Another prednisone question

Absolutely hold off....you're improving.

When did you start the sulfasalazine?

Why are you on the antidiarrheal?

q

I'll try to make this short. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Proctitis when I was about 25 years old. I was put on Sulfasalazine (3 per day) and Rowasa which cleared up the bleeding overnite. I went off the Rowasa and continued on the Sulfasalazine for the next approximate 20 years with no problems. My regular doc told me to try getting off the Sulfasalazine since I was in remission for 20 years. My liver counts were a little high. I went off everything for about 2 years with no problems. THEN, I was bitten by a dog pretty badly, and took an antibiotic. I'm not sure which one, but it was a strong one. about a month later my symptoms started up again. Bleeding, diarhea, etc. Had a colonoscopy which showed no problem. But my doc started me on 6 sulfasalazine a day. The bleeding didn't stop so I was put on Rowasa, which helped. However, I kept getting minor flares.
My gastro. unfortunately passed away. My new doc kept telling me that there was nothing wrong with me and to stop everything. I didn't and still had minor flares and requested Rowasa. He told me oral meds weren't helping for proctitis. My main problem was bleeding on and off and sometimes diarrhea. He told me to take an OTC anti-diahrreal twice a day. I only took them in the a.m.
My symptoms continued so I requested another colonoscopy. He diagnosed minor Ulcerative Proctitis and told me to continue the Rowasa nightly for 3 weeks and then taper to every other night.
Everytime I tried to taper I would start bleeding again. So I am currently on Rowasa nightly. I was in remission for about a month and then started bleeding again for 2 weeks straight. I was getting cramps, which usually never happens. I was prescribed the prednisone.
Now the bleeding seems to have subsided for the last 2 days.
I would love to go into remission for a long period of time again. I'm not sure what to do.

I am a 55 year old female. The stress from this is not helping the situation. I also have genital herpes and it seems whenever I get an outbreak the proctitis kicks in. Any answers?

No, I haven't been tested for C-Diff. I did recently have a colonoscopy, could C-diff be determined by that? It seems like I would be much sicker if I had it. I was treated with antibiotics about 2 years ago.

Just a thought-
An online search provides several references that mention taking S. Boulardii to combat effects of antibiotics and c-diff.
Just curious if your probiotic contains that strain?

Benebiotics (18 strains) does contain it.
In the past, I ordered a bottle of S. Boulardii from Amazon and took them sporadically.

P.S.
Why would you consider taking prednisone with all the possible side effects if it wasn't an absolute necessity?

No, it's not.

To be honest, I'm not too impressed with this doc, based on his attitude about prednisone vs. cortenemas and how he told you there was nothing wrong. I think I'd find a new one.

"S. Boulardii"

I do not like that stuff. Seems to make me worse but the data on its wiki looks great.

Sulfasalazine and Librax snapped me out of a deep horrible flare. This time they did not because I also had a flu wiping me out. After 2 weeks of fever and temp drops to 95, headaches zero energy I was peaved the office was tuning me out much like you describe your office treating you like a winy pain.

Well my daughter got the flu the next week and while taking her in I told the doc that even my skin over my stomach was irritated, did not like being touched or anything moved on it. I said 'can this be SEPSIS' ? Hantavirus ? What exactly is going on ? I have had a fever for 2 weeks!

She said go be the squeeky wheel and darn their feelings.

The GI office is on the floor below the GP so I took my daughter down there and dictated an email to the gal at the desk which she sent to the DR which basically said we were supposed to have a phone conference with nurses after 2 weeks of sulfa+librax to determine if we should take the step to predinsone or not. I could not even get them to call me back so what IS the gameplan what do we need to do, must I get a scope? Try another med ?

Next day I had prednisone waiting for me at the pharmacy. 100 mg failed that other time when sulfa+librax succeeded but this time its reversed immediate relief from prednisone. I am down to 20mg now. I use a cortisone enema once or twice a week and I had to badger them to get that.

I saw the doc last week and we both feel this will be a soft landing when I taper off. I am also trying to take the prednisone as often as possible throughout the day in order to present a low amount in my system at all times. This could be the key to waking up the adrenal glands so they are ready on zero day.

Give yourself a couple more days if it goes south just hop on the prednisone I preached against it for a nice long 2 year remission but it has a place. Normally I go anti-inflammatory diet. Lots of salmon but with the flu I could not eat anything. If you can eat salmon 3 times per day or even 2 then you might be able to skip the prednisone. Oh and start consuming psyillium seed powder it heals I get perfect stools that float from it. Not husk, seed powder.

Post Edited (aguywithuc) : 9/25/2012 7:34:12 PM (GMT-6)

Yeah, I'd suggest you get on a different probiotic to see if that's somewhat of a problem for you. Not all probiotics agree with everyone.

q

3dognight-

https://www.orpha.net/data/patho/GB/UC-drugs.pdf

Take a look at this website. Steroid enemas are potentially less harmful than taking oral prednisone.

"Hydrocortisone alcohol remains the most frequently used topical steroid preparation. Although hydrocortisone enemas have been reported to have little systemic absorption and therefore to have little risk of systemic side effects, it has been demonstrated that the bioavailability of a retention enema of at least 8 hours’ duration is almost similar to that of an equivalent oral dose"
(bottom of page 1 to top of page 2)

Thank you again for all of the info and support. I have not started the prednisone. I am going to call my gastro tomorrow and tell him I want the cortenemas. Hopefully they won't give me grief about it.