how many flares have you had since diagnosis?

I've had UC/CD for 18 months now and had one flare since diagnosis. I think I tapered too much on the Apriso (two pills per day, three mesalamine enemas per week.)

Symptoms were a little blood and a little mucus.

jeez, seems like it's been one never-ending flare, with varying degrees of intensity. Since 2002, I've basically always had daily symptoms, some so bad I've been hospitalized, some nothing more than a big inconvenience in my day. Stinks. Currently, I'm doing alright, with the odd bad day thrown in every 3-4 days. But still having AM urgency, occasional accidents, numerous bathroom trips, etc. Those are my day-to-day reality now.

2 flares (both lasting almost a complete year) within 5 years...
1st remission : glorious 3 years. 2nd remission : 4 great month and holding... :)

cause for me (in my opinion): STRESS!!!!

I've had about 19 flares since I was diagnoised. I was in remission for awhile too. I noticed that when i was younger before my remission I got a flare 2 to 3 times a yr and almost always at the same time. I've been outve remission now for a little over a year and have had 4. Same times of the year. Not sure why. I'm convinced the stress from Christmas puts me in a flare in January. And that my allergies in the spring throw me back into one now. Even with preventative measures I still flare.

     Diagnosed with UP in Sept of 98.  Flare lasted two months.  Had a two yr remission.  Flare in Sept of 2000, lasted two months.  Remission till 2002.  Flared yearly until 05, then twice a year till 08.  Could not achieve remission, became prednisone dependent and had surgery last year.  Best decision I ever made.

I don't really remember. I think one serious one, two bad ones, a few mini flares that went away within two weeks. I've had IBD for six years?

How many flares? Hmm I would have to say 15 years worth with 4 years of sporadic bouts of remission. But many of those years were spent in denial and lack of compliance, so my fault really.

I had a lot of flares from diagnosis in 1980 until 2003 when my gastroenterologist put me on Colazal, which was then in Phase 2 (of 4) NIH clinical trials (U.S.). This med was a real blessing for me though I had rough patches until Salix took something out of the 1st formula that made my eyes puff up & itch after 10 weeks of daily dosing. Then when the generic came to market in 2008, my insurance insisted that I had to go on it, and I flared soon afterward! So-- without brandname Colazal my UC would be flaring 2-3 times a year. I really need to be medicated daily because experience showed that I start having symptoms about 3 weeks after going off UC meds-- which I did prior to 2003 either because they were inconvenient to use regularly or gave me side effects. In answer to your other Qs, yes, antibiotics can disturb my colon, and so can some foods, mainly spicy, high fat, heavy roughage, or seed-containing items, carbonated drinks, or caffeine. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC/presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)

Dx 6 years ago, mild flare then, put into remission. Second flare, big time, April this year. Just hoping, that everything will be back to 'normal' for me when I wean off the prednisone

about a 13 year flare with lots of ups and downs. Haven't had a real remission since diagnosis.

I've had UC going on 11 years and was in a flare for the first 9.5-10 years, I just didn't know that was the name and that other people responded better to meds than I did. Like Red I was in denial and wanted to be better so ignored that I was not better.

In the last 1.5 years I've achieved remission through diet modification, symptoms have gotten dramatically better, almost normal but the mental part of not being able to trust my body lingers.

Triggers to symptoms (haven't flared again): caffeine, chocolate, too much spice in foods, dairy. Wheat is a big gut problem but I haven't had any in 1.5 years.