questions/ blood color

The higher it is, the darker it is....but for UC, it's not necessarily true if you're going multi times a day. Usually that's when blood has a longer time to sit in the colon during its journey downward or when it's pooled a bit when having very few bms.

Since you're on pred, healing and decreasing pred...you'll have bleeding....some darker because it's sitting longer in the colon from higher up and some from just sitting in the colon from less bms.

It takes a while for it all to heal and remember that the tissue is very fragile. With inflammation, you'll have more mucus, less bms will still create the mucus and if that's what's in the rectum..that's what will come out.

Why aren't you on the rectal meds as well while you're tapering. You have the urgency and that could be helped by them.

Maybe the cortifoam could be considered or you should go back on the canasa

quincy

Jan,

I think the prednisone may have worked for you initially but not sure that you're tapering it correctly - and I say this from my own experience of doing things the wrong way.  It's true that you need to taper pred and get off it as soon as you can, but the goal is to get into remission, and maybe you should have stayed at 40mg slightly longer - as it seems you were still flaring when you began tapering after being on it only 5 days.

From what I understand, the aim should be to have no symptoms and then begin tapering at a slow rate so that your body gets time to adjust.  If you're in a flare-up and still tapering prednisone by 10mg every 5 days then it shouldn't be surprising for things to get worse. 

Have you spoken to your GI specialist about this? 

Things got under control for me quickly when I began my current cycle of pred, but below 20mg I have been having a slight flare-up.  Sometimes, it is recommended to increase the dosage back up slightly to get things under control again and then begin to taper again - or supplement the treatment with rectal meds such as cortenema to see if that helps (which is what I'm trying).

Yes, you should ask your GI specialist a lot of questions to make sure you're doing things the right way.  Even though you have an appointment next week, is it not possible to give him a call and discuss the situation over the phone? 

Obviously, any advice offered on this forum should be discussed with your GI specialist before you make any changes to your treatment.

Hi Jan,

I'm having very similar problems at the moment I have a question for you.

What's your diet like? What have you been told to eat or have you been?


Thanks,

Mike










I was going 20+ times to the bathroom now it is down to about 10 or so. No poo...well not much. just blood and mucus, and that amount has gone down.

The color has changed from red, to pink, to brownish, and now back to red/pink.

Wow, I could have written your post describing my flares!!  I hardly get loose stools - just lots of blood and mucous.  I describe mine as tomato soup as that's how it looks!! 

Anyway, I haven't read others posts, but that taper seems to be waaay to fast to me.  When I go on steroid I am usually on them for six weeks minimum (starting with 40 mgs).  In fact, I had a severe flare of my asthma in the fall and my allergist wanted to put me on a quick "burst" of steroids.  When I spoke to my GI, he said "no way!"  Needless to say, the falre of my asthma was long over before I got off the steroids  !  To his defense though, I have been in and out of a flare since may with no extended remission.

One other thing - have you tried suppositiores?  When I get the bleeding that you're describing it is often limited to that rectal area and the supps might also help.  Just a suggestion!