People stop taking their UC medication for several reasons, explains Phanijphand.
One of the main reasons is the high cost of many UC drugs, according to a research review published in 2025.
The cost of the pocket for prescription drugs can cost more than $ 2,000 per year, while the cost of UC care in general can operate from $ 15,000 to $ 25,000 per year, according to a previous study.
These costs can increase as new drugs become more common in the therapeutic diagrams of the UC. For example, around half of all people with UC obtain a prescription for drug -necrosis factor, a type of biological that reduces inflammation, within five years of their diagnosis. This has resulted in an increase in drug prices over time, the costs of drugs representing a higher percentage of overall overall UC care costs (compared to hospitalizations, for example).
Another study has revealed that the annual costs of health care for people in the United States with CU, on average, are 20% higher than those of other parts of the world.
People also tend to stop taking their medication when the symptoms calm down and they feel better. “Some patients think that once their symptoms have disappeared, they can stop taking their medication,” said Phanijphand. “They believe that they are healed or that they may have been wrongly diagnosed.”
But this is generally not the case, especially when you live with chronic disease like UC. Taking all your drugs as prescribed is crucial to stay healthy, even when you feel without symptoms.
