diagnosed with uc

I'm 20 and was diagnosed with UC yesterday after having a sigmoidoscopy. The only symptoms I've been having are blood (occasionally), mucus, and constipation. As for the sigmoidoscopy, the doctor said that only three areas in my sigmoid colon and rectum seem to be affected, though he has scheduled me for a full colonoscopy just to make sure that it does not extend further up the colon.

Compared to other cases of UC, my condition seems mild, but still the doctor has prescribed me a medication called Salofalk (500mg) which I am supposed to take eight times a day! That's four tablets twice daily. I wasn't really listening to what the doctor was saying when he wrote the prescription since I was too busy staring at the UC leaflet he had handed me, but taking this much medication in one day doesn't seem right to me. Could the pharmacist have misread the prescription? Also, has anyone else ever had this much medication prescribed to them?

Post Edited (Max89) : 8/25/2009 10:08:04 AM (GMT-6)

I'm pretty sure that Asacol is in the same category of meds as Salofalk. Also, how bad is your UC?

Hi Max,
When I had my first colonoscopy done in 2005 I had very minimal symptoms, so much so that most people would of not had a reason to see the doc. But, I knew something wasn't right. The scope showed minute ulcerations only at my cecum everything else looked and biopsied normal. Biopsy on it came back as UC. I was offered Colazal at the time and declined it. Like you it seemed like an awful lot of meds for minor symptoms. Two years later I am back and this time with blood and mucus. That scope showed the same ulcerations at the cecum along with minute ulcerations at the rectum. Asacol was offered and I took it. I should of taken rectal meds though but declined because the blood and mucus stopped after one week on Asacol. Now two years later and I am back again for a scope tommorrow. This time with non stop diaherra with everything that I eat (I never had this symptom before). No blood or mucus, but now I am thinking that the rectal inflammation has spread. My advice to you is take the meds. This stuff sppreads. If you choose not to take the meds than at least get a scope every two years to make sure it is not spreading. I know it seems like overkill to you now, it did to me then and now I wish I would of started on something right after the first scope. Oh by the way .... get yourself on a good probiotic.
Zurich

true there is no cure- improvements can be made but no cure. I would take the meds. Im in remmision right now through diet. but its not that i dont use meds as well.