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Where does your UC start?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/26/2010 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
The medical community seems to believe that only the colon is involved in UC--that is that we are having some sort of auto-immune response in our colon, for what reason, they don't know.

I'm not so sure that only the colon is involved, at least for me. I recently had a small flare, which I'm trying hard for it not to return while getting off Lialda (my first day off it entirely), and have noticed that if I have milk without taking Lactaid, my digestive system will start making noises and I'll start bleeding, although only a tiny bit. The same thing happens when I consume foods/drinks high in fructose, which I know my liver has trouble digesting. Therefore, I think some other part of my digestive system, such as my liver, is also involved in my flares; and that, fructose, does not only give me IBS but can trigger a flare or make it worse.

Are your symptoms restricted only to your colon? Or do you feel you're having other digestive issues that cause you to flare or make your flare worse?
Posted 3/26/2010 8:44 PM (GMT 0)
I am definitely mildly lactose intolerant. I can do cheese, yogurt and really small amounts of milk but if I drink a lot of milk or have a big bowl of ice cream you can hear it make it's way from top to bottom! I wonder if I have a bit of IBS because there are definitely other trigger foods that cause problems higher up than my colon. Onion, and garlic are two. Even before UC I always had to be cautious of those foods. So, I guess I see what you are saying about it not only being the colon but I guess I just think my UC is one thing and the other lactose/IBS things are something separate.
Posted 3/26/2010 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
There are several known extraintestinal manifestations (joint pain, iritis, etc) of ulcerative colitis. So far, I haven't seem to have had any. Regarding the rest of my digestive system, I wasn't able to tolerate MSG and artificial sweetners prior to UC, so I'm assuming I still can't (if I've eaten any since being diagnosed, it was by accident). I've had no symptoms of UC since gaining remission, either.
Posted 3/27/2010 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
Actually, the medical community knows that UC most often starts in the rectom and often moves up into the colon and those are the 2 areas in which UC is limited regarding the GI tract involvement....extra intestinal manifestations are another can of worms, that many do not even experiance and are therefore not relevant to all patients and they often occur with moderate to severe UCers...of course nothing's written in stone but according to researchers that is the "norm".

It's also pretty evident for many that having food/beverage sensitivities often exacerbate their IBD symptoms.
Posted 3/27/2010 3:59 PM (GMT 0)
I should have worded the title better.

Yep. My inflammation starts at the rectum. In fact, I just got over a flare that was only at the butt hole.
Posted 3/27/2010 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
UC doesn't involve the anus (butt hole)....CD can affect any part of the GI tract from anus to mouth, UC is limited to the colon/rectom only.
Posted 3/27/2010 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
Many with IBD also have IBS... look at my sig as I too cannot tolerate fructose etc
Posted 3/28/2010 3:36 PM (GMT 0)

pb4 said...
UC doesn't involve the anus (butt hole)....CD can affect any part of the GI tract from anus to mouth, UC is limited to the colon/rectom only.

Well. My butt hole was inflamed. It felt like hemmies from the outside. I had a colonoscopy done; so both me and my GI got to see it. My GI didn't say it was odd. So I assumed it was normal.
Posted 3/28/2010 7:31 PM (GMT 0)
It's NORMAL for many of us to have butt hole issues as well...considering in a flare how well "used" it gets.

When I have issues with hemmies or if the fissure "rears"....a flare is sometimes close behind...lol..puns intended.

Are you dealing with the hemmies Joy? Proctocedyl ointment in conjunction with the suppositories can help A LOT!!

q
Posted 3/28/2010 10:42 PM (GMT 0)
Nope. I had a very small flare; so I got it checked out. Turned out to be only at the very bottom of the rectum (the butt hole area). I was prescribed canasa suppositories and lialda and told it would go away in a week and a half. It's gone now. Thanks for asking.

One thing I've learned though over my many years of getting skin inflammations/infections, anything can become inflamed.
Posted 3/28/2010 10:58 PM (GMT 0)
     My UC is totally confined to the rectum, has been since 1998.  Rest of colon at last colonoscopy done in May of 08, clear as a bell except for some mild diverticulosis.
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