How do I know if this is colitis flaring or hemorrhoids?

Firstly...were you told to stop the enemas and not stay on a maintenance?
And when you stopped them...what did you taper to before stopping?
Are you on suppositories?
Any blood on the stool?

Dripping in the bowl could be indicative of a fissure. Continued constipation is indicative of mild or limited inflammation in the rectum....therefore, you were not out of your flare completely. If there is no bleeding on the stool...I would be confident to say it's a fissure...but I suspect you do have mild flare sympyoms as well.

What is the extent location of your diagnosis and what were your flare symptoms with this last one?

q

Just another thing to add, I an experiencing shooting pains in the rectum which I believe is proctalgia, I honestly don’t know whats going on.

That's the most difficult question in the game show, for $1 million dollars: Is it a hemorrhoid or a flare?

You can get a Calprotectin stool test or C-Reactive Protein blood test to check for a flare. You can get an over-the-counter hemorrhoid treatment like PreparationH and try it for a few weeks and see if it improves.

I've struggled with hemi's over the last few years. I often ask myself: is it only blood that I'm seeing? If I'm still 1 or 2 bms a day with solids and without urgency then it's likely just a hemorrhoid. Flares tend to be multiple symptoms (more bms, looser bms, and/or return of urgency). I just start taking preparation H again upon seeing blood reappear.

Hi @Quincy, I think the general idea of my GI is that being on Imuran, mild flares which require Salofalk would only be temp. In fact the only reason I was out on Salofalk was due to an increase on calprotectin to 280 after analysis.

I feel 4g of anything is a hell of a lot of medicine to take daily so I was the one who asked to reduce to 2g Pentasa. Im having all types of prostate, urinary issues and trying to reduce somewhat all that Im taking...

In theory Imuran alone should be sufficient to not have to take Pentasa from what I understand.

Last time I got the pain in anus or rectum. Its inside near the end, its like a stabbing pain that lasts for a few minutes. Sometimes its random, last time it happened after going for a BM but nothing happened because I was constipated. The pain did leave after I did manage to go so Im assuming they are spazsms.

Supps are just 2 times a week at the moment as prescribed, this is mainly to help reduce that area that is still affected by prostatitis it seems... I am also taking muscle relaxing drops 3 times a day for that, its a type of benzo. Seems to help.

Had a look in the mirror, cant see anything strange but I guess I wouldn’t be able to see an internal hemorrhoid if there was one?

@iPoop
I may get a test too just to see how Im evolving since last one because my next checkup would usually be the end of January..

I don’t really have any other symptoms. I go once or twice a day, lately only once, and some days nothing all day then I would go the next, Ive had a few times where Ive gone 3 days without then on the 4th Ill go about 3-4 times as if it all built up.. still usually all solid.

I assume its safe to take PreparationH or similar? Sure I read somewhere about being cautious with people who have IBD..

@Jane974
I actually have a tub from now foods for months, organic one, but always a little scared to try it. I even opened it today actually. Added a spoonful to water, it would not dissolve at all, freaked out and threw it down the sink...

Just to update, saw my GI.

She inspected the area with the old finger up there method and I was told it was a few things, firstly there was a recently opened hemorrhoid (that would explain the insane amount of blood I saw the in the morning of the day I went to see her), then upon further examination she did mention that there was a different kind of blood further up, not a lot but enough to put me back on Salofalk enemas everyday for 2 months and back to 4g Pentasa from 2g + some hemorrhoid cream.

Its horrible lately with the enemas because of my prostatitis, not only do a get pain in the genital area after a BM, I’ve also started to get it when enemas or suppositories go in... but theres not much I can do unfortunately except put up with it.

On a good note she did mention the fact going only once or twice a day and solid is a good sign, although I still have days when I don’t go at all, like today actually.

I asked about adding in psyllium hunk powder and she agreed it could be beneficial. I eead it goes into a big glass or water but last time I tried it doesn’t exactly dissolve right? Its like crumbled Weetabix in water..

She wants me to do a pelvic MRI also with contrast to check out the whole area, could be beneficial in checking my prostate issues too I guess..I have that at the end of the month.

One last thing she said is that if I would have had a calprotectin test it would have been high just because of the fact there was hemorrhoid issues going on and white blood cells would be in the area. So it wouldn’t be 100% in determining real colitis inflammation.

Post Edited (1Wish) : 12/5/2020 6:17:14 PM (GMT-7)

Hey Quincy, yeah MRI is on the 28th of this month so not too far away.

So you take 6 capsules with every meal? Is there any reason you prefer that vs the powder in a glass of water? Seems like a lot of capsules to take.

I already take like 12 capsules a day of other vitamins and supplements and even that gets to me..

1Wish...I take 24 med/supplement combo a day (although divided into twice a day). ((Shrug))...adding the other with meals isn't an issue, unless I don't drink enough water.😞

I prefer capsules because I can carry them when out eating (hope they don't go stale in my purse since I haven't had opportunity to use them), and I dont like drinking the powder. Try name brand as Flowers suggested, start slow. Add more roughage and fluids.

q