Posted 8/21/2010 2:58 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,
I am new to the forum. I am glad to have found. I have been alone with my disease for about eight years now.
My gastro-enterologist did a sigmoidoscopy on me Tuesday and discovered that my proctitis had tripled and moved up into my colon, so that I now have proctosigmoiditis (think that's the term), about 25 cm. and the ulceration is more severe.
He wrote a prescription for a corticosteroid (the hydrocortisone), as the two-a-day canasa suppositories + Lialda were not helping to reduce the bleeding, diarrhea, and frequent bowel movements (about 12-18 daily). I have been taking the hydrocortisone enemas for two nights now, but the symptoms are about the same as before.
I am also taking azathioprine orally. My doctor was not in today, so another doctor at the clinic said I should go back to the two Canasa suppositories a day with oral azathioprine. But I'm pretty sure it will not work...
My rectum is sore and I have urgent bowel movements in the morning and in the late afternoon.
I feel I am at the end of my rope...I know there are no magic solutions, but I don't know where to go from here.
Anyone else have a similar experience? Any suggestions?
I have tried taking turmeric, fish oil, Aloe Vera, browellia, etc. daily for a couple of years now, no help really...
Maybe drugs won't suppress the auto-immune inflammatory response at all. On the other hand, there don't seem to be any alternatives. The gastro-enterologists seem to expect that the Canasa or the hydrocortisone SHOULD work to reduce the inflammation but since I have not been in remission for probably now three years using mesalamine enemas, Canasa, and hydrocortisone (the latter a short time), I don't know why they should expect that they should, in any combination with lialda, sulzalazine, etc. taken orally.