other symptoms have improved but there's still blood in my stool/is corn the issue?

I started seeing blood in my stool once/week in September 2016. I also had bloating, a twisted feeling in my stomach and was extremely fatigued. I had a colonoscopy in October 2016 and it showed inflammation at the far end (don't know the proper term) but no ulcers, so ulcerative colitis was ruled out. I was put on mesalamine enemas but they didn't help. I also had a small bowel MRI to rule out Crohn's, and that was negative as well. Official diagnosis is proctitis.

I was put on Uceris for 10 weeks and it helped clear up the symptoms. I weaned off of that and started Canasa. I did well throughout the summer until I went back to work (I'm a teacher) and experienced the beginning of the year stress. My symptoms started to return. I called the doctor and she put me on Apriso (oral mesalamine) in addition to the Canasa. I also did stool tests and blood tests and nothing came up. I do also have Hashimoto's that is controlled by medication. I don't eat gluten because without it my antibodies are lower.

Symptoms started improving again but the blood in stool (sometimes just on TP and sometimes in bowl) remained consistent. I noticed that urgency, mucus, blood and discomfort would increase when I eat corn. When I went back to the gastro a few weeks ago, I asked her about the correlation and she said that it shouldn't make my symptoms worse. She found internal hemorrhoids and started me on a hydrocortisone suppository for 2 weeks. She said that if the blood didn't improve in those two weeks then she wants me to have another colonoscopy to see if the inflammation has traveled farther up. She says that I am on a lot of medicine and the bleeding should have stopped by now. The next step is a biologic.

I didn't eat corn for a week or so while on the hydrocortisone suppositories and started to see blood less consistently. I would see some on the TP sometimes but sometimes there wouldn't be any in the bowl. I was feeling good so I mindlessly ate tortilla chips yesterday at a Mexican restaurant, and then BAM. I was in the bathroom multiple times last night and today. Mucous, blood and discomfort came back.

So now I don't know where to go from here. I've had UC and Crohn's ruled out but the blood remains. I know when I tell the doctor she'll have me schedule a colonoscopy. I know she doesn't seem to think the corn has a connection, but I wonder if it does.

Has anyone had a similar experience to mine? Blood that withstands multiple medications and/or an issue with corn?

How do you think I should proceed?

straydog said...
Smallfry, contact your gi, it sounds like you are dealing with chronic proctitis & you should not ignore this. There is a very good chance the inflammation has moved further up. Prepping for a scope is not fun, however, you really need to be checked out. I have crohns disease & a few years later UC was dx'd and added to the mix. Corn is extremely hard for the body to digest in healthy people & something I avoid completely. I made the mistake several years ago & bought some fresh corn that we only get once a year for about 3 weeks. I never made that mistake again. Corn chips do not bother me at all.

Take care.

So you think it could have started as proctitis but the inflammation isn't responding to all of the medication I've been on? So in your experience what do you think the next step would be and why is my body not responding to the meds?