Prednisolone, my dr wants me to start - has anyone had any good reports on it? Does it work?

Although I have Pancolitis, he said on a grade of 1 -4 (4 being worst), then he would grade me at a 1. Obviously i am still suffering symptoms in the way of diarrhea, bloating, gas etc but i am prepared to just keep an eye on it for now.

I asked him what the risks were of leaving it untreated (aside from the Asacol i'm on), and he said it is very hard to quantify. Although i'm not bleeding, i could be leaking protein and small amounts of blood over time. He said that he would be happy to do blood work 4 times a year to check all my levels.

So thats where i'm up too. Obviously if things get worse then i would give Pred a try and hope for the best.

Quincy, you asked what liver disease i have...i dont. I have a blood disorder - i am HIV positive. So as you can imagine UC is like a walk in the park. However, i must state that i have more problems with my UC than i do HIV. My HIV is managed with medication every day, i am married to a wonderful wife (she is neg) and we are currently trying for children.

So the reason i am so worried about Prednisolone is because it is an immuno-suppresant and i am worried it could wreak havoc on my immune system. However, my dr seems to think that studies have shown that it can improve CD4 levels (CD4's are a measurement of my T cell fighters - basically our immune systems). Otherwise i would take them without hesitation if it were not for this concern. However, the dr has given me assurances that a short course (8 weeks) would be fine. But i reserve my right as a patient to hold back for now and see what happens.

Quincy, I find your comment discriminatory, insensitive, ignorant, offensive, outdated and prejudiced. What a ridiculous and arrogant statement to make. It justs shows the level of ignorance that still exists around HIV. Thank you for stepping forward and proving that are some in this world, that are still trapped in a mindset from the 80's.

Not that i care for your opinion, certainly not know that you've shown me your level of intelligence and stupidity, but why on earth would you think I wouldnt have children. Would you tell a sufferer of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, Cystic Fibrosis, to name a few, to not have children. Are you the type of person to tell people to shelve their dreams, close your bank account and curl up in a ball and die.

My brother is a diabetic Type 1. He is also a survivor of aggressive cancer. Would you tell him not to have children, to give up his job, to give up on dreams, on hopes, on life itself. What an idiotic and insensitive statement to make. Quincy, i hope you know you belong to a minority. An ignorant and moronic minority at that.

My live is great. I work full time, I go to the gym every day, I look great, i keep active and do more things than most 'healthy' people. I have a beautiful wife and YES, science has enabled us to have children. In fact they encourage it. Why? Because my disease is no longer a death sentence. Its a chronic disease, like diabetes, and is managed, like my brother injects 4 x times a day with insulin, i take pills every day. My life expectancy is near normal, all else being equal. I am able to give my children a great quality of life, just life you or anybody else. They will be healthy and will live a normal life, except they will have a father that has a medical condition. Just like millions of other children in this world.

So tell me why i should give up on life? You have a very warped understanding of how to deal with a disease. If we all gave up and didnt have hopes or dreams, then the world would be a very sad place. Thats what makes great people, the ability to grow and achieve in the face of adversity. Something you sound like you dont know much about.

I thought twice about disclosing my illness to you, and you just confirmed my beliefs, that some people are just plain stupid. So next time, think before you speak. Educate yourself and more importantly think about the offense you may cause others.

PS, Just a thought, but you have UC, so i think you should give up on life, curl up and go to bed. Pathetic!

Thank you so much to Charlotte Gilman and Eva Lou for restoring my faith and belief, and more importantly for standing up and speaking out. I really do appreciate your support and understanding of the offence Quincy's comment had caused me. Not wanting to go over the facts again, i cant ignore that she had no right to even voice her opinion about me having or not having children, simply because i never asked for her opinion, nor was my post related to this matter.

Charlotte, your 100% accurate in saying that not ONE person has been infected through the sperm washing process. It is a process that is offered, approved and encouraged within a main hospital in the UK and hospitals around the world, including the US. The risk of 1% is to indemnify the dr's. Just as there is a risk of never waking up after surgery. Everything in life can be quantified in risks. 1 in 3 men get cancer in life. Does that mean 1 in 3 of us should give up on life as soon as we're born. Absolutely not. The evidence shows that 'sperm washing' is a successful and well tried and used method, that has enabled me to have dreams again!

Quincy, i am really not interested in what you have to say. You've made it very clear where you stand and what your beliefs are: that people with any type of disease including diabetes, cancer, cystic fibrosis, UC, HIV, should never have children. Well, thats the most ignorant comment i've possibly ever heard. Your opinion is extreme and also quite scary. If everyone in this world with a disease didnt have children, the worlds poplulation would be rapidly reduced. You dont want children - great, good for you. But i do, so as i'm not commenting on you not wanting children, likewise, dont comment on me wanting children. You have a very warped perspective on life. I feel sorry for you, you sound like a very sad and lonely person with little education. Good luck to you and i'm really not interested in your reply - so dont bother. Life is too short to humour ignorant people such as yourself.

Anyway back to the original post. Petty, you mentioned CBC tests -  what are those, so i can inform my dr? You also mention time is of the essence, am i at risk just using Asacol and not going onto Pred for the time being, even when my Pancolitis is Grade 1 at the moment?

Charlotte, I asked my GI about rectal meds and he said that because its Pancolitis, it will have no effect at all in reaching higher than my lower rectum. When i also asked him about other options to Pred, he never mentioned a higher dose of Asacol or other 5ASA's. I'm thinking maybe i should change GI's or go for a secong opinion.

When i asked him what the risks were of not going onto steriods, he said, its hard to quantify, but you are putting yourself at risk of leaking small amounts of blood and protien in your stools. Obviously my diarrhea has not gone and i'm going up to 7 times a day. But thats a massive improvement from before i started Asacol. So if its just the inconvenience of going to the toilet with diarrhea several times a day, then i guess i'll put up with it. If however, there are real long or short term risks of not taking any further action in the way of Pred or something else, then of course i will do what it takes.

     I may have missed something...there are so many responces here...but are you bleeding?  I was bleeding, had diarrhea, and urgency (the feeling of never having completely evacuated).  Prednisone was the ONLY drug which helped me obtain remission.

     This is such a crazy disease, everyone is different.  I also wanted to add, while flaring, try to stick with a low residue diet.  Maybe probiotics will be some help to you too.  Good luck!