Catching a flare at the beginning

Yup, you are overthinking! I don't think that necessairly means you'll set yourself up for failure, but the added stress certainly isn't helping matters any. And if it turns out that you have to stay on enemas nightly, is that really the worst thing? I'd much rather do that than be sick all of the time, take one of the stronger drugs, or have a colectomy (since it's major surgery). I don't find the enemas uncomfortable or annoying to use, though.

At the start of a flare my GI suggested using an enema each night and a suppository each morning. I've found it helpful...

Ellen....it was explained to me this way and makes total sense. The symptoms of a very early flare, many of us miss because they're not the usual of diarrhea, cramping, lots of mucus, urgency, frequency and sometimes bleeding (depending on who fragile the tissue is),

Once we start on the meds...and I'll talk of the 5ASA meds, oral/rectal, the healing will be noticable in the beginning, but all symptoms to go may take a while. The constipation part (which I went through a major time) required me to use the enemas nightly plus stool softeners for a few months. The doc said that those symptoms will be closer to the end of the flare. It heals downwards, and the low rectum is a difficult area to heal, partly because it's the most active part of the colon. Plus once that's the only area not fully healed, it still is dysfunctional. I was to continue with the enemas nightly as well, plus the Bentyl helped with the spasming and the constipation by relaxing things a bit.

Since I also had IBS, by colon was probably a bit sluggish after dealing with diarrhea with so long. That's about when I started adding more foods into my diet to get things moving.

Eventually, my bms were more regular and I did end up tapering off all my meds for a while.

So, it's not a failure, with the enemas if you stay on them while on pred and then while tapering, the rectum will still have the benefits from the Rowasa. You might have some ups and downs, but it should be different than before because now you'll have a stronger rectal med.

You'll know when to taper the enemas....just do them nightly until you're ready to taper. Your butt will tell you..lol.

quincy

I'm not scheduled til April 12 :-/

What I'm worried about, Quincy, is being maxed out on 5-ASAs, rectal, supp and pills and still flaring with nowhere to go in terms of pushing up meds. Then I would have to bump to 6mp.

Overthinking... negatively... I'm so good at this.

I have to work on my anxiety. I sware it was incredibly so extreme that it must of triggered as well as exacerbated a flare.

You know Ellen...you're in a flare, the max of the Asacol is to treat that. You're using the enemas as well as pred.

All you can do at this time is let them do their job.


OK, now YOU work on other stuff....you don't have to do anything more with the UC....

pretty simple to me. You have NO idea at this time what's going to happen, and I'd hate to tell you that all your worrying will be a waste of precious energy. As well...the energy you're putting into the worrying is counterproductive in healing,

Patience......sad but true. You're micromanaging your micromanaging. You don't have the experience to even make a judgement on the 5ASA meds.

Here's the simple facts of what you'll have to do. The asacol and Rowasa are your constants. Take them daily and put that on the shelf. Take the pred and do the taper process. That's your focus when the time comes.

You cannot do any changes at this time....again...worry about other stuff.

Eat! Go for short leisurly walks with your husband.

Get good movies and watch them.
Buy a book and read it to your husband.

I don't know...but stop worrying about being maxed out on the 5ASA....when you're feeling better you can consider to taper the Asacol...TAPER....by one pill a month and get down to maybe 8 daily as a maintenance dosage. Then you'll have room to increase when you flare if you need to.

The rectal meds should basically be doing most of the work after that.

Did I mention you'll gain the experience as it all plays out? Did I mention you don't have that yet?

Make decisions about what you should worry about and what you don't have to.

You could check with your pdoc if dicyclomine can be mixed with your psych meds...if yes, that will help with some of your gut discomfort. Less pain = less worry.

Does that make sense to you? I get where you're coming from....

q

If you're only going in the morning and evening, I'd say you're doing ok. I mean, when I was really sick, I was going upwards of 20 times a day, all day long, and even at night. I'd be dead asleep and the need to dash to the toilet would wake me up.

I'm really glad to hear you're doing CBT.

You mean your obsessiveness made you a good news reporter, or that you're just skilled at that even without your obsessiveness???
I remember when I was interpreting, my mentor asked me if my need to know was of interest to do a better job or to ease my anxiety. It was a good statement and true on both parts.


Awesome about the CBT....and awesome your meds are working.

q

I can understand...

hope you had a better day.
q