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Stress and UC

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/3/2016 2:21 AM (GMT 0)
Howdy! I have been in remission since early last year using Remicade then Humira (lupus-like syndrome and SEVERE joint pain caused by Remi after one year)

Lately I have been under severe stress due to work, marriage and my mother's failing health. Coinciding with all of this is an increase in abdominal pain, though I have not yet seen any stool problems or blood.

I fear what may be coming, and want to ask you how you deal with stress. Do you notice an increase in pain or symptoms with increased stress? Would this be IBS if a flare is not triggered?
Posted 3/3/2016 2:55 AM (GMT 0)
The mind/gut connection is strong. I'm in remission (going on 5 years)and 2 years ago when my father died, I noticed an increase of symptoms, but luckily with the help of Remicade those symptoms were dealt with. Stress affects each in an individual manner and you need to find what distracts you from your current mindset.

Stress is probably the hardest thing to overcome. But what I find that helps me is to distract myself from the current problem. Whether it be in the way of reading a good book to doing crafts. Whatever you enjoy, let it take over for a distraction.
Posted 3/9/2016 2:21 AM (GMT 0)
My worst UC flare was during a time of immense stress and several negative events in my life that occurred within a period of about 6 months, so I definitely believe there is a connection!

I have learned that taking care of myself MUST come first or else my health suffers.
During stressful times, I find that I am exhausted and need a lot of sleep. I try to eat healthy but do splurge and treat myself with things that I love, like chocolate and pizza.
Also, I try to take longer walks with my dogs, and that seems to calm me.
I have been on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds in the past, but have weaned off of them.
A support system is also crucial, even if it is one or two close friends/family members that can be there for you if you need them. This forum is also a great place to come for support, especially when people in your life don't understand what you are going through with the UC or why/how stress can affect you.
Posted 3/9/2016 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
Meditation! You need to learn how to cope with life stresses, none of them are going to ever go away so you have to teach your mind (mind-body connection) to cope with stresses in life so they don't affect your health detrimentally. I do yoga and weights as well but meditation is a huge factor that too many people ignore, it's a great tool.

My therapist lead me to youtube guided meditations, you can start off with 3 minute long ones (many people are intimidated by meditation) so short ones to start with are not only affective but a great way to ease into meditating, then you can decide how long you want/need to do it daily, even how often. There's a ton to choose from on youtube!
Posted 3/10/2016 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
While I have been told that stress does not actually cause a flare, I have personally found that there is some connection. However, there are actual studies that show that a lack of sleep can be linked to flares. Stress usually goes hand in hand with poor sleep, so there you have it.
Posted 3/13/2016 7:14 AM (GMT 0)
Abdominal pain might be gastritis, or Gastroduodenitis, as distinct from an imminent UC flare. That's what happened to me when under extreme stress. (This occurred alongside but distinct from UC-specific symptoms for me.) It was so painful I couldn't stand up straight & life came to a grinding halt. In terms of drugs, I was reluctant but felt desperate, so took Nexium plus Carafate a few times a day. That helped me recover. Pain subsided within a couple of weeks. Of course all the wise suggestions here - meditation, sleep, exercise, even just breathing, resting, walking, etc are best, since we each need to find healthy ways to deal with and minimize stress. I hope you feel better soon.
Posted 3/13/2016 1:08 PM (GMT 0)

Worriedgirl said...
While I have been told that stress does not actually cause a flare

I have also read this and also think its b.s. Everyone I know with IBD says it is always the worst when they are stressed, although it may be one of those chicken/egg arguments. Along with the other great advice you've already been given, I think the best way to deal with stress is exercise. Since being diagnosed, I've found that really heavy and hard workouts wear me out too much, but what I would call 'medium intensity' workouts are great. If you can find team or group exercises, even better. When I play team sports, I never once even think about my stomach problems.
Posted 3/13/2016 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
I believe that stress makes any illness worse.
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