I thought this flare was gone...then this...when will there be a light at the end of the tunnel?

Have you recently backed off anything you were doing which had been improving you?

Had a ten year total and med free remission develop, over a year, after 3 horrific years of initial UC onset attacks of high dose pred yo yo'ing, so do not despair- it will just take tweaking, trial and error, etc. as far as probiotics go, VSL3 is a core probiotic of mine too, but I believe in diversity (poor mans fecal therapy- or rich man's really since probiotics are pricier than poop- anyway, I also use mutaflor because it's a human nonpathogenic e.coli with solid data behind it like VSL3, and s boulardi and a few other potent brnds such as theralac - "the more (potent brands) the merrier" so long as they agree with me. (I am not in full remission anymore but wanted to pass on the fact that a super remission can still be yours after bad onset years).

you've been taking your oral meds faithfully and doing the enemas nightly for 3 straight weeks?

When did you add the turmeric?

What's the consistency of the stool?

q

Have you tried psyllium husk or metamucil to bulk up your stools?

I can't do metamucil, but acacia fiber has gotten me from 8-15 BM a day to 3! Not only fiber, but it has prebiotic properties. It has changed my life...the past year + has been hell...

I agree with the above posts. Recovery from a flare can be a roller coaster of ups and downs. It is important to keep your GI informed of the downs and tweak your treatments when necessary. The holiday season is often a challenge to our immune systems.

Try and stick with foods you know do not trigger a reaction of increased loose stools. Holiday problem foods can include hard liquor, beer, red wine, chocolate, foods rich in cream or animal fats, and nuts. Everyone, however, is different in their reactions to foods and stress. A food journal will help you figure things out. If you can, cut back on your to-do lists so that your system can recover instead of fighting new challenges.

There is a new free app from CCFA (Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America) called GI Buddy that makes it easy to keep track of your meds, foods and reactions. It also puts together reports that can be e-mailed to your doctor and to yourself for your medical files.The app is not perfect but it is a good start. Sometimes it is really hard to give the doctors the specific information they need to tweak your meds in the right direction.

Probiotics can do wonders but you need to make sure the pharmacy supplying them is storing them properly. I discovered two of my local pharmacies did not keep VSL #3 DS in a fridge, just on the shelf for weeks at a time. No wonder there are so many mixed results from patients even though the controlled studies showed great results.

I was also wondering if you have tried Immodium or psyllium husk? Psyllium husk is like Metamucil but without all of the artificial chemicals that some people cannot handle. Immodium helped my quality of life during flares, especially at work. I would not recommend a thickening agent until you are in remission. The extra fiber can further irritate a flare.

I hope you feel better very soon!