Even the most well-managed cases of Crohn's disease can flare up occasionally. This means that you’ll need to step up your treatment regimen to bring your inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms under control.
Once your doctor has done testing to assess the severity and location of your inflammation, they will need to adjust the dosage of your medications, or have you take other medications.
While you’re waiting for treatment to kick in, here are things you can do to get relief from symptoms.
Avoid dehydration by making sure you’re getting enough fluids. “The best thing people with Crohn’s disease can do is to be able to make lots of clear urine by drinking plenty of fluids,” says Peter Higgins, MD, PhD, the director of the inflammatory bowel disease program at University of Michigan Health in Ann Arbor.
Drinking at least 2 liters, or about 68 ounces (oz) of water a day can help, but you may need more to make up for any fluid loss due to diarrhea. You should also avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can cause you to lose more fluids through urine than you take in. Ask your doctor if you can stay hydrated well enough on your own or if you need to be rehydrated with intravenous (IV) fluids.
Discomfort From Diarrhea
Frequent bowel movements can create irritation in and around the anus. For relief, try the following:
Use moistened wipes, making sure they’re alcohol free and safe for sensitive skin.
Avoid using soap in the area until it heals, as soap can be drying.
Avoid tight clothing and wear breathable cotton underwear.
Wash around the anus after bowel movements by using a bidet, showering, or using a moistened wipe.
Talk to your doctor about whether or not you can use an ointment or barrier cream to help ease itching or pain.
Abdominal Pain
Cramps, bloating, and gas can be painful. Up to 70 percent of people with IBD experience abdominal pain during a flare, and that pain can persist in as many as half of them, even after they achieve remission.
Try these steps to reduce discomfort.
Eat smaller meals, but eat them more often to get enough calories — the healing process increases your body’s energy requirements.
Eat refined grains like white bread, pasta, and rice, and low-fiber fruits including bananas and cantaloupe.
Avoid trigger foods, which differ from person to person, but often include high-fiber foods, anything with lactose, fried foods, caffeine, and alcohol.
Nausea
Talk with your doctor if nausea is keeping you from eating, drinking, or taking medications. Dr. Higgins says that some people might need anti-nausea medications that either dissolve slowly in the mouth, come in patch form, or are available as suppositories. You can also try to relieve nausea naturally by eating foods or drinking herbal teas with ginger, or trying aromatherapy using peppermint oil.
Weight Loss
A Crohn’s disease flare can keep you from eating and drinking enough, and even if you do, your gut may not be absorbing nutrients properly, so weight loss can be a serious concern.
Try these steps to maintain a healthy weight.
Work with a dietitian on an eating plan for when you are in a flare.
Look for high-calorie, nutrient-dense foods you can tolerate. Consider peanut butter, bananas, white rice, canned fruits, and cooked fish.
Make sure you’re getting plenty of protein, as your body requires more protein to heal inflamed tissue.
Keep a food diary or use a smartphone app to keep track of the calories you take in.
If you don’t eat enough for more than a few days or you experience rapid weight loss, you may require immediate medical attention, so keep your doctor informed.
Fever
Active inflammation can cause a fever, but this symptom will likely decrease as your treatment starts to work. Avoid taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) without your doctor’s approval because they can sometimes upset the digestive system, says Cyrus Tamboli, MD, a gastroenterologist at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Acetaminophen is usually safe as long as you don’t exceed the recommended dosage.
Fatigue
Higgins says fatigue should improve if you stay hydrated, manage your diet, and stick to your treatment plan, which should include maintaining adequate iron and B12 levels.
Mouth Sores
If mouth sores — aka canker sores or mouth ulcers — are part of a Crohn’s disease flare, ask your doctor about using prescription lidocaine jelly to manage discomfort, Higgins says. You might also be advised to use medicinal mouthwash for some mouth sores.
Make sure you don’t do anything to irritate the sores, such as eating acidic, salty, or spicy food or drinks. Eating softer foods might help avoid irritation, as well as using a straw.
Eye Complications
About 10 percent of people with Crohn’s disease experience eye complications, which can include symptoms such as blurred vision, eye pain, dry eye, and sensitivity to light. Make sure your eye doctor knows you have Crohn’s, and ask if treatment may help you manage your symptoms and protect your eyes from inflammation.
These self-care steps should help you feel more comfortable during a flare of Crohn’s disease symptoms.
What to Ask Your Doctor
Your doctor can help you determine if the flare is due to a worsening of the disease or the development of complications.
“People who’ve lived with Crohn’s all their lives get to know their symptoms and flares very well, but even the most experienced can get confused,” says Dr. Tamboli. A Crohn’s disease flare implies a worsening of inflammation, but symptoms can occur for other reasons, namely complications of the disease. “This can include an infection, an abscess, or, rarely, a tumor in the colon,” Tamboli says.
If you're experiencing complications or an infection rather than a flare, that would require a different treatment plan than a flare, such as antibiotics or surgery. If you have a complication that requires surgery, you’re not alone — nearly 50 percent of people with Crohn’s will need a surgical procedure within 10 years of diagnosis. Talk to your doctor about what to expect before and after surgery, such as when you can return to work or specific activities.
As many as 20 percent of people with IBD experience skin complications. These can include tender red bumps on the legs, skin tags, anal fissures (small tears in the anus), and fistulas, or tunnels from the intestine to the skin, among others. If you develop a skin condition, it is best to speak with your doctor to determine the cause before trying any over-the-counter medications; different conditions will require different treatments.
The Takeaway
While a Crohn’s flare will mostly be treated with medication to reduce inflammation, there are things you can do to ease some of the symptoms of a typical flare, such as abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss, among others.
It’s important to get relief for symptoms like nausea, for example, so you can take medications and eat enough to get the nutrients your body needs to heal.
Work with your doctor and a registered dietitian to find ways to alleviate symptoms — both before and after they pop up — to make things more bearable.
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Resources
Cushing K et al. Management of Crohn Disease: A Review. JAMA. January 5, 2021.
Takahashi K et al. Post-inflammatory Abdominal Pain in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease During Remission: A Comprehensive Review. Crohn’s & Colitis 360. October 2021.
Tian C et al. Crohn Disease. StatPearls. December 1, 2025.
Fields TR. Guidelines to Help Reduce the Side Effects of NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs). Hospital for Special Surgery. December 3, 2025.
Scow JS. Modern Surgery for Crohn's Disease: When to Divert, Impact of Biologics on Infectious Complications, and Surgical Techniques to Decrease Post-Operative Recurrence of Crohn's Disease. Surgery Open Science. June 2024.
Yuying Luo, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City. She aims to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered, and holistic care for her patients.
Her clinical and research focus includes patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia; patients with lower gastrointestinal motility (constipation) disorders and defecatory and anorectal disorders (such as dyssynergic defecation); and women’s gastrointestinal health.
She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her MD from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was also chief resident. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was also chief fellow.
Madeline Vann, MPH, LPC, is a freelance health and medical writer located in Williamsburg, Virginia. She has been writing for over 15 years and can present complicated health topics at any reading level. Her writing has appeared in HealthDay, the Huffington Post, Costco Connection, the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Huntsville Times, and numerous academic publications.
She received her bachelor's degree from Trinity University, and has a master of public health degree from Tulane University. Her areas of interest include diet, fitness, chronic and infectious diseases, oral health, biotechnology, cancer, positive psychology, caregiving, end-of-life issues, and the intersection between environmental health and individual health.
Outside of writing, Vann is a licensed professional counselor and specializes in treating military and first responders coping with grief, loss, trauma, and addiction/recovery. She is a trauma specialist at the Farley Center, where she provides workshops on trauma, grief, and distress tolerance coping skills. She regularly practices yoga, loves to cook, and can’t decide between a Mediterranean style diet and an Asian-fusion approach.
