UC and constipation?

Does anyone have issues with constipation with their UC? I am almost always constipated but on the days I'm not I have D about 20 times! Just curious if anyone else is like this and what you do to cope? Also I'm still waiting on biopsy results but my dr said my colonoscopy showed no signs of active colitis but I still feel crappy! Any advice would be great.

I'm not big on IBS as it is way overused as a scapegoat diagnosis but, in your case, this may be a real possibility.

Did your GI suggest you may have IBS since your C-scope was clear? Did he send you for small bowel tests to confirm that there's no inflammation there to indicate crohn's disease instead of UC?

Many get misDX with UC when they actually have Crohn's, and people with IBD can also have IBS as they are 2 separate entities...they can coexist together as well...so if you do have UC and it's in remission but you're still having symptoms you described it very much sounds like you have alternating IBD (both diarrhea and constipation) if that's the case then generally diet/stress is what seems to be the driving force behind IBS as far as research shows.

I have both IBD and IBS (also lactose intolerant) and I saw a dietitian and am still seeing a therapist (both specializing with IBD/IBS/gut issued patients) and have found it helpful, I'm still not 100% but it can take time getting IBS sorted out (my crohn's colitis; crohn's affecting the colon, is in remission from Humira that I take weekly) and my constipation issues are generally starting to get better but I'm still having frequency issues and it's been a very long battle trying to get the frequency under control.

Do you take probiotics daily as well as making sure you're getting enough fiber daily as well?

oh sorry....lack of sleep is killing my brain cells. I meant Metamucil. haha laughing. Yes very different.

quincy said...
Katie...it's not normal for someone to have 20 times diarrhea with nothing going on...while it could be IBS, usually it's not quite that often without inflammation. It's possible you might have microscopic colitis...hope the biopsies at least show something of a possibility. If it's absolutely nothing, then I guess IBS is a possibility...or, you should push for a small bowel scope to see if there's any inflammation there.
Do you know if he went into the ileum with the c-scope?

I would suggest you start a fibre supplement regimen....start slow, however, and see if that helps.

Another probiotic could help as well.

Do you take the Prilosec daily? or sometimes not?

q

IBS oddly enough, can actually be that severe with either diarrhea or constipation, but yes microscopic IBD is also a possibility.

How does a person know if they have that gary? The histamine intolerance? Is there a test or did you just figure it out by putting the pieces together? And you take antihistamines too? I took antihistamines for a couple yrs straight cuz a long while back people kept talking about it here on HW so I thought I'll give it a shot cuz I have sinus issues too, but then I didn't really notice any changes with my bowels at all, then after a little while longer I for some reason starting coming across articles about people who take antihistamines indefinitely could become dependant and it would stop working so then I investigated looking for info for symptoms of antihistamine with drawl which freaked my out so I slowly tapered off them in hopes of not getting any side effects and I never got any with drawl side effect....and I didn't know if that meant anything or not, still don't.

Then went I started getting those horrid humira headaches and ks1905 said to take antihistamines to aid with them so I hummed and hawwed and then gave in and only take one the night I do my weekly humira shot and sure as hell they stopped the headaches...but I've started noticing that my sinuses have been really finicky lately and I read that could be a side effect with humira...I don't want to give my humira up for less sinus issues cuz I still will have them just not as intense as they have been lately....

I'm at a bit of a loss.

Thanks, what is DAO? I don't think I get the increase of BM's when I eat the foods you mentioned that give you issues, so if that's the case would you suppose that I likely don't have an issue with foods with histamines? Even so, I'd still like to know what DAO is. Thanks!

Yes, thanks, I will definitely check that list out, cuz like you said, it varies for each so maybe some have a milder issues while others maybe very severe? IDK but I'm going to google the list. Thanks!

Before I was diagnosed with UC, my first symptom was severe, chronic constipation with bleeding. I had two colonoscopies which my gastroenterologist said were fine. A year later, I ended up hospitalized and finally got my diagnosis. My guess would be microscopic colitis, particularly if you're alternating with that much D.

Thank you so much for all of your replies! I've been out of town but I'm heading home in the morning.
Pb4- I have a CT enterography scheduled for Monday morning. I'm hoping to get some answers after that. Dr didn't say anything about IBS. He seemed pretty baffled as we both assumed the colitis was still active. We were actually going to start infusions but I wanted him to do a colonoscopy since another dr did my initial one.
Elpis- I use miralax every 2-3 days if I haven't had a BM on my own. I haven't tried Metamucil but I would be willing to... How is it different from Miralax?
Quincy- I do take the Prilosec daily. But I only started having heartburn after the severe constipation started. I actually had to go to ER at the end of last year for fecal impaction. Ew.
The whole thing is wild bc I have had loose stools since having my gallbladder out in 2006. But never like when I started noticing the blood and mucus. Then not long after that the constipation. And I had never been constipated before in my life. So... I knew something was off.

Yes, they can test for lactose intolerance, they can do a blood test, they have you go to the lab and drink lactose then take your blood every 15 minutes after you've drank the lactose they give you (3 times total they take blood) that's how I had mine tested, by the time I was to do my 3rd blood draw, I was stuck in the bathroom at the lab meanwhile the lab tech told me that she already knew I was severely lactose intolerant from my first 2 blood cultures and the fact that I was stuck in the bathroom, she didn't even bother taking my 3rd sample 1) because I was past the 15 minute marker for it 2) cuz it was very evident with my bowels spinning out of control with me tied to the toilet. Lab tech was furious with my GI but I told her it was the best way to know for sure due to having IBD and IBS as it was and that the lactose intolerance was easily being masked by my other 2 conditions so really it was the best method compared to doing it myself (testing out milk on my own at home) for proper confirmation.

Good luck