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A flare with constipation?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/28/2015 11:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,

I used to come here a lot, but have been doing well uc wise in the last two years or so. I used to be on remicade for 2 years and a half but I went off it over a year and a half ago because of the side effects. Since then I have been SCD diet and occasional suppositories and it has worked well. However, since around christmas time I felt a bit more fragile and since three days ago I am starting to flare. However, my symptoms are not typical, because I only go to the bathroom once in a day and its a really small amount of hard stools and blood. I don't think its hemorrhoids but i have always had diharrea when I flare. I wonder if someone else experienced constipation when they flared and can we have both?… I admit that I got a little too confident and I cheated on my diet nono

Also, my partner made some research and told me that long term use of iron pills is bad for the gut… I have been taking those for quite awhile… can't seem to bring up my iron levels (but I'm not anemic)

It gets so discouraging sometimes to have set backs… Thanks everyone for your support…
Posted 1/29/2015 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
I am curious about this as well. Inflammation (active disease) usually makes me evacuate everything during a certain time frame.

I would think constipation is more IBS and less IBD, though experiences will probably vary.

As for the iron issues - have you considered adding lactoferrin to your diet? I think it is present in dairy - things like whey protein or colostrum. It is the protein that transports iron and makes it bioavailable in the body.

Best.
Posted 1/29/2015 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Guardian,

Thanks for the tip! I did look into lactoferrin tablets before but they were quite expensive… But I will look into why protein… the iron pills are killing me !!

:)
Posted 1/29/2015 6:06 PM (GMT 0)
Yes...inflammation happens in increments, be it while healing or beginning of a flare....decrease in bms or constipation is an easy symptom to overlook since it's a vast improvement to the obvious and well known/experience of increased bms and diarrhea.

while one may consider it IBS, with UC....it wouldnt hurt to increase rectal meds, consume foods that could help to stimulate bms and soften stools.

q
Posted 1/29/2015 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
i've had multiple flares start with constipation. i actually never had diarrhea until i started taking lialda a few years ago. however, the constipation was ALWAYS accompanied with blood. that's when i know i am flaring.

when i get constipated now in remission, i have no bleeding/mucous.

as for iron, if you aren't anemic, i would not take iron pills. i would just eat an iron rich diet and even supplement with blackstrap molasses.
Posted 1/29/2015 7:30 PM (GMT 0)
UC can alternate between constipation and D, it has for me depending on what I eat. Too much fiber and my gut goes right into C, but my gut leaned in the direction of constipation before UC.

I had a GP long ago tell me that I was constipated if I could feel stool on my left side colon about 20 degrees south of my belly button (if that makes sense--wish I could post a drawing) a little above the skin fold area where belly meets upper thigh.

Iron pills def. causes constipation. Why not add a stool softener pill and see if that helps. When none of my usual remedies work (spoonfuls of olive oil, lots of water, walking in Walmart haha) I put a Vit E suppository up there and that has about 90% effectiveness. Then I examine my food and remove any and all fiber until things normalize.
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