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just don't understand!uc + Depression bla bla bla

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Posted 4/12/2011 9:10 AM (GMT 0)
Good morning all,

Ok I have had UC since 1999, I am 26 years old from the uk, I am on MP6, Asacol, and 6 months ago I went on to Anti Depressants mirtazapine & citalopram, went on to these anti depressants becasue i was getting really fed up with my UC and a relationship break up, no motivation, stupid thoughts etc and then a timing of an emerengcy appendix removal.  Ok Although I am kinda back of control of my mind, I am still on a downer because I am aboustely fed up with my stomach I had a camera in me last year and they said MY UC wasn't that active, yet i can hardly make trips to anywhere in the car or with friends because my stomach wont let me, the urgency is so bad in the morning I am scared of going to places with out toiletes being there or after just eating in someones house i know for a fact i will have issues so it is controlling what i can do. I have lost alot of friends and my break up in my relation ship was actually down to my illness, side affects of prednislone made me have real bad mood swings and my girlfriend after 6 years could not take it anymore which was understandable.

so what am I asking although i know there is no fix for this illness, i am just confused how the hospital can say my UC is not that active yet it's causing my mind to sink fast and for me not to enjoy anything about my life.

Sorry if I sound like I am whiging, i suppose i should be greatful compared to other people who are suffering, but this UC is at war with me.

Thanks for reading.

Hakim

Posted 4/12/2011 11:49 AM (GMT 0)
You might have IBS in addition to Uc especially if you are still having issues but not from Uc. The symptoms of IBS are pretty similiar to Uc and it can get confusing. Food plays a huge role in IBS and you need to find your culprit foods. You can do this by keeping a food diary. You record everything you consume, no matter how small, and see if you can find a correlation. Also, I am not sure if they have it in the UK but Immodium can be used too to help control the urgency. Or even an anti-spasmodic.
Posted 4/12/2011 12:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hakim, "not that active" can mean different things to us as sufferers than it means to academics. Your urgency is a sure sign of rectal inflammation. Flares start from the rectum and that is also the last place they clear up. So the doctors may think it's not that active because most of your colon is healed, while you feel miserable because that last 5 cm. isn't healed.

Your best bet for getting rid of the urgency is rectal medications - mesalamine or hydrocortisone suppositories may be a huge help to you. Talk to your doctor about this. As long as your rectum is inflamed, you're teetering on the edge of a larger flare, so try to get that area healed.

Hope you feel better soon.
Posted 4/12/2011 1:13 PM (GMT 0)
thanks guys really apprechiated for any advice. Yeah I actually think I have IBS, I mean today i have been 7 or 8 times ( mainly straight after i have a coffee) and then i pass a bit of blood, the afternoon and at night i am ok- it is manageable.

It is just the morning, I have not heard of these rectal meds, but I will suggest to the DR, because more than anything I dont mind the amount of times i go to the toilete, I just want the urgeny to stop, it wrecks everything i try to do, e.g make a trip to play football, the trip to work in the morning (scared i will hit traffic) its such a horrible feeling. so basically it is the urgency i just want to stop
Posted 4/12/2011 1:23 PM (GMT 0)
just doing some research some poeple say coconut Oil/flakes seems to be the trick to tackle urgency has anyone tried this?
Posted 4/12/2011 4:39 PM (GMT 0)
just thought I'd chime in here. Hak, I can totally relate to you about your sense of depression. I have been told I have mild proctitis that is 'clinically' in remission but my symptoms certainly don't indicate this. I have rectal pain when going to the toilet, stool is sometimes unformed (and occassionally the last bits are diarrhea), slight lower abdominal pains and urgency. All these get me down too and I feel they are controlling my life.

I am using the bathroom about 4 times a day and still have tenesmus. I am grateful that my gf is still by my side and supportive (at least for now). I too am afraid to go places too far or eat a restaurants without a toilet (usually my urgency creeps up 30 minutes after eating a meal). When attending classes in the morning I am usually in no mood to chat with my fellow class mates even though the have repeatedly tried to make contact with me. My motivation to work out at the gym is also slowly erroding since my diet, although healthy, is not enough to build muscle mass.

I am hoping that my current symptoms are just IBS and that I will eventually get used to them or they will slowly disappear. Either way, just thought I'd let you know I am in the same boat as you buddy. Good luck.
Posted 4/12/2011 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
     I totally understand.  I was diagnosed with UP in 1998.  After suffering for twelve LONG years and becoming prednisone dependent for the last two, I decided to have the surgery.  My ulcerations were always confined to the rectum.  My belief is that the Colazal kept them from traveling further into the colon.   At my last colonoscopy, in May of 08, my UP was classified as mild/moderate...coulda fooled me...hate to see what severe is like.  I had port a pots in three rooms of my home because I couldn't make it to the toilet and I live in a ranch type home, everything on one flour.  I tried just about every medication, diet, herbs, rectal meds, etc.   My GI doctor was so preoccupied with his own ego and determination that he was going to "cure" me, that he would not refer me to a colorectal surgeon.  I found one online from Philadelphia (I live in south Jersey).   After my surgery, my surgeon said I made the right decision because my rectum was badly diseased.  Unfortunately, because UC will manifest itself elsewhere in the colon if only the rectum is removed, I had to have both taken out sad .  My colon was not in bad shape at all, never had any polyps or inflammation but my rectum was a mess.  Good luck to you.
Posted 4/12/2011 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Hakim

I would just mention that maybe you could try a different anti-depressant?? I tried 3 or 4 before I got the right one, and years later when the doctor changed my prescription to a generic brand, supposedly the same, my mood went down again.

Beta
Posted 4/13/2011 11:32 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone,

in a way it is a relief to see other people having the same issues as me, but of course I wish you hadn't have these issues, it is very hard to talk to anyone about it because at no fault at there own they don't understand. I.E your friends say lets go to an indian restaurant and i say i cant (makes me sound anti social) but its only because i can not eat that type of food and I dont want to explain to them why.

Maxmilan I am alot like that with people I am so grumpy and moody with my friends and family and was with my EX, it gets to a point where you see no light at the end of the tunnel. Christine I hope it is all worked out for you, me I am to scared to have the surgery and I will try a few other methods before this hopefully.

Beta yeah I guess i should try a different type of anti... to be hoenst althought I should care more about my depression, it is actually my urgency that i want to improove, because if i improove this i am sure it will improove my depression.

The UK seems so behind on UC, the DR's aren't very good.
Posted 4/13/2011 6:25 PM (GMT 0)
What meds are you on exactly Hak?

Honesty goes a long way with people...the more you keep from them rather than telling them plays on your mind because it's easy to think people should be more understanding.

You can say..no, I can't do Indian food...it plays havoc with my gut. not worth it to me. OR...you can find something on the menu that agrees with you.

Get on rectal meds. Ask the doctor for mesalamine retention enemas. In the UK, there are the foam enemas...wish we had them here.

q
Posted 4/14/2011 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
I am worse in the morning then any other time of the day.  I also worry about going to the bathroom when out or at peoples houses. Easter is coming and we have it at my grandmas house, she has about 50 people come and one bathroom shocked Since I have been on the remicade i can go but before that I wouldn't even go to her house on holidays because of the bathroom issue.  Alot of people don't understand. My in-laws are some of them.  Just hold it or eat healthier and it will go away.  I don't even talk to them about my health anymore.  They ask how I am and i say fine.  My brother even said to me one day just hold it.  I said I can't and I explained it to him and he gets it now.  As far as your girlfriend.  Now you know she isn't worth your time if she leaves you because of your illness.  I get depressed once in awhile.  It is a very hard thing to live with exspecially when it isn't under control.  I have heard some people on the site say they only have rectum inflammation and they are worse than the people who have it throughout their whole colon.  Maybe get a second opinion and try new meds.  Also, I can't drink coffee. Well, I do but I only do it at home or where there are bathrooms because it goes right through me.  Same with milk.  I hope you find some relief.  Oh, and when I was on the pred for 5 months I was crazy.  My mood was horrible.  I went off all the time and was basicly crazy.  I also gained 50 pounds for that stuff.
Posted 4/14/2011 1:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hak - I suffered with rectal inflammation for four years.  It often is what is causing urgency, blood and rectal pain.  It also caused multiple trips to the bathroom and diarrhea for me.  I tried all the meds religiously for years.  I tried rectal meds, oral meds, pred,...nothing cleared up the lowest part of my rectum and nothing put me into a full (true) remission.  Finally I got a new GI and he put me on Imuran.  I am now in full remission for the first time in over 4 years.  I don't have any bleeding, urgency, diarrhea and I only have a BM once (sometimes twice) a day.  I even skip a day here and there...  I don't know what medications you have tried but if you try them all and nothing works you might discuss Imuran with your doctor.  I wish I would have tried it years ago.  It feels great to have my old quality of life back.  
Posted 4/15/2011 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
hey ,

it is good to see some of you getting positive results out of this, I am on Mp6 75g a day, Asacol 6 tablets a day, and Prednislone on all sorts of doses, not to mention all my other tablets such as calcium tablets, acid tablets/anti d tablets etc.

Quincy you are quite right and i should be just upfront about it, but i find it so embarrasing when i shoudn't i guess as its not my fault.

WIMOMOFTHREE
Completly understand where you are coming from, when i am at someones house and i dont even need the toilete and i start to see 10 or more people i start to panick incase the toilete will be busy! or the same with me being in work, As for my GF, I guess so she could not take my mood swings and the support of being with me in the hospital all the time, i think i just dragged her down to much, but that is fair enough I will hopefully find someone when I am in a better state, but this is not my priorty right now.

In 3 weeks i go to Morocco for a small holiday I just hope i can enjoy it with my UC running it for me,

Thatfield i am very ahppy to hear you are in remission, and it gives me hope i can enter the same status one day this is why i love reading about peoples stories on here it does give a sense of relief.

Thanks
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