Feeling down

Hi,

Its been a while since I have posted on here so I will give a little background. Started a flare last September after having 18 months remission. I believe it started because a was prescribed 6 different courses of antibiotics for one thing or another. I had stomach cramps, urgency and frequency but no blood. Eventually, after many conversations with the IBD nurse who wasn't convinced I was having a flare because blood tests and fecal calprotectin tests etc came back normal, I had a sigmoidoscopy in mid November, which revealed inflammation and ulceration to the distal descending colon. My last flare was only to distal sigmoid so it as spread. I was given 40mg of pred for two weeks then to reduce by 5mg weekly thereafter. I was changed onto 3g of salofalk granules and continued to use salofalk enemas nighty. I did have an improvement but not wat I usually see. Urgency and frequency crept up again so I was given 20mg of pred for 3 weeks then reduce by 5mg every three weeks until off. After a week I saw a bbig improvement in frequency and urgency only going between 1 and 3 times in the morning. I finished the pred two days ago. I am still going 2 - 3 times on waking but every now and again this can rise to 4-5. Sometimes I can go 5 times one day then once the next then three the next then two the next so it is a bit erratic. There is no blood but I do go within about 15 to 30 minutes of each other.


Starting to get a bit panicky I phoned the nurse, explaining my symptoms and I am booked in for a colonoscopy in a few weeks time.

I am starting to feel depressed and worried. Because of my neutropenia and other problems I am unable to have aza or biologicals so feel I have reached a dead end apart from suggesting that I stay on steroids indefinate which I know is bad and not recommended and I know they wont do. I do know people that are on steroids all the time but for other health reasons.

I am going troug a stressful time at the moment with most of my family. I have take on board their problems and am trying to do what I can for them but this means I cannot talk to them because they are to wrapped up in themselves. I don't want to drive my friends away. I am the sort of person that needs to talk because if I dont then my mind works overtime and I brood on things.

Now I am wondering is this a flare starting up or could it be a touch of ibs because of my stress levels. How does one know the difference.

Sorry for such a long post.

I am sorry. This illness sucks. I think only time will tell what's going on, but it's kind of a chicken egg situation. Did the illness cause the stress, or did the stress cause the illness? In my case, I tried to convinced myself it was #2, but I think the reality was that it was #1.

Hi again, Mad Martha. Sorry for your pain, and it must feel frightening to not know what is next. Your colonoscopy should be revealing though, and then you can make plans to address the findings. They can see prior inflammation even when the colon is healed, so they should spot your trouble spots. Maybe a pred enema would help the rectum, instead of the 5ASA. They may throw out the IBS label at you; there are drugs that can help and may also be instructive as to what it "isn't". There are antispasmodic's like Bentyl or they can do a gastric emptying test to see how food is moving thru. Will show if it is IBS and perhaps bring relief. Keep fighting and keep talking to your buddies. It does help.