My son was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis

Hi all I'm new on here ,my son was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in January but had been ill for 6 months before hand he has been on azathiaprine and mesalazine and zantac for 9 weeks but doesn't seem to be getting any better he has missed at least 3 days a week of school , which I'm getting very concerned about as it is his GCSE year year 10 at school , does anyone know if this is the only treatment for his condition or weather it takes longer to work and I'm not waiting long enough ???? Thanks

I am sorry to hear your son is struggling with the disease. I can tell you it can take time after initial diagnosis to find the right medicine combination. Can you tell us a little more about his current symptoms.... # of bm's per day, urgency, blood, pain, etc.... Also, has he noticed any improvement from the start of taking medication? Rectal medications would be a good addition to his treatment plan. Also, do you know how far the inflammation extends? You could find that info from the biopsy report.

Another thought is have you tried making any dietary changes. For example dairy and gluten are common aggravators. I suggest keeping a food journal to try and pinpoint possible triggers. Everyone is different so it does take some trial and error. You could also do a search on low residue diet that may help symptoms to improve as well.

 

Hi thanks for your reply, he was on steroids for 4 months and has only recently been weaned Off them he was in school more often when on them, he did lose alot of weight at the beginning but with the steroids he put it back on he is on iron tablets aswell as one of his regular blood tests showed he was anemic, it just feels like he takes 2 steps forward and 3 back, he has had alot of accidents toilet issues since he became ill and it has really knocked his confidence to be out of the house before he was never in, I just feel like these new tablets aren't doing anything the only thong different from the beginning is there is no blood now x

Rectal medication can make a lot of difference with healing. Most gastros see it as "treating the disease from both ends".

I'm not good with liquid enemas but I find suppositories and foams fine. It's a case of trying different ones out to see which can be retained comfortably.

I don't think changing his diet will do any harm as long as he's eating a balanced diet. The prof who diagnosed me agreed that lactose and sugar are harder to digest with an active flare.

There's no need to completely cut out dairy - you can switch to Lactofree milk (the one that all the supermarkets sell or the M&S one) and buy lactase enzyme tablets. Hard cheese like mature cheddar and probiotic yogurts are relatively low in lactose.

I'm not good with wheat but I'm fine with oats and rye.

A little sugar won't harm but I shudder to think about the diet I had when I was doing my GCSEs - chocolate bars washed down with fizzy drinks - so unhealthy!

Omega 3 is beneficial. My son has the "Teen Sense" omega 3 capsules by Haliborange (no UC - it's just good for the brain!). I take flaxseed capsules. Salmon and other oily fish is good.

Sounds like your appointment this week is going to be very important.
I would write down everything you can think of that you want to talk to the GI about before you get there. Have the list ready so you dont miss anything.

It sounds to me like mesalamine is not helping. Steroids are usually used to gain remission initially... what was he on to start? Prednisone/prednisolone at an appropriate dose to his weight... that sucks it didnt put him in remission... but it did help? Maybe he needed stronger.

It took me about 3 months for Azathioprine (Imuran) to work.

Hope your son gets better soon.