Newly diagnosed-what the heck constitutes normal BMs?!

I was diagnosed with UC at the beginning of April after being miserable for a good 3 months, and I'm finally starting to feel like myself again--woo!

Here's what I'm struggling with: I am back to having 2-3 BMs a day after running to the bathroom 10-20 times at my worst before I went to the hospital. I will have regular, formed BMs in the morning, and then in the afternoon my BM looks a bit different. It will be a bit fluffier, still comes out formed, but has a tendency to break up after sitting in the bowl for a few minutes or as soon as it hits the water. Is this a cause for concern? I just find it a little weird that my BMs in the morning look so different than the one I have in the afternoon. I am having no other symptoms--no blood in the stool, no urgency, and hardly any cramping. My energy levels are great, too.

Since I am still fairly new to all of this I wanted some perspective. I'm not sure what normal is anymore, it's so frustrating.

Thanks everyone!

Hello Colorado from Colorado, welcome. I just wanted to point out that I feel great to know that there is someone else with UC in Colorado, I don't feel so alone anymore ;), sucks for you though. Yeah I'm going to say that there isn't much concern for you right now, it is typical to have lingering small issues when coming out of a flare. As Kaz pointed out you probably have a little inflammation left that needs to go away. It is good news that your energy levels are back with no urgency. Inflammation in the rectum usually is the most stubborn and longest part to get under control. Keep up your meds and whatever else you have been doing and don't let your guard down as the inflammation can easily get worse. One issue people usually have is they stop their meds or tend to forget their UC as they think they are "cured" then comes the second flare - Be warned now that most future flares are become harder and harder to get under control so don't let up on this one yet.

Beyond that welcome and hopefully someday we might meet on the street or in the bathroom, hopefully the street though.

Wow I can't believe your doctor doesn't have you on any 5asa's - like Asocol or Lialda. Remicade is more of a big gun med to be starting off with. I'm actually very shocked by that.

Please stop telling people how wonderful Colorado weather really is, it ruins the secret ;). Its best that everyone thinks its snows non-stop and its cold, obviously you weren't born here, it states that on your birth certificate.

Hi and welcome to the forum....I just wanted to add that a daily probotic thrown into the mix is usually quite helpful!

Even on Remi you might benefit mightily from a mesalamine enema, just to get that last bit of colon treated directly.

Hi, I take Ultimate Flora 50 billion probotic, its a good one, but some people take VSL probotic which is equally as good, poss more so, its a bit more expensive, some people claim to have gone into remission from taking this product.