Newly diagnosed, fatigue and vomiting

I was diagnosed on 05/01/13 with UC limited to the last 22 cm of my colon. I'm taking 4 Apriso caps per day (0.375GM). I'm seeing improvement with the initial symptoms (bowel movements, constipation, frequency, etc.) but the fatigue, joint pain, and vomiting are insane. It seems like no matter what I eat, I can't eat a normal full size portion without feeling like I gorged myself on a pasta buffet. I'm feeling so full I get nauseous and often times vomit. And I'm exhausted to where my body aches. It's like you ate a huge Thanksgiving dinner that makes you need to nap even though I might have eaten half a piece of chicken.

Is this normal? I know I just started my Rx and there are side effects, could this be b/c of the Apriso?

Is there some foods I should be avoiding off the bat? I normally eat a pretty good diet of raw vegetables, fruits, meats, nuts, grains, a little dairy, and very little fat or carbs. I figured I was doing the right thing b/c eating breads or pastas would be heavy and make me feel run down but I'm reading that cutting our raw vegetables may be the way to go.

I would appreciate any insight as I just feel so lost right now. It's frustrating, scary, and so confusing.

Kazbern is right that you could be meslamine intolerant regarding the vomiting (ask your GI). If you are intolerant to meslamine then there are other drugs your GI can switch you to such as immunosurpressants (e.g., 6mp and imuran) and biologics (e.g., remicade and humira).

The discomfort after eating, and fatigue are common with uc, and are not related to the meds you are taking. If you are flaring badly then you are going to tire out easy, and you are going to have discomfort if you eat large meals. The best you can do is eat more frequent, smaller portion meals. The good news is the fatigue and discomfort eating subsides as you heal.

As far as what you can eat, generally try to avoid things that are high in fiber, and things that are spicy while you are flaring. Bland food is your friend while flaring. Anything beyond that is an inexact science, requires lots of experimentation, and is unique to each individual. You can keep a food diary and track which food you eat and your reaction to it. If you have a consistent reaction to some food, then you can eliminate it from your diet till you get better.

Best of luck,

Audrey,

Welcome to the forum.

Yes, I concur with the advice already given.

You certainly could be one of those who do not tolerate mesalamines.

There are other things you could try, and if you are interested, there are things IMO that you can control, which will have a direct impact on your disease, the symptoms you experience and their severity.

I was able to control my UC into remission through various supplements, probiotics, diet modification, and LDN , low dose naltrexone.

For more info on the protocol which has put me into remission, please go to this link: https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1666318 , and look at the 11th post.

I hope you feel better and let us know how we can help you.

Audrey,

What did your doc finally advise you to do?

Funny doctor! well, I'm glad you can laugh about it.

I often get nauseated and lose my appetite when I haven't had a BM in two days (which happens more than I would like). Are you moving your bowels enough? Has your DR talked to you about adding fiber or using miralax? This dang disease can get complicated because the bowel is such a complicated system. On the one hand we are advised to eat "low residue" and then we're told to "add fiber." I know I have now told you both are possible solutions to your problems, LOL.

Keeping a journal is often a great way to untangle some of the complications here. Write down what you're eating and how you're feeling and what your bowel movements are (when, content, etc.). It might be helpful (if a little yucky) to look up the Bristol Stool Scale for some helpful guidelines here.

Zofran is likely to make you constipated, just to warn you. I'm glad they're doing bloodwork to check your liver function.

Talk to your DR about using miralax, even if it's just for a few weeks. I did it for a few months - I experimented with the dosage and ended up taking about 1/2 of the minimum dosage every morning just to keep things regular.

The Canasa is not meant to induce a bowel movement, but if it's rectal inflammation that is making you constipated hopefully that will help.