mini-flare and comments about enemas

Hi all -
Some background: I know I have been very absent lately and I apologize. I've been working a lot of extra hours and I've had a lot of family stuff. So I've been trying to read up on everyone even if I haven't been logged onto the forum. My college son came home mid-semester in a crisis, was depressed and was also dxed with ADD.... all that took a lot of attention and time but he's back to school now, hopefully successfully and happily.
Since December, my high school senior, who has missed a HUGE amount of school due to sleep issues and not being able to get out of bed, announced he'd like to drop out of school and maybe get a GED. Basically... I believe he's depressed, though he insists he's "not sad" - but he's very apathetic, and he's having much anxiety about college for next year.
I talked to him, talked to support people.... and cried for a few days....(he's a very good student and heavily involved in extracurricular music stuff which he loves) ......this hit me like a ton of bricks and I started to have UC symptoms.... cramps, frequency, a tinge of blood.....
So I started Rowasa nightly.
I had been going 2 - 3 times a day (about as good as it gets with my scarred colon) and after starting Rowasa, within 4 days I was going 8 times a day with lots of blood.
I dropped the Rowasa and started cortenemas, and after 2 nights I was down to 5 times a day and only a tiny amount of blood. Today seems, so far, to be less frequency than that, well-formed, and no blood at all.

I've read the info, intellectually I know Rowasa is the best, safest, "most effective in studies" rectal med out there, but I always bleed more when I'm on it. I can stand it about once a week, I believe.
Canasa really helps me with the bottom inflammation.

I do not tend to be sensitive to chemicals, additives, etc, or I'd wonder if I need the brand-name rather than the Perrigo brand... (and sheesh, I have a box of 3 months' worth of the Perrigo, already....)

I've also increased my VSL and I'm trying Slippery Elm again, though only once a day at this point.

Oh, and my kid now says of course he'll finish the year.... but we might put off college. That cheers me some (the finishing part, not the putting off part... lol)
So... just a report in........Thanks for being such a good community!

Songlady,

I am sorry to hear about your flare and your kids. I have two young boys (8 and 4) and I get scared sometimes about their future. It is hard, but I'm sure they will find their way. Even if we want some things to happen fast, we have no way of changing their course. Right now, you need to relax and stop the flare!
I have been using Perrigo and Teva enemas and they seem to work fine, but only when the inflammation is lower. If D and urgency start, the enemas cannot do much for me anymore.

I wish you all the best and I hope you get better soon. Thanks for always being so supportive for others on this forum.

Best,
RT

I am sorry you're so stressed. I hope your UC is feeling better quickly. I think putting off college could be for the best. It will give him some time to really think about what he wants. Many people rush into it and never find a path, then you end up graduating with a general degree that is not useful in the real world. It's good to take time and find something your passionate about and follow the dream. Maybe trying the name brand enemas is a good idea.

So sorry Songlady.  I can only imagine...my son is 3 and challenging.  I hear it gets harder yet as they get older.  As you may remember when I start bleeding etc....the steroid supps are what really kicks it for me.  The Rowasa (well Periggo or Teva)  seem to be good for my maintenance only.  I guess some of us are just like that.  I think it doesn't hurt to try the actual Rowasa brand name or the sulfite free version as an experiment.  I assume you also upped your VSL#3.  Good luck...it sounds like you have really been successful in stopping these flair ups quickly..I hope this will be the same.

Good luck,

B

Good advice from the posters above. You've had this for so long, I know you know the drill. I hope this turns around for you quickly. Stress has a way of creeping up on us doesn't it??

songlady, while I've not had your experience, I can related to your sons more. I hope they seek the options to allow them to take a breather and move forward.

Have they had their vitamin D levels checked? Maybe encourage vitamins to them.
Another option is L. Theanine to the son who's having apathy. I can relate to that...anxiety will push any empathy out of the picture. Anxiety is self focused, no room for others especially if one's life is full of future plans and it's all overwhelming.

Regarding the rectal meds..maybe your magic potion is the Canasa and the steroid enemas. Or a half mesalamine instead of a whole one, or a 2g instead of a 4g.

Sounds like you're in for a bumpy ride...Hang tough.
Hope you feel better soon....
quincy

If one is sensitive or allergic to mesalamine or any 5ASA meds...stay away from them. Makes no sense to increase the body's intolerance to an obvious problem...one day, end results could be detramental.

q

Thanks, everyone.
I've been doing a canasa every other day or so (I didn't have many on hand, but... they have helped. So have the steroid enemas, VSL, etc.

My son is actually very focused - he's a musician, and plans to make his living doing that; my husband and I are trained in music, too, and we think he might have a good chance. So.... learning his focus isn't the issue. He just thinks he can make it to fame without the degree. Our only concern is that he won't have the chance to keep up his skills if he's working some basic job somewhere... a "gap year" is different if you're a musician who needs to keep up those skills!
But the decision is his.
In the meantime we started the process of a sleep study today.... fascinating! Good to hear all the things about sleep from an expert. I am hopeful.
And only 2 bms today for me.... duh, this was as clear a stress/reaction as I ever could have dreamt! So funny to me how sometimes stress does not affect and other time it does. The type of stress, no doubt.