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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/31/2011 3:07 AM (GMT 0)
Hey. I was diagnosed with UC when I was 13. I almost died from it back then. I was in remission for years afterward (i picked up smoking cigarettes) and then stopped smoking 3 years ago and have been having flares again ever since. about 2 weeks ago I made the mistake of taking anticiotics for a bad cold and ever since then I've been in a flare that's just getting worse. On top of it last Thursday I came down with a bad stomach virus and now my flare is even worse. At this point I'm in the bathroom once every 45 minutes and all that comes out is blood. Anytime i go to the bathroom I can push and blood will come out it's like it's just bleeding non-stop. I just took my last hydrocortisone enema last night and they apparently havent helped at all. Im waiting for my Asacol to come in the mail and I started taking VSL #3 probiotics (2 capsules a day) yesterday. Is there anything I can eat or do to slow the bleeding? I was reading online that some people break open the probiotic capsules and use them as an enema to get them to the source quicker.. should I try this? I can't see the doctor again till Saturday but I'm so scared it's gonna just get worse and worse and am looking into ANYTHING I can do to make it somewhat better. Any advice would help, thanks.
Posted 3/31/2011 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
I wish I can help but make sure you go to your doctor and make sure you get a CBC. That much blood is not good. I've been there and I know it's scary. I hope you feel better soon.
Posted 3/31/2011 3:44 AM (GMT 0)
yOu may have to get on prednisone at this point. Would you consider trying the SC diet?
Posted 3/31/2011 4:21 AM (GMT 0)
I am sorry you're feeling so terrible.

You should definitely call your GI and see if you can get some samples until your medication arrives. It sounds like you need to start managing this ASAP. You could try restricting your diet to try to minimize the symptoms but it never worked for me when I was in a severe flare. Do you have Rowasa enemas? I've never tried probiotic enemas. I would imagine they are very difficult to retain if you're making them with water especially if you're flaring badly.
Posted 3/31/2011 4:22 AM (GMT 0)
what is the SC diet? im so scared and i get panic attacks every time i see the horror in the toilet when i go. i just cry at this point and feel so alone. i was on such high doses of prednisone when i was little and i got all the bad side effects and had to deal with the moon face which went over well being a freshman in high school :(.. i dont want it to get as bad as it got and im terrified and i think stressing about it is probably just going to make me worse but its so hard not to
Posted 3/31/2011 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
SCD Diet is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. If you look it up on Google, you wll find more information. I tried it and it didn't help me at all so don't put all your eggs in that basket. Why haven't you been to a doctor? I know how bad prednisonoe sucks but sometimes it is that or remicade or surgery. After my experience with prednisone, I may opt for one of the alternatives but it's a difficult decision. Please see your GI, if you can't for insurance reasons, at least give a call and get advice.
Posted 3/31/2011 5:09 AM (GMT 0)
I just moved and went to my regular dr first who gave me the hydro-cortisone enemas.. then i went to a Gastro I found where I just moved to. It wasnt as severe when i initially went (which was literally only a week ago) so he gave me an Asacol prescription (9 a day) and told me to come back in a month and we'd schedule a colonoscopy since im due for one. It is just after the virus that it got this out of hand. Which is weird cause when i actually HAD the virus i had diarrhea but very little blood. Ever since i stopped having diarrhea from the stomach virus ive been having so much blood (the lots of blood started only yesterday). I made an appointment to see him on saturday again instead of waiting the month. Due to my insurance i have to mail in prescriptions and wait for them to get mailed to me.. so I'm still waiting on my Asacol. When i was there last, the dr mentioned Rowasa enemas so i may look into those. My last flare I used those and they seemed to work better than the hydrocortisone. I'm just scared like.. can it get extremely bad within the 2 days I have to wait? I just get so nervous that I'm getting worse while waiting to go back and not having anything to take for it
Posted 3/31/2011 6:42 AM (GMT 0)
I am surprised you weren't on some kind of maintenence medication to begin with if you've had UC for years. I've been on Asacol since I was diagnosed. I was on just rectals for a while but that was when I had mild proctitis. Hopefully you won't get any worse in the next days while you wait for the Asacol to arrive. It is possible to call the GI you saw last week and ask for samples. My old GI used to give me a lot of Asacol samples, a box would last me a week or two. I am sorry you're so stressed. That's how this illness is for me too, very unnpredictible. I think that's the worst part of it for me, I never know if I will have a flare up and it's hard to make plans because you may be sick tomorrow or next month. My last flare went from nothing to extreme over night. It was very scary and stressful but thankfully I am feeling stable again. You should really be on longterm meds. Maybe after your colonoscopy there will be more information. It sounds like the antibiotics probably set this off, maybe it is something bacterial. What kind of antibiotics were you on? Many of us try to avoid antibiotics but I know sometimes it is impossible. If you're feeling realy bad, definitely call and ask for samples, even if you have to call the regular doctor.
Posted 3/31/2011 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
Im on remi and have been for a lil over a year, today i actually noticed some bloods in the stool, i get the anxiety as soon as i see it ,we are in the same boat ... hang in there we have all been there..... maybe take some iron too to get some energy back.

 

Posted 3/31/2011 4:39 PM (GMT 0)
go on liquid diet for now...soup and jello..ensure.....until bleeding stops.
Posted 3/31/2011 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
when i get like that pred is the only thing that settle things down, think about it would u want to sit in the pot all day with bloody bms or take pred and face the side affacts. i know what i would do. good luck and hope u get sorted asap.
Posted 3/31/2011 9:29 PM (GMT 0)
still a lot of blood today.. still no medicine in the mail. waiting for saturday :(.. do you think i am just going to get worse by then? im trying so hard not to stress out but everytime i go i get frustrated and scared at the amount of blood in the toilet. i dont know if im like constipated or something. there will be tons of blood and like a pebble or two of crap when i go. i want saturday to come so bad.. i dont think id be anemic yet.. the heavy bleeding just started Tuesday. do you think i'll be ok till saturday even if i stay like this till then? i havent had a flare this bad since i was little and i dont remember if bleeding like this was common. like, im unsure what is OK for now and what is "i think i should go to the ER".. but at the same time im a huge hypochondriac and i dont want to go to the ER if i can make it till saturday.. also, about the samples, my gastro isnt in the office till tomorrow and my regular dr is in NJ (about an hour away).. according to the website my Asacol might finally arrive tomorrow

Post Edited (KHV1218) : 3/31/2011 3:41:07 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/31/2011 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
It sounds like you will need prednisone at this point.
Posted 4/1/2011 9:00 AM (GMT 0)
so later in the night i had 3 separate episodes of diarrhea and there was hardly any blood in it at all. ***fff is going on! crossing my fingers.
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