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Posted 11/19/2014 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know what to do anymore. I've had colitis for four years. I'm 18 and have beem on prednisone twice, and now have red stretch marks from it all over my back. I'm in remision now, but I cry everytime I look at them. Its gotten to the point that I steam up the shower so I don't have to see my reflection. Every time I see them I am reminded of my flair ups and how a disease has destroyed my body and ruined my llife. I hate it and there's nothing I can do.
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I don't know Gary. Every part of colitis sucks. Flare ups, fear of flare ups, weight loss, pain dietary restrictions (which do still apply). People looking at you like your fragile and being fragile. Having markings all over my body is insult on top of injury. They remind me of flare ups of the past, and they are always there to remind me that I will flare up again. So its not just that I hate the way they look, even though I really really do hate the way they look.
Anyways, before you go thinking I'm vain, no one wants to look like they've been mauled by a wild animal. And for every thousand people that have worse UC than me are a hundred thousand people who are healthy and happy. Those people with worse UC wouldn't ask for stretch marks in exchange for health. They'd ask to never have had UC in the first place. It just sucks is all I'm getting at. No amount of counseling will make my lack of health fair or fun.

Post Edited (Yang1996) : 11/19/2014 3:39:25 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/19/2014 7:00 PM (GMT 0)
I've never heard of Prednisone causing scars. How did that happen and how can you see the scars if they are on your back?
Posted 11/19/2014 7:12 PM (GMT 0)
Prednisone scars on the skin? From being on it twice in 4 years? No clue what you are talking about sorry. Did it give you horrible back acne or something?
Posted 11/19/2014 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
In a previous post yang talks about red stretch marks caused by the pred. Yang, I think you need to talk to a counselor. I don't think you are looking at the big picture. You say you are in remission now. Do you know how many thousands of people just on this website alone would gladly trade in their UC for red stretch marks, not to mention tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of other UC'rs around the world? It seems like you are saying that you are healthy now but your life is ruined just because of red scars on your back? If you are truly in remission I wouldn't let red marks on your back psyche you out so much to remember the past. Right now the past is over and you are in remission. There are BILLIONS of people around the world that have much bigger problems than red scars on their back. You need to look at the positives in your life and right now you have more positives going for you than most of us do. You have a long and great future in front of you if you let it happen.
Posted 11/19/2014 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
I think your talking about stretch marks caused by Prednisone. It's weird, I got them one time when I was on it about 7 years ago. I didn't even put on a lot of weight. I think the pred just weakens the skin so much that you can get them or something.

Anyway, don't worry so much about it. Mine was pretty pink for a while, but now it has the exact same skin tone as the rest of my skin.

You're 18. You have a lot of time to figure your disease out and everything else. You probably don't feel that way, but believe me you do.

For now, be sick. Don't worry so much about looking 100%. You're health should be number one, and then once you figure things out, everything will heal up and there are lots of options for stretch marks. Plus, they will heal over time.

I've found that I cannot let myself get depressed about things if I want to get better. I want to very badly sometimes, but you just can't let yourself do it.

Anyway, just my thoughts. Good luck!
Posted 11/19/2014 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
Yes. What you are calling scars are known as STRIA and steroids sometimes cause those purplish white markings on lower abdomen. They are mostly harmless but can be unsightly.
Posted 11/19/2014 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
I got these all over my hips when I first took pred in my first ever flare. That was also when I was 18 year as old. They will eventually go white and not look so bad but will take a few years. Use bio oil on them and cocoa butter.

Gary- as you have never been an 18 year old girl with horrid red stretch marks, I guess you will never ever even begin to comprehend how it feels and the way it can dampen your self confidence. Believe me to a young girl, that can be a lot worse than a colitis flare up. Sometimes I think you are maybe a little 'matter of fact ' about things when you may not really understand what is going on in somebody's head. Please think, double think and then triple think before you speak as words can be soooooo hurtful.
Posted 11/19/2014 10:29 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know Gary. Every part of colitis sucks.Flare ups, fear of flare ups, weight loss, dietary restrictions. Having markings all over my body is insult on injury. They remind me of flare ups of the past, and they are always there to remind me that ill flare up again. So its not just that I hate the way they look, even though I really really do hate the way they look.
Anyways, before you go thinking I'm vain, no one wants to look like they were mauled by a wild animal. And for every thousand people that have worse Uc than me are a hundred thousand people who are healthy and happy. Those people with IV wouldn't ask for stretch marks in exchange for health. They'd ask to never have had UC in the first place.
Posted 11/19/2014 10:48 PM (GMT 0)

Diva2014 said...
Yes. What you are calling scars are known as STRIA and steroids sometimes cause those purplish white markings on lower abdomen. They are mostly harmless but can be unsightly.

Wow, never heard of that. I could imagine this would impact the teen years pretty drastically.
Posted 11/19/2014 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
i feel your pain and I don't think it's vain. It's really unfair what we deal with. I know those scars are very difficult to heal. I have some bad marks from age or pred, whatever it is. The do turn less noticeable over time. I considered lasering mine in the past and the surgeon I met with said there really isn't a good laser technique for this type of scar so it's a crapshoot and it's very expensive. Unlikely you would see results. I am sorry you're feeling down about it. I've stopped caring. I feel like I will never get back to where I was so far as looks go. It's sad.
Posted 11/19/2014 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
Yes it's very upsetting and I am sorry anyone has to deal with external as well as internal issues with this darn thing! 😔
Posted 11/19/2014 11:40 PM (GMT 0)
Yup, it sucks. I have some purple scars on my stomach and horrible acne scars from it as well. I'll never touch prednisone again.
Posted 11/20/2014 12:42 AM (GMT 0)
Churey that sucks big time!! What are you taking now?
Posted 11/20/2014 9:53 AM (GMT 0)
They are unsightly but as I mentioned they will not always be purplish, they will start to turn white and transparent over time so will be less noticeable. I am presuming you do not have kids yet Yang? Lol believe me after pregnancy, you will get the marks all over your tummy too and then you really won't care about the other pred related ones! ;)
Posted 11/20/2014 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
I am fair and did not get any stretch marks at all and I gained 55 lbs with my kid. So maybe you won't. But I think fair haired people don't get them. I don't know. They do fade though for sure.
Posted 11/24/2014 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
I know how you feel... I have the same thing.. Not just on my back but hips.. Stomach... Luckily my gf understands it's not my fault and that's all that matters but either way... I feel you man.
Posted 11/25/2014 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
I don't know what your talking about, been on high dose 60-80 for months at a time.

I thought this was about relationships gone bad because on prednisone I cannot bite my tongue the truth comes out when people antagonize me.
Posted 11/25/2014 5:50 AM (GMT 0)

aguywithuc said...
I don't know what your talking about, been on high dose 60-80 for months at a time.

I thought this was about relationships gone bad because on prednisone I cannot bite my tongue the truth comes out when people antagonize me.

Who is antagonizing you??
Posted 11/25/2014 6:21 PM (GMT 0)

Happychick said...

aguywithuc said...
I don't know what your talking about, been on high dose 60-80 for months at a time.

I thought this was about relationships gone bad because on prednisone I cannot bite my tongue the truth comes out when people antagonize me.

Who is antagonizing you??

Oh it is complicated. I was on prednisone over a year ago and I am raising my daughter by myself and her cousin began to interfere and I asked my sister to straighten it up and she ran her mouth off at me so I ended the relationship and explained exactly why. Prednisone scar and I don't regret it. First order of business is to protect my child.

Post Edited (aguywithuc) : 11/25/2014 1:32:43 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/25/2014 7:05 PM (GMT 0)
Predisone really sucks. I had Stria from multiple Predisone usages. When I went for surgery I was on ~40 mgs of Pred, when they tried to do my surgery Laproscopically (inflate your abdomen) my skin started to fail at the Stria and the stria split and became worse. They had to stop the laproscopic surgery and perform it open. I have a big scar from the open surgery and the stria is much worse now.

Since the scars (and stria) were caused by a medical procedure my insurance company will pay for plastic surgery for me. If I didn't have surgery then they wouldn't pay for plastic surgery for the stria. What the plastic surgeron said is that they can't cut and fix the stria because that would lead to necrosis in those areas so what he has to do is a tummy tuck on the area and it will fix the stria affected areas and some of the scars. I'm still recovering and I'm not ready for another surgery just yet. I wish there was another way to fix it but there isn't.
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