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Blood clots are not the first thing most people think of when they hear Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis - but they should be on the radar of each one of us living with inflammatory bowel disease. This episode of Wrestling the Octopus IBD dives into clots and thrombosis in inflammatory bowel disease.

Our guest is Professor Beverley Hunt OBE, consultant in thrombosis and haemostasis at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, UK. She joins us to explain why IBD increases clot risk, what this means for our gut and overall health, and what, as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis patients, we can practically do to protect ourselves.

We cover:

• What a blood clot actually is, and the difference between deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE) and more unusual clots like portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and superior mesenteric vein thrombosis (SMVT)
• Why people with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis have a higher risk of clots - including the role of inflammation, “sticky blood” and autoimmune conditions
• When the risk of thrombosis is highest in inflammatory bowel disease: flares, hospital admissions, surgery and long periods of immobility
• How to reduce your clot risk in everyday life: movement, travel tips, smoking, weight, hormones and looking after your general gut health
• What to ask your hospital team about clot prevention if you’re admitted or having an operation
• Red flag symptoms that should make you seek urgent medical help
• The impact of modern biologics and other IBD medicines on clot risk
• Women’s health: contraception, HRT, iron deficiency and how to make safer choices if you live with IBD

Nigel also shares his experience of living with portal and mesenteric vein clots and portal hypertension from a patient perspective.

This episode is for anyone with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis who has ever wondered, “Am I at risk of a clot - and how would I even know?” Our aim is not to frighten you, but to give you clear, sensible information so you can feel more confident advocating for yourself.

If you find this useful, please consider leaving a rating or review, and share it with someone else living with inflammatory bowel disease. The more people understand about clots, thrombosis and IBD, the safer our community becomes.

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Follow Rachel at @bottomlineibd

Follow Nigel at @crohnoid