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21 weeks pregnant and UC flaring

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Posted 6/28/2010 12:01 PM (GMT 0)
I am 21 weeks pregnant and started to flare last week....I had been doing so well until my OBGYN Prescribed an iron supplement to me called "Slowfe" (used for anemia)-right after I took that supplement, I saw blood in the stool.  I called the OBGYN and was told to stop taking the iron immediately.  At that point, I just wanted to cry.  Lately I have not been feeling the best and the blood and the mucus in the toilet just scares me....I just want to know if anyone has had a successful pregnancy while in a flare?  Also will be in a flare harm the baby?
Posted 6/28/2010 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
You're sure it was blood in the stool and not the iron making things black, right?
I flared my entire pregnancy. I bled daily, couldn't keep anything down the entire first trimester. My baby was full term, healthy, and is still very healthy.
Posted 6/28/2010 3:24 PM (GMT 0)
Pam 222-my stool is not black, it's light red bleeing and mucus discharge.  I stopped taking the iron supplement as of last week hoping to get back into remission.  I am just happy to hear from someone else that is going through the same thing and had a healthy baby.  I am half way thru my pregnancy and hoping for a healthy baby.
Posted 6/28/2010 4:06 PM (GMT 0)

I had a very scary pregnancy - the pregnancy sent me into a huge flare, ended up in hospital for 5 weeks and eventually Remicade took me out of the flare. I was very very very sick from week 1 to week 18.

I say that to let you know that you can have a very scary pregnancy and still end up with a healthy baby, as I did. Just keep your doc in the loop!

Posted 6/28/2010 4:55 PM (GMT 0)
Yep, your baby is taking everything it needs from you. You may feel even worse because of it, but he is probably doing just fine. Just keep trying to stay as healthy as you can.
My son is actually one of the healthiest babies I know. he has only had a fever once when all of his friends had it recently, but he was the least sick of all of them. He went his whole first year with NO illnesses at all.
Posted 6/28/2010 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
Pam-what iron supplement do you take-what is the brand? I might try that out, maybe it will be easier on my stomach. Did you take an iron supplement in addition to your prenatal vitamins when you were pregnant?
Posted 6/28/2010 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
yes, I was on 3 a day because my hemoglobin was only around 8 and they kept warning me it had to go up before delivery so I wouldn't bleed too much. I had a c-section and didn't need a transfusion, though.
I just took Ferrous Sulfate. It did cause me some nausea sometimes. I'm on it now and tolerating it very well, though. Remember it should not be taken at the same time as your prenatal, as it should not be taken with calcium (so don't drink milk with it either). If you take it with orange juice that is best, as Vitamin C helps it to absorb.
Posted 6/28/2010 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
Please start the Rowasa....asap.

q
Posted 6/28/2010 7:19 PM (GMT 0)
there is a liquid form of iron that is pretty easy on the gut that I found at health food stores. It doesn't taste bad at all and you may even be able to ask if they have a little sample you could try first.

http://www.vitacost.com/Flora-Floradix-Floravital-Iron-Herb-Yeast-Free

Definitely start the enemas if you're willing to try that. Baby will be fine, as others have experienced, but the pregnancy will be even better if you're not feeling like crap too.

I started bleeding during my first pregnancy (this was before I was diagnosed) and was told it was internal hemorrhoids. I was also having other symptoms that I now know were UC symptoms but I went months not seeking other advice because my OB kept insisting it was normal internal hemmies. Anyway, baby was totally fine, the birth went very well, and once I finally figured out something other than hemorrhoids was going on with me, I was fine too.
Posted 6/28/2010 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
I had a hard time using the enemas and really dont like the idea of using it.  Quincy and Hekela did you take rowasa enema during pregnancy? If so, did it work instantly?
Posted 6/28/2010 7:40 PM (GMT 0)
I've never had kids, but I will tell you in allllll honesty, I wouldn't even have thought twice if I were to use my meds faithfully.

You should learn to retain them, even if you use a half a bottle at a time...that's so much better than nothing. Less volume as well.

The other option is the suppositories used twice a day....but they can leak if you have any gas. But if they don't affect you that way...then use them as your next option.

Are you using fibre supplements? consider it.....as well as probiotics.

q
Posted 6/28/2010 7:40 PM (GMT 0)
I doubt anyone LIKES enemas, but I am actually asking for them now because I want to see some improvement and if that will do it, then great!
Posted 6/28/2010 8:07 PM (GMT 0)
I just called my regular OBGYN and told them that I am headed for a flare. He said at this point, he is not sure what to do since he does not specialize in UC. Do you guys think I need to seek a high risk doctor at this time? Someone who will monitor me and the baby more closely? The high risk doctor wants to do ultrasounds every four weeks starting when I turn 22 weeks so they can monitor the growth of the baby since I am in a flare but the regular ob said they will not do that, they will only measure with a measuring tape each month....I am just so confused-I just want to get the best care for me and my baby. Any suggestions?
Posted 6/28/2010 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
do you not have a regular GI?

get back on the Rowasa...don't wait till you get worse. The best you can do, and enjoy your pregnancy?? is to take care of your flare.

You have options.

I don't see how being pregnant should alter your UC treatment.....and heaven forbid, you get to the point where the doc will be pushing you on pred.

quincy
Posted 6/28/2010 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
No, I personally would not go to a high risk OB/GYN unless I was told I had to. Most of them also have no or very little experience with UC anyway. As Quincy said your best bet is your GI not your OB. I have been on Rowasa for the last three months and am 31 weeks pregnant. It is harder to use the enemas the bigger my belly gets but it is important to be faithful with your meds. I believe it is worse for me to bleed and be sick than to take my meds. I am also on an additional iron suppliment. You do need to take it separately from your mulit-vitamin. I doubt that the iron made you bleed, it is probably just the UC acting up. I had to take extra iron with my first pregnancy too - it is very common for pregnant women to become anemic UC or not. I did not have UC with my first pregnancy...
Posted 6/28/2010 9:09 PM (GMT 0)
Hi hi!

I started flaring @ 18 weeks and finally stopped flaring last week (my son is 3 months old). Aside from the flare, which sucked, my pregnancy was otherwise uneventful. My delivery was awesome (natural, the best experience of my life) and my son is healthy as can be. During pregnancy, my flare was what I'd consider "moderate", I was going about 10x a day, but I was peeing that often so it didn't really bother me much. I did bleed and had mucus throughout my pregnancy too, but never enough to make me anemic or endanger my son.

I was on Prenisone (20-40mg) and Lialda through most of my pregnancy. I had a midwife, a regular OB (my midwife's husband) and my GI doc work in concert. I did not need a high-risk OB, because my pregnancy was NOT high risk.

What was tough for me was post-partum. My flare went from bad to TERRIBLE when my son was 4 weeks old and I ended up in the hospital. I ignored my doc's recommendations to go on stronger drugs (6mp, remicade) because I wanted to breastfeed, and that was DUMB.

Now, we're doing great. My son is thriving on formula, and I'm finally entering remission. It will be ok, I promise!!
Posted 6/28/2010 10:35 PM (GMT 0)
I chose to do Remicade while breastfeeding. I researched it and felt comfortable doing it because breastfeeding was important to me. Had I not been admitted to the hospital so many times I would still be doing it, but I made it 8.5 months so I feel ok about that.

I did not see a high risk OB. My OB knew very little about UC. I got no extra ultrasounds. She measured me every week and I grew appropriately and my baby had a nice healthy heart rate, so there was no reason to really worry.
Posted 6/29/2010 12:01 AM (GMT 0)
No, you don't need a high risk OB, you just need to be communicating with a GI about your flare.
I didn't do enemas while pregnant because with my first I didn't know I had UC and with my second I didn't flare while pregnant. I don't think there is anything that works *instantly* if you're really flaring, but maybe try it for a couple of days and see what happens.

I would definitely try the enemas, pregnant or not, to get things under control. Just about anything is better than flaring, IMO.
Also try the fiber that quincy recommended. Start slow and work up to a larger amount. Fiber is a MUST for my maintenance and I keep it up when flaring too.

What other options do you have at this point for improving things?
Posted 6/29/2010 12:03 AM (GMT 0)
I flared around 20 weeks and remained on prednisone through out the rest of my pregnancy..20mg. I did have a ob/gi specialist that followed me and was happy about that because i was hospitalized for 2 weeks. My son was born extremly healthy...8lb 3oz. And is doing wonderful still. I on the other hand haven't gotten into remission without prednisone since. Surgery is in my future for sure. Make sure to take care of yourself and this flare soon....your baby will take what he needs from you..don't worry about that.
Posted 6/29/2010 1:00 AM (GMT 0)
Pam 222,

Maybe it wasnt the iron supplement that put me in a flare, maybe the flare was coming on in the process of me taking the iron supplement. I see that you said I should not take it with calcium, but I should take it with orange juice-but orange juice has calcium in it--would that be a problem?

By the way my doctor told me to take iron during bed time-I really wonder why is that
Posted 6/29/2010 1:02 AM (GMT 0)
Ladies,

I really appreciate everyone responding and tonight I am going to pull out the old enemas and see if that will work, at this point I really have no other choice. Keeping myself healthy for the baby is my main concern and basically I just got to do what I got to do. I just love this forum because you can talk with others who have been thru the same thing.

Thanks ladies and I will use your advice!
Posted 6/29/2010 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
Regular OJ does not have calicum.  You can buy OJ with add calcium but just avoid that.  Vitamin C helps you absorb the iron...
Posted 6/29/2010 1:42 AM (GMT 0)

UCISNOT MYFRIEND said...
Pam 222,

Maybe it wasnt the iron supplement that put me in a flare, maybe the flare was coming on in the process of me taking the iron supplement. I see that you said I should not take it with calcium, but I should take it with orange juice-but orange juice has calcium in it--would that be a problem?

By the way my doctor told me to take iron during bed time-I really wonder why is that


I suppose if your OJ has added calcium, maybe don't take it with that. I just know calcium hinders absorption and Vitamin C helps it. I don't know if there is any particular reason to take it at bedtime, but if you only take one a day and take your prenatal in the morning, that is probably good advice. I take 2 a day right now so I take one in the morning and one at night.
Posted 6/29/2010 2:03 PM (GMT 0)
He probably told you to take it at night because iron is best absorbed on an empty stomach - I mean without food not without drinking anything. The problem with taking it at night though is that it can cause heartburn - especially if you take it with OJ and are pregnant. I take mine in the evening with a small glass of OJ but I do not take it right before bed. Hope this helps
Posted 6/29/2010 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hello- I'm 21 weeks pregnant as well and also experienced some trouble with taking iron supplements earlier in my pregnancy(I posted a few months ago). The Slow-FE reacted terribly with me and put me back into a flare. I had been in remission otherwise. I tried a few other types of iron supplements, but they also made me sick. Someone on this board suggested liquid iron, in particular Floradix iron + herbs. I tried it out and I've had no UC-related issues with it. I highly recommend it if you still need to continue on some type of iron supplement. I get it at Whole Foods for about $40/bottle.
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