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Newly diagnosed pancolitis, symptoms disappeared after 2 weeks..is this normal?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/20/2017 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone
I was diagnosed with pancolitis yesterday. My pathology report says mild or moderate involvement in every area up to the cecum. My symptoms started 3 weeks ago during antibiotics course, with 3-4 loose stools and few drops of blood. I wnated to rule out pancreatic cancer so i went in colonoscopy within a week. So I was hopeful that it might be some bacterial colitis, but I was told that bacterial is patchy, not diffusive so I definitely have pancolitis.

To make things more confusing, my symptoms *might* have ceased. I'm on day 3 of just one formed stool with no blood. I haven't taken any meds yet.

Do symptoms have an on and off phase? It feels unusual to start steroids when I won't be able to tell if/when I would be in remission. So maybe I should wait to see if the blood/diarrhea come back and then start Ulcerus?

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

PS. I am 31 yr old male.
Posted 4/20/2017 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
Do you have the pathology biopsies results ?

Were you put on any meds?

q
Posted 4/20/2017 6:09 PM (GMT 0)
When i first experienced UC symptoms they went away on their own, so i did not seak a diagnosis. Those symptoms came back a number of months later, lasted longer that time and then went away. The third time it never went away until i was diagnosed and given meds.
Posted 4/20/2017 6:16 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I was given Uceris to try and I guess Lialda, but I haven't gotten them yet.
I do have the pathology reports yes, and all the pictures, clearly showing inflamations. I guess because I have pancolitis, I might have had symptoms before, but I truly don't remember. I had diarrhea for 2 weeks a year ago that went away on its own, maybe that was a symptom.

But I just can't imagine that the pancolitis can go away within 2 weeks on its own. So i am thinking the symptoms will come back in a dya or two probably, right? Do you experience on and off symptoms?
Posted 4/20/2017 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
What do your results state in each section?

How long did you have bleeding?

q
Posted 4/20/2017 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
If you truly have ulcerative colitis with pancolitis then yes, absolutely fill your prescription for lialda. Lialda is meant as a maintenance medication that you take both when you feel good or bad. Chronic conditions always come back, taking lialda will keep symptoms away the longer than if you don't take it daily.

Uceris is a steroid and meant for temporary use when our symptoms are at their very worst, for quick relief. If you have no symptoms then uceris likely isn't needed.
Posted 4/20/2017 7:05 PM (GMT 0)
But neither will include the rectum treatment if it's UC.

Julie..when is your next appt with your doctor, and was ulcrrative colitis mentioned.
q
Posted 4/20/2017 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
Each section is mostly moderate with rectum mild and another one mild, but most section and cecum are moderate.
My path report says UC, and the dr said UC. I will fill my Lialda of course. I just cant tell if I am really improving or maybe a temp reduction in symptoms.
Posted 4/20/2017 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
A single day means nothing, we have good days and bad days. Healing is never a linear, steady progression from bad to good. Rather it's more like a rollercoaster ride full of dramatic ups and downs. Look for week to week progress not day to day
Posted 4/20/2017 10:23 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, I understand. Its hard to process all of this. I had 4 "healthy" days now, and total of 3 weeks since I started to have anything...so techically about 2 weeks of little blood plus little loose stools and 4 days back to normal.
Oh well, I will have to learn and adjust just like all of you guys. Glad there is support
Posted 4/20/2017 11:18 PM (GMT 0)

julie79 said...
Wow, I understand. Its hard to process all of this. I had 4 "healthy" days now, and total of 3 weeks since I started to have anything...so techically about 2 weeks of little blood plus little loose stools and 4 days back to normal.
Oh well, I will have to learn and adjust just like all of you guys. Glad there is support

Julie, since your symptoms started only 3 weeks ago after antibiotic use,it's possible that colitis was a reaction to the antibiotics and is not going to be a long-term issue. I know folks who had one-time colitis that resulted from antibotic use. It can be colitis and not UC. Due to the recency of antiboitic use, I would def. invest in a probiotic and would wait a bit personally before going on meds since your symptoms remitted last 4 days. I hope for you too that it is a one time deal!
Posted 4/21/2017 3:15 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, I was thinking that too but it looks like bacterial colitis looks more patchy like Crohn's, not like UC...chronic everywhere. I might ask a second opinion on the path report, but most likely I do have pancolitis indeed.

And yes, this is my 4th day feeling symptomless before even starting the meds. But maybe it will come back eh.
Posted 4/21/2017 3:21 AM (GMT 0)
Unfortunately colitis and ulcerative colitis are often confused. Even pancolitis is used as shorthand for ulcerative pancolitis. But all pan means is eveywhere.

If the path report shows evidence of chronic inflammation vis specific changes in cell structure than it is ulcerative. Otherwise it is just acute inflammation, which you can hope goes away with or w/o meds.

I would take the Uceris, and if the path report says chronic/ulcerative than I would take the Lialda, even if at a lower dosage.

If you get urgency or bleeding continues, a short course of rectal meds might also be useful.

good luck
Posted 4/21/2017 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
I wish I could attach my path report. But there are not many details like I have seen to others online. Basically it says " colonic mucosa showing chronic colitis with moderate activity" to pretty much each section of my colon. Ileus is ok. Rectum is mild.
There is a granuloma next to cryptic burst so its mucine granuloma (Crohn's are nonmucine).
It says the clinical picture is Ulcerative colitis.

I assume because they say "chronic colitis", they mean the architecture was distorted, and as such, its not infectious colitis.

My lab is attached to Cedars Sinai. They get hard cases. I will ask for second opinion but I know they are correct and I have UC.

It just did start during antibiotics and symptoms went away...but it is UC.
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