Here is what's working for me, but still not there

I have had UC for 3 1/2 years. At its worst, I went 15x per day, including 4x at night.

A few weeks ago I was at 8 to 12x per day. One day I took a VSL#3 packet and did a mesalamine enema. Next day, I was down to 4x per day. Miraculous difference.

A couple years ago, I took VSL#3 capsules and I am certain it made me worse. I stopped, then some time later tried again, and got worse. This time I am taking the sachet (packet), which is 450B organisms, vs. 112B for the capsule. I know this doesn't make sense, but the capsule made me worse but the sachet helped a *lot*.

A couple years ago, I tried mesalamine enemas a couple times. I could not hold it in. It had to come right out. So this time I did cortifoam enemas about 2 weeks, which reduced the inflammation in the rectum and now I can hold the mesalamine enema all night, every night. No more problem.

I want to go up to 4 - 8 VSL#3 packets per day, because their studies show that is what it takes to get into remission for UC. But of course that is very expensive. I am asking the insurance company if they can cover it. (So far they said no.)

My best days are 3x per day. Always once when I wake up. Liquid because of the enema. Then once in the morning, once in the afternoon, then none all night.

Today I went 4x. Same as above, but twice in the afternoon.

The urgency is always pretty bad. I still have to wear Depends. (I wear them backwards because the inner pad is designed for people with urinary problems, not pooping problems.)

Most of the time the stools are still very loose. At best, they are partially formed but thin. I'm asking for advice on what to do next to try and bulk up the stools. I take some psyllium husk powder, but not a lot. I know about the Briggs Protocol.

I am ecstatic about going 3 or 4x per day. It's amazing. But still very urgent and not formed.

(BTW, I went to Taymount and did 10 days of FMT. I have 10 more in the freezer and will do more soon. I attribute my latest success to VSL#3 and mesalamine enema. Continuing FMT might be the next step to get into remission.)

EDIT: I'm also taking 1 or 2 Lialda per day (1.2 to 2.4g)

Post Edited (Have UC) : 10/17/2016 5:49:03 PM (GMT-6)

Glad you're seeing some improvement and on a healing path. However the urgency and diarrhea mean you've still got a ways to go yet. I see you're taking nightly rowasa enemas. Are you taking an oral mesalamine as well at 4,000 milligrams or more? If not then I'd certainly start them.

Interesting how you've had completely different reactions to the same treatments, over the years.

I think I'd increase to 4. Also, you could try doubling up on rectal meds? Sometimes I'd do cortifoam and Canasa at the same time, or one morning, one night. I'd try a lot of different combos, canasa, cortifoam, mesalamine enemas, steroid supps... You could also see about a course of Uceris if you want to try to nip it in the bud.

Yeah, I did rowasa nightly for 2.5 years. No prob doing nightly enemas pretty much indefinitely.

I'd agree on upping the lialda to 4 a day.