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Ulcerative colitis treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

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Talk to a doctor about Ulcerative Colitis treatment online

See a doctor or nurse practitioner today to get a new prescription or refill, at their discretion.

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After your consultation, if you have received a medical diagnosis and prescription for a medication, your prescription can be faxed to the pharmacy of your choice for pick-up or delivered to your home.

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Our network of Canadian-licensed doctors and nurse practitioners is here for you.

Golbarg Araghi

Family Physician

Dr. Araghi has been practicing medicine for 17 years. She graduated from McGill University medical school in 2002 and completed her family medicine residency at the University of Toronto. She did a fellowship in low risk obstetrics shortly after graduating. She has been practicing since 2004 and has provided care for patients of all ages. She is a great addition to our team!

Jonathan Clayton

Family Physician

Dr. Clayton practices family medicine in urban and rural areas, emergency care, and hospital care in New Brunswick. He is also an expedition physician. Dr. Clayton holds a Bachelor of Science with distinction from the University of New Brunswick and a Doctor of Medicine from Memorial University, where he made the Dean's list.

Paul Cusack

Family Physician

Dr. Cusack has been practicing Family Medicine in Charlottetown for the past 15 years. He also works in a busy walk-in clinic two days a week and heads up to the Surgical Assist group at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.

Michael Verbora

Médecin de famille

Dr. Verbora practices family medicine in Toronto, specializing in student health. He holds a BSc from the University of Windsor, an MBA from Odette School of Business, and an MD from the University of Western Ontario. He completed specialty training at Toronto Western Hospital and served as OCFP Chair of the Residents Committee.

Joe Fragapane

Family & ER Physician

Dr. Fragapane practices Emergency and Family medicine for the Cree Nation in James Bay, Quebec, focusing on rural emergency care and pediatrics. He handles complex medical and psychosocial issues in isolated regions. Certified in advanced life support and interested in AI, he teaches at McGill and UQAT. He graduated from McGill in 2012 and 2005.

Mazin Yousif

Family Physician

Dr. Yousif completed medical school in Baghdad, Iraq in 1998. He practiced until 2005 then moved to Canada where he has practiced in Newfoundland from 2007-2009 then Ontario from 2009 until now.

Why Canadians love Maple

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Frequently asked questions

Maple 101

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Pricing and Payment

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

  • Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
  • Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
  • Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
  • Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
  • iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
  • Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
  • Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
  • Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

Security and Privacy

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

About Ulcerative Colitis

Yes. In some cases, a doctor from Maple will be able to offer an ulcerative colitis diagnosis, but only after ruling out all other possible causes for your symptoms.

Before offering treatment options, the doctor will want you to undergo extensive testing. Once all other possible causes have been ruled out, a doctor from Maple will suggest ulcerative colitis treatment options, including possible drug therapy or surgery.

Yes. Our physicians can prescribe medications online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or to have it delivered to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it works page to learn more.

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that occurs when your immune system is malfunctioning.

Instead of helping to protect the body as they normally would, white blood cells begin to attack the lining of your colon, causing inflammation and ulcers.

Common ulcerative colitis symptoms include:

  • Diarrhea (often including blood or pus)
  • Canker sores in your mouth or on your skin
  • Fever
  • Rectal pain or bleeding
  • Needing to defecate frequently (and sometimes being unable to go)
  • Fatigue
  • Weight loss
  • Failure to grow (in children)

While it isn’t necessarily hereditary, family history of the condition is considered to be one of the most significant ulcerative colitis risk factors.

In other words, while heredity could play a role in developing ulcerative colitis, it isn’t always the case.

Ulcerative colitis causes stem from an error in the body’s natural immune system.

The body starts to recognize food, good stomach bacteria, and the lining of the colon as attackers trying to harm it.

White blood cells are then sent to attack the “intruders”, but because these aren’t actually harming the body, the white blood cells do damage to the healthy systems in those areas instead, particularly to the lining in the colon.

An ulcerative colitis diagnosis will usually only be offered after every other cause has been ruled out.

In order to ensure the diagnosis is accurate, the doctor will recommend extensive testing. These tests include:

  • X-ray scans
  • Stool samples
  • Blood tests
  • CT scans
  • Colonoscopy
  • MR enterography

After all other possible causes are ruled out, a doctor from Maple will discuss ulcerative colitis treatment options with you.

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for ulcerative colitis, aside from removing the colon and rectum.

However, many ulcerative colitis treatment options are available. These can help minimize negative symptoms and discomfort.

The two most common forms of ulcerative colitis treatment involve drug therapy and occasionally surgery.

Drug therapy options usually include ulcerative colitis medications such as:

  • 5-aminosalicylic acid (sulfasalazine, mesalamine, balsalazide, and olsalazine)
  • Immunomodulator drugs (tofacitinib, cyclosporine, and azathioprine)
  • Corticosteroids (prednisone and budesonide – usually only in severe cases)

Surgery can often mean eliminating ulcerative colitis. However, it usually requires a full proctocolectomy, which is a removal of the colon and rectum. This often makes surgery a less desirable option compared to drug therapies, when possible.

For those experiencing this condition, the doctor may also recommend certain ulcerative colitis diet restrictions, to help minimize negative symptoms.

While both colitis and ulcerative colitis symptoms can be similar and both conditions affect the colon, colitis is typically caused by infections brought on by viruses or bacteria while ulcerative colitis is caused by a malfunction of the immune system.

Ulcerative colitis is more severe. Moreover, unlike colitis, which can be cured, there’s no cure for ulcerative colitis at this time. If someone develops ulcerative colitis, it’s a lifelong condition.

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