Posted 5/28/2010 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
Went to my GI on Wednesday because I needed to change my plan of attack for my current flare. Been flaring since mid Feb. (after a few weeks of emotional & physical stress; mother passed, multiple URI's, intestinal bug, sinusitis), and I haven't been happy with the results from my usual (Asacol x14, Rowasa nightly) plan to attain remission. He OK'd an increase in Asacol to 16, if I wanted, and prescribed Cort-enemas for 4 weeks until my colonoscopy on 6/22. My symptoms were getting better, but we felt that the flare has been going on too long and I've lost 30 lbs. so he wanted to push back a bit harder with the hydrocortisone.
This is my first time using steroids to treat my UC, which I have had for 30+ years. I used an enema on Wed. night. I noticed that these enema bottles don't have a disc in the nozzle so you can squeeze out the extra air without it getting sucked right back in. So I switched out the nozzle with one from a generic Rowasa enema; shook, squeezed out air, inserted. Thursday morning I had a formed BM with very minimal blood. Thursday PM; gassy, mucousy BM. This morning; small formed BM, no blood.
No apparent side effects (didn't expect any, actually). Although, my appetite is improving. Of course, the anorexia which I have during a flare is not physical, it is psychological brought on by the stress and anxiety of the disease. So I think the increased appetite is not due to the steroid, but to my improved outlook RE my UC.