ricos,
60 mg is a high dose to be on for 6 months. You are doing a lot of log term damage to your body which in some cases will not be reversible.
I do empathize with you that this is what only helps with your symptoms.
First things first as well as azathioprine aka imuran (please remember that this can take 6 months or more in some cases to kick in so please keep this up in case it works) you should also be on A5sa's (mesalazine). These are taken under various brands orally and rectally. Please make sure you are taking them in both forms. Just taking pred means you have no maintenance meds which means no chance of getting off pred.
The rectal meds also come in steroid form (Predsol, budesonide etc) I would start with a steroid foam which has less side effect and no long term issues in the way oral steroids so. Also they treat your disease topically. A lot of GI's shun rectal meds because they argue your inflammation is higher up BUT some of your inflammation is not so better to treat from both ends. Please don't avoid rectal meds because they are more difficult or embarrassment. With time and practice you will be able to hold them better and you should see some benefit,
Finally once you introduce all the above and as you have no blood I would do 2 more things. Start taking metamucil (fibre supplement, psyllium husk). This will bind your stool and make you more regular. Passing stool is much easier and there will be less irritation in general to the colon. Make sure you take it with food. Buy it in capsule form and don't buy the sugar free buy the original one as the sugar free has preservatives that irritate the bowel.
The dose is 12 caps a day however this is not always good for all ucers. The general thought is with food and start slow till you find the dose that benefits you most. Please remember with food and stay resilient if you get feelings of bloating and gas initially. This will pass. Some UC'ers have had this for a month and then it goes away. That's why you need to start with a low dose and increase the number of caps each week as you adjust.
Finally and most importantly you need to get off pred. The above regimen will help. So because you are on such a high dose for a long period of time you have to do this very slow. Ask your pharmacy to get you 5mg pred tablets and what I would do is try all the above for 2 weeks and stay on 60 mg. Then drop to 55 for 2 weeks then 50 and so on till you get to 10. As long as you don't see blood please keep dropping as going 8 to 10 x a day means the pred is not working anyway and must be giving you awful side effect not to mention long term damage to your bones/eyes etc.
When you get down to 10 mg get some 1mg tablets from your phramacy drop by 1mg a week till you eventually get down to 0.
NO GI SHOULD EVER LET A PATIENT BE ON JUST PRED. HE MIGHT AS WELL DO SURGERY NOW IF THAT'S THE CASE.
Finally be strong and know you are not alone in this. We are all suffering similar things and a lot of the above I have learnt from great people on this and other forums. Remember if nothing works there is always surgery and it not a death sentence. Nearly all who have had surgery go back to a near normal life aside from changes in their body through surgery and hardly any regret it. Don't continue to damage your long term health. Its simply not worth it.
Stay strong and be positive. There is a way out if all else fails. Anxiety and stress will make your symptoms worse.
Imran
Post Edited (Imran123) : 1/4/2014 5:10:07 AM (GMT-7)