Looking for Answers about UC and Prednisone...Any advice helps!

I was first diagnosed with UC in April of 2011 and I am looking for answers from fellow UC sufferers as I cannot seem to get the answers I am looking for from my GI doc.

Had a colonoscopy on April 21st 2011, which showed mild, mostly left-sided Colitis and no polyps. After my diagnosis in April of 2011, GI doc prescribed Asacol HD. Flare cleared up in 3 days but then started flaring again in a month. Medication changed to Balsalazide Disodium 750mg (Generic Colazol) x6 per day. Again, this med cleared up the flare until October 2011. Experienced a flare for 2 weeks. GI doc upped Balsalazide to 9x per day. Flare cleared up and was fine for 7 months until May 15th, 2012.

Current flare started with bloody stool, however I was only having 1 bowel movement per day (In the morning). After 2 weeks, symptoms were not going away, but not really getting any worse. At this point, I contacted my GI Doc and he immediately prescribed 40mg Prednisone for 7 days then taper down 10 mg every 7 days (40mg x 7days, 30mg x 7 days, 20mg x 7 days, 10mg x 7 days). At first, I thought this seemed a little excessive considering I was only having 1 or 2 bloody bowel movements per day and I had never taken Prednisone before. I spoke with my family doctor, who also has UC, and he too thought that may be excessive. So I held off a couple of days and continued to take Balsalazide and high doses of VSL#3.

2 days later I started to develop high fevers during the day that would brek with night sweats every night along with painful joint aches(knees, ankles, elbows) and my bowel movements started to increase to 3 or 4 per day. So I caved in and started taking the Prednisone 3 days ago. I take 40mg once every morning at 9am. Today is my 4th day and I have seen no improvement which really scares me because it seems everyone else sees improvement immediately. I currently am experiencing bloody bowel movements that wake me up about 4 or 5am and will then have 2 or 3 more bloody BMs until I take the Prednisone at 9am. I am usually OK after that until it all starts over the next morning.

Any advice helps. I really appreciate having this forum to converse with others going through what i am going through. I was afraid to start the Prednisone, but I am petrified of the next steps after that (ie. Imuran or Remicade). Please let me know if I am over reacting and should give Prednisone more time or if i am right to be worried that it doesn't seem to be helping.

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34 Years old
Diagnosed with UC in April 2011.
Currently taking Balsalazide Disodium 750mg 9x/day, VSL#3 Capsules
Prednisone started 6/5/12 at 40mg

James77,

Sorry to hear about your recent flare.
As far as your high fevers, night sweats, and painful joints, those are all common side effects of Prednisone. If those are the only side effects you are experiencing, you should count yourself fortunate.

I do agree that jumping on Prednisone when you were only have 1 BM per day seems a bit hasty. I would have thought a prescription for cipro would have been more in line. That's what I was prescribed for my first flare which was comparable to what you are currently experiencing.

For me it takes Prednisone up to a week to start kicking in, just remember each of us are different and we all react to medications in an individual way.

Are your BM's long and thin? If they are then your colon is inflamed, Prednisone helps to bring down that inflammation.

Keep taking the VSL, and might want to try a low residue diet for a period of time. Reduce your gluten and dairy products as they are know to cause inflammation. Keep away from red meats, raw foods and especially fried greasy foods.

Yep yep rectal meds should have been prescribed before the stupid pred. I hate that doctors just rush to the pred. I can understand the need for it but I would try everything else before taking it. And by the way, not everyone feels better fast from taking it.

It took just over 3 weeks for prednisone to start working for me. I tapered off completely by 2 months. Definitely get on rectal meds and don't start tapering down pred until you see improvements.

When I started pred I was having around 7 bms/day, lots of blood, mucous, urgency. I didn't see any improvement until 3 weeks. First blood lessened, then frequency decreased from 7/day to about 4/day. I stayed on 40mg for a few more days til blood was totally gone, then went to 30mg for a week, then 20 for a week. I dropped down to 10 and had traces of blood so I went back up to 20 for another week. Tapered by 5 mgs ever week after that with no problems. I feel lucky, but I never had any side effects from the prednisone.

Everyone is so different. Agree with those above - try the rectal meds. If it comes to it - Imuran is not a death sentence. Keep working with your GI and you'll get it figured out.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful and insightful responses. It really helps being able to communicate with others going through the same thing I am. I look forward to spending a lot of time on the forum, it's a great help.

i would assume the quick taper has to do with the relatively short duration - i think the longer you're on a drug, the longer and slower the taper - just my thinking -

also, like everyone, + rectal meds -

good luck -