HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Inflammation...

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/13/2009 9:41 AM (GMT 0)
I am told that even normal people without IBD might have some inflammation in their gut and that sometimes it goes untreated. e.g. there are a large number of Chrohn's patients who had one episode, got fixed, still have a little inflammation but aren't on any meds and live their life as normal with no symptons.

So I ask the forum this, if you were found to have some mild or moderate inflammation in your colon but you had no symptoms, no mucous, no urgency and no blood - would you let it be? Or would you risk further damage or even a flare by trying to aggressively treat it?

Posted 3/13/2009 11:19 AM (GMT 0)
I would get colonoscopies every once in awhile to see what my colon looked like. I would also do fecal transplantation, take Probiotics and eat for my colon, which is really what I'm doing now.

I don't see any need to aggressively treat it when my colon isn't getting damaged by ulcers. I don't even see any need to aggressively treat it when fecal transplantation, Probiotics, and diet work for me.
Posted 3/13/2009 11:28 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Subdued.

Just one question. How much is fecal transplantation? Does your insurance company cover it?
Posted 3/13/2009 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
If you have been diagnosed with UC it's not wise to let inflammation go without treating. Inflammation left untreated increases your risk for colon cancer. I am not sure if "minor" chronic inflammation puts you at a higher risk but it's definitely something you should discuss with your GI.

Sue
Posted 3/13/2009 6:53 PM (GMT 0)
What Sue states makes sense as to why UCers are at a higher risk of cancer....

I'm sure most of us wouldn't even notice a mild inflammation except to say that we have a bit of mucus or maybe constipation until the symptoms get more obvious.

Maintenance meds should at least help with the reduction of inflammation.

quincy
Posted 3/13/2009 7:11 PM (GMT 0)
Even with no symptoms/inflammation not staying on maintenance meds can possibly increase your risk of flaring again which is why most docs prefer you stay on your maintenance med(s) even while in remission, at least according to what they suspect in the behaviour of IBD. Of course there are no guarantees that while taking maintenance med(s) you won't flare but the flare may be less severe if on meds.

:)
Posted 3/13/2009 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
Studies show that patients who stay on maintenance doses flare less often that those who don't. Personally, I'd much rather just stay on the meds than risk flaring more often.
Posted 3/13/2009 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
No maintenance medicines for me.

I think many people have diarrhea or not very good poo and not think anything of it. I used to be one of those people. Now I check my poo everyday to make sure I'm not flaring. Good-sized poo means no inflammation.

I agree that the statistics show there is less chance of having another flare for those who are on maintenance medicines.

However, I'm not taking maintenance medicines because:

Maintenance medicines harm the kidneys. This is the main reason. If maintenance medicines did not harm the body, I'd be taking them.

If I don't take maintenance medicines, and I get a flare, then there is probably a better chance that the maintenance medicines will work. I rather be on maintenance medication for a shorter period than always being on it.

Alcozal and Colozal have stopped working for me. How can I tell whether or not maintenance medicines have stopped working when I'm in remission?

If the maintenance medicines did work, then I'd have a harder time telling what foods I shouldn't be eating. I also wouldn't know when it was safe to add a food back into my diet.

I don't know this for sure, but maintenance medicines could throw off the body's capability of handling inflammation on its own. If maintenance medicines did work for me, my body could become dependent on them so that I would flare anytime I stopped taking them.
Posted 3/13/2009 8:35 PM (GMT 0)

James Lee said...
Hey Subdued.

Just one question. How much is fecal transplantation? Does your insurance company cover it?

The cost of the syringe that I used. Fecal transplantation just means putting feces up the butt. I used feces from my granddaughter. She was breast feeding at the time so the feces were a yellow gooey substance--very suitable for doing fecal transplantation.

She has vast amounts of energy; so she is hard to take care of. I don't think my daughter and son-in-law are planning to have any more kids for awhile. On the one hand, I don't want them to. Raising kids is hard work, and he has a son from a previous marriage. On the other hand, I could use some poo. lol
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply