Why do you think you got UC?

Good question! At the time of diagnosis, I had been taking a lot of antibiotics for recurring UTI's during the previous 6 months and I was on a low protein high carb (high gluten) diet for nearly a year before being diagnosed. I believe those two things combined triggered my UC as I had no symptoms prior to those two things.

I already had a predisposition to UC because it already runs in my family. That and years of being bullied at school caused my disease I believe. As soon as school was over and I was finally relieved of the bullying my colitis broke out.

That's a great question. A better question would be if any imbalance could be restored and therefore, make the UC gone.
A year and a half previously to my diagnosis I was taking Roaccutane for my Acne. I didn't know about the side effects, and I didn't even know what anti-biotics are. I just took it for my face.
Mental stress was also there due to family problems, I was some what depressed, and I was smoking.
I think it's just a combination of sensitivity, some bad bacteria and diet. Hoping a reverse would be found some day.

For me, it was a few things - crazy work stress, plus going super low carb (I think a lot of my good bacteria died off as a result). I had it in my family (my mother and my aunt) and that had the gun loaded already.

Let me count the ways.
Had a case of Korean craps late 1971 for about two weeks, one day I felt something tear
and burn, in the rectal area did not think anything of it. It stopped in about two days.

Spring 1972 after returning from Korea, come up with a major rectal abscess, needed emergency surgery.
After that healed had more fistulas from it,many abscess in the same area.
1977, quit smoking plus major job stress.
1980 proctitis, 6 cm involvement.

Note above Phattwoohie also had a fistula.

In my case what I think happens is the the gut/rectal bacteria are now exposed to
the general immune system,as opposed to being under control of the gut immune system.

You now become auto vaccinated to your own gut bacteria.
But I was able to gain remission in 1982 by starting smoking again, so
that also has something to do with it.
Quit smoking for only 2 weeks in 1986, out of remission and never have been
able to gain remission since,even with smoking.

But I also take no meds.

Here is something on autologous vaccination and IBD.
/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26088200

This thread then leads to another question.
Why does UC start in the rectum, most of the time.

Old Mike

Post Edited (Old Mike) : 4/6/2017 7:22:35 AM (GMT-6)

I say mine was a combination of genetic predisposition, stress, and antibiotics.
I have a very chaotic schedule, as does my husband, performing is also stressful (we are classical musicians). I also have two kids, two houses, and my in law's are crazy. My maternal grandmother had CD, my dad has IBS, and my paternal grandfather is suspected to have had UC that he kept in remission by smoking. about 6 weeks before I was diagnosed with UC I had to take augmentin for bronchitis and a sinus infection and was put on a 10 day pred course for asthma as well. I was pretty run down by the time UC came around.

Geez stress really kicks our asses... For me the same thing: crazy stress training in the army, messy relationship break up, financial stress moving across the country, alcohol, coffee, acute dehydration, binge eating sugar/junk, depression from a hard reality check, insomnia and basically running on empty until things got out of control.

Mom: You don't happen to live in a cluster area, do you.

There is more than one.

Old Mike
/gutpathogens.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1757-4749-3-20

I had just turned 16; was a junior in high school and had come off a rapid growth spurt, where I went from a little girl body to a woman, gaining four inches in height within a 3 month period, and my body changed all over. In other words, puberty hit me fast and hard, and with it came the hormonal stresses. I don't know that my stress was abnormal. I was a good student with lots of friends, but I never felt pretty enough or thin enough despite having loving parents who saw me as wonderful in all ways.
Then I got an infection after minor surgery for a deviated septum and was put on antibiotics. I had really not been sick since third grade (tonsils removed) and had not been on a lot of anti biotics in my lifetime. Because of developing a fever, the surgeon put me on antibiotics and aspirin. Despite severe diarrhea, and losing weight rapidly he insisted my parents continue. Finally my dad got angry and took me to our regular doctor who took one look at me and had me admitted to the hospital. I had lost 30 lbs and needed five blood transfusions. It took them two weeks to diagnose UC (no colonoscopies in 1962, jut barium enemas, sigmoid scopes. It was awful Finally UC was diagnosed and lots of strange pills, eventually going to the new miracle drug which had just been approved in the 1950s....prednisone. Went home after a month but now at 71 still occasionally flare....not as badly as between the ages of 16 and 40 something. After menopause my flares were less often and less severe. So my conclusion...for me hormones went haywire combined with antibiotics. Also, seeming autoimmune issues seem to happen fairly frequently in my family. Had one younger cousin who had Crohn's. She passed from heart issues in her 50s. Cousins with Lupus and and a cousins granddaughter with another immune disease (can't remember the name) where she needs infusions of something monthly. I also wonder if there are environmental things that stoked autoimmune responses in some.

I am the fifth family member to have IBD, and so there is a genetic link for sure.

That being said, I believe a train of unfortunate events triggered it...

I stopped smoking.
I drank some very contaminated water.
Doctors thought I had dysentery (it might have been) but when I was still slightly bleeding and it wouldn't stop they ended up giving me three doses of antibiotics.

Great thread !

I am glad I read every answer before replying. I think in my case there are a constellation of reasons:

#1) Family history of digestive and autoimmune conditions (mom had RA an diverticulitis, aunt has Crohn's). I was even diagnosed with discoid lupus in my early 20's, but then another antibody test in my 40's showed none.

#2) I quit smoking in 2007, diagnosed with UC in 2008

#3) A couple months before my diagnosis I had a 3 day bout of horrible food poisoning (or what I thought was food poisoning as I never had it confirmed or checked w/ doc).

I really think my gut bacteria holds the key to this for me. I believe that if I can get them in balance, and pay careful attention to what throws them off----that I can achieve remission and stay there. I plan on watching my immune response very carefully.

I have been incredibly cavalier about this disease in the past because I didn't understand how serious it could be. I even let my symptoms go for a whole year while I tried every 'natural remedy' under the sun before finally caving to pharmaceuticals 3 weeks ago when the mucus only turned to mucus&blood.

I wish I would have done this a year ago though---as I am on day 6 with ZERO symptoms

Now I am now studying and learning everything I can about it. I sense we are coming into a time where understanding is finally going to prevail.

I had "undiagnosed" diarrhea for about 2 years prior. The Dr said it was "tropical sprue" (aka we don't know what's causing it). Did the celiac diet and didn't get any better.

STUPIDLY I got breast implants. The stress on my body, in addition to the antibiotics and pain meds triggered the UC.

I should have NEVER touched my body if I had a weakened / sensitive GI tract. Hindsight, right?