Trying to stop a flare in the first weeks

As you wrote, that's just the way UC is. After a terrifically positive beginning to March, with fond hopes for the long-awaited spring, I started into a flare which quickly ulcerated my sigmoid colon. I was already on my maintenance dose of Colazal-- so immediately upped that + started (generic) Rowasa. Well, the latter made my flare worse! That from med which had always helped me get to remission over ca. 14 yrs. It's scary! My gastro would have added Xifaxin except that (thankfully) the higher dose of Colazal started working about a week after my flex-sig. So here I am 5 weeks later with ulceration apparently healed, but still watching diet carefully because that seems very necessary. I need to beware of ingredients + amount of food consumed overall. I lost ca. 6 lbs but could afford it. You're definitely doing the best that can be done in our precarious situation. Try to stay positive & avoid stressing out over what might go wrong-- because we just can't control everything. Good luck & let us know how you're doing. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently recovering from March flare in sigmoid colon)

Good luck julee 70, it sounds like you are on the right track. I think the more experience you have with this stuff, the better you get. I have such a problem with determining which foods cause me to flare. There are some I do not touch like pizza, and other Italian/Greek food with red sauce. Also, can't do raw veggies, popcorn, corn, seeds or nuts ever. EVen corn products bother me like corn chips. I am unsure about tea, and dairy. Sometimes I think these bother me but other times no. I think I have a slight case of lactose intolerance. It also seems that when I do not get my rest, things will flare up. I am not sure of the cause/effect there. Thanks for the info on the cortifoam bs. rowasa.

I agree that it's good to try to get a flare under control asap, instead of waiting for symptoms to worsen. Julee, if you're still having D, you could try taking a fiber supplement to firm up the BM's. I find that taking a fiber supplement helps a lot.

You can get smooth fiber supplements that aren't rough on the intestine and serve the purpose. However, like any new thing, you should try smaller doses at first to see if you can handle it.

     I finally learned that to ward off a flare if I feel one coming on, is to immediately start on the Cort enemas.  I take 6 Colazal a day and 50mgm one day and 25mgm the next of 6MP.  So far this has worked like a charm.  I eat anything I like but do stay away from highly spicy and fried foods, and, of course, crabcakes which threw me into two flares in the past.