Our body is constantly communicating with us through discomfort, aches and pains, or pleasurable sensations, among other physical symptoms. Our body can tell us what seems to agree with us and what doesn’t. Learning to pay attention to these signals can sometimes provide valuable clues about our health.

When we introduce a new medication into our bodies, our individual biology may respond in unexpected ways. Sometimes, a medication causes unwanted symptoms. Other times, it may produce a surprising benefit that we weren’t expecting.

This is what happened to me.

20 Years of Living With Colitis

For the past 20 years, I had been living with a form of colon inflammation called lymphocytic colitis. I had managed it through dietary changes, avoiding certain foods and beverages, including cantaloupe, pears, coffee, tea, and chocolate. These foods seemed to trigger sudden, incapacitating episodes of diarrhea.

Avoiding chocolate was particularly difficult because I have always loved chocolate.

During those same 20 years, I had also struggled with high cholesterol. Despite being a physician, I had resisted taking medications to lower my LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. Perhaps this illustrates the familiar observation that physicians don’t always make the best patients.

Eventually, however, I changed my mind.

An Unexpected Change

About a year ago, I agreed to start taking Pravastatin, a medication belonging to the statin class, to lower my cholesterol.

I began cautiously taking a low dose every other day and monitoring how I felt. I was particularly concerned about whether the medication might aggravate my colitis. When I saw my body was tolerating it well, I gradually increased the dose to 20 milligrams every evening.

Then something unexpected happened.

My colitis symptoms dramatically improved. I was able to eat my favorite dark chocolate again without experiencing the abdominal discomfort and diarrhea that had previously followed.

I was puzzled. Could Pravastatin be responsible for this improvement? I had never heard of statins being used to improve colitis.

To explore the connection, I stopped taking the medication for two weeks and then restarted it. During the time off Pravastatin, my symptoms worsened. After I resumed taking it, my symptoms improved again.

This repeated pattern made me think that the medication was having a beneficial effect on my bowel inflammation.

Of course, my experience alone could not establish that Pravastatin was responsible for my improvement, but the apparent connection was intriguing enough to prompt me to investigate the medical literature.

What I found surprised me.

What Research Says About Statins and Bowel Inflammation

Statins are primarily prescribed to lower cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular risk. However, researchers have also investigated their potential anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects.

1. Studies in animal models of ulcerative colitis

A systematic review published in 2023 examined 21 preclinical studies investigating statins in animal models of ulcerative colitis. The studies reported reductions in disease activity, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress. However, the authors also identified important gaps in our understanding of how statins might work in colitis. [1]

2. Research involving people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Some clinical and observational studies have reported potentially beneficial associations between statin use and inflammatory bowel disease outcomes. For example, a nationwide Swedish cohort study published in 2025 found that statin use was associated with a lower risk of IBD-related surgery in people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. [2]

Also, a nationwide Danish prospective study published in 2025 found that statin use was associated with a lower risk of developing IBD in general, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease in particular. [3]

However, the findings are not uniformly positive. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2021 found that the association between statin use and the development of new-onset IBD was not statistically significant overall. [4]

Researchers have also reported conflicting results across experimental and clinical studies. [5]

Importantly, most of this research concerns IBD, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, which are distinct from lymphocytic colitis. These findings therefore cannot establish that statins have a beneficial action on lymphocytic colitis.

What About Statins and Colorectal Cancer?

I also came across research investigating a possible association between statin use and decreased colorectal cancer risk in people with inflammatory bowel disease.

In a large Swedish cohort nationwide, studies show that among patients suffering from IBD, statin users had a lower incidence of colorectal cancer, colorectal cancer-related mortality, and all-cause mortality. The benefit was duration-dependent, with a significantly lower risk after two years of statin use. [6]

In addition, a meta-analysis across seven studies shows a decreased risk of colorectal cancer in patients on statins suffering from IBD. [7]

In the most recent nationwide cohort (2026), in patients suffering from IBD, statin use was associated with a 65 percent colorectal cancer risk reduction versus non-statin lipid-lowering agents. [8]

According to the authors, these findings identify an association, but they do not prove that statins prevent colorectal cancer. Further research is needed.

What Did I Decide?

Because my personal experience of improved colitis with a statin is particularly striking, and after reviewing the available research, I decided to continue enjoying eating small pieces of dark chocolate and taking my statin treatment every evening.

Lesson Learned: Pay Attention to What Your Body Says

When your doctor prescribes a new medication, pay attention to how you feel afterward. If you develop new symptoms or experience an unexpected change in an existing condition, discuss your findings with your healthcare professional.

Medicine is both a science and an art, and our bodies can sometimes surprise us. Paying attention to body changes, documenting them, and discussing them with a healthcare provider may help us recognize patterns that deserve further investigation and that could lead to significant scientific discoveries.

Copyright 2026 @ Chris Gilbert, M.D., Ph.D.