When should you go to the hospital?

I have seen quite a few threads where people suggest a person goes to the hospital. However, I have never seen a reason or “tell-take” signs that would warrant a hospital visit.

My UC:
- flared at the beginning of summer around May. Started out minimal, and didn’t realize it was a flare until I ate spicy food. Then, the blood started, and it became a slow roll downhill.
- At the moment, I’m having abdominal cramps, diaherra, green / yellow discharge with BM, and minimal blood.

Medication:
1 - 9MG Uceris
4 - 400mg Delzicol (2 in am and 2 in pm)
2 - Canasa (1 in am and 1 in pm)

I don't go to the hospital unless I am in severe pain, severely dehydrated, or bleeding profusely. Of course other vitals are important to check too, high heart rate in conjunction with shortness of breath, dizziness, low blood pressure or fevers/chills can be good reason to go. I was always kind of lucky because my GI would see me on short notice. My UC was never in a place where I felt like I wouldn't make it until the following day. The ER will stabilize you in most cases. If you're very ill, in awful pain or have poor vitals, they may admit you, then you would get seen, but not immediately. They would stabilize and you end up waiting. If you need an IV of fluids, screening, or antibiotics, it might be a good option. It is individual. If you feel like you need to go, you should go, even if you don't match my idea of what warrants a trip. People have very different levels of tolerance. I will tolerate A LOT to avoid the hospital.

I wondered the same. I felt very unwell and dizzy and my heart rate had been really fast for 4 weeks. Along with severe uc symptoms. A user on here told me that it was anxiety! It wasnt. I had very severe pancolitis with fast hr, fever, raised crp and anaemia so bad i needed transfused. Was in hospital 3 days then got a colectomy and ileostomy.
So I guess if you feel really ill then go to hospital and get checked out. My surgeon said my bowel was just about falling apart and if Id left it much longer it would have perforated.
Good luck!

Have you been tested for c.diff and other infections? Have they been performing regular blood on you?

Have you discussed a biological medication with your Gi? You’ve been in flare for a while and it doesn’t seem like you are improving.

Pretty much, you go to the hospital or ER if you are in extreme pain, have a high-degree-fever, are lightheaded/weak/dizzy, and are having extreme symtpoms (20+ bms a day etc). Other things, are considered non-urgent, and we can reach out to our gasteroenteroligist or the on-call doctor at that practice for off-hours.

1.) For us strong pain can be a pancreatitis or blood clot, both of which we are more prone to getting as UC patients and are important to get a doctor or nurse to rule out.

2.) High fevers could mean a perforation of the large intestine, serious infection, or toxic-megacolon all of which are serious and need attention by doctors. Important to rule those out.

3.) If we are extremely weak, dizzy, etc then it can be dehydration from frequent bms and diarrhea during flares or from an anemia (which we are more prone to having). Hospital/ER can give us IV fluids, test our iron levels and give us an infusion if at all needed.

4.) We can go to the hospital and be admitted as in-patient in order to received IV-steroids. Often when we're flaring very badly (fulminant ulcerative colitis) then we might need to be admitted and treated much quicker with strong medications. I'd call that 15+ bms a day or more, something that equates with pure misery and you just need some relief. Often fulminant flares will have strong pain, fever, and/or weakness as well (so often you strike multiple checks on this list).

I'm currently flaring and my husband keeps asking me if I want to go to the hospital. I made it a rule for myself that I won't go until I'm no longer eating. I already have fever, tachycardia and nausea so if I don't eat it gets critical.

Mine doesn’t seem THAT severe. I went a total of about 6 or 7 times yesterday. The main thing is I’m just having really bad cramps. I’ll be going to the doctor today. Am I allowed to take Tylenol for the pain? Or do I have to muscle through this?

Sounds good - thanks! He said that since I’m feeling better than I did Saturday, it means we’re on the right path. I’m getting blood work done to make sure I’m not anemic, but he said my color looks good so that shouldn’t be a problem. However, he wants to see. No fever.

Still on:
2 - 1000mg Canasa
4 - Delzicol 400mg
1 - Uceris 9mg

Switching to “no teeth diet”. Soft foods, a lot of anti-inflammatory foods, and Tylenol when needed. Abdominal pains are slowly going away, which is exciting. Going to start taking apple cider vinegar to help.

Going to call the doctor on Friday to update him before the weekend.

I think this is an important thread for UC people. Consider adding it to the "sticky" thread because it's got real world information that many will not hear from their GI. Could save their colon or their life.

10 years ago I went ER due to coughing blood (turned out to not be UC), had to go to ER 1 other time for non-UC (things ALWAYS happen on weekend right?) and was amazed that some of my doctors do not respond if I call outside of Mon-Fri 10-5 hours, some have even shorter hours. Some won't see me unscheduled during regular hours even if it's a major problem (my GI will). It's the new way of medicine, you are on your own.

Going to a walk-in clinic seems problematic as they will not know your UC history, will not be familiar with possible problems like toxic megacolon, may not diagnose dehydration and treat it with IV, and more.
Good advice has been given in previous comments.

Post Edited (imagardener2) : 10/9/2018 10:02:40 AM (GMT-6)