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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/9/2012 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
Hi--I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Proctitis 6/11, but have had constant problems since 1999. My doctor took me off of the cortenemas (I was on them since June) the first week of December. I was also taking 50 mgs of Nortriptyline to control my diarrhea. The Nortriptyline cause my heart to race up to 150 beats per minute while resting as well as causing dizziness. So, he is took me off of it as well. Currently I'm on 2 Lialda and 4 Dicyclomine per day. I am back to having to use the bathroom 12-15 times per day. Do you all have any suggestions to help control the diarrhea? I'm not sure if I also have IBS or if I'm having a flare up. I just want to have some suggestions when I call my doctor. I was doing really well this Fall, but now I'm back to not wanting to eat out or drive anywhere because I need to be close to a bathroom. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much!
Posted 1/9/2012 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
You should be using mesalamine enemas and/or mesalamine suppositories. That will treat the proctitis much more effectively than the oral meds.

Was your diagnosis done by colonoscopy?

I'm sorry you're not feeling well.
Posted 1/9/2012 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you, kazbern. Yes, I was diagnosed by a colonoscopy. My husband and I talked with my doctor abou the mesalamine enemas, but my doctor said I would be fine with the oral...
Posted 1/9/2012 3:40 AM (GMT 0)
Push for the mesalamine enemas. For some reason, doctors don't like to prescribe them. With the enemas, you are getting the medicine right to the spot while sometimes oral doesn't always reach far down to the rectum.

There are a couple of things you can do. You can try keeping a food diary and see if any foods are causing you grief. Just record everything you eat but keep in mind that most food transit times are 24-72 hours. Eventually you might find a common culprit. Another thing is you can try adding fiber supplements to your daily regimen. But if you do this, take it slow because it can take a while for the body to get used to it. Also, add a probiotic. This can help the good bacteria in your colon to recuperate.
Posted 1/9/2012 4:34 AM (GMT 0)
When I am flaring sometimes it is within 2 hours of eating. The other day I was out to dinner with a friend. Ate some broccoli, the first time I had eaten broccoli in months. By the time I got home, approximately two hours later, the broccoli was on its way out. First time since 2006 that that had happened, the short turn around I mean. I still find it difficult to believe food can go through your system that fast, but I am here to tell you it can. Many painful episodes of multiple movements with bloody stools, etc., but most of them are from more digested food.
It seems there are many avenues to remission. I hope my doctor and I together will find one soon. My doctor recommended Align, but I started researching probiotics and find Align ranks at the bottom of the list. I am now using VSL 3, a very expensive capsule. 60 tablets for $70. What makes it expensive is it is recommended you take up to 8, but a minimum of 2, making it $2.32 a day. I am going to try another probiotic after this; Benebiotic.
Sorry to go on so long.
emw35
Posted 1/9/2012 12:49 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with getting an Rx for mesalamine enemas and also agree with keeping a food diary and begin figuring out what foods could be a problem. You already know about broccoli :-(

Eliminating dairy and gluten would be a good first step since these are common offenders for UC'ers. Try it for 2 weeks and if you have some success (it may not be total success just improvement) then you can expand your search for other problems. Everyone seems to to slightly different in their food intolerances so you really need the food diary to determine yours.

No your doctor will not support diet modification (very rarely) but that's OK.
People here use all types of probiotics so find one that works for you. Yes VSL#3 is expensive but that is due to how many million/billions of live probiotics it has. Cheaper probiotics have fewer so you have to use more and ends up being just as expensive.

Good luck. It does get better :-)
Posted 1/9/2012 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
I also agree with the enemas...and another thing your on a low dose of the Lialda...when I'm flaring I take 2 pills twice a day...I only take 2 a day when I'm not flaring. Just a thought.
Posted 1/9/2012 10:57 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all! I have a call in to my doctor.
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