HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

A little confused...

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/10/2014 2:52 AM (GMT 0)
So, I have been having some mild flare up symptoms for the past 3-4 days. This only occured after having a cold that lasted also around 3-4 days. Is it common to get mild flare ups after getting a cold? I'm sure the body is working extra hard to fight the cold and thus some UC symptoms pop up. Worth noting too that I have stopped taking imuran at the end of april and currently not on any medication. Just wondering if I should call my GI before I see him in August to maybe get back on imuran or maybe something like asacol. Abdominal pain, mucus, and very little blood in stool (streaks) are my symptoms. Although, yesterday and today, no blood, and very little mucus but pretty bad lower left side pain. Just a little confused, that's all. Hoping I'm not going into a flare. I have upped my probiotics since.
Posted 7/10/2014 3:28 AM (GMT 0)
Not on any medication... now there's your problem right there. Contact your gi pronto and get some prescriptions filled. Uc is a lifelong, chronic illness. It never goes away. You need to be on medications for life. Get used to it. Flares can start small and quickly get much, much worse. Nip it on the bud, and no do not wait until august.
Posted 7/10/2014 4:07 AM (GMT 0)
Ipoop said it all. You cant expect to stay in remission with no treatment. Try something new if the other meds didnt work. Itll just get worse the longer you wait.
Posted 7/10/2014 4:09 AM (GMT 0)
Understandable. Which is exactly what I saw. Not sure why my GI kept recommending me to get off Imuran, after stopping Remicade about a year before that. He is a very well respected GI too, the best around so I hear. Just wondering if maybe Pentesa or asacol would be better to go on long term rather than hop back on imuran. It's been so long since I have been on a 5asa since they didn't work with my first initial flare 4 years ago. I wonder If I should give them another chance....
Posted 7/10/2014 11:21 AM (GMT 0)
Honestly I can not understand why even an average GI would think coming off all meds is a great idea whilst in remission!!!!!!!!

You must always ensure you are on a maintenance med when you achieve the priceless goal of a remission.

I have been fortunate most of my 21 years of UC to be in long remissions lasting 5 years or more never coming off colazal after flares. I remember once I drove 200 miles through the night as I had forgotten my colazal before leaving for holiday and just managed not to miss my flight! I would have rather not gone on holiday then risk a remission. Please take care of yourself by taking charge of your health
Posted 7/10/2014 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
I have also had an experience like yours - a minor viral infection made my IBD flare. I'm on maintenance meds, though, and the flare went away in short order. I hope that happens for you, too, although I would also recommend you stay on some kind of maintenance. Perhaps rectal mesalamine enemas would be sufficient if your inflammation is limited to the distal colon.
Posted 7/10/2014 4:34 PM (GMT 0)
It's crazy to have gotten off something that was working. If the 5ASAs did not work on you before I wouldn't waste your time on them unless maybe the only reason they didn't work was that you were in too bad of shape at the time that they couldn't work by themselves.
Posted 7/10/2014 11:40 PM (GMT 0)
I will contact my GI about getting on some kind of maintenance med. It's just this what I think might be a mild flare, isn't consistent with my first flare so I am a little confused. I understand that each time can be different, but to experience it yourself is a whole different story. And yes garylouisville, that is exactly why the 5asa's did not initially work with my first big flare, it hit me hard and fast, had to step up to the big guns quickly.

On a side note. Just had my blood work done today. My high sensitivity CRP (c reative protein) level today was 1.6 mg/L. Apparently greater than 7.0 is a sign of active inflammation. My normal levels are around 0.6 so it has gone up slightly, could this be from my recent cold that I had last week? Anyone have experience with monitoring their CRP levels compared to being in a flare or not?
Posted 7/10/2014 11:43 PM (GMT 0)

kazbern said...
I have also had an experience like yours - a minor viral infection made my IBD flare. I'm on maintenance meds, though, and the flare went away in short order. I hope that happens for you, too, although I would also recommend you stay on some kind of maintenance. Perhaps rectal mesalamine enemas would be sufficient if your inflammation is limited to the distal colon.

Glad to hear that maintenance meds did their job, hopefully if I end up going on some, that will happen to me too:)
Posted 7/11/2014 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
Yep my CRP went up to the high single digits during my last flare, which has some similar symptoms as yours.

What worked for me is Rowasa, because the streaks in the stool looked like they indicated distal inflammation (red rather than brownish-red). You could give that a shot - it's generic so it's cheap.

Also try to take some steps to heal the mucosal lining so that you don't flare at the tip of a hat (i.e. weather changes, illness, bad meal...). All the meds out there just blunt the inflammatory response, but none strengthen the tissue that is supposed to protect the colon.

Something that worked for me is a diet that is low in sugar, insoluble fiber, and gluten. And supplementation with essential amino acids like L-glutamine (10g daily) and L-threonine (4g daily).

Your situation doesn't sound too bad...be positive and remember to act to heal the lining - ESPECIALLY when you're in remission.
Posted 7/12/2014 2:38 AM (GMT 0)

iPoop said...
Uc is a lifelong, chronic illness. It never goes away. You need to be on medications for life. Get used to it. .

really? who said that? What if I'm off meds and it goes away for the next 25 years... I guess then it can"t be that way because then the disease wouldn't be playing by preset standards.

I'm not big on set in stone ideologies. I don't adhere to this kind of thinking nor do I adhere to fanatical diet modifications.
Posted 7/12/2014 4:12 AM (GMT 0)

somedude said...
really? who said that? What if I'm off meds and it goes away for the next 25 years... I guess then it can"t be that way because then the disease wouldn't be playing by preset standards.

I'm not big on set in stone ideologies. I don't adhere to this kind of thinking nor do I adhere to fanatical diet modifications.


where and how would you like me to start the list dud ? alphabetical ? chronological ? smartest ?

EVERYONE says you HAVE be on drugs forever - you know that ! it is a chromic dizeez !

when did you get off the remi and onto the mez ? is life better ?

Post Edited (soystud) : 7/11/2014 10:16:04 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/13/2014 1:39 PM (GMT 0)

YellowJacket said...
Yep my CRP went up to the high single digits during my last flare, which has some similar symptoms as yours.

What worked for me is Rowasa, because the streaks in the stool looked like they indicated distal inflammation (red rather than brownish-red). You could give that a shot - it's generic so it's cheap.

Also try to take some steps to heal the mucosal lining so that you don't flare at the tip of a hat (i.e. weather changes, illness, bad meal...). All the meds out there just blunt the inflammatory response, but none strengthen the tissue that is supposed to protect the colon.

Something that worked for me is a diet that is low in sugar, insoluble fiber, and gluten. And supplementation with essential amino acids like L-glutamine (10g daily) and L-threonine (4g daily).

Your situation doesn't sound too bad...be positive and remember to act to heal the lining - ESPECIALLY when you're in remission.

Thanks Yellowjacket. l-glutamine is also a big one for me while I flare. I have increased my dosage in hopes that may help too.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply