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Rowasa causing flare?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/27/2012 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
I did my weekly Rowasa Sunday night like I always do for maintenance and now I suddenly have flare-up symptoms. They started that night when I had a really bad urge to expel the enema but I held it in. Ever since I held it in I've had terrible gas, some urgency and tenesmus, tummy discomfort, lots of bloating, little "pebble stools" and slight increase in BMS. Last night and this morning I did a Canasa. I'm feeling a bit better today than I did yesterday. Normally, at the first sign of symptoms I would increase my Rowasa, but I feel like the Rowasa irritated things in there somehow and caused these symptoms. Any advice? Maybe it will get better on its own.
Posted 3/27/2012 7:46 PM (GMT 0)
doubt it, but I would suggest you do them more often and see if you get worse.

q
Posted 3/27/2012 7:55 PM (GMT 0)
I also doubt it, since it's never happened before.
Posted 3/27/2012 9:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hmmm...maybe it was just stress and eating poorly then. It sure seems related to holding in the Rowasa though despite my body's protest. I look like I'm six months pregnant. ugh...
Posted 3/28/2012 5:34 AM (GMT 0)
It's possible for Rowasa to make things worse-- happened to me during 2009 flare & gastro told me to stop using it. For one thing, the generic differences may factor in. Another could be the sulfite preservative. But since you had a hard time holding it in, you might already have been on the verge of flaring. Maybe reducing Asacol dosage was not the right move ... (?) Take care. / Old Hat (31 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 3/28/2012 1:05 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Old Hat. I did another Rowasa last night and was able to hold it in all night. I upped my Asacol back up to 12/day yesterday (I only ever was able to reduce to 10/day without flaring). I've only ever used the generics so I'm not sure if the brand name would work better for me...something to think about. My guess is I was probably on the verge of flaring.

Side vent: I am sick of people complaining about such insignificant stuff. I come into work and my co-worker starts telling me how "horrible" her morning started out because she's been having computer problems. I wanted to be like "well my morning started out spending two hours in the bathroom."
Posted 3/28/2012 1:12 PM (GMT 0)
It also could have been a tummy bug.
Posted 3/28/2012 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think so because I have all the classic UC symptoms -- tenesmus, bloating, abdominal discomfort, and I think I'm bleeding a little bit. :( I always forget just how horrible UC is when I am in remission.
Posted 3/28/2012 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
I don't understand how it come son so quickly. I was out hiking 6 miles both Saturday and Sunday and felt great.
Posted 3/28/2012 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
I had trouble with Rowasa as well. Sometimes it irritates when you stick things up your bum, other times not.
I have literally stood on my head trying to keep them in, it works :)
Individual flares are so unique sometimes even prednisone doesn't work very well.
I'd suggest stopping Rowasa for a bit, then re starting if the doc insists, but generally, I think all things enema can irritate the hell out of your lower intestines, best to avoid if possible.
Posted 3/28/2012 4:30 PM (GMT 0)
I think it is possible.

I used Rowasa on my daughter last weekend for the 1st time and I only used maybe 1/4-1/2 of the bottle.

i did it at 7:00pm and by 12;30am she was up with bloody D and continued to do worse over the weekend.

I am finally pulling her out of this by using Cortenemas 2 times a day and loads of probiotics.

She did not tolerate oral mesalamines and clearly using them from the other end doesn't work either.

Maybe you will be fine and you will never know what happened but things can and do change.

Good luck to you smilewinkgrin

Posted 3/28/2012 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys. This disease sucks so bad. I hate the control it has over our lives! I've been working out and eating pretty healthy (except the last week or so when I was really stressed out so I over-ate) and UC still rears its ugly head. I feel like we can never win no matter what we do.

I usually only use about half the bottle but on Sunday I used the whole bottle.

I feel so bad for kids that have this! I hope your daughter feels better soon, IBDisthepits.
Posted 3/28/2012 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
Great you were able to hold the Rowasa in Sara!

Remember, we miss many symptoms. If it was a gastro bug, it's still better you're upping your meds considering you're having flare symptoms anyway.

Use the enemas nightly till you're feeling all better...don't consider to taper to every second night until an extra week of perfect...
I suggest you stay at twice a week instead of tapering to once a week.

Hang tough...hope you feel perfect soon.
q
Posted 3/28/2012 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
Rowasa made my flare worse. I stopped it and began improving. My GI believes I may get irrated by mesalamine
Posted 3/28/2012 8:19 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks quincy! Without all your advice on here, I don't know where I'd be today. I've never had trouble with the Rowasa in the past so I'll continue with it nightly for now. I added Canasa in the a.m. too.

I am so dead tired and feel like I have a slight fever going on now too. yay, UC is so fun! I shouldn't complain because it could be much worse.
Posted 3/28/2012 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
it made me worse , I felt fatigued and ran to the bathroom 4 times in 1.5 hrs. the canasa works best for me after 1-2 BMs in the morning. and I lay down for1 hr with the canasa in on my left side.
Posted 3/29/2012 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
I don't want to jinx myself, but I'm already starting to feel better. Yay! I'll stick with the Rowasa nightly for a few weeks though.
Posted 3/29/2012 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
Sara, glad to hear you're feeling better. I was struck by reading through the threads and seeing that you wrote that you were really stressed last week, overate, then went on a 12 mile hike on Sunday. It seems pretty clear to me that you overdid things and you triggered a little flare - what do you think? Sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the trees, especially when it comes to our body's subtle clues that we are heading down the wrong path.
Posted 3/29/2012 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
kazbern -- Thank you, and you are probably right, especially the overeating and over-stressing part. The hiking for me wasn't out of the norm (6 miles each sat. and sunday). I need to keep myself in line with eating healthy and try not to get too stressed! Thanks again. :)
Posted 3/29/2012 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
And eventually taper to twice a week Rowasa after the every second night.
As well...taper the Lialda slowly too.

With your body having allergies, etc...bad time of year for overtaxing things.

q
Posted 3/29/2012 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks quincy, will do. I don't plan to taper my Asacol again anytime soon.
Posted 3/29/2012 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, sorry...I should have read it was asacol and not Lialda. d'oh!

I don't think it was that you were down to 10 that was the problem...but you might find you can taper eventually.

It's great you're feeling better...
q
Posted 4/17/2012 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I felt better for a while. Then I had to fly to Oregon for work last week, caught a terrible cold/flu with body aches, fever, sore throat, congestion, etc., missed a few days of my Rowasa and took a bunch of decongestants which I don't think my tummy likes, but I didn't want to get an ear infection....and now my colitis symptoms are back again. Ugh. Hate being sick.
Posted 4/17/2012 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
I also ate some really terrible food while there...think extremely chocolatey doughnuts.
Posted 4/17/2012 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds yummy..... but not good, I know. :(
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