HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Travel causing flare ups.

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/12/2009 12:32 AM (GMT 0)
Hello all...I was diagnosed the first of the year with UC and I have had a few flare ups since.  I have determined that traveling is causing the flare ups..  I travel for my job so I cant really give that up..  I was wondering if the stress or anxiety of traveling could be causing this.  I start showing symptoms within 24 hrs of traveling.  This being said would some type of anti-anxiety med take care of this?  I know it is something I should talk to my Dr. about but I wanted to see if anyone else has had this happen...
Posted 7/12/2009 12:54 PM (GMT 0)
Any thoughts?? Must have everyone stumped...ha ha.. On another hand glad to see all the other topics..Have read a lot of good suggestions. I guess at least my 40mg of pred has got it back under control after two days..Was hopen the imuran and Lialda would have kept me that way anyways, but guess will just have to see.. Hope everyone has had a good weekend and may you all have a symptom free week....
Posted 7/12/2009 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi and welcome to Healingwell :) I tend to have a bit looser stool too when I travel. My cramping increases too. So it could very well be the tension/stress/anxiety related to travel. Do you know the extent of your Uc?
Posted 7/13/2009 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
I find I have issues w/ traveling too and it is usually an underlying anxiety of "what if I get sick" that causes me to get sick. My doc rx'd me a low dose of xanax (anti anxiety) and it really helps for flights, train rides, business meetings, etc.
Posted 7/13/2009 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
I know exactly what you're talking about, I'm a truck driver so it's my job to travel also, and I tend to have more problems when on the road. I was diagnosed while a truck driver, so I only get home 3 to 5 days out of the month, and when I'm home I do a lot better even without meds which I don't take now cuz of an insurance issue. I take probiotics and they help a lot, and I just found one that seems to work 100% even when on the road. The one's I take now are natural factors ultimate probiotic, I heard about them on another thread.

But yeah, I do think the stress and anxiety involved with traveling contributes to flare ups, and with me, over the months I've learned to handle it a lot better, it's mostly mental is what I notice. But I'm gonna be quitting this job pretty soon so I hope to continue to improve a lot more when I do, and stay away from traveling for a bit :)
Posted 7/13/2009 2:21 AM (GMT 0)
When I was diagnosed, which was in Jan or Feb. they said my entire colon was inflamed, but the were able to get it under control..Was taking 70mg of pred for a week then a week by week step down.. Since it is manageable with meds I would probably say it is moderate. I am 26 and one of the down sides for me is when I flare I get extremely fatigued to the point I want to either be laying on the couch or in the bed. It is nice to have this forum due to the fact no one I know has this and everyone I tell about it thinks I am just playing sick...The all say when I get stomach trouble I just take blah blah and get to work or what I have to do...The just dont understand I guess...May they never have to experience it...Thanks all for the support..I really need it..
Posted 7/17/2009 7:49 AM (GMT 0)
Me too, travel make it much worse. I think it's the stress.
Posted 7/17/2009 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
I totally understand, I actually have my own theory which travel would fit into, I believe it is about boundaries and how we deal with them. Really. It is then irritated by stress and our colon lining is a wall which we are somehow reacting to. I know I may sound like a nut but it makes sense to me. I am working on how I live my life as I believe all illnesses are manifestation which are trying to communicate something. All things change, nothing stays the same, I hope that via this change I can manage this condition by listening to it. Since this UC my life has changed and not neccessarily in a bad way, it has made me really focus on what is important and sort the wheat from the chaff. I found that pushing forward, impatience and wanting to live the old way was hindering my health. Who knows......

It is really hard to stay calm when travelling too, so my thoughts go out to you, this UC can really feel beyond control - excuse the pun! Take care

turn  

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply