Not doing so well.

Well I have been unable to get my flare under control, and after I thought things were getting better on Monday and Tuesday the last couple days have been hell.

I am in so much pain in my left side, a really intense ache that won't go away, it is murder to have my bowels open, after I am usually moaning in pain. vsl3 I think was not good for me while I am in such a bad flare, it seemed to be making things worse as does paracetamol.

So I went to the doctors this morning and she was worried about things but my consultant still won't see me until Tuesday, so I have no idea how I am going to get through the next 5 days.

I have predfoam but it doesn't seem to be working, what else can I do for some relief?

I have also just been told this morning that I have polycystic ovaries, but my doctor didn't want to talk to me about that until I am out of this flare. Does anyone know what polycystic ovaries are?

I an feeling so worried, will I ever get out of this flare?

Lemonhead might have the right idea. There's also a thing called a pre-digested or elemental diet. I think the shakes can be made an Rx. Bowel rest might be the only thing you can do right now.

You try the spinach thing?

Of course they care, but you can't take meds...hard place for a doctor as well.

Have you gone to a naturopath? Of course, the herbs, etc are still "meds".

Do try the spinach/seed diet, it's been talked about on here for a very long time.

Maybe you should start on the path of surgery....you're suffering a lot. You have to weigh the worth of it all to you and your family, especially since you're moving in the near future.

quincy

Try the liquid diet with veggie juice. I always find cucumber and celery to be very soothing and cabbage juice is supposed to be good for fighting inflamation. You can add carrot and/or apple to any combination of veggies to make the taste more palatable. It's a great way to give your body nutrients while avoiding it any roughage and extra irritation. Make sure to juice your veggies unpeeled as most of the nutrients are in the skin! Good luck, I hope you feel better soon.

Hi
I've been lurking and reading. I don't know how to add my info at the bottom like you guys so I'll put my 2 cents in:

When in pain go back to basics. Homemade chicken broth will keep you alive (it did me) and then add cooked chicken in small quantities, lots of water drunk per day also, very, very little else so your stomach can take a rest. Back at my worst this brought me into a state that the meds could begin to work and then add the enema. Rowasa is my go to med as much as I hate it.

I would be very leery of trying something new (spinach/sunflower, etc) at this point in your flare. It would be a shame to try it and things get worse and it might be due to the flare. I personally think the time to try a new diet or a change is when things are not so bad. Then you can fairly judge it.

I have recently started a non-gluten, non-dairy diet and it stopped my bleeding but I was not that bad when I started it, just a start of bleeding that I could see was a step backwards. But even that diet is not ab-fab perfect for me just yet. I've had to cut down on fruit, eliminate fruit juices even diluted. I'm not suggesting you start this now. Get under control a little.

Chicken broth (non additives, so make your own is best) and protein will help keep you alive until your doctor can see you.
I feel for you. I've been there and who knows when I'll be there again.

Denise

10 years Ulcerative Colitis.
Current meds: MP6 50 mg and (3) Balsalazide 3 times a day. Rowasa when needed (not in the last week)

For what it is worth, I tend to agree with those advocating a diet that is elemental in nature. The chicken broth idea strikes me as a good immediate solution to get you through a few days. In general, whatever you can find that will not be so irritating but still has nutritive value.

With respect to your experience with VSL #3, it is not unusual to have a negative reaction to probiotics while in a flare. Your body loses tolerance for a number of "foreign" things, including newly introduced intestinal flora. There may well be a strain or strains within VSL that do not agree with you. More is not always better.

This does not mean probiotics in general are of no value. It does mean that you may have to experiment to find one that works. Personally, I would start with a single strain like B. bifidum or B. infantis and go from there.

Nothing beats soothing chicken soup!  Even if it's only broth.

Jordan Rubin ("Restoring your Digestive Health") basically describes chicken broth as key to getting out of flare.  He recommends adding a bunch of chicken feet to get more gelatin protein into the broth.  I tried that, but when I opened the pot it looked like a witches brew and I threw it out.  :-)

 

My favorite broth is made with ginger and rosemary, but if you can handle multiple ingredients, you might want to use this opportunity to get more goodies in... turmeric for anti-inflammatory, garlic for anti-microbial, spinach for magnesium, a touch of coconut oil for butyrate, etc. etc.  Then just strain it all in a cheesecloth and sip away.

 

What to do with the solid food left-over?  Maybe add some cubed potatoes and a can of mushroom soup and bake it into a chicken pot pie for your friends/family.

 

Like you, I need to take opportunities to add calories.  For some reason, I can handle toast with my soups so I lather on avocado, ghee, or mayo. 

 

Jini Patel sells a shake (Absorb Plus) that is apparently good for putting on weight.  Personally, I need FOOD, meal replacements don't do it for me.

 

Anyway, good luck, have fun in the kitchen!

Mercury

I noticed in your sig. that you are being food allergy tested soon. I had celiac and lactose tests which came back negative so I never bothered to try eliminating them. Just a few weeks ago my DH read an article that said many people are gluten sensitive and don't know it because the tests are not detecting it and that some people diagnosed with UC may instead be gluten-sensitive.

So I am saying if your tests come back negative don't rely on that. Do an elimination diet for yourself. I did and my bleeding stopped in 2 days. Am I cured? No. I've had UC for 10 years and expect a long recovery to heal the damage. But I am more functional now than I was 3 weeks ago.

I also dropped dairy from my diet since I have always felt it make me more "loose". I have not been able to control D when I eat any yogurt at all even homemade on the SCD diet.

It's hard to make this diet work but it is basically the "Caveman" diet: meat, fish, fruit (small amounts), veggies (non-starch kinds) and nuts.

I, like you, thought bread wasn't a problem for me but when I eliminated all forms of gluten (bread, wheat, etc) I got better.
I also do not want to progress to Remicade and hope to put off surgery unless absolutely necessary to live my life.
I figure no one else is going to help me get better except myself (and my helpful DH).

Denise