Toxic megacolon

Has anyone here survived toxic mega colon and came out of it OK?
Doc wants me in the ER today for suspected TMC, what are my odds of coming out of this alright?

I know many people who survived toxic megacolon, but I haven't met anyone who didn't relinquish their colon in the process. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, I just have never heard of it. Best wishes to you, fingers crossed that you get through this without surgery.

Sue

hey beatuc!!

I know of people that have had TMC but they have to get their colon out. Hopefully, yours is just really inflamed and you will be okay!

I will be thinking about you all day!

What are your symptoms? I had this, and it wasn't subtle: spiking temps of up to 40.5C, terrible abdominal pain, and just generally feeling really, really ill.

I responded to iv steroids, and continued to respond to them during subsequent acute episodes, but the long-term prognosis was not good: I needed a colectomy eventually. It was a choice of that, maintaining on 40mg Pred, or dying from toxic megacolon.

If it's toxic megacolon, then surgery is an inevitability, if not now, then later. Hoping for your sake it isn't that. Best of luck.

Hope its not...keep us posted!

Let us know you are a-ok!

TMC is a scary ride but as long as your doctors treat it very aggressively and immediately you may make it through without losing your colon. The second time I had it the doctor misdiagnosed me and treated it like a normal flare. I lost my colon and almost lost my life due to the under diagnosis.

My thoughts are with you! Please let us know how you are doing.

My mom had tmc 15 years ago. Back then removing the colon was pretty standard procedure. She got pretty lucky as the Dr who treated president Bush's son took her case. He was using huge amounts of antibiotics instead of surgery. She was very ill for a long period of time BUT the treatment worked. She is 82 now in great health with her colon. But TMC is still very dangerous and must be addressed ASAP. Good luck..Rod

My GI would not prescribe Lomotil for fear of TMC developing.
Hope "the suspicion" proves to be incorrect.
Best of luck!
IAS

Thanks for the well wishes, i'm in the pan-colitis stage right now, the GI doc is afraid it's going to go toxic. I almost forgot how serious UC can get so fast and 70mg of pred feels like I'm a dog with my head out the car window going 100 miles an hour.
Man, this sucks I just want it to stop.
I firmly believe all will be well in a few weeks, just will never get these prime summer weeks back.
It's sometimes hard to explain UC to people, but when it gets this serious, I wish people could be me just for a day, to get an idea how life altering and devastating this is. I can hardly stand up without falling -not good!

Post Edited (beatUC) : 8/11/2013 3:26:19 PM (GMT-6)

Cycolsporine will stop it in it's tracks. The drug sucks big time but it will help get over that hump. It helped me and bought me some time. I would inquire about it. Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks for the update, I was keeping a look out to see how it went for you. Fingers crossed it goes well if surgery is required.

Today the doc is admitting me to hospital, TPN, transfusions, IV steroids, I've been better.
Thanks for asking...