If you have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), you get long-term swelling and irritation in different parts of your digestive tract. It happens when something goes haywire in your immune system. It isn’t the same as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Crohn's disease can affect any part of your digestive tract (including your mouth). Ulcerative colitis involves only the large intestine (colon).
The way your cramps feel depends on the type of IBD you have. If you have Crohn's disease, you’ll feel cramps and pain in the right lower or middle parts of your belly. They can be mild to severe. If you have ulcerative colitis, the cramps will be on the lower left side of your stomach.