When is urgency from UC and when is it from IBS?

I think you're doing too many things...and if you're that problematic, you're still flaring and having symptoms while tapering.

ARE you on rectal meds? If you have a signature, make sure you click the box to include signature, each and every time you have that offered (in edit mode too).

The VSL will increase gas, which can contribute towards gas which can exacerbate urgency.

q

Included a signature. I'm not on rectal meds at the moment. I was on Rowasa enemas but that didn't seem to help at all and I have trouble holding in enemas.

I don't have blood really, it's sometimes small amounts but I believe that to be from hemorrhoids. And I don't seem to be running a fever.

My main symptoms now are abdominal cramping/pain and urgency. I'm pretty sure I'm dealing with some bad hemorrhoids and/or rectal prolapsing, at least when I have D, but lately my stool's been more formed than not (except for today where I was having solid this morning, then the urgency replaced it with D).

Just wish I knew what was associated with the IBD itself versus IBS or food intolerances. Going Gluten free/Dairy free didn't seem to make a huge difference for me symptom wise, but then again I didn't have an episode like today while doing the Gluten Free/Dairy Free (although I was still experiencing the occasional urgency and D).

I think for people with UC it's impossible to tell. I often wonder if my IBS symptoms are from all the scar tissue I have from the last 4 years of IBD... Maybe the IBS symptoms I had before I was diagnosed were mild IBD... ;o(

I sometime hate that someone came up with IBS. What the heck is it, anyway? Irritable bowel? For those of us with an inflammatory bowel disease, I find the whole concept of having another "syndrome" to be ridiculous half the time. I know there are plenty of people here at HW who talk about having both, but what does it mean? I guarantee you my bowel is pretty irritable, ticked off in fact, that it's been inflamed for years and abused by my own immune system. That would make me irritable too.

Sorry, griping on your time.

Tiesto, if you're having urgency and diarrhea, treat your illness. If you didn't have these feelings while you were on a restricted diet, go back on the diet. If you want to explore the restrictions, take one step at a time. Put dairy in for a few days and see how you feel. In my opinion. lactose intolerance is really easy to discern. If you drink a glass of milk on an empty stomach and feel awful 10-15 minutes later, the end. The treatment of lactose intolerance is also simple - use lactase tablets or lactose-free milk and you're done. Casein intolerance is more complicated. Gluten sensitivities or intolerance can be assessed by elimination diets, too, but you really need weeks to evaluate that, and from my experience the longer you're gluten free the better you'll feel (if indeed it is an issue).

While you're tapering prednisone you might find that your symptoms increase. It is important to tell your DR; you might want to slow the taper. If you're changing so many things at once it is really hard to figure out what's doing what.

Kazbern,

With IBS there is no inflammation but it can definitely have IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) like symptoms with bathroom frequency, D or C and for some, alternating D and C (just as it can be for some IBDers, only difference is that with IBD, there is inflammation, with IBS, no inflammation...also generally with IBS there is never any bleeding from the intestines but if you have IBS and hemmies and bleeding, the bleeding would likely be from hemmies.

The million dollar question is trying to figure out which one is causing the current problem (I too have IBS as well as IBD) good news is that many things that help with controlling IBS can also aid with IBD, regular daily exercise, enough fibre daily, water and adequate rest.

Good luck and feel better soon tiesto!

If you ate something that your body can't digest and you get diarrhea as a result, then it's IBS.

If your colon is flaring or still damaged due to a recent flare, then it's UC.

If you ate something that your body can't digest and you are flaring or recovering from a flare, then it's both IBS and UC.

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My IBS seems to start in the stomach.

Hm, my GI implied that my shifting between D and C so much was the IBS, and the bleeding from IBD, but I've never really been able to get a handle on the difference, either.

I get it that many people suffer from bowels that are crampy, spasmodic, whatever. Those of us who've been scoped and told "no inflammation" should not forget that there's another 20 feet of bowel that docs can't see with regular scopes.

I have come to believe that my motility issues are a result of chronic inflammation. If I'm feeling crampy and having soft stool or diarrhea I'm blaming the IBD and nothing else. That doesn't mean that I'm ignoring my diet or other contributing factors. I just think when DRs use the word "IBS" they're getting off too easy.

^^
not true...I didn't bleed with flares for over 14 years. I don't now either....so, it's not a determiner.

If the bleeding is continual with bms in the stool and without stool, it's definitely a flare...but there would be other symptoms  before the bleeding, although maybe not recognised.

 
q