What keeps yours under control?

Not sure what keeps me in remission without any meds, maybe the decrease in potatoes and increase in salads with garlic. I personally believe my colitis flares when I have a pathogen that triggers it and then my body fights it, then I go into remission.

I don't think I'd call 5 bms a day remission.....that's a personal opinion not based on fact.


I use 5ASA meds...Asacol and Salofalk retetion enemas and would be considered in a perpetual remission.
One or two bms a day depending on what I eat. I don't care about the consistency, because some foods will loosen the stool.

If bms are increased with urgency and rectal discomfort/agony within a day or two, that's a flare for me. I never wait to increase the enemas.

I've recently switched to the 2gram dosage, so am at every third night at this time.

I know I'm a med-lifer...the last c-scope says it's all good, so if that's what it takes, that's what I do.

I pretty much eat what I want, but it's a balanced diet having my cake and eating it too.

quincy

OK, Remission to everyone is different. I'm going to the bathroom 2-3 times a day with good control but I don't consider myself in remission b/c I'm on 30mg prednisone...

BUt there are lots of poeple in remission that can contribute to this thread. THanks Q for your response. I have always been curious about you. and by the way I had a tiny amount of blood and looser stool today and I blame it on the absolutely delicious apple cobbler I had yesterday.

I also don't consider anyone on pred to be in remissiob. Acually, I've never used the word with my doctor and he hasn't either...interesting.
Controlling and treating is more my goal...I don't care if I'm on meds or not. My doc does want me on the lowest possible for long-term. I did try to be off the meds, but ended up back on...so maintenance is where I stay. I've been compliant from day one but have freedom to experiment ....ignorance is bliss but the pay-off has been huge.

I'd love for everyone to have my doc....but I have to consider that not all would possibly like him based on their situation and what can be done medically. I only know one person with UC who sees him, and it's possible that the big gun meds will have to come out for her.

10 bms a day is good enough?? yikes. But, there are some doctors who don't consider a patient good enough to "treat as a flare" until they bleed. I hadn't bled for over 14 years...I'd freak if my doc didn't deal with all degrees of inflammation, not just the most obvious. No wonder some patients suffer needlessly.

I'm fortunate that I can use 5ASA meds and am obviously NOT sensitive to salicylates of any kind so far. That could be part of the success I have because I do take aspirin as well with the reluctant OK of my doc...I've promised not to take ibuprophen for sure.

G2B...Food won't cause bleeding....the bleeding would mean that the lining is in a fragile state. Try not to make it about food... do try rectal meds..can you not take 5ASAs?

quincy

Initially Asacol. Then it was Imuran. Now it might be Remicade - but I'm still on pred, so I don't consider myself in remission, yet. Give me another week to get off of the pred and then a few weeks to see how things work then.

Remicade.

PeanutMom, may I suggest you seek a second opinion? Ten BM's a day wouldn't be acceptable to me, and I think the patient who's living with it should be the judge of what is acceptable. Pompous doc, it's easy for him to say - he isn't the one running to the bathroom ten times a day.

Jerry Garcia-

What's LDN?

For me, Remicade has been a life saver.  I'm down to 2-3 NORMAL BM's/day, and my GI is starting to taper down my other meds.  Her goal is to have me on  just the Remicade and a low maintenance dosage of Asacol.  My energy is already starting to improve.

Remicade is what makes my remission possible.

For me remission is 3-5bms a day of any texture excpet liquid. No urgency, no pain, mucous or blood...

It may seem like a lot of bm's to some but it depends where you started. I have never in my life had 1bm a day. If i did I may think something was wrong!

Limiting grains, processed sugar (actually any processed foods that come in a box or can with a label) and eliminating yeast keep me in remission with no meds. I also take probiotics, and routinely throw in natural antifungals. By the way, if the only symptoms one has are periodic urgency or more BM's per day (no pain, mucous or blood), how does one know whether UC has gone into remission and crossed over to become IBS instead?

Colazal, occasional Rowasa, daily multivitamin, Evian water, low salt, low fat, no caffeine, limited (sigh!) chocolate, no junk food, no carbonated drinks, rare alcohol, no otc pills-- listening to my kind of music & avoiding stress as much as possible.  Plus consulting with my IBD subspecialist gastroenterologist 2-3 times annually. / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC; currently on 3 Colazal daily for maintenance of remission)

Eating gluten free has made a big difference for me.  I've been gluten free for about five years now (taking no meds) and have had few flare ups until recently.  Either I'm taking greater liberties with my eating (I am, but not with gluten, just junk) or my hormones are changing as I age or both, but I've had several flare ups recently and am getting a bunch of tests done to see if anything has changed.  Overall, though, for the past five years, I've had normal bms.  I also credit Seasonale, this bcp where you get your period just four times a year, as a big help, too, as I used to get terrible upset stomaches just before my period every month, and the pill has helped with that greatly.