what caused your flare?

Most people I talk to don't have any idea what caused their flare up.

I though I would share what I believe caused my previous flares. I think I've had a total of (3).

1st one - Got black out drunk, next morning.. boom - spun into a 4 week flare.
2nd one - Was drinking whiskey on an empty stomach while I played some golf, next day flare up.. lasted 6 weeks.
3rd one - (Current) could be 1 of 2 reasons, was off 6mp for 3 months (after being on 100mg for a year) or because I attempted to quit smoking cigs.

Once I get healthy again I plan on slowing down on the drinking, (maybe stop competely) or follow the SCD drinking schedule -- which if I remember correctly is no liqueur or beer. Maybe Gluten-free beer would be okay?

So I'm concluding that perhaps Alcohol has caused flare ups for me, possibly a bad diet mixed in with binge drinking.

But since I'm fairly new to UC, I'm curious to what you believe caused your flare ups?

I've only had two flares since diagnosis in April 09. First one was caused by stress from work and the second one from either stress or antibiotic...I don't really remember the time frame.

Alcohol is not UC friendly thats for sure but I don't have a problem with it but then again I only have one drink if I do drink...hasn't mattered what it is so far.

tcf-have you tried any rectal meds?

Having my house burn down caused my last flare. It started about 6 months after the fire and lasted for 1.5 - 2 years. Blech.

Sherbear,

I actually just got some rectal meds (Rowesa). So I'll be starting them tonight.

I wish I knew what caused a flare up, then it would be very easy to avoid. I always try to blame the flare on something but I have learned that it's not one incident, it's a longer progression toward a flare up. My most recent major flare up was preceeded by a pork chop that looked "off". I haven't eaten a pork chop since. I've never been a big pork eater regardless. The thing is, it wasn't the pork chop. I didn't have a bacteria from the meat, I had an immune response that took time to develop. There's always something that you can peg as the cause but I doubt it's usually what caused the problem.

my first flare up came a few weeks after returning from backpacking in europe. 

i came out relatively quickly from that flareup with meds (about 4 mos) and did not have another flareup for 10 years.  In that 10 years time, I took no meds, did not really watch my diet and still drank alcohol all with no flareups or issues.

I dont know what casued my flareup.  i think something triggers the immune system......

tcf-Great...hope it really helps for you. :)

I can only theorize... but... I think it was a combination of a very stressful job, over-exerting myself physically, plus poor eating habits and getting married ontop of it all. When I started flaring a month before my wedding, I think that's what kind of pushed me into a deeper spiral since I was extremely stressed out about being sick at my wedding - and unfortunately, I was - and then saddened by that fact that this disease interfered with what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life.

I think a lot of my flares start this way and the depression just adds to it.

Antibiotics to treat an h-pylori infection. Killed all my gut flora. Ooops...

i_love_coffee said...

my first flare up came a few weeks after returning from backpacking in europe. 

i came out relatively quickly from that flareup with meds (about 4 mos) and did not have another flareup for 10 years.  In that 10 years time, I took no meds, did not really watch my diet and still drank alcohol all with no flareups or issues.

I dont know what casued my flareup.  i think something triggers the immune system......

Wow, that is amazing, you flare then it stops for 10 years. What is going on.

Mine I am not sure what caused it. I experienced bloating for a year or two. I was also part of a high level badminton league and I had frequent tournaments. Probably the stress involved in them cause this? I don't know, I didn't feel that stressed.

Although, I'd like it to go away for 10 years randomly lol

(off topic) I can't get out of the quote box with IE8, I have to write in the quote, oh well

Post Edited (Somedude) : 1/19/2012 1:38:58 PM (GMT-7)

tcf, I'm just like you sometimes. I'll be doing so well, sticking to my diet and all the sudden going out for a drink turns into a few more... with the next day being fine, then the day after the next being terrible...


What's interesting is how SCD allows some alcohol like Gin, Vodka, Wine & Wiskey... crazy. Alcohol burns, you dont have to have UC to know that.

I can pinpoint stressors as the reasons for my flareup.

My first symptoms came after a severe conflict with an ex in an emotionally unhealthy relationship. I dry heaved all night and then had D in the morning.

The next one came after a panic attack in a similar ex situation, along with an unhappy work environment.

The one after that started with severe work stress.

The latest happened when i was house shopping, enduring more work stress/pressing holiday deadlines, and going out to eat very frequently.

(You would think that an anti anxiety med would have helped, but honestly, I didn't feel like myself on it. Also, I didn't think risking my eyesight as a side-effect was worth it!)

I would say for me it is usually stress. My first major flare was after death of a close friend. I had small flares off and on. Now this current flare started over a year ago when I was battling Post partum depression. My daughter was a few months old at that point. Still haven't been able to shake the flare :(