What was your first symptom

I was speaking with a fellow patient at my GI's the other day and she made an interesting comment....What was the first sign of your UC that you experienced. Was it a stomach symptom or did your initial symptoms manifest in another way?

Think it is a good question

I had light diarrhea first after spending 10 days in the hospital with my DD and then blood for a couple of months before colonoscopy confirmed UC

I think mine was a vague "discomfort" in my stomach, with occasionally very faint blood/mucus, and then constipation (which I now understand was from inflammation). The real hell didn't break loose until I visited a walk-in clinic doctor who said I was constipated, the blood was from hemmies, and told me to take Ex-Lax.

Suddenly extreme abdominal pain and diarrhoea. After 2 weeks blood, by 3 weeks, 20+ bowel movements per day, got sent for a colonoscopy and diagnosis within a week.

Interesting, i wonder has anyone had first manifestations which were not stomach or intestinal?

Gas, bloating and extreme diarrhea.

Urgency, ugh! Then expelling mucus, then bloody mucus. / Old Hat (39 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)

I had mild abdominal discomfort, pressure behind my bladder for over a year. I wondered if I had an enlarged prostate.

When I saw blood in my stool several times, I went to a gastroenterologist, and my first colonoscopy confirmed UC.

Full body itching.

I know this sounds weird, but my trajectory was weird. For a few years beforehand, every now and again I would have a week or two where I had tenesmus (did not know what that was then) and was constipated and would just poop a little bit of blood, or little bits of poop covered in blood/mucus. I now know that was probably very very mild UC, but it would stop and then come back a few months later, so I figured constipation + hemmies, right? I also had a crap diet at that time bc I was working 70 hours a week. This went on for a few years until one day, my entire body, head to toe started itching. There was not a part of my body that did not itch. There was no visible manifestation of this itch either. Turns out my liver numbers were up up up, which can cause the itching, but scans did not show any gallbladder issues or liver duct blockages. My antibody markers were all funky, though, and my inflammation levels were also high. The liver biopsy came back normal! A month and a half later, the full-body itching stopped, but got replaced with hives! Constant hives -- including large swollen areas. No allergies! Then suddenly, four months AFTER the onset of the itching, bloody diarrhea and uncontrollable urgency. The gastro symptoms had arrived. The end.

I still have chronic idiopathic uticaria aka chronic hives that are autoimmune. Not fun.

My symptoms before I was diagnosed, in order of appearance:
Mucus, squealing colon, gas, bloody mucus, urgency.

I'm surprised I'm the first one to say this but the first sign I had was intense gas. i was able to fart for, no joke, ~30 seconds long. Then diarrhea. Then blood and bad abdominal pain.