Surgery cant get here quick enough

Well surgery is supposed to be in January bc of deductibles etc.Started big D back in Oct that wouldn't stop, no formed stool at all.Of course many days i didn't feel too strong but I'm a contractor with employees so staying home isn't an option.Well called my Dr Saturday and got prescription for Prednisone bc there were signs of blood.Now after 3-4 days i don't see much of change so is my colon finally on its last legs???? Taking 40 mg of pred in morming. Do i need more??? trying to survive til January.I can eat pretty good .Wish the surgery was today but..........not the case.Going to call surgeon and ask what do we do if flare doesn't get better??? maybe have surgery sooner then later.Prayers for u all-good luck with your journey with UC

Are the symptoms just D and traces of blood? When I was flaring badly, I would be going 20x a day with extreme cramping pain, tenesmus, nocturnal BMS, urgency... Have you had stool tests? Some people do start higher than 40mg, but I guess it depends on your weight and symptoms. I agree with poppie, it's only been a few days, give it some time. Really stinks when you've made up your mind, and now things flare up, and you're stuck waiting...

It is possible that prednisone will not help you any longer. My UC was never responsive to prednisone...or any other drug really. I went as high as 60mg/day, and did months of 30-40 mg/day, but I only continued to get more and more sick. Being able to eat is at least one bonus and I second the idea to get a stool test, I did develop CDiff shortly before surgery time. Good luck!

It will probably take awhile for the prednisone to kick in. You may want to try to split the dose -- 20 mg in the am and 20 mg in the pm. It screws up your sleep even more but may be what you need.

Definitely check with surgeon too. For J-pouch surgery we were told that husband wasn't a candidate for 2-step given long term usage of prednisone. Maybe a month or two isn't such a big deal, but worth checking.

Have to be off all steroids by middle of December for Jan surgery

I couldn't have got off steroids even if I had wanted to before surgery. My IBD nurse told me I should try to taper down to a low dose, but my surgeon told me not to worry about it as I'd be put on a high dose of steroids during the surgery anyway. I was on 40mg pred for weeks before surgery.

Well, my surgeon didn't prefer it. Like she said, I was going to have be put back on steroids during surgery anyway. I can't be bothered googling it but I think you have to be off steroids for several months prior to surgery to avoid needing a stress dose of steroids during surgery.

I wouldn't have lasted one week off steroids, let alone 6 months or whatever. Would've been straight back in hospital.

Edit: Oh crap. I've finally hit 10,000 posts. How embarrassing... >.>

Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 11/16/2017 1:53:38 PM (GMT-7)

Thanks, iPoop And pissed off a few folks along the way as well - unintentionally of course! <_<

Knock pred up to 60 mg this morning,40 still had big D.i would like to be off all steroids by mid December, hopeing jump to 60 gets me there.If not and I have BIG D/getting dehydrated might have some thinking to do.Hope for best

3timechamp said...
Knock pred up to 60 mg this morning,40 still had big D.i would like to be off all steroids by mid December, hopeing jump to 60 gets me there.If not and I have BIG D/getting dehydrated might have some thinking to do.Hope for best

Good luck, I have my fingers crossed for you!

3TC,

Have you been tested for c.diff or other infections?

I know that you don't want to go on Steroids or Biologicals so here's an alternative crazy suggestion, talk to your GI about antibiotics. They do work for some people with flares but others they are awful for; you'd be playing russian roulette with your UC. I know that you're trying just to make it a few months so it might be worth it.