recto-sigmoid colon

My question is, if this is the area where my ulcerative colitis is effected, should I be doing enemas? What medications are supposed to help this area most effectively?

I am currently on prednisone and sulfasalazine. No improvements and a 3 month flare. Help!! I have to make all suggestions to my current doctor until I get in with my new GI because my current doctor...for lack of a better word...sucks.

Yes, what fruitgirl said.

fruitgirl said...
I think that ANYONE with UC should be doing rectal meds, because the oral meds aren't as effective at treating inflammation as the rectal meds. My first GI (and he'd still be my GI if he hadn't retired and I hadn't moved) said that it's a shame it'd be impossible to use an enema that was big enough to treat the entire colon, because UC would likely be easier to control that way.

There are many studies showing that using both oral and rectal meds results in faster response time, increased remission rates, and longer-term remission.

I am so annoyed! I called my doctor to see if he could call the rectal meds in for me and when I got a call back from his nurse today with a response saying that no it wouldn't be effective for me. My response of course is well what would?

Your DR is an idiot for saying that. Or the nurse is. Or both are.

So true Soystud. In fact, I flared and went to the ER and the PA wrote me a script for a four day course of pred. Now that's an expert on UC! I asked to see an ER doc.

yeah...wrong enemas Summerland, and bad advice.
q

kassie hahn said...
I am so annoyed! I called my doctor to see if he could call the rectal meds in for me and when I got a call back from his nurse today with a response saying that no it wouldn't be effective for me. My response of course is well what would?

I agree with the others that it will be good when you get a new doctor. You could even check with another primary care doctor who could write you a prescription for enemas. Most medical literature I have read suggests to doctors that they try a mesalamine enema first (depending on the severity of the disease of course). The main reason some do not is that they think their patients will not use them.

kassie....call the doctor's office back and request to talk to the doctor, or at the very least to get in to see him asap to discuss them.

If both requests are nixed, then say you want to try the rectal meds and you want the doctor to support you in an obvious treatment. Better to try them than to have that RECOGNISED TREATMENT ignored. 

If the answer is no, then you really do need to find another doctor.
q

Models & actresses use bulb enemas to keep fat off the belly, eh? And you think this is relevant to UC? Get real! / Old Hat (32 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)

While I appreciate your enthusiasm Summerland, that type of enema is not exactly what we normally mean when we talk about enemas for UC. Although I have seen some people advocate vitamin E or probiotic enemas for UC.

We are mainly referring to either steroid enemas or mesalamine enemas. Of these two, mesalamine enemas are a great tool for getting some out of an active flare and helping maintain remission. You can do a search on this website to learn more about these types of enemas.

Also, I do not need any help clearing our my sigmoid colon. UC has an "auto-clearing" feature that keeps my colon pretty cleared out...lol

summerland - sounds as if you're chiming in with advice for a specific group here that do not have your exact symptoms. Even I don't have UC and I tread lightly here, gleaning info on probiotics and such but I'd never, in a million years tell a person flaring with UC to do simple enema's. You probably don't realize this but many UC members here have tried many, many different options and your advice seems so dare I say it, backwards and basic, it would be harmful for someone struggling with a flare to do a simple enema, one similar to what models use to maintain flat abdomens.

I strongly suspect you have no idea what a typical day is like for a UCer in a major flare.

This is a very supportive group here at HW, I don't want to chase you away summerland but want to point out that your advice will no doubt fall on deaf ears.

No actual "condition", frustrating, I had a malignant tumor located barely inside, in the sigmoid area to be exact. It was an inch in size. Pre-surgical tests revealed it was penetrating the third bowel layer and so I ended up with a 5 hour surgery, 90% of my sigmoid removed, 15 inches of my colon removed above that point, a temporary colostomy for 8 weeks, my gall bladder removed as well (a standard pre-op cat scan revealed "hundreds" of gall stones), long story short, I have never been the same since I had my colostomy reversed, in the beginning I had 3 bm's during 1 meal. I was told to eat anything I wanted, enjoy life, take immodium. Worst advice a surgeon ever gave me. Thank God for the internet, found colon cancer message boards, links for a low residue diet, went on it, and that gave my life a little more normalcy. But I've never gone back to my former 1 bm per day. Prior to cancer I never had D or C, just pretty much - normalcy. Sigh.......I should add my tumor was not penetrating the third layer, just resting on it, in hindsight I could have had the simple 1 hour scoop out the tumor approach, 6 weeks of chemo, etc. But my surgeon said - this way we got clean margins and it's always best if you can do that. So I didn't need chemo.

My doctors have all said my symptoms line up with IBS. I sincerely hope you all do not mind me hanging out here at the UC forum, you are all such a caring group. And one of you highly recommended the Renew Life Probiotics, thank you for that - forget who. Prior to that I was eating probably 8 yogurt cups (Brown Cow brand) a day for their benefits, one of you said - skip that, go get the pills.

Anyway, that's my story. Sorry to take up so much time with it all, the shortest explanation I ever give is - I had a colon resection due to cancer and now spend a lot of time in the bathroom. :)

soystud - smiling and grimacing, because let's face it, I wish ALL us didn't have f'd up colons. Thanks for the warm welcome. I remember my surgeon saying I wouldn't fit in with any one group of bowel issue forums/support groups. He said at one time - hey start your own. But I haven't really run into many people in my exact situation before. Not that I wish my condition upon anyone.