HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Bathroom visits down, blood is up ... what the heck

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/11/2019 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
I’m writing just because I’m so confused and frustrated, and wondering if anyone else has experienced this and can guess whether it’s an improvement or a digression?

I was having bm’s 8-10x/day, painful cramping and fatigue. Sometimes a tint of blood but not much. Then I finished my vancomycin and it immediately went down to 3x/day, yay! (Still loose/watery though.) But then within a couple days my 3x/day bms turned bloody.

I am happy there’s no pain and the frequency is down, but what the heck with the blood. One symptom improves and the other gets worse.

(FYI I’m still on prednisone until my colonoscopy next week.)

Any insight is helpful!!
Posted 7/11/2019 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
Simply....you are flaring.

Can you not take any 5ASA (mesalamine) meds?

Good your scope is soon.

q
Posted 7/11/2019 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for asking about 5-asa. I do have some 5-asa enemas in the cupboard. I was on 5-asa for years when I was first diagnosed (so from 2002 to about 2012) and it never seemed to help prevent a flare nor put me into remission so we just eliminated it from the ammo. Do you think it may work for me now even though it never really has before?
Posted 7/11/2019 10:15 PM (GMT 0)
I still flare...been on oral/rectal 5ASA 30 years. In saying that, I learned how to manage with treating flares (increasing enemas) earlier and not waiting for most obvious symptoms. Took many, many years, however.....plus I have changed maintenance from weekly to every 3rd (sometimes 4th) night.

My very strong suggestion....get on oral and rectal 5ASA.

What is the location extent of your UC?
q
Posted 8/9/2019 12:49 AM (GMT 0)
I still experience blood every time I use the bathroom (2-3x/day), but I have no pain or diarrhea. This is obviously not ideal and my gastro wants me to go from mesalamine to Imuran, but blood tests show I'm not anemic so he's okay if I just stick with the status quo. Not saying this is the best course of action but I'm trying to conceive so it is what it is.
Posted 8/9/2019 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
Bleeding everyday is not good. As simmering inflammation tends to spread in extent and severity the longer we ignore it. Colorectal cancer odds also increase over the long term with untreated inflammation. So, I would go on the Imuran.
Posted 8/10/2019 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
FWIW, from the Johns Hopkins website regarding Imuran:

"If you are pregnant or considering having a child, discuss this with your doctor before beginning this medication. Use of an effective form of birth control is critical throughout the course of this treatment and for months after it is stopped."

Good luck!
Posted 8/10/2019 11:32 AM (GMT 0)
iPoop, I've discussed this with my Gastro, GP, and Gyno. They all agree that Imuran comes with risk and it's up to me to decide how to proceed. I wish this wasn't my situation but here we are. As if having UC wasn't complicated enough.
Posted 8/12/2019 6:40 PM (GMT 0)
There's risk in everything. Comes down to what is the potential risk versus benefit, odds of each, etc.

That aside, what about biologics, like remicade/humira? Can you take one of those without worries from those specialists?
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply