How gut bacteria may cause belly pain in inflammatory bowel disease

Researchers at McMaster University believe that bacteria living in your gut may produce two types of molecules called LPC and LPA, which could be causing chronic belly pain in people with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis). This study will track your stool samples over time to see if these molecules are really made by your gut bacteria and whether they're connected to your pain.

Many patients with inflammatory bowel disease experience chronic abdominal pain even when their disease is under control and inflammation is minimal or gone. Understanding whether specific gut bacteria are producing pain-causing molecules could lead to new treatments that target the real cause of this pain, rather than just treating symptoms.