Introduction / Would love to get some advice

Hello all,

I'm a 21 year old male about to enter my final year of college. I was diagnosed with mild UC about a year ago and had UP prior to that. For the entire summer my symptoms have mostly been kept at bay (which is great!). I've had no blood, little mucus, little urgency. I do have soft stools and lately I've had a lot of stomach shaking or vibrating or twitching. It's not painful but irritating and I think it's coincided with worse BMs and some other uncomfortable abdominal sensations.

I take a mesalamine enema every night and 3200 mg of Asacol per day. I finished a course of prednisone about 2 months ago after going through a tough time. I also take slippery elm and psyllium seed powder which seems to help bulk things up. I had a colonoscopy a few months ago which showed mild sigmoiditis and rectal inflammation.

I don't want to bore you all as I know my symptoms are minor and I should be thankful of that. However, I'm about to go off to school, which is far away from home. I want to have a good game plan in case my symptoms worsen, as I think they do when I'm under stress - which I anticipate being the case.

Basically, how should I try to solidify my stools and decrease stomach rumbling? If this is a sign of increased inflammation, should I attempt new medications, or alter the ones I'm currently on?

I plan on speaking to my gastro soon.

Thanks so much and sorry for the lengthy post,

D

Thanks!

I guess I'm worried that I have a flare coming on. If so, I don't know if immodium/phazyme would be the best for that. ARe the stomach shakes a sign of an oncoming flare? Anyone?

Clarify....how long have you been on the nightly enemas and the Asacol?

I would suggest you get on a good probiotic as well.

Rather than the imodium, maybe ask the doc for an antispasmodic.

Stomach shakes could be muscle twitching from sheer tension/stress.

How are you eating? are you consuming foods with artificial sweeteners?

q

If you have regurgitation, that's reflux. a medication such as Zantac or other would be a must to protect your esophagus from erosion.

That is a long time on the nightly enemas, but I do know of others who were using them for over a year.

I would recommend you at least try the one/ones I use.

Again, are you on any artificial sweeteners in foods?

No bleeding, no mucus and little urgency is good.

When are you taking the psyllium? and in what?

Curious what you do eat daily?

q

I haven't posted much on/about me. I am a seventy-seven year old female diagnosed with uc in the late 90's. Can't really remember when as I was advised by my primary dr. to have an "age" required colonoscopy. I complied and the go dr. said I had uc. Hardly any symptoms and certainly uc did not affect my lifestyle. All that changed after my husband died May 8, 2006. We buried him in Arlington July 21, 2006. (My birthdate is 7/21/35.) As he was sixteen years older than me, I thought I was prepared to be a widow. My cognitive state might have thought I was but my emotional state was not. I started flaring in August of 2006. Daily flares necessitating frequent total undergarment changes. I used Poise pads in panties, topped by Depends to further control leakage. I had an emergency kit with clean necessities with me at all times. I was still a full time special education teacher. As such, I had a full time aide. I could simply tell me aide I needed them to take over for a few minutes and I would take my kit and head across the hall to the bathroom. Everything was removed, put in garbage bags, large disposable washcloths cleaned me, and I put on all clean undergarments. Fortunately my outer garments were never involved. In November of 2006 I developed pyoderma gangrenosum for the first time. I have had 5 subsequent pyodermas. The fourth was pathergenic. Long way to get to my present state of body and mind. I am no longer seeing my gi man. He wanted me back on remicade. I wanted to try my mind over body along with diet and probiotics. He told me I'd be back. That was in January. It is now July and I feel better than I have in years. Sorry to be so loquacious. I am [email protected] for email if anyone wants further info.

oops...I meant to at least try the probiotics I use.

Lots of yogurt would cause me unbearable gas....just saying that could be in part your discomfort.

Your stomach rumbles may be in the transverse or small intestine.

Maybe making some changes to your diet...eg, cutting out totally the yogurt and artificial sweeteners might help a bit with the twitching?
It could be muscular, however.

q

Thanks to chicagobulls11 for helping me come to understand posting on the forum a little better. My apology if I haven't quite understood the process and offended anyone.

This forum is a marvelous resource and I am grateful that I found it.