Mild Symptoms

what do you consider mild? I keep hearing my UC is mild but my symptoms are so diverse day to day, I don't know what mild means. I have some pretty miserable days. It's weird that "mild" can be awful one day and perfectly fine the next. Is this mild?

I've been flaring since Dec. 10, 2013. Symptoms include a tiny bit of blood (like, I would have never noticed there was any in the entire seven months had I not had a IBDer's keen eye when looking at the toilet) and a little black mucus at the front of the stool. (not black blood)

Still good form, still going two times per day about 6/7 days and three times about one day a week. By far my mildest flare ever. No "miserable days" as you mentioned

I don't know how I can have such a mild flare for seven months. I contribute it to the DMSO still working, I just wish I could get back into remission.

Sometimes I think it's all a crock. I was going 10 - 20 times per day with diarrhea, blood, and mucus and my GI called it "mild". I think his definition was based solely on the colonoscopy report.

That's weird to have moderate inflammation and no symptoms. exactly the opposite of what i deal with. I get "mild" but my symptoms can be bad. Right now it's very unpredictable. If mild is 4 a day, I would fit into that category some days, most lately, but then I have explosive days where I am going a lot more. In the past I would go up to 20x+ daily when I was flaring badly but the inflammation looked mild/moderate.

Levi, I have cramping and very inconsistent # of trips. I also have bad consistency sometimes and a lot of blood others, something no blood. Not miserable like I have had at my worst.

"A crock"-- I agree. If you're going more than 3X/day, how can the doctor call it "mild" inflammation? Notso, have you kept a food diary etc. for the days that you still feel really miserable? / Old Hat (33 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)

The GI I was seeing when I was diagnosed said that he never classifies UC as mild/moderate/severe, because often times, the symptoms don't line up with the inflammation. In my case, my entire colon was inflamed, but I had no large ulcerations -- just all very small ones -- and I was having diarrhea up to 20x a day. I didn't have any pain, either, and just a very small amount of blood.

notsosticky - what you describe in terms 1 -2 bms but not much stool blood mucous sounds like what i have experienced a month ago. Cramps are not a common symptom with me. To cut a long story short it was proximal constipation with some inflammation at the very bottom end. I would advise you look into it asap as if you are having this you need fibre/laxatives and rectal meds (suppository really helped me alongside metamucil within a week remission like symptoms but waiting to see if it holds)

I get cramps and the inflammation is only limited rectally....it really has no bearing on where one's inflammation is...spasming happens, gas happens, natural peristalsis happens, food symptoms happen, periods happen and that screws up things as well.

I'd say You are flaring, and I'd suggest you consider to ask the doc for retention enemas. If you can't use them, then the Canasa twice a day would be helpful.

If you are wanting to try fibre, the capsules are at least easy to take with food. Start with one at one meal for a few days, etc.

I's strongly suggest you try antispasmodic meds...I see that the buscopan is available OTC in the US.

Hang tough...you'll get through this by increasing your rectal meds for a few weeks.

q

But rectal meds are best to be used because you shouldn't leave simmering symptoms regardless. If you can get it to the point to stop the bleeding, that's a good thing....especially to deal with it when things aren't extreme in symptoms.

It's difficult to deal with proctitis...it all sucks to be sure.

q