To start pred or not to start pred...

As you all know, I am flaring and it isn't going well. I am out of the Humira trial now and the plan is to start on Remicade soon.

I went on Tuesday and they gave me Rowasa, which I have been using, and a month's worth of pred, which I have not. The nurse with whom I interact with said I could wait until today because I was supposed to have a flex sig today, but because we got more snow, that is being rescheduled for next week.

So before we start remicade, I need to do that, have another TB test and do the stool samples. It will be end of next week at the earliest before we can get started on the Remicade.

I am not feeling well at all. I am up to btwn 8-12 times a day, bloody D most of the time-blood everytime. Most of the time, I can't see through the blood to see what the stool actually looks like at the bottom of the bowl-but I can tell it is mostly D. I am getting pretty weak. But I really hate pred-REALLY. It did some nasty things to be the last time that I still have not been able to fix, and I dread going back on it. They said only for a month, but I fear once I get on it, it will be hard to get back off.

I just don't know-so I am asking-what would you do? Start the pred or hold off? The combo of Rowasa, Canasa and Asacol is doing absolutely nothing to slow this flare down.

I have not tried cortenemas-I have used two steroid rectals previously. One was a suppository and one was a pre-filled type of thing-maybe a foam? I don't really remember now. But both times using steroid rectals made things worse almost immediately. Maybe that wouldn't happen again, but I am just not sure I am willing to chance it, you know? I have been dealing with this flare for almost 2 months now, and if it gets much worse, I am going to need blood transfusions again!!