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Is it possible for a flare to go away WITHOUT prednisone?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 9/10/2009 6:15 AM (GMT 0)
I am so sick of steroids, I don't want to go on them this time around. I went in for a colonoscopy and my whole colon is inflamed (especially my left side). Is there anything I can do without going on the dreaded pred? Diet? Exercise? Probiotics? Looking for a little hope... thanks everyone.
Posted 9/10/2009 12:29 PM (GMT 0)
I avoided pred the last time around, but it was a long road. I asked to try steroid enemas to help the left side, and that did help with many of the symptoms. But.... it took me almost a year, and eating a really bland, soft, non-scratchy diet, experimenting with and adding probiotics and bee propolis and now I think I'm ok (colonoscopy in 2 weeks will show.)
If I could do the past year over again, I would have asked for Entocort (less systemic than pred) or the "short course" of prednisone.
But - good luck to you! Have you tried probiotics? Slippery elm has helped me, too, but I think the bee propolis has helped more.
Posted 9/10/2009 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
I think I am treating my current flare successfully without prednisolone ( I am always scared to say that in case I wake up tomorrow and it's all gone bad again). I have never been able to do this before but I have never experienced a flare whilst taking Azathioprine.  I have all they symptoms of a flare but I would say they are not as major as I have experienced before.  I have been using prednisolone enemas morning and night and I am getting relief (I have never been able to do this before either).  I had an appt at my doctors yesterday and they didn't want me to start using steroids (and neither did I) so I am going to continue with rectal meds and they prescribed me Amnitriptyline which I think is more used for IBS but what the hell I'll give it a try.

I also take probiotics, fish oils and L-Glutamin.
Posted 9/10/2009 7:22 PM (GMT 0)
I have never been on Pred and my first 3 flares (the first one being the worst) went away without any meds.
Posted 9/10/2009 8:15 PM (GMT 0)
Most of my flares went away on their own b/c I didn't even know I had UC.
Posted 9/10/2009 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
I treated my last flare without any medication. I tried taking Asacol, but my flare got worse; so I stopped taking it.

I took probiotics. I would mix probiotic powder (use contents from one or two pills) with warm water and put the mixture up the butt after having diarrhea. I'm not sure which helped more--the probiotics or just the fact that I had put water in my butt--but it really helped to reduce the inflammation. Now that I'm in remission, I just take one or two pills a day orally.

I also ate only anti-inflammatory foods and avoided pro-inflammatory foods. I ate rice with turmeric powder added plus a bit of butter for taste. I also ate spinach and nut/seed butters with bananas.

It took about a month and a half to get into remission.
Posted 9/10/2009 10:08 PM (GMT 0)
No Pred here ever, and I'm in remission now, and again last summer.
Posted 9/10/2009 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
I've never used pred for the 20 years since diagnosis. I'm a med-lifer, however....hardcore 5-ASA oral and rectal.

My flares have been very mild...to which many wouldn't even treat until they got much more obvious.

I increase rectal meds to nightly and then taper to maintenance. The Asacol is a constant at 2400mg daily and have only once increased it to 3200mg for 6 months.

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