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Do you always bleed?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 10/16/2009 2:56 AM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed about a month ago, and a week later I went on pred and Lialda. I feel great, I have energy again, I can eat, I have no urgency (except first thing in the morning, but i have had that for 20 years). I feel better now than I have in about 5 years. I am actually considering starting to workout again. Heck I had a beer the other day, and I had no issues!

My question is, I am still bleeding with almost every movement. Not as much as before, but there is still blood there. Should I worry or just be happy that I feel better?
Posted 10/16/2009 3:01 AM (GMT 0)
be happy.
i bleed everytime i flare no matter how mild or severe.
dr says im fine. its just my colon is still tender and sometimes pain and blood are the last things to disappear.
Posted 10/16/2009 4:50 AM (GMT 0)
One doesn't bleed with every flare...it depends on the degree of inflammation and how friable (fragile to bleed easily) the tissue is.

I pretty much don't bleed with flares except since the first 3 years (20 + years since diagnosis)...but as of the past 2 years, I've had mild bleeding with 2 flares and low in the rectum inflammation.

REgarding the pred....have you been tapering at all?

How many bms a day are you having?

Whats the consistency...loose, hard, etc.

You should also consider rectal meds.

Glad you're feeling better, however, it takes a while to heal and you have to get through the tapering process of the pred.

Go EASY on your work-outs.
q

Posted 10/16/2009 12:03 PM (GMT 0)
Yes I am tapering pred. I moved down from 40 by 5mg every week. Today I start 25's.

I usually have about 2-3 bm's a day, all before work. If I just sat there for 30 min, I could probably finish it all at once, but I have 5 year old twins and a 4 year old, so 30 min in the morning is hard to come by.

I am not on any rectal meds, I had pretty severe UC throughout my entire large intestine. The doc that did my scope said it went all the way. So I am just taking lialda and pred.

My consistency is soft but formed, about the same as it has been for years, I also take about 8 citracel a day because it gives me more formed bm's and seems to reduce my frequency, I have been on citracel for years.

I will start working out slow, i was thinking maybe a mile long walk on the treadmill for a week, then a mile and a half, maybe start jogging again around thanksgiving.

My pulse rate is still almost 100 when resting, I guess my body still has a lot of healing to do.

I have a vacation to the caribbean coming up, i guess we also need to decide if we should go on it, or cancel, but that will be a whole different thread.


Thanks for everything, I love this place, it is great to be able to ask questions, rather than calling the doc all the time.
Posted 10/16/2009 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
My scope also showed my entire colon was inflamed (pancolitis) and I still used mesalamine enmas VERY successfully. I was almost into remission using those two alone (and I had been very sick--20+BMs/day) when a tummy bug threw me back into the flare and I went on pred. The rectal meds will do a really good job at healing the lower portion of the colon they can reach, which oral meds sometimes don't treat effectively. I used them nightly until I'd been in remission for 2-3 weeks, then tapered to every other night for 2-3 weeks, and am now using them twice weekly as a maintenance dose. Studies show that people who use them twice weekly when in remission stay in remission for longer than those who do not. And, people who use them when in a flare go into remission faster than those who don't.
Posted 10/16/2009 4:38 PM (GMT 0)

When I just went to a followup appointment with my new specialist he told me (just for me probably) that a little bleeding was not a problem - he told me to have routine blood tests (monthly or so) for anemia.  If I am not anemic to not worry about seeing blood.  That is only if everything else is pretty normal for me.  I don't have the left-side pain anymore, no diarrhea, and tiny mucous occasionally.  I consider that about 90% in remission and happy with it.  As I am sensitive to ALL medications I have tried, I don't do rectal meds on a regular basis.  If I see more blood or mucous than usual I can use Cortifoam a couple days but no more - then I get pain and swelling from the medication.  We are all different and I am just stating my case and what my doctor said.

ElaineNY

Posted 10/16/2009 10:54 PM (GMT 0)
Be happy!

I always had bleeding (until Remicade), even when I felt good. Your body makes more.
I am thrilled when the urgency subsides. That's the only time I would take prednisone, when the urgency became ridiculous, not because of bleeding.
Posted 10/17/2009 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
I have bled every single day since Aug 2006 - and my iron levels are obviously low.

I dont see this this is the only sign of things being really bad - I concider myself in bad shape when I cant make it to the toilet in time, when I have to RUN out of meetings at work to get to the bathroom, when the swelling gets so bad I barely pass any stool - just blood and when I go to washroom 15+ per day including night.

I would not be too worried about blood as long as you keep checking your levels! But then I have pretty low standards!

Sounds like things are good - enjoy!
Posted 10/17/2009 3:48 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone... I am feeling better about this now.

I love this board.
Posted 10/17/2009 9:42 AM (GMT 0)
hi i dont always bleed but sometime i found 1 or 2 drops of blood in my stool i am so tens i dont know what to do . i dont know how to solve this problem
Posted 10/17/2009 10:30 PM (GMT 0)
      Adeel....have you tried rectal meds like Cort enemas and Canasa?  They help.
Posted 10/18/2009 5:17 AM (GMT 0)
cort enema is steriod enemas ? and canasa is mesalimne enema right ?
Posted 10/18/2009 5:36 AM (GMT 0)
Canasa are mesalamine suppositories...Rowasa (Salofalk) are retention enemas.

There are also steroid foam enemas .... Proctofoam and Cortifoam. The Proctofoam has a lower steroid dosage than cortifoam.

quincy
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