-Old Patient's Journey
Hello. This is HanStep Korean Medicine Clinic, which has been researching and treating ulcerative colitis since 2007. This case involves a 16-year-old female student who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis after experiencing abdominal pain in September 2025. She was in a very critical condition at the time of her visit as her inflammation levels did not subside despite steroid and Remicade treatment.
Major Symptoms at Initial Visit (Feb '26)
- Bowel movements: 10-12 episodes of watery diarrhea and bloody stool per day
- Inflammation markers: Calprotectin 4958 points
- Pain: Severe daily abdominal pain and tenesmus
- Systemic condition: 9kg weight loss in 2-3 weeks
Core Treatment Strategy
1. Combined use of steroids and herbal medicine
We immediately suppressed the initial severe symptoms with steroids while administering herbal medicine during that period to provide fundamental treatment. This broke the pattern where symptoms would worsen again when reducing medication.
2. Optimization of prescription sequence
Through systematic changes in prescriptions—moving from respiratory-type to digestive-type to inflammation-type—we captured subtle signs of rising calprotectin levels even after symptoms improved, ensuring complete control of inflammation.
Treatment Outcomes: Normalization of Values
| Item | Before Treatment | After Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Fecal Calprotectin | 4958 points | 36 points |
| CRP Inflammation Level | 1.3 | 0.05 (hs-CRP) |
| Anemia Index (Hct) | 32.9 | 36.3 |
Although she has not used any Western medication since June 2026, all values have recovered to normal, and she is currently maintaining a state of complete remission.
Trust in Korean medicine and persistent treatment provided the strength to overcome a difficult and long process. For any questions regarding the treatment of adolescent ulcerative colitis, please feel free to contact HanStep Korean Medicine Clinic.