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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 7/13/2011 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

I quit smoking in March, and now have been diagnosed w/ UC (specifically, ulcerative proctitis). My gastroenterologist did a sigmoidoscopy and biopsied two areas, and called yesterday w/ the diagnosis, and also asked that I begin doing nightly Canasa suppositories. Now that I've picked up the prescription, I notice that the boxes are labeled "enemas." If these enemas are anything like those I used to prep for my sigmoid, there's no way I can keep the Canasa inside all night. Can someone out there offer advise? Are there common side effects I should prep for (soiling the bed, etc.)?

A little about me: I'm 40, a male, and have noticed blood in stool 3 or 4 times. Nothing since the sigmoid and diagnosis. The only other thing I can think to say is that I've also had eye weepiness/puffiness for 9 months; however, the onset of this predates my quitting smoking, so I don't know if these eye issues are related.

Many thanks in advance.
Posted 7/13/2011 2:11 PM (GMT 0)
The enemas we take are retention enemas. We hold them in overnight and the liquid gets absorbed unlike the Fleets used for scopes. Does the box say Mesalamine enemas? Canasa is a suppository, not a mesalamine enema.

Btw, welcome to Healingwell. I take it your from MI? So am I :) Detroit metro area.
Posted 7/13/2011 2:18 PM (GMT 0)
hi.  i gave up the smokes in jan, noticed blood in my stool feb, colonoscopy in may,4 biopsies, diagnosis in june with ulcerative colitis.  havent seen a gi yet but i was out on predfoam by the surgeon who carried out the c-scope.  they dont cause any trouble because it absorbs into the rectum area very quickly.  you dont have to hold them and let them go if thats what you're thinking like you would of with the prep for a c-scope.

 

Posted 7/13/2011 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
This is helpful. Thanks! The gastro specifically said "Canasa" on the phone, while these are indeed labeled "mesalamine enemas." I will call her now.
Posted 7/13/2011 3:00 PM (GMT 0)
Just a note to say that my pharmacy had filled prescription incorrectly. So I've now got Canasa suppositories to use nightly for a month, and then I'll see gastro. Should I be prepped at all for side effects?

Finally—and I sense from my initial UC readings that I could spend another full year doing UC reading and research—: my family's diet is what I'd call excellent, in a holistic sense. We're vegetarian, subscribe to a farm, and even grow some of our own food. I haven't had a soda or a candy bar in probably a decade. But it seems to me that what alot of you do is modify your diet. Can anyone point me to the definitive book on diet for UC folks? I gather that the medical industry is maybe sceptical of the idea that UC has anything to do with diet? In any case, the only things, off the top of my head, that I need to first keep an eye on are my daily espresso consumption and nightly glass or two of wine?

Be well, all. And thank you for the help.
Posted 7/13/2011 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
I would reccomend the Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book by Jessica Black.

I've given the Anti-Imflamatory diet a shot before, it isn't horrible, but one of the okays is like grilled meat with few seasonings, so I guess you could work around that. My naturopathic physician said avoid sugar (including natural, I used to have A TON of fruit a day, now I have a limit), gluten, dairy, and soy. So like Almond Milk and Almond Butter are tasty as long as your aren't allergic to nuts, and I personally think Coconut Milk ice cream tastes no different than real ice cream, and it doesn't make me so sick.

As for the coffee and wine; any caffine personally makes my bowels go NUTS and hot liquids in general give me bad acid reflux, but that varies person to person. And, I'm only 17 soooo, I've never had a drink other than weekly Mass, but I've heard alcohal isn't good.

If certain food give you especially bad symptoms, avoid them. A food diary can help, it doesn't have to be super detailed, just enough so you can identify problem foods. It sounds like you already have a good diet going, the less ingerdients, the better, and for me, organic can make a world of a difference.

Something to keep in mind is that everyone is different, and you'll hear a gagillion different opinions from UC suffer-ers and doctors alike. Its a whirlwind, but keep your chin up and have faith that you will get through this.

Best of luck, sir!
Posted 7/13/2011 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Bookworm. I'll buy it. I just ordered what appears (?) to be the sacred text for many, which is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet book.
Posted 7/13/2011 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
A lot of people here don't like caffiene, but I'm okay with it. Hot coffee hurts my stomach, but if it's iced, it rarely affects me. There are also supplements you can try, like turmeric. You can find a lot about them on here!

Where in MI are you from? You don't need to say your town. I guess I'd be from the south-east. Ann Arbor-ish.
Posted 7/13/2011 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I have also heard great things about the SCD. I've never actually tried that one because my naturopathic physcian combined with my GI really helped.
I've also heard accupuncture could be helpful. Not really my thing though!
Posted 7/13/2011 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there. I'm just outside Ann Arbor. Thanks for the tip about turmeric. In supplemental form, is it meant to alleviate problems caused by caffeine?

If I try to think, off the top of my head, of the foods that, historically, give me gas and/or a bloated feeling, it's pizza and ice cream—but espresso (knock on wood!) doesn't bother me.
Posted 7/14/2011 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
Oh, no, sorry, I just meant it's good for UC! My bad. Helped me, anyways.
Posted 7/14/2011 2:32 AM (GMT 0)
If you all don't mind: I've been spending time reading through threads, and have two questions before bed:

1) will my proctitis necessarily evolve into something more than just rectal colitis?

2) since I'm recently diagnosed, and to date have only experienced moderate amounts of blood in stool, am I due at some point for a big "flare-up"?

Good night, all.
Posted 7/14/2011 5:47 AM (GMT 0)
UCinMI, your two questions are roughly asking the same thing but unfortunately no one can give you a definitive answer. My proctitis has (so far) remained as just proctitis but no one knows if it will go away and never bother me again or whether tomorrow my whole colon will become ulcerated and I have to have emergency surgery *knocks on wood*. This is one thing I dislike about UC, it adds more uncertainty to life which already has so much uncertainty.
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