HELP!

Hi everyone, I am new to the site and have questions.  My husband was diagnosed with UC back in 2006.  He was in remission for over a year and then with the stress of being out of work went into 2 more flares.  He had a 2nd colonoscopy in 2009 and they said he had Chrons (still not 100% sure if he has UC of Chrons either way he is miserable).    He recently (4 months now) has been having very watery stools almost 6-10 times per day he also injured his back at work and has been having back pain (not sure if the pain is from the injury or the UC) he works 14-16 hr days at a physically demanding job and is stressed (im sure that is not helping his stomach). 

He is taking asacol 400mg 3 pills 3x day.  He just finished his prednisone and again is starting to flare up.  He cant get into his dr for a few more weeks and with his job he never knows if he can even make the appointments.  My questions are this: he is a deliverary driver and recently has had a few accidents as he just cant hold it when he gets the urge to go (has this happened to anyone else, he is soooo embarassed).  Today he said it happened again (8pm) and this time there was an asacol pill in the stool that he had taken at 5 am!  Has that happened to anyone?  Of course with the doctors office being closed and now the weekened he wont be able to call till Monday.  I feel horrible for him and can not imagine how that would feel to have no control over having to use the bathroom.  I need advice on foods that help (he claims he can eat anything per the doctor even during a flare) and some words of wisdom to share with him on how to get through those situations.  Also what meds tend to help you all.  Thanks in advance for the advice. 

 

Welcome. It's nice that you are supporting your husband by looking for answers.

Asacol pill in stool: Never happened to me but some people say it just looks like a whole pill and is actually just the outer covering of the pill. But either is possible. The pill is designed to dissolve in a certain section of the colon, maybe it did and maybe it didn't. The bottom line is that if his symptoms are not being controlled by Asacol then he needs a different med.

He should call ASAP and ask for an Rx for Rowasa enemas (or the generic mesalamine enemas). This can help greatly to reduce inflammation in the lowest areas that pills don't always reach. They should be used no matter what oral pill he takes. They are used overnight and he could also use a suppository (Canasa) during the day but the enema is more effective. He needs to see his doctor now, call and say it's urgent.

Food: most doctors don't think food makes a difference but modifying my diet put me on the path to remission,not overnight but yes eliminating certain foods makes a big difference to many people. Removing bread products (gluten-free) and dairy is a big step in the right direction.

Do a search here for diet modification or SCD. There's a lot of information. Good luck.