Tiredness

Hi Heart -
Welcome to the forum!
I am so sorry for your troubles. Gosh, you've lived with this a long time! (Even longer than I have - lol!) Extra intestinal manifestations are common in IBD..... eyes problems, joint pain and skin issues are things I've dealt with from time to time.
You say you've tried a lot of meds....? The 5-ASAs? Have you tried the rectal meds?
Rowasa, or even the steroid enemas....?

My GI (and my former GI) have mentioend 6-MP to me, too.... and though I'm not eager to climb the med ladder, the more I've learned about it here, the less bad it sounds. There are folks who can't metabolize it, and it just doesn't work out - but for others - mostly those who are too busy to be on this forum anymore - it apparently works well. I'd suggest you take a minute and look at some of the posting in the past week from MyUC - he is on it and is in a great remission and feeling very good. The doses they give us UCers are much smaller than the doses used for other purposes, so if you look up side effects, etc - likely those aren't really aimed at the UC levels of dosing.

So you have a good ophthamologist who is familiar with UC-related eye issues....?

I also have a job in which I can't just leave the room - so I know what you mean. It's tough.
Hang in there - and again, welcome!

I have been on 6mp since April and I am feeling good. I do have joint pain, however. That is the only med I am on and it seems to be doing the trick. Make sure you get all your blood tests. I was on Imuran and ended up in the hospital severly sick due to dosage issues. My liver is finally getting back to normal.

Hi -
I don't know what caused the arthritis in my hip. That 2 years of pred some 20+ years ago....? Maybe. My mother had a nearly identical arthritis situation in her right hip, though, so.....maybe just heredity.
I was dxed with osteoarthritis in that hip only a year ago - I'd been ignoring the pain - so it's not as if anyone was tracking me all along in that regard. And though the ortho said that the joint could be said to be consistent with long-ago long term steroid use, he wouldn't declare it was caused by that.
And - my bone density itself is excellent.
So - all that to say, who knows, but we deal with whatever comes along. And since my hip replacement I can do so many more things, so... I'm not unhappy!

Heart - what symptoms is your 16 year old having?

Songlady and Notso...
My 16 yo has stomach aches and diah maybe constip too but I am not sure, she usually doesn't tell me until she is feeling pretty bad. Her dr thinks she may have a lot of allergies.
I have been diagnosed with OA in my neck which flared a couple times really bad but hasn't bothered me in a few years. I also suffer w/sinusitis, acne on my face, shoulder probs, knee probs, and innumerable pains in hands, arms, legs etc. sleep probs which I never did before, so I take melotonin, calms or tylenol. Hydrocodone for pain when it's unbearable. I am careful though because I worry about liver damage. Right now I am having heart palps from the Pred. Took it at 8 this morning. Thanks for, being here, I really need someone who understands-I don't want to burden my husband(he is great). My friends and family seem to think I am a hypocondriac-they don't understand because I don't look sick to them (I do to myself though) and I think I hide it well. I had to tell someone at work tho because I needed someone to take my class (Kindergarten) so I could run to the bathroom-it was so embarrassing. My anxiety gets so bad sometimes I don't leave the house for a week at a time even if it is something fun that I want to do, it is so debilitating.