Everything was fine until

Yes. Basically last spring I was mid-stride in my current flare, and I started to "dry-up". I thought it was getting better, and my stools became more formed. Unfortunately I developed hemmies at the same time (and did nto know it yet). I started to pass my now formed larger stools and, let me tell you, when they started to press against my anus, I felt like I was going to die. Nausea was worse than I have ever experienced, pain at the site that radiated through my whole lower body, and a residual headache.

Not that it means anything specifically, but this thing seems to affect us all very differently, throwing in similarities where it wan'ts to confuse us.

Tell me about it. This disease is a vicious cycle. It's affected by stress. It is a stress inducer. I guess this is where we should all get together and take a UC Therapy Carnival cruise for a week and not worry about anything. See how we all feel at the end. Be a real study in positive thinking!

Not sure if it was from the hemmies at the time, I just remember I had them and didn't know for a few days (honestly hadn't had them in years). But even now, even today, I had a mostly formed movement, and it was at the moment of pressure that I felt the worst - then it passed (insert sigh of relief here) when the bm was done. So no, I rarely experience that pain for a long time after. Sometimes, but it always disapates sooner rather than later.

Try not to make too much out of a simple thing that many/most of us ignore. Low in the rectum inflammation acts differently than when it's higher. Remember, UC starts at the rectum and inflammation will travel upward, no matter how high YOUR UC is.

Meaning......your flare will start in the rectum, symptoms will be slight and certainly not as obvious as diarrhea, bleeding, etc (already when the inflammation is higher in the rectum and beyond). Early flare symptoms include constipation, gassssss that seems to explode in the rectum, rectal pain upon bms or afterward, nausea, stomach discomfort, headaches (for those who get them)...etc.

....so, here I go again...
start rectal meds and taper them to a maintenance.

Dicyclomine is an antispasmodic that will help with some of the discomfort symptoms....

It all may be the nature of the disease, but knowledge is power. It enables you to SEE the symptoms and act on them as early as possible.

One might have hemorroids, could be two issues or maybe hemmies can contribute to inflammation.

Dealing with early symptoms can help prevent the inflammation from getting worse....confining flares to just the rectum (hopefully).

In saying all that, not all meds work for everyone....not all patients want to use rectal meds. SEems a small price to pay, however, for long-term gain.

quincy

The pain I experience after a BM sounds different than what everyone is describing. My entire stomach will hurt - sometimes for up to an hour. It's almost like a cramping or stomach ache. I think it's just the fact that any motion was created in the large intestine and so it takes a while for the ache to go away. Just another perspective.

DB...remember, it's medication that stays in the colon.

How slightly past expiration are they?

They should be used at the first symptoms of a flare...not when one waits till a flare gets worse...use them nightly till symptoms abate for a few days to a week, then start the taper. The goal isn't to go off the meds, it's to keep the inflammation to a minimum.

Small price to pay from my perspective, but I have no qualms about using the enemas. Maybe you should quetion the reason you don't want to use them......Asacol doesn't deal with the rectum.

How busy can you be when you're laying in bed waiting to go to sleep, or reading or watching tv?

Do give them a try...

quincy