Flare Management

The IBD Flare Survival Guide

What to do when symptoms get worse: practical steps for the first 48 hours.

The IBD Flare Survival Guide

Already worked out this is a flare, not something else? This is the practical follow-on: what to do about it in the next two days, while you wait to hear back from your team.

What the Full Guide Covers

  • Red flags that mean call 999 or A&E, checked first
  • Contacting your IBD helpline, and what to have ready when you call
  • Why you shouldn’t stop medication or steroids abruptly, and which painkillers to avoid
  • What to eat and drink during a flare, and what usually makes it worse
  • Watching for dehydration, and what your team may do next

The full PDF has the complete guidance for each of these. Download it below.

Download the full PDF

About the Author

Team Vance

Team Vance is the editorial team at Vance Medical, the medical foods company behind this hub. Vance Medical has spent more than thirty years in gastrointestinal medicine, developing nutritional products under the same regulatory frameworks that govern prescription medicines. The Hub exists to make that ground accessible, to people living with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS and related conditions, and to the clinicians treating them. Articles are written and edited in-house, and clinical claims are referenced to published research, with each study linked to its DOI so you can read the source rather than take our word for it. We publish primarily for a UK audience. Nothing here replaces advice from your own GP, gastroenterologist or dietitian.

For general information only. This article is for general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It reflects the best available evidence at the time of writing and may not capture the most recent developments. Always talk to your GP, pharmacist or healthcare team before acting on anything you read here, and never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it because of something on this site. Where we mention products from Vance Medical Foods Ltd we identify this clearly.
Last updated 4 September 2026
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