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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/16/2017 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
So a little background. I have been flaring on and off since 2015. February to be exact. This past early Sep it got bad. I had a fissure, lots on bleeding in the bowel and was going to the bathroom a lot. I started the hydro cort enemas in the AM and mesal in the PM. Still had blood (I do have formed stool but it looks snakey like). Recently I have switched from the mesal Enemas to doing hydrocort Enemas in the AM and PM and the blood is almost non existent. When there's stool in my belly I still get a little cramping until it comes out.

However, the past 3 nights I took Tylenol 3 (1 tab to slow down my bowels). Do you think the hydro cort is what is working or is the Tylenol 3 masking my symptoms. I would like to think I am getting better.

Thoughts and opinions.
Posted 1/16/2017 5:05 PM (GMT 0)
The only thing Tylenol ever did for me when I was flaring was help with pain. I think you have to be on pain killers for a long time before you start to have constipation. I would say your meds are helping.
Posted 1/16/2017 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
Yes....you're improving since the bleeding has stopped. You do, however, still have rectal inflammation....still needs to be treated. You will go through a new phase of constipation. Once the pain during bms lessens or passes, your flare will be almost done. But you will have to continue a regimen of rectal meds with changes to deal with it.

Stay with the steroid enemas twice daily for maybe another week and switch back to the mesalamine and steroid.

I don't think there's a problem with you taking one T3 at night.

Are you using a fibre supplement?

Are you still on just the floraster?

q
Posted 1/16/2017 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
My experience is that Tylenol #3 does mask my symptoms. I take it only when I seriously NEED to be somewhere and don't want to risk feeling bad/getting sick in the middle. It doesn't constipate me right away, but it does slow everything down and "puts off" the pain. Last GI doc I saw said Tylenol #3 occasionally was ok and was only worried about me getting hooked, not it's effect on the UC.
Posted 1/16/2017 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
If it contains codeine, it definitely causes constipation (some people are more sensitive than others). It can mask your symptoms in that sense.
However Tylenol is not going to change the presence of blood.
Posted 1/17/2017 4:20 AM (GMT 0)
I don't think anyone can say, but codeine definitely can slow things. Whatever the case, you will have to give yourself some time to figure out what's working.. What did you get the tylenol3 for? I doubt it was prescribed for the purpose of slowing the bowels. I can't take that stuff, it all makes me so sick... I wish I could have popped something to slow things, but no such luck. Probably better off. Last thing i need is a dependence on pain pills. You've been on the enemas since Sept? And you're seeing results the past few days since starting the codeine? I'd say it's the codeine. Maybe it will jumpstart healing. I hope so!
Posted 1/17/2017 9:21 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you everyone for the responses. I had a fissure so I wasn't able to use rectal meds until the end of nov. I was doing at first sup which helped a little. Then I was doing hydro cort/mesal Enemas that I think made it worse. Now I'm doing hydro cort 2x a day which is making it much better. I also gotta update my thing but I'm on Entyvio. I started Aug 30 so I'm still waiting for it to fully kick in.

The Tylenol 3 def slows things down because of the codine. Therefor the enema stays in all day and night besides from the bowel movements I go in the morning. Only downfall is I'll go a little for like 2-3 days and day 3-4 it all comes out so I limit the amount I take. I took it the past 3 nights (1 pill) but none last night. When I am on it I also really watch what I eat. (No bread, No Rice, No Carbs). That way I don't add to constipation and it'll limit what comes out hopefully that 1 day.
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