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TAPER OFF PRED DOES UC COME BACK?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 8/7/2009 11:45 AM (GMT 0)
 

I m new to this! I have recently been diagnosed with uc about two months ago after spending 2 weeks in hospital, they managed to reduce to inflamation etc by putting me on drip of predisone. I ve been tapering off this ever since but every time I get to 15mg i seem to need to go to the toilet a lot more again average 5/6 times ussually all in the morning, Last time doc put me back up to 25mg and tapered off slowly but happening again. No blood with it only on paper which i think is from hemeroids which got since hospital. Is this normal for me now or is it a sign that the uc has not gone yet? forgot to say also have some pain when going to toilet no anywhere near as bad when in hospital but still there.

Sorry for babbling just not sure who to ask as don't want to bother doc all the time.

 

Post Edited (MITSY) : 8/7/2009 6:40:10 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/7/2009 1:08 PM (GMT 0)
This is my second time on pred.  The first time I was on it for only one month.  She had me taper. 20mg 7 days, 15mg 7 days, 10mg 7 days, 5 mg 7 days, then done.  I flared right away.  When I got to 5 mg I had to go all the time.  When off of it completely I went about 10-15 times a day.  She put me back on pred.  I've been on it since June 27, 2009.  I was put on 20mg and on Tuesday of this week I started tapering.  I go 17,5 mg for 7 days, 15mg for 7 days, the 14mg for a week, 13mg for a week, etc. until I'm off it.  I did my second does of remicade on Wed.  I noticed yesterday I went to the bathroom about 10 times in the morning.  On pred I only go about twice a day.  My first remi infusion I got chest pains they only put half the bag in and then stopped.  I had no chest pains on wed(my second dose, they wanted to try one more time).  I hope it works.  I don't know because my first infusion I noticed I went to the bathroom alot more after it also.  Good luck with the pred.  Hopefully you don't get the nasty side effects.  I've been lucky.  The only thing is I get is alittle moody. devil
Posted 8/7/2009 1:12 PM (GMT 0)
UC will never completely go away, it cycles through periods of remission and flares. It sounds to me as if you need to add another drug to your regime to get you off of prednisone. You might be steroid dependent. I recommend you meet with your GI and talk about the next plan. The goal is to get off of steroids as soon as you possibly can.

Sue
Posted 8/7/2009 3:15 PM (GMT 0)
Are you on any other medications besides prednisone? If not, you should be.
Posted 8/7/2009 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
Yes been taking ascol for about 3 weeks now and always ones to protect the stomach etc.

Thank you for replies so far
Andy
Posted 8/7/2009 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
i am on 20 mg pred now, i dropped to 10 last week and immidiately got more blood and D, so for me anyways, my body is very dependant on pred right now
Posted 8/7/2009 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
So you're not using any rectal meds? How much asacol are you taking? And I'm not sure what you mean by "always ones to protect the stomach etc." It's usually helpful to create a signature (like most of us have) that includes info like that, as it makes it easier for us to answer your questions if we know your history and what meds you're using. You do that by clicking on "control panel" in the blue bar up at the top of the page, on the left side.

Your UC will always be present (unless you have surgery to remove your colon, that is!)...it's just that you'll have cycles of remission (no inflammation and no symptoms) and flare. It can be very hard (or impossible) to come off of pred without symptoms coming back. However, you shouldn't stay on pred long term.
Posted 8/7/2009 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
When I couldn't get better at 25, my doc would go to 40 mg for a day or so, then taper from there. Maybe you're not taking enough to get you out of the flare.

And this is a chronic disease, it does not go away. Some months/years will be better than others, hopefully you'll be one who can achieve long remissions. I never completely went into remission until now with this Remicade. But after all these years, I can't help but still behave like someone with active UC, because I don't yet trust my body to behave.
Posted 8/7/2009 7:52 PM (GMT 0)
Peety, I hope you can learn some new habits soon! I'm so happy for you, though, that Remicade is workign so well. :)
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