Catscan tomorrow. So Frustrated!

Hey folks! So i'm experiencing a flare like I have never before. I am not someone who takes medications and I am now on Prednisone, Asacal, Donnotal and Trazadone. My only improvement 8 days into the Prednisone is that my urgency has decreased some and their in no longer any blood present. The pain has not let up. I went back to the drs today complaining of painful bruising everywhere, joint pain,rapid heart beat, clay colored stool and insomnia. These are just the new symptoms that have started since trying to reduce the inflammation from this flare! So my doctor had all my labs redrawn and is sending me for a catscan in the morning. I don't even know what to expect because i've never been sick like this before. If one more person medically trained or not tells me I need to reduce the stress in my life I may need to be sedated. I find myself increasingly isolated and lonely. I'm scared to leave my home and that's tough since I work full time and go to school full time. I'm just reaching out. Not looking for any answers or anything specific. Thanks for reading.


Emma

I have the pain meds here but they don't make enough of a difference to tolerate the side effects. I have this newer lower right sided pain which has my dr scheduling the catscan now. She was talking about a potential blockage but then said the treatment was more freaking prednisone. I hate this stuff!!

Welcome to the forum. Sorry you are going through so much trouble.

Prednisone can take a while to work. What dose are you on? Usually prednisone is good for controlling flares and doctors put people on other therapies while weaning off.

Were you on any maintenance meds before the flare up? Ulcerative colitis is a lifelong thing and the best way to control re-flares is through permanent maintenance therapy with mesalamines (asacol, lialda, colazal, etc). Chances of reflaring are a lot higher when people go off medications, and people generally end up costing the healthcare system a lot more. Future flares get harder and harder to treat and require stronger medications like immunosuppresants and anti-tnf inhibitors.

I'm currently taking 40mg of pred, its been 7 days at that dose and after tomorrow I will start weaning. I was not on any maintenance medication and was in remission for 7 years! I'm hoping to eventually be medication free again! I have been trying some yoga recently and it's an awkward thing for me but I think it seems to be helping. I have refused to take any of the anti anxiety medications simply because I don't want to be on anymore meds. My Dr did ask me to try upping my trazadone to 100mg to aide with sleep because I don't want anything addictive. What a road this is!!!

While I hear that, I do.. I went 7 years without medication. I guess I am not at a place in my life where I want to admit I'll need a medication forever. Shrug. I am choking down the last of this barium sulfate and headed in for the scan. Thanks again everyone for your feedback. As an aside I feel much less emotionally shaken today, perhaps my body is just getting used to the prednisone, and now its about to start weaning.. :)

you can not improve or even get worse on Pred. If everyone responded, there would never be hospitalization and iv mes and surgery. sadly, some people only get a limited benefit. sometimes even higher doses might help, sometimes not.

I get less symptoms on Pred, but I am dependent on a low dose (down to 8mg, but been on it almost 3 years). Pain is not that bad for me, but bleeding never stopped. a bit less now, bot I still need a couple of iron infusions a year because of the steady blood loss.

I hope you turn a corner.

IMO, if you get remission again (I've never had full remission) don't go med free. I won't. If I ever get remission, I will do the utmost to insure it lasts.