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Cant stand the flare up anymore

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/27/2008 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
Okay I'm half to blame as is the doctor but when I was first diagnosed with UC they put me on steroids, only they gave me just enough for 30 days 0 refills.  I should have been screaming bloody murder over that, but I decided to trust the doctors.  So I was off for almost 2 weeks before my next GI appointment.  They kinda freaked a little when I told them that I was on 0 meds. 

Well two days ago I started my frist flare up since my diagnosis and they have me on Asacol (mesalamine) 800mg x 3 per day.  I still have the diareaha/bloody stool and I'm going nuts.  I can't live my life going to the bathroom ever 30-60 minutes. 

Can I take anything at all to stem the tide of this diareaha?

Posted 1/27/2008 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
Have you tried rectal meds such as Rowasa or steroid enemas (Colocort)? But to help bulk up your stool, you can try a fiber supplement. But if you are going that many times, I would call your doc as soon as possible. Does it interfer with your sleep? If it is, a dose or two of Immodium should help you rest easier - though don't take too much of this or can have an adverse reaction.

*A suggestion, you might want to put a signature in to let us know the extent of your Uc and what meds you have tried or are on so we will know your history - if you need help with that let me know*
Posted 1/27/2008 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
Enough for 30 days????? What dose did they start you with? Typically it's 80mg for 2 weeks and then tappering down 5mg/week, so your GI must really be out to lunch to give you 30 days worth and no refills.

Ditto on the rectal meds, my prefered choice is cortifoam steroid enemas (don't worry, no side effects and if so they are very rare, I've never had side effects from it and I've been on and off of it for 16 yrs).


:)
Posted 1/27/2008 1:56 AM (GMT 0)
Okay Red 34 I'll get that siggy up in a few. I was thinking Pepto since I've had issues with Imodium in the past.
Posted 1/27/2008 2:50 AM (GMT 0)
Ask your GI about anti-spasm meds for your colon.... it helps me more than Immodium. They make my days manageable.

You were probably supposed to call your GI in 2 to 3 weeks and let him/her know how you were doing on the Prednisone.

Stopping Steroids cold-turkey is not good, you can get steroid withdrawal and that is an horrible experience. Talk to your GI about it.

--Keith
Posted 1/27/2008 5:28 AM (GMT 0)
You can also talk to your GI about upping your Asacol dose. You can go up to 12/day. 6/day is a pretty low dose. That's what I was started on, but then they upped me to 8/day and then 12/day. I also second the advice to talk to your GI about enemas...Rowasa would be a good one to start with. It's mesalamine, just like the Asacol, but reaches the lower part of your colon better than oral meds. Hope you get some relief soon. Definitely call your doctor.

I forgot to mention that the Asacol can take a few weeks to start working.

Posted 1/27/2008 5:59 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the info, boy I don't know if I can handle a few weeks of this.
Posted 1/27/2008 8:02 AM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry to hear what you are going through. I will be hoping for you to have a quick remission. As other posters have stated upping the asocal dose and using enema meds should hopefully help. Aloe may also calm your tummy.
Posted 1/27/2008 4:23 PM (GMT 0)
My advice is to call your GI and explain your present symptoms. He probably will give you another script for pred, which is usually the fastest-acting weapon against an ongoing flare. Sounds like you have to get this under control.

He/she should have educated you when you got your initial script how to take it and how to stop taking it. Allowing you to quit cold turkey is not offering you the level of care you need and are entitled to. Shame on that doctor.

Good luck.

Mitz
Posted 1/28/2008 4:42 AM (GMT 0)
I have turned out to be steriod dependent so I would try to avoid prednsione as much as you can (even if it is a quick fix). Like everyone said, talk to your GI about increasing your asacol, rectal med's etc before resorting to any predsnione. It seems like everyone has a pretty hard time getting off of it so I wish I never ever went on it. I think that sometimes it is "too quick" of a persciption from doctors.
Posted 1/29/2008 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
First off I'd like to thank everyone for their valued input.

I spoke to my GI yesterday and explained to him what was going on. It seem that I am alergic to both Sulfasalazine and Asacol. His theory is that since my past two flare ups, the one that happend before my diagnosis and my most recent one this past thursday, have happned at the exact same time I started these two drugs that I'm one of those lucky few who reject such treatment and actually become worse.

So, after a brief stay in the ER I got back on Prednisone at 40mg once a day. I have yet to have any negative complications from Pred, so, why do some not like being on it? Chili123 any information you have would be great.

I'm happy with it, I'm seeing results after only two doses.

Meh the good news is, is that my BM's are down from every half hour and bloody and not being able to sleep through the night to once every 1.5 hours to 2 hours and being able to sleep not only through the night but I took a 4 hour nap today without waking up once.

Once again thank you all for your advice and info. Where would I be without this site?
Posted 1/29/2008 10:59 PM (GMT 0)
Take your pred first thing in the AM this will help with insomnia caused by pred...there can be alot of side-effects while on pred, some experiance many bad ones, some experiance hardly any or even none at all, and it can be different each time you go on pred.

:)
Posted 1/30/2008 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
Well... last night after a great day of improvments I saw a complete reversal. I reverted right back to bloody diareaha (man I need to learn how to spell that word) and sometimes only 15 minutes between BM's. I took half my dose of Pred hoping that I could kick start something that would let me sleep. I did that at about 1a.m. and I'm taking my other half now. I ended up getting into a sleep for an hour BM sleep for an hour BM untill about 6:15 then after that BM I didn't wake up untill about 8:15 when I just woke up naturally.

I think that it might have something to do with what I've had to eat.  Yesterday around noon I had some Vietmanese soup (something I've had before even when I was off all meds) but I never used the chillie sauce before, something I added this time.  I hope that it is the chillie sauce and not the soup because the soup is soo yummy.  I like it with or without the sauce so no worries there but I think I'll lay off the chillie sauce.


I'm almost out of toilet paper hahaha, talk about a negative side effect :P Sorry bad taste in a joke but I gotta find somthing in this bowl of nasty to laugh about.

pb4, thank you for your info on some side effects. I've not had trouble falling asleep, but as you can see getting up to go to the toilet is definatly not letting me stay asleep.

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