New here. Could I please have your advice?

I hope this is an appropriate place to look for some help. Less than a year ago I was diagnosed with "non specific inflammation of the colon". At the time of my colonoscopy only the area right above the rectum was inflamed. My doctor said it looked like UC but didn't give it as the official diagnosis.

The symptom that has been the most persistent since the beginning is the passing of mucus. I have many bowl movements a day however most of them only consist of mucus, no stool. I have noticed that nearly any food or drink I consume irritates my colon more than it already is.

The consistency of my stool has changed. The foods I eat seem to have an exaggerated effect on how my stools form. Dairy not only seems to cause more irritation but it makes the stools very hard and form in a large amount of smaller stools. These are very difficult to hold in so I'm running to the bathroom every five minutes.

When i don't have dairy I will only pass stool either once a day or every other day. 90% of the stool I pass are unformed, sticky, paste-like and dry. It's similar to mud or peanut butter. When my stools are like this (and they almost always are) it takes a great deal of straining to get all of the stool out. This has led to a big nasty, bag-like hemorrhoid, bleeding, fatigue and leg pain. It often takes close to an hour for me to finish pooping. In the most severe cases it has taken 3 hours.

I have recently noticed bloating of the intestine area (below the belly button). In the last two weeks this area has remained consistently bloated. It almost looks like the belly of a woman in early stages of pregnancy.

I need help. I don't know what to eat or what medicine I should be taking (I'm currently taking Apriso oral pills and Canasa suppository). How do I alleviate the inflammation, form normal stools, cure the hemorrhoid and stop the bloating? My symptoms have gotten worse, I've lost 35 pounds from not eating enough, I feel much weaker and fatigued easily. My mental health is deteriorating. Any INFORMED advice is appreciated.

Thank you.

Sounds like your doctor is awol. I would at least start by not eating dairy for a long time.

It sounds like your treatment regimen is not sufficient. Mesalamine enemas would cover more ground than the Canasa suppositories and would also be significantly less expensive. You need to see your GI (or another GI) to discuss your treatment.

Welcome to the forum.

Hi, I would definitely start a food diary immediately, even if its only for a month, it will help you determine what works for you, start off with simple plain foods, like white rice, chicken, potatoes, fish, and build up from there,sometimes fruit drinks can cause problems too. Rectal meds are important, so I would speak with your doctor regarding those, and if you don't feel you are getting the support from your doctor that you need you can always look for another, also many people with UC take a good probotic every day, that can help.

What seemed to help me is going on a mostly liquid diet for a week or two, then slowly adding foods back in. I have never been a fan of the white bread/potato/rice diet for feeling better. My logic was that if my bowl was messed up, I should give it a vacation.

I drank a lot of fresh made juice (mostly carrot apple celery) and very simple soups with veggie broth, noodles and one or two cooked veggies. I was also able to tolerate small amounts of hummus for a little protein. PB/almond milk and banana smoothies were good too (and high calorie!)

It's possible once you're feeling better you can have some dairy.

Good luck!