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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 7/11/2009 2:03 PM (GMT 0)
 

I was just wanting to ask a couple of questions to get a feel for my flare.  See, this is my first flare in 2 years or so.  When you are having a flare what are your typical symptoms and how many times do you go to the bathroom. 

To give you an idea of my flare:  This morning i had some cramps and went to the bathroom and passed blood.  The day before, I went to the bathrooom twice, both passing some blood.  2 days ago, i went to the bathroom 3 times but didn't pass blood in all three.

Also, does anyone know what they test for when they take blood and stool samples?

I don't know why I get ssooooo, concerned or worried about this, its not like I don't know what it is.  I guess i just remember how i felt, before i knew i had colitis, which was scared that i was dying.   I guess i still have some of those feelings.

I appreciate your ears and any answers you guys give.

God Bless.

Posted 7/11/2009 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
The stool tests are for parasites (like hookworms, tapeworms, etc.) and bacterial infections. Those are two things they rule out before diagnosing IBD, and if you have a bad flare most GI's will repeat the tests. There's a nasty bacteria called c. diff (clostridium dificil) that can infect your colon and cause severe watery diarrhea along with pain, fever and possible sepsis. We are somewhat more susceptible to it than people without IBD.

Blood tests are usually a CBC to check for anemia and signs of infection, liver function tests and enzyme tests to check for signs of inflammation. They're a way to monitor for both your status and for side effects from our meds.

I only had one long flare, for five years after I was diagnosed. I was going 15-25 times a day with mucus and blood, cramping and pain. Since I started on Remicade I've been in remission for almost 3 1/2 years. Everyone's symptoms are different, though.
Posted 7/11/2009 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
thats great to hear that you are in remession!!!! I guess i have it a little easier going to the b-room 2 or 3 times at most. thanks for the reply, it was definitly informative. = )
Posted 7/12/2009 12:07 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Nick,

i know how you feel...on this site brand new today becuase I'm having a flare-up for the first time in years. My symptoms are basically bloody stool and a painful abdomen...there's no diarraeh (how the heck do you spell it?!?!?) at this point, thank goodness. I am only in the bathroom 1 or 2 times a day. The blood is the main symptom.

I guess I'm going to give my GI a call next week if the blood doesn't clear up. I imagine that since I haven't been scoped recently, he'll want to check things out. I have never (even when i was originally diagnosed in 1998) had a doc take a stool sample, but it's my understanding that when doctors take one, it's to verify the presence of blood or parasites.

I am also concerned about this flare-up enough not to take it too lightly. I also remember the bad days before diagnosis and scared and sick i was then.

Good luck to you!
Posted 7/12/2009 3:47 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not in a flare right now, but I still go about 3-5 times a day. When I wasn't sick, that was my average, so this is fine. I just eat more now, and things still move fast. It's all solid, so, there's really nothing I can do about it.

When I'm in a flare, I go all day and night, I have severe cramps, blood, and pain all around. I can't stay awake (anemia comes back full force) and things just really suck.
Posted 7/12/2009 12:54 PM (GMT 0)
Keli welcome to the site as well! It sounds like you and I have a lot of the same symptoms. How long ago were you diagnosed? And yeah i wouldn't hesitate to give your GI doc a call.

Laura, im sorry to hear that your flares are bad when they happen and glad to hear that you are not in a flare right now. Hopefully that is the start of a long period of remession for you.

Thank you both for sharing your information it really helps me gauge things to an extent.
Posted 7/12/2009 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
My second flare was my worst. I was going to the bathroom every 15 minutes. The diarrhea was so bad that it was pure brown water. I was bleeding constantly. I was passing a lot of blood clots. I could feel burning heat when I put my hand on my abdomen. I was very tired and dehydrated. My condition was very serious, all because I had to wait for my insurance to kick in at work before seeing a GI, or I would have a preexisting condition.
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