new to UC any help with cramps?

Hello!
i am 27 and have not actually been formally diagnosed with UC yet but have been to see the Gastro doctor and had biospy taken which i have not had the results of yet. The Gastro doctor explained what was happening and precribed me Pentasa (mesalzanine) 1g suppositries 1x at night, and Pentasa (mesalzanine) 1g granules x 3 a day.

My symptoms started around xmas whitch were just frequent bowel movements containing blood and mucus and tiredness. Saw my GP around 3 weeks after this started, she then referred me to the Gastro Dept, who put me on this medication. Since this however i have been feeling generally ok apart from being tierd and having rather painfull cramps before desperately needing the toilet and i have not been to work for 4 days.

I have read loads of your posts which have been very helpfull, i was however wondering if anyone knew of anything that will calm down the cramps, as i can handle everything else, just the cramps are very painfull and make me feel a bit sick. i must add the cramps dont last long but hurt and can vary in frequency.

Any help you can give me i would be so gratefull for.
face.xx

Thank you, im not sure if i am scheduled for anything, i just have the meds and i am due to go back to the GI in 3 weeks time. But thank you for suggestions.xx

I had cramps across the transverse colon (it runs horizontally underneath the rib cage). They were very painful, didn't last long and normally resulted in wind or BM.

It would happen about 2 hours after eating an evening meal. I thought it might be because I was eating too much so I started eating smaller meals, this seemed to help although I had already worked out a diet that was good for my UC. If you haven't done this yet, you may still find problems.

Keep an indepth food/UC diary so you can spot any patterns. My diary shows what I eat & at what time plus BM times/consistency/pain level etc.

a heating pad would help me at night. good luck.

I am absolutely in love with Buscopan. Nothing other than morphine IV's when in the hospital have helped like Buscopan has. And I don't get that 'high' feeling like I do from T3's, or get tired like I do from most anything else, I just get pain relief!

I find drinking peppermint tea helps to keep the cramping to a minimum for me. It does nothing if I'm already cramping, but if I have a cup or two through the day I find I get far less cramping. Found this info below and though I can't guarantee it's correct (I did find it on the internet after all!) it has definitely worked for me.

"When attempting to treat ulcerative colitis, peppermint is especially useful in relieving abdominal spasms, cramps, and pain. It is said to have a numbing effect and is used as a relaxant. Peppermint is an anti-bacterial substance that also helps reduce flatulence, diarrhea, and the urgency to have a bowel movement. It calms the muscles that line the gastrointestinal tract and the stomach."

I was prescribed hyoscyamine odt (oral dissolving tablets) and they really work fast and do the trick.

j_liz