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Posted 7/16/2011 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
I haven't been diagnosed with UC yet...BUT I AM CONVINCED I HAVE IT!!!  HERE IS MY STORY...IM SCARED AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT!!!!!!!!!!

4 years ago I had a bout of bloody diarhea...no pain ...just that and the feeling of fullness even though I kept going to the bathroom.  (I was 24)...I had a sig. and dr saw the infection....it was infectious colitis and went away with anti biotics. Because I worked in a pre-school and ate lots of produce...he said I was at risk for becoming contaminated with an infectious bacteria.  Well......a yr ago while 4 months preg...the feeling of fullness returned and I had some bloody dirhea...also mucousy.....My dh is a dr and we assumed it was just a repeat of an infection ( since i had the sig a few yrs prior to that which gave us a clear diagnosis...we did not think anything else.)   I took anti biotics and with each dose it was better and cleared up perfectly.  Again...no stom aches.  I am now 3 months post part.  about a month ago I had some caker sores ( one after another...which I read could be a symptom of UC).......my dh said it was prob a virus and or my hormonal changes..i have also been under MAJOR stress bc I have severe anxiety!  I also then began to have these sore red bumps on my fingers.  Didn't know what they were.  Simotaneousely....my daughter and I (the dd that is 2)....had some red bumps on her hands and feet......dh thinks we had the coxsakki (don't know how to spell).....virus.  Anyway..........about 2 weeks ago on a Sat. I as walking in city and not feeling well.....just really hot...like an internal hot....( I deff hadn't eaten or drinken enough that day and know my hormones are also raging)....following night I felt the feeling like i was going to pass gas...but went to toilet and had a tiny bit of clear mucous with a little red blood...I continued to have that full feeling for a day and then it completelt went away.  The days following I had a stom ache once with some diarrhea.  There has been a virus going aroun and dh is a dr so is always bringing stuff home.  KNOCK ON WOOD....I am extremely healthy and hardly ever get sick....INCLUDING STOM VIRUSES.  TMI....but my fam has always said i have an iron stom because i never get sick...ors tom aches.............my bowel movements have alays been regular and normal.......ALWAYS.   My dh called the GI dr this time and he said (because of course i was worried it was cancer).....that this was not even on his radar.  He said he doubted it was another infection bc that usually doesn't happen...HOWEVER, THE SYMPTOMS WERE EXACTLY...TO A T...THE SAME AS WHEN I HAD THE INFEC WHICH WAS COMPLETELY DIAGNOSED WITH THE SIG.   (I don't think my dh explained that to him bc it was  a short convo.)  He said he wanted me to have a colonoscopy to rule out an IBD......at first I didn't think there was a chance I had it and either did dh because i have a perfect history with my stom and bowels.....and the very first time i had the blood we did a sig and saw so ulcers but, rather........the infection.  My mind is sooooo crazed right now.  Can an infection trigger UC?  Does it sound like I have it?  Also...1 month prior to this episode....my best friend had same symptoms as me and it went away.  GI also said over the phone that it as prob just an internal hemroihd............(I just gave birth and during 1st tri had severe constipation)............i didn't think this was a poss either bc i dont think an internal hem can cause that full feeling or frequently needing to go.  Like I said this whole thing that happened 2 weeks ago lasted 2 days......no fever, felt perfect...etc........and when it happened during my preg....it cleared with anti biotics.  WHAT IS GOING ON?  I know I'm going to have the scope but feel like i MUST HAVE THIS.....if I do....what should I expect in life?  IM TERRIFIED BECAUSE I KNOW IT INCREASES MY RISK OF COLON CANCER....plz someone....help .....i am sooo worried and not sure what to make of everything!!

thank you.....=0( 

Posted 7/16/2011 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
It could possibly. Just be calm! Did they do biopsies at your sig? They can also do a blood test to check for UC, and while it doesn't always work, it could. I would take some probiotics, maybe switch to organic produce? Go back to the doctor and see if they'll do stool tests. It could be an infection coming back, or maybe UC was possibly trigged. If you go back on antibiotics, take the probiotics at the opposite time of day (anti in the monring, probiotic at night for example). That's all I can think of right now. Good luck!
Posted 7/16/2011 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
No, they didn't do a biopsy in my sig.................I have been taking some probiotics.............so UC can be triggered by that past infection? Omg...AND I HAD AN IUGR BABY (LOW BIRTH WEIGHT BABY FOR GESTATIONAL SIZE)......my first daughter, but not my second....they never figured out why.....ev thing was perfect and she was healthy...her growth just stopped early. During that time and prior to it.......i had no stom trouble..no bleeding....nothing.

I CAN'T BE CALM....im totally freaking out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 7/16/2011 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
is it possible to get an infectious colitis more than once................this is bad..but i am around tons of kisd with dirty diapers and prob dont wash my hands enough..I KNOW I DONT...and......i know i dont wash my produce well..........
Posted 7/16/2011 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
Could this be Viral gastroenteritis............or a bacterial stomach bug......is it more likely that given my history with a high population of dirty diapers etc...young children etc and my not so good washing habbits that I have gotten re-infected 3 times with different strands of bacteria.............?
Posted 7/16/2011 1:23 AM (GMT 0)
I don't know for sure if an infection could trigger UC, everyone has differet triggers. I don't know anything about all those infections, but ask them to take biopsies and if possible, to take pictures of your colon they can talk to you about. And I'm sure you can get reinfected with a lot of things. But try not to stress out, that will only make it worse.
Posted 7/16/2011 1:28 AM (GMT 0)
If you have some take-as-needed anxiety meds, maybe you should take one. Just hang in there and try your best to relax! And you can probably catch lots of things from dirty little kids. =) Also, frequently feeling as you have to go poop but not being able to is called tenesmus. People have a lot of experience with it here! But I would definitely find some probiotics or drink some kefir if milk doesn't bother you. When is your scope again?
Posted 7/16/2011 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
I'm trying....and I'm nursing so I can't take anything....my anxiety has been horrible post part..=0(...and this upcoming test and poss of this disease is inflaming it...esp. because i dont really know what it is or what to expect if i have it? I have been taking probiotics...and yes, the tenesmus feeling ....I have had it the 3 times..........the first, as i said....he did the sig scope and saw the infection...the second two times ( 3 yrs after 1st.....i was preg with second dd and it went away with anti biotics)..and two weeka ago ...has it for only a night and then it disappeared....as i said..for a month prior i have had canker sores and some sores on my fingers (is that a symptom of UC?)......my daughter also had some sores on her hands and feet.......which is why my dh figured it was a virus or coxsackie......
Posted 7/16/2011 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
I found this ..............( I had gastroenteritis 4 yr ago when i worked ina pre-school.....)..I do not have a compromised immune system and literally had the infection for like 2 days because once i saw the bloody diarrhea i was sig scoped the following day and put immediately on anti biotics........

"Complications from gastroenteritis occur mainly in young children or in adults who are over the age of 65, have had gastroenteritis for a long time, or who have a weakened immune system.

Possible complications of gastroenteritis include:

dehydration
malnutrition
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which may occur later on
Posted 7/16/2011 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
If your daughter has them too it's possible they aren't related to UC. Sores in the mouth, etc, can be a symptom but won't neccessarily be there. I think a lot of people don't get them. Try not to worry about the test. Just make sure you ask about biopsies and pictures. I know I keep saying not to worry, but it's really important!
Have you been handling any new products, using new soaps, etc, that your daughter might also have touched, or that you might've touched before having physical contact with her? It could be a virus or something simple like an irritant (as far as the sores go). Keep doing your research but look at it all obectively until you get the results of your scope.
Posted 7/16/2011 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Don't worry about having UC, it's not deadly and you may have something that is easily controlled with medication. If you DO have some form of IBD there are many treatments. One(just one of many choices)current treatment is a combination antibiotic course, even for people who don't have infectious UC, and for some people it is successful.

We here can't give you much advice until you get a diagnosis which usually involves a colonoscopy with biopsies. If your doctor said not to worry about colon cancer listen to him. Great that your dh is a doctor also.
Let us know what your biopsy says when you get it.

edited to add: the combo antibiotic regimen is UC specific, not just any old antibiotic treatment. So do some research on it so you are informed about it in case it isn't mentioned by your GI (not all GI's are up on all the latest research).

You will need to become your own health advocate, not to dispute your GI but to be a full partner in your treatment.
Posted 7/16/2011 9:39 AM (GMT 0)

S.O.S. said...
IM TERRIFIED BECAUSE I KNOW IT INCREASES MY RISK OF COLON CANCER....plz someone....help .....i am sooo worried and not sure what to make of everything!!
(

I did not read everything due to the one paragraph post ...

That said, I've been dealing with this for four decades yet to die from cancer.

Yes, the truth is that the risk of colon cancer increases depending on the severity and place of the UC. Eventually some 25 to 45 % of UCers will face surgery. Even that is not the end of life.

Quit worrying, get yourself examined - undergo a colonoscopy ASAP.

Good luck to you.
Posted 7/16/2011 11:14 AM (GMT 0)
I am going through a similar thing - at least mentally. I have yet to be diagnosed (I am on a waiting list for colonoscopy to determine if my symptoms are due to proctitis, ulcerative colitis, crones disease or something else). I also suffer from anxiety and the last three months have been very difficult. I first got symptoms (bloody and explosive diarrhea) in April - the symptoms have varied in severity, but I generally go to the bathroom at least 3 times a day, with urgency (not much warning!) and most of the time blood. My doc gave me some asacol suppositories after doing a physical exam and seeing an ulceration), there was no improvement, oral asacol - no improvement, pentasa suppositories - and some improvement!!!! yeah! Regardless my mind went straight to cancer! and when I am tired or stressed it goes back there - time and time again. Even though my doc said it wasn't on his 'radar' either :-) my poor doc has had me in his office crying so much over the last three months!!!

I am telling you this for two reasons.

1. you are not alone, anxiety over health is very very common. The best thing you can do is take a deep breath and make an appointment to see your doctor. For me, one part of dealing with my anxiety is having a plan of action. (For instance I found out on Friday that I may have to wait another 8 weeks for a colonoscopy - that will make a total of 5 months without a diagnosis! - but to get me through the anxiety I have made a 'plan' to call my GP on Monday and see if I can afford to have the scope done privately at my own cost).

2. To be honest (and I am not an expert here!) your symptoms don't really sound like classic UC. It could be a repeat of the infectious colitis and some more antibiotics might clear it up - OR it could be some common gastro bug. Working with kids you must get exposed to stuff all the time (kids are little viral reactors). Chances are it is nothing serious. But even if it is UC there are some good treatments. No one knows what triggers UC, but stress seems to be common. Although I don't have an official diagnosis I have been receiving treatment as if I do have UC (based on the ulceration my doctor saw), and I am seeing some improvement of my symptoms by having nightly enemas - which really aren't so bad, and my understanding is that for most people their UC responds to medication letting them lead normal lives.

Sorry for the long post, but I really wanted to try and let you know that you are not alone. I hope everything works out for you - keep us posted :-)

Post Edited (MadScientist) : 7/16/2011 5:20:06 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/16/2011 11:18 AM (GMT 0)
Also, UC does increase your risk of colon cancer. But as a UC patient you usually get colonoscopy more than people without UC - so any cancer is likely to be detected early.
Posted 7/16/2011 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone.....I really appreciate the support...and MADSCIENTIST....you truly do understnad the anxiety and I think you have been soo strong to sit for with it for this long...
QUIT WORRYING IS not an option for me.........just like a falre up of UC is not in your control...I have severe OCD and am on meds for that as well.
I'm no longer working at the school but have tons of contact with lil kids and dirty diapers bc my dd is 2 and other is 3 months............we are around lots of lil ones w diapers.
what is infectious UC? soo confused...i had infectious colitis where they didnt see any ulder 4 yrs ago but saw the infec and it cleared up with anti biotics. a yr ago when preg i had the bloody diarrhea....a very lil bit and full feeling.....I NEVER feel like i have to run to the bathroom even in those isolated occassions. There is never an urgency feeling...just feels like i have gas but what came out those 3 times was a lil bit of blood and mucus. the episode when i was preg a yr ago that happened 3 yrs after my sig that showed no ulcers etc...just an infection.....cleared up after 1st dose of anti...and 2 weeks ago i had a lil bit that went away after day/....though following days to come I felt like i had a stomach bug. No vomitting etc..just a sensitive stomach. As I've said I virtually NEVER have stom problems....always regular..normal stools..knock on wood..............
do they treat UC with anti biotics? I'm sooo confused ebcause if i had the sig 4 yrs ago and it didnt show any IBD'S ....but clearly just an infec.........and my symptoms the following two times were IDENTICAL...wouldnt it be likely it was just another strand of infec?
Posted 7/16/2011 1:57 PM (GMT 0)
also...is it poss ive had more blood but never see it? I do have an anal fizzer from recently giving birth that causes red blood..but i can tell diff bc it hurts to go and i have seen the fizzer. dh did a random blood test last month and blood count etc...evthing was perfect!!!!!! Does that say anything?
What does UC flare up usually entail ?
Posted 7/16/2011 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
I had a great deal of panic and anxiety (mental and physical) surrounding not understanding UC flares and symptoms AFTER I was diagnosed. Once I was in remission, I feared a relapse and the fear I believe precipitated the one relapse I've had.

With knowledge and getting used to the disease, comes a sense of calm and level headedness. You learn what works, what doesn't. The first year to year and a half for me was a roller coaster.

But you don't even know you have it so you need to get that information.
Posted 7/16/2011 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
SOS - if you are having postpartum anxiety, PLEASE CALL YOUR OB/GYN and go to talk to him/her as soon as you can. YOU CAN TREAT YOUR ANXIETY while nursing, and you should. It is not healthy for you or your children for you to be emotionally overwrought.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are two conditions that can cause your symptoms. There are a host of others. Diagnosing bowel disorders can take a long time and requires patience and perseverance. None of these conditions are going to ruin your health today or tomorrow; they are chronic illnesses that are managed over many years. If you were acutely ill and losing weight and filling a toilet with bloody diarrhea 15 times a day your DRs would be able to rush your diagnosis and treatment - but you are not. You are living with some minor discomfort and some occasional blood. IT CAN WAIT.

Deep breaths. It will be ok. I promise.
Posted 7/16/2011 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
thanks kazbern..i am working with a therapist and psychiatrist...................and am already of meds .........they arent working ne more and im in process of findinf right one again........inthe meantime i am suffering greatly.
It's nice to know thesecan be manage...........is there a good chance this is simply another bacterial infec/ stomach virus with irritation..or hemm? Does it sound that way at all? I find it peculiar that even a whole yr has gone by without a symptom.....and before that 4 yrs ....when they did the sig and saw that it wasnt bowel disease but an infec........i also just gave birth. i never have discomfort...ever... even when ive seen the blood the 3 times........i never feel sick or have any pain...what does this sound like? as i said i am around a lol of germy kids and dirty diapers...going to meet with gi dr on monday........nervous.....
Posted 7/17/2011 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
If you're pregnant the symptoms you describe can be very much related and temporary...
Posted 7/17/2011 3:03 AM (GMT 0)
SOS, postpartum changes in your bowel habits ... I don't know. That's a question for your OB. Hemorrhoids are certainly common postpartum, and in late pregnancy too. The timing between your problems is interesting but maybe meaningless. It's impossible to say.

I got diagnosed with an inflammatory bowel disease about a year and a half after my first child was born. My symptoms started during pregnancy with sudden lactose intolerance, got worse after her birth (bloody diarrhea, mucous galore) and then continued at the same pretty bad level for a whole year. It took me a few months after my daughter's birth to call a GI, then it took him another year to do a sigmoidscope and find [part of] the problem. During all that time I nursed my daughter, worked at my job, started an IVF cycle, lived a happy life and even ate anything I wanted.

In your job with germy kids and dirty diapers, I know you are washing your hands and keeping the surfaces clean. I'm glad you're working with mental health professionals who can keep your anxiety under control; I hope you find the right medical solution soon so you can be happier and calmer. By the way, have you read dooce? She suffered from crippling postpartum anxiety and has written at length about her experience. Perhaps that would be something helpful for you to read. Google the name and read her blog if you're interested.

Blood in your stool is certainly a reason to call the DR, and as I said before it can be a long process to diagnose a bowel problem. The first thing a DR is probably going to do is ask for a stool sample and do some bloodwork, maybe a digital exam to look for hemmies. If you're not losing weight too fast (postpartum I know you want to lose that baby weight, but not right away!), you're not having fevers, you're not feeling pain....it's not an emergency. You'll figure it out.
Posted 7/17/2011 3:42 AM (GMT 0)
Blood was taken month ago by my dh who is a dr................and it was perfect. ( i had it taken to routinely check my iron bc im a vegetarian) I only had a very small amount of blood once 2 weeks ago...it started with some bloating the week before (the same it had 3 yrs before when i had the sig...bc of bloody diarrhea and simply had an infection.....)..............i never , in either circumstance......felt any stom pain or urgency to go...just a feeling as if i had to have gas.......i could control it...but when i went thats what was there. The 1st time....4 yrs ago when i had infec...was the worst..........took anti biotics and felt fine after. No pain with that ever..............sig normal except saw the infection. (he suspected it was an infec bc nature of my job)............while i was preg........4 months (1st tri had TERRIBLE constipation and horrible straining...very common in 1st tri)..........the feeling of having to have gas came back adi had two days of mild diarrhea...bloody a bit...hard to tell if there was mucous....but im assuming there was bc it was kinda of red and clear looking. .......dh put me on anti biotics bc thats what they ddi the 1st time when they saw for 100% that it was not a disease or anything just an infec n it cleared up. It cleared up right away..............no pain again. This past time...2 weeks ago.....had one single night of this feeling and a tiny bit of blood........dh saw and didn't even think it was blood but im pretty sure it was........GI dr suspects its an internal hemm but will do a full scopeto rule out IBD'S............for some reason i really think think it is a IBD. I KNOW IT DEFF WAS NOT the 1st time bc i had the test............maybe for some reason it has turned into it...........HOWEVER....fromwhat ive read and know of with people who have it....they usually are much moer symptomatic...have stom ahces and severe diarrhea. This past time...i felt like maybe i had a virus bc after night of suspected passage of blood...very lil.....i had regular diarrhea and stomach just felt under the weather. I also said i had canker sores for about 3 weeks prior......my daughter did as well and dh thinks it might of been coxsackie virus. who knows............my bowel habbits have continued to be normal before preg and after..........like i could set a clock to them and they are always same form.....etc.............no belly aches ever...............can eat anything i want. (except for these isolated incidences)......i do know that i had a strain of bacteria...like a food poisoning or contamination the 1st time guaranteed....i wonder and hope that perhaps i got infected this 2nd and 3rd time with anotehr strand bc i dont have good washing habbits......instead of having a complete chronic illness. .........not losing weight too fast........but am losing bc i breastfeed, stay active, and have good diet.
i am currently seeking tons of help for my anxiety and depression..............i have bonded very hardly with my baby so it is not of that falvor..it is more that my ocd has flared up severely bc of the hormonal changes.

forum moderator: did you mean my synptoms could have been related to preg and not an ibd?
Posted 7/17/2011 3:43 AM (GMT 0)
what does an internal hemm feel like...............cause?
Posted 7/17/2011 4:07 AM (GMT 0)
Fecal occult blood test will tell you if there is blood there you don't see.

I think if I were in your shoes I would be shoving some fecal enemas up my rear. Even if you do have UC, sounds like it may be the form that would go into remission with a FT.
May consider yourself lucky.
Posted 7/17/2011 12:43 PM (GMT 0)
With all the antibiotics you've taken, maybe you have a fungal overgrowth?...which can cause some of the symptoms you report. I would also highly advise your baby to be on probiotics (with your doctor's approval) if you were on antibiotics during your pregnancy. I know antibiotics are necessary and beneficial at times, but they are also fungal toxins, alter your bowel terrain, and allow yeast to proliferate in the body, doing damage if left unchecked. Add a diet high in starch and sugar and you have a vicious cycle. Do you consume artificial sweetener? I would also avoid that if so.
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