What Is Remission???

Symptomatic Remission means an absence of uc symptoms, no blood, mucus, urgency, and a reasonable # of bms a day. Clinical remission means no active signs of disease are visible either through endoscopy (e.g., a flexible endoscope or colonoscopy) or under microscope when your bioposies are examined. Doesn't sound like you are in it, but then again neither am I (two years and waiting lol). How does it feel? Dunno fantastic I hope, like one did before uc.

Did you have 2 BM's per day with blood before UC? If not then you are not in remission.

If you're asking then you're probably not in remission. I find whenever I ask myself if I am in remission or not, I am usually not. Blood of course is not a sign of remission, but only 2 bm's a day is pretty standard, especially if there is no urgency!

Luna89 weaning off of your medications is a really bad idea. As remicade is chronic, lifelong disease that requires maintenance medications for life. I've read numerous posts here of people quitting their meds only to return to bad uc flareup. If you are on remi then you have a pretty aggressive case of uc, like I do, and going med free is just not an option.

Don't really know anymore. I considered myself to be in remission for years. In retrospect it looks more like I learned to live with constant pain and diarrhea. That's not good, but I just keep going and don't want to let UC win. I am starting Imuran in the morning. Have been on Mesalamine and am tapering off prednisone. I'm not sure that there is remission, unless UC resolves completely. I think we learn to cope with it...
Deacon

Okay luna89 it's your decision. Remember that every case of uc is very different, just because you read someone else did it doesn't mean that you can do it successfully yourself. Uc is a very individual disease with people having different results. I still believe that it is reckless to discontinue remi, or any uc medication with out your doctor's okay.

Luna89 said...
My doctor will decide when to discontinue remicade. Anyway it's not medication for a lifetime. I have nothing to lose if surgery is inevitable.

UC is a chronic, lifelong disease requiring medication for life. What is your beef against remicade, anyways? Remi clearly works for you, as you achieved remission (a feat I have not achieved yet myself). If something is working for you then I recommend you continue it. Surgery is not inevitable with uc, only 25% of patients need it (75% do not). You said you can always restart remicade, some can, some cannot. The immune system can build up antibodies to remicade the next time you try to start it, after a period of not using it. Antibodies mean it either will be less effective, or just flat out not work.