Once the inflammation takes hold....from the initial trigger, both Crohn's and ulcerative colitis...become self sustaining. There is a cytokine response, that is not understood well, that continues in the mucosa.

That is why it is important to nip it early with common sense things first.

Steroids are one alternate therapy. But now there are the injectable biologicals being tried as well.

This page of a good link lists the immune suppressing treatments.
http://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-dise...verview?page=2

Once this immune cascade is in place (certain people react to triggers this way and others do not) the sequesterants will no longer work. The Psyllium seed OTC and the RX ones are for removing irritating substances from the colon that are irritating it.

C. difficile is the most common bacterial assault following oral antibiotics. It is more likely in hospitalized patients, and those who receive certain antibiotics and less so with others. Amoxicillin and Clindamycin...the latter very much so... are more likely to cause overgrowth, and Candida in the bowel.