Living With Inflammatory Bowel Disease in California? Start With a Video Visit
Telehealth Service Area
A long, detailed conversation about inflammatory bowel disease, available by secure video to people throughout California once the office confirms availability.
Patients in California who are working through inflammatory bowel disease often tell us the same thing: they want someone to look at the whole picture, not only the last lab result. That is the goal of a functional medicine visit with Dr. Autoimmune, a telehealth practice headquartered in Boulder, Colorado.
Inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, calls for medical care directed by a gastroenterologist. California runs from redwood-lined coast to the Sierra Nevada, through the long Central Valley and into the deserts of the southeast. Sacramento sits in the valley, San Francisco wraps around its bay, Los Angeles spreads across a basin, and San Diego is near the Mexican border.
Care is led by Dr. Ian Hollaman, DC, MSc, FMCP, and it is designed to sit alongside your specialists. No page can tell you whether the practice is available to a patient in California, so the office should confirm that for you, by phone at (303) 882-8447 or through a discovery call.
The Biology Behind Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Crohn's disease can affect any part of the digestive tract from mouth to anus, often in patchy areas, and the inflammation can extend through the full thickness of the bowel wall. Ulcerative colitis, by contrast, is limited to the colon and rectum and involves the innermost lining.
Reading the Symptom Picture
Unintended weight loss, reduced appetite, and fever are signs that a flare may be active or that nutrient absorption is suffering. Children and teens may also have slowed growth. Any of these warrants prompt evaluation by a physician, since they point toward disease activity needing medical attention.
Things to note on a simple log:
Which Tests and Labs Come Up
Blood tests commonly include a complete blood count to look for anemia, CRP and ESR for inflammation, albumin, and iron studies. Nutrient markers such as vitamin D, B12, and folate may be checked too. Dr. Autoimmune's 83+ marker panel can provide broader context alongside, not in place of, GI testing.
Tests a clinician may consider, depending on your history:
How Telehealth Works for California Patients
For California patients, everything happens at a distance. You meet with the team on a secure video call from your own home, car, or office, review your history, go through labs together, and agree on next steps for inflammatory bowel disease. The office is in Boulder, but you never need to be.
California is on Pacific Time for the whole state. California is on Pacific Time, one hour behind Boulder, so a Mountain Time slot arrives an hour earlier on your clock. Commuters in Los Angeles or the Bay Area should pad for the drive home, not just the video link.
Where a draw is needed, orders are sent to a national commercial lab network and you visit a patient service center near you. Locations and hours belong to the lab, not the practice, so confirm the details with the lab before you go. In Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, patients can usually compare several commercial draw sites by commute and parking, while people in the Sierra foothills, the Central Valley, or the desert may travel farther. The office works from your address and your schedule, not a statewide assumption.
Climate and Season in California
Dry-leaning air and abundant sunshine are the backdrop across much of the Southwest and sunnier parts of the West Coast. People there often adapt with shade, hydration, and early or late outdoor hours, and those adaptations matter in autoimmune care too.
Bright sunshine can support vitamin D, which matters for bone health when IBD limits absorption, yet sun exposure is not a substitute for testing. Some IBD medicines make the skin more sun-sensitive, so ask your gastroenterologist about sun protection. Dry heat can speed up dehydration without you noticing sweat evaporating. For people with IBD, especially during diarrhea, steady fluids and attention to electrolytes matter. Persistent diarrhea, dizziness, or a drop in urine output should be discussed promptly with your physician.
Treat these as practical prompts rather than medical rules. What matters for you in California is your own pattern, which a symptom log and a clinician can help clarify.
Eating and Living Well Around Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Certain pain relievers, particularly NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen, may aggravate IBD for some people, so ask your gastroenterologist what is safe for you. Alcohol and smoking also warrant a conversation, since smoking in particular is associated with worse Crohn's disease outcomes.
Small habits patients often raise:
Working Alongside Your Specialists
Progress is measured by what matters to you: fewer disruptions, steadier energy, more confident eating, and improved nutrient status where tests show gaps. No approach can promise remission or prevent flares, and honest reassessment is built into every follow-up.
From Discovery Call to Follow-Up
The team will say clearly when something is outside what telehealth can handle. Blood in the stool, severe or worsening pain, fever, dehydration, persistent vomiting, or rapid weight loss need prompt in-person or emergency care. A video visit is not designed for those situations.
Prompts to take to your specialist or follow-up:
Where to Go Next
Where to go next depends on your question. The main guide covers inflammatory bowel disease in depth. The California pages for related conditions cover how care works for those topics. The hub explains how the practice serves different states, and the discovery call page is the direct route to a conversation.
Start Your Telehealth Evaluation
Book a Discovery Call to see if our root-cause, 100% telehealth approach is right for you — wherever you're located.
Book your Discovery CallFrequently Asked Questions
No single diet works for everyone, and food does not cause IBD. Many people adjust fiber and textures during flares and widen their diet in remission. A gastroenterologist or dietitian can help tailor choices safely.
This page is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always talk with your own physician or qualified healthcare provider about your specific symptoms and health history.