HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Rowasa-causing bad gas and cramping?

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/29/2011 4:23 PM (GMT 0)
My GI doc prescribed Rowasa enemas for me. I take one in the morning and one at night. Well I have about 5 enemas left and for the last few days I've been getting lots of gas all over my stomach/intestines that I can't seem to pass. My stomach is tremendously bloated too and I have some cramping. Other than these symptoms, I think the Rowasa has really worked well. I have no bleeding and I'm down to about one BM a day. But my stomach is so loud with gas. My 3 year old keeps asking me why my belly is so loud.

My doctor never told me to taper these down. Should I start tapering myself and just go down to taking only one a day(at bedtime)? Has anyone experienced bloating, gas and cramping while on these enemas?
Posted 5/29/2011 7:29 PM (GMT 0)
Make sure you squeeze all the air out of the bottle before inserting.
Posted 5/30/2011 8:17 AM (GMT 0)
One thing about healing during a flare is that your symptoms can change. If you came from diarrhea or multiple bms then now one bm a day, that does mean the inflammation is getting less.

With low in the rectum inflammation, you can have more discomfort, gas and what else you're describing.

Do you have more refills for the Rowasa?

If you do taper, you could try dropping the morning ones, but continue with the nightly for sure....or do the morning one in two days, then the next one in three days till you're off the morning ones and then continue with the nightly.

Make sure you have refills...call the doc or pharmacy.

q
Posted 5/30/2011 1:29 PM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
One thing about healing during a flare is that your symptoms can change. If you came from diarrhea or multiple bms then now one bm a day, that does mean the inflammation is getting less.

With low in the rectum inflammation, you can have more discomfort, gas and what else you're describing.

Do you have more refills for the Rowasa?

If you do taper, you could try dropping the morning ones, but continue with the nightly for sure....or do the morning one in two days, then the next one in three days till you're off the morning ones and then continue with the nightly.

Make sure you have refills...call the doc or pharmacy.

q

I'm seeing my GI doc tomorrow. I have exactly enough to last me until tomorrow night. I'll get a new script for more tomorrow.
Posted 5/30/2011 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
I noticed that after a few weeks of using the enema's they no longer give you cramping/that gurgling sound. I been taking them for months and now i take them at 5:00PM to hold until the next morning and there are nights i lay down in bed and question if i even took it that day in my shower. So it gets easier.
Posted 5/30/2011 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
It takes time to heal....patience is required. Trust me on this issue, I went to my GI lots the first 2 years because of the symptoms I didn't recognise and he said..."patience, let the meds do their thing. The symptoms will change...".

Just as UC flares upwards and symptoms are recognised when they're what one notices eventually. But healing happens the opposite way with the rectum being the last. Those are the symptoms we usually don't recognise as happening in the past.....in actuality, they're the beginning of a flare after being in remission.

If you can do with only the 5ASA meds...and I still urge you to eventually get on an oral dosage of Asacol eventually, be it lower....they will serve you well for a very long time.

q
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply