The process and timing of going in remission

I have almost pancolitis, and I am taking steroids (60 mg than 55) plus imuran since three weeks; I would like to ask some information from those who managed getting the remission, in particular, how much time did you take, and what happened the days/weeks before you got, as I'm heavily afraid I won't get it considering the evolution of my disease.
I'm down to 6-7 bowel movements per day and they are semi-formed, before steroids I went 12-13 times in liquid form, this should be positive but I'm also taking a very strict diet of white rice, load of spinachs (read the tip here), potatoes and fish, with the only exception of three bananas at breakfast and two bananas before dinner; this could be the reason I downed my bathroom visits (before this, I ate when I wanted during the day) and perhaps the semiformed consistence of my stools. The most hateful thing is the urgency that is only a small bit less, but when there's the movement I really can't contain, and this is almost as before and what make me feel pessimistic.

So the question is how much time in general did you take the remission, how much steroids did you take and what happened before you could say "yeah I'm in remission", if you improved slowly and gradually, or a morning you noticed a (semi)perfect consistence of your stools and the day before they weren't.

Thanks a lot.

Thank you very much for sharing this, hope you are right although the somewhat "stability" of my state is concerning me lot. I hope that others will share their experiences.

Serenity thanks for your experiences, how many timees you went on bathroom and how much urgency the weeks before you felt in remission? how much last the therapy during flare?

Any other pancolitis experience would be gratefully thanked.

Sounds to me as if you are doing pretty well!
Are you not on any rectal meds....? They could help with that low inflammation and urgency, I would think. I know some docs don't see the logic in prescribing them with pancolitis, but... if that bottom part is soothed, I find that makes me more comfortable all around.
From what you say, you are healing... it is a gradual process, to be sure, in my experience.

asdrubale said... Serenity thanks for your experiences, how many timees you went on bathroom and how much urgency the weeks before you felt in remission? how much last the therapy during flare? Any other pancolitis experience would be gratefully thanked. The worst part of my flare was during the weeks before beginning remission.  I was going to the bathroom, oh I don't know, maybe 15 times per day?  Hard to count, especially in the morning, I was just in and out nonstop.  All urgent.  A couple of occasions where I did not make it even the few feet from my bed to the bathroom, or out of the shower to the toilet.  So, a lot of urgency.  I hardly left the house during that phase.  Had NO energy at all.  Lots of abdominal pain.  Cramping during BMs.  Nausea at morning and night.  Oh and NIGHT SWEATS, let's not forget those. ______________________ Female, 44, Vancouver BC   DX: UC (Pancolitis) as of Jan2009.  Symptoms first began June2008.  Currently in remission. Current Meds:   None Previous Meds:  - Asacol 800 mg (1 pill x 4 daily), Jan-Mar2009  -Ferrous sulfate, Jan2009-Apr2010  Supplements: Probiotic, cod liver oil, Multi-vitamins, Calcium-Magnesium, L-glutamine 

Well, I started going into remission before I was even diagnosed, so I wasn't on any meds.  I was prescribed Asacol after I was already into remission.  My GI told me to take it for 2 months just to see what it would do, but the only thing it did was to give me intense joint pain (and maybe make my hair fall out, though I think that might have happened due to the flare not the Asacol, not sure).  So she told me to stop taking it... and all that happened was I improved more and the joint pain stopped. I had started taking Metamucil a couple of weeks before I noticed remission happening, so maybe that contributed, I don't know.  So how did I go into remission?  It's a mystery.  My theory:  No alcohol whatsoever for several months.  Quit my job, so no stress (other than worrying about my health) for a couple of months.  Took to lying around on the sofa all day long and sleeping whenever I needed to.  I was eating pretty crappy diet by this point.  Only cooked veggies occasionally, no fruit at all, a lot of junk (like chips) that I normally don't touch.  I had given up on diet by this point.  Weight kept dropping off no matter what I ate... in my more dramatic moments, thought I was dying, so who cared what I ate? So, to sum up I attribute it to: * no alcohol * minimal stress * LOTS and LOTS of rest __________________________ Female, 44, Vancouver BC   DX: UC (Pancolitis) as of Jan2009.  Symptoms first began June2008.  Currently in remission. Current Meds:   None Previous Meds:  - Asacol 800 mg (1 pill x 4 daily), Jan-Mar2009  -Ferrous sulfate, Jan2009-Apr2010  Supplements: Probiotic, cod liver oil, Multi-vitamins, Calcium-Magnesium, L-glutamine 

ok it's passed a month and nothing seems changed..
I'm going to bathroom 6 times a day, but today I already went three and I think until tomorrow it will be more than 6, perhaps 8 or 9..

I'm sad and discouraged... I think I will never achieve this remission.

I'm also (following my GI directions) tapering the prednisone, but I'm still at 35mg and if it's already re-burning my colon (I started at 60mg) I don't know what will happen if I'll continue to taper as indicated.

I'm also taking the imuran, it's almost 2 months now.

It seems nothing it's working for me. I see not much blood (I'd say rarely), but my stools are always loose and I'm hating it.
I live envying and hating the whole world because I'm so sick and can not do anything for me.. I really feel like rubbish and I'm not hiding I thought this life is not worth to be lived. sorry for that, but I'm desperate.

thanks.
yeah I also feel there's a yeast connection and, in fact, I don't eat yeasts since july... but I'd want this remission if that's not a cure I'd like to feel normal like many people feel. can't understand why someone takes the remission, someone else no.

asdrubale -
I'm sorry you're feeling so bad!
Have you ever tried one of the fiber supplements to bulk up the stool..? I know they don't work for everyone, but they do help some folks (like me).... probiotics...? Rectal meds....?
I would think maybe rectal meds to keep the bottom happy while you were tapering the pred might make you more comfortable.....?
2 months into Imuran, it still may kick in. I hope it does.....
In the meantime, feel free to vent - I've sure "been there" - a lot of us have.

asdurable:

First don't lose hope.  I have had UC for the last 20 years of my life so I know where you are and how you are feeling.  I had horrible pancolitis with a lot of bleeding and a lot of urgency.  I was going to the bathroom around 10-15 times a day and having accidents here and there.  So I know where you are.  I went on the Imuran and it took about 2 months to kick in.  I have been on it for about 1.5 years and have no problems with it.  The imuran has put me into a solid remission, like I never had UC.  I knew I was in remission when I forgot about going #2.  It had been a few days and I was like, WOW I hope I need to go soon.  No urgency now, no blood, no diarrhea, etc...  I also know that I am in remission because I like being out of the house and don't care or even think of where a bathroom is. 

Please don't lose hope or become discouraged.  It takes time.  I would definitely recommend using probiotics and using a rectal med to cool down the urgency issue.  Stay on the Imuran and give it time.

MyUC

asdrubale
I'd like to 2nd songlady's suggestion to take rectal enemas (mesalamine) to help with urgency. I believe the inflammation is causing it.
My remission came from diet modification, not meds, but inflammation is the reason for the worst of our symptoms. That's what the steroids are prescribed for.

My D, bleeding and urgency were eliminated with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Now I am almost back to normal, just trying to find the perfect balance by managing C which appears a couple times a month.

thanks again!!
I'm not on scd, but I'm off the yeasts and sugar, perhaps I should also avoid potatoes and rice...

yes it's difficult to understand what you should it and what shouldn't.
you know someone advocate rice and potatoes is good for us, but they're really not a candida-free food.

Listen, when you began the scd, what supplements did you take? Did you take enzymes and probiotics? And what permitted food did you avoid when inflammation was active?