Tapering question for Songlady

hi -
I had to go look at my signature to see what you meant.

Um... I'm not sure which part of it you do mean.... I've been on 16 Asacol a day for 8 years, and my "new" GI (for a year now) and I decided I'd go down to 12, but I started to taper down and, whether related to that or not, I've been not completely perfect (colonoscopy showed slight inflammation in the bottom few inches.)
So.. when I'm really good, I'll slowly taper down to 12 Asacol.

Rowasa..... I wwas on them every night and morning in August because I started to flare, so I doubled my probiotics and went to Cortenemas for a few weeks to get rid of the bleeding. (Yes, I can go into flare while doing Rowasa twice a day.) I was on twice a week enemas by late Sept and then started to have symptoms again... likely due to "my usual flare time" and some wow-bang stress in my family life.

Right now actually I'm doing Rowasa 2 or 3 nights then one Cortenema. Hopefully I'll go back down to not having to do them each night.

The metamucil bulks my stools, helps make them formed, makes them easier to pass. The 5 days I was off it a few weeks ago, before my annual colonoscopy, the stools were more uncomfortable and not as well-formed.

Did I answer your question...? Sorry I've not been more vigilant about my sig!!

Right - I've been tapering off and then back on the enemas for months. But, I've had less flare activity this fall than ever in all these years, so... for me that's worth it.

I have never tried getting off Metamucil and I don't plan to. I started it at the advice of my GI in the fall of 1986 - 24 years ago. I use the traditional powder (the capsules weren't available at that point, and I'm so used to the powder.....I'm continuing with it under the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule.) I use teaspoons (not measuring spoons, but the same ones I eat breakfast with) and I heap the spoon with metamucil and mix and drink.... twice. The amount is probably a little more than a Tablespoon, kitchen-measurement-wise - so two heaping Tablespoons a day, measurement-wise.
I do not plan on ever stopping that - the metamucil is a big part of my maintenance, and I only skip it when I must, as before a procedure.

One of the things I've come to understand about UC is that it can change; and also with time, our bodies' reactions to food and allergens can change, sensitivities can develop.... so, I can understand that maybe foods that once didn't bother someone might start doing so.

And then also: If I were to eat...who knows, huge salads, or lots of popcorn, I'd see looser and more frequent stools; I think even a non-UCer would. If my gut is somewhat inflamed and I were to eat those things, after several stools I would likely see blood. Is the food "causing" my inflammation? No, it's just showing me the bloody evidence of the inflammation. BUT, if I avoid those foods and don't bleed as much, do I help my gut to heal more quickly? Or, conversely, if I continue to eat those foods (even though they didn't cause the inflammation to begin with) might they scratch the surface and cause a messier colon...?

It sure is complicated!