Healing gut but worsening joint pain and hormone issues

Hi everyone,

I have been healing over the last month (stopped bleeding, no more burning bowel pain and a lot less urgency). I am so grateful to be in better shape since I just started a new job! Since the bleeding has stopped my energy has been slowly improving. I really thought everything would be ok but two things happened recently.

1. My joint pain worsened. My arms are often sore and my lower back really hurts. I have been doing yoga and Pilates and that eliminates the lower back pain while I'm exercising but it comes back after I'm done exercising. When I saw my new PCP and her attending, the attending measured my back while I hunched over in two positions. He said my mobility was below average but he wants to wait to do a CT because it takes a lot of radiation. Should I be worried?

2. My premenstrual symptoms were difficult to manage. I felt so lightheaded I thought I would faint! My upper thighs were a little numb and tingly too and I had a migraine for several days. I have PCOS and endometriosis so I am familiar with these symptoms...they are signs of low progesterone. I just don't know what to do...I've tried bio identical progesterone instead of birth control in the past but it wasn't a perfect treatment either. I just wanted to ask if anyone else's hormones were affected when they started healing, and if so, was it temporary?

Thanks so much!!!

How long does the gut take to heal roughly. Is it a slow thing. The last tie I saw blood was in june but I still have 2-4 bms a day. It is a lot manageable but not back to the once a day I was before tis last flare. I also have lower back pain but not sure if its UC related or not.

Post Edited (Mad Martha) : 8/2/2014 5:57:23 AM (GMT-6)

Suppose I do mean completely healed. My biopsies sometime ago said no evidence of active colitis and the sigscope showed normal (the words of my consultant).
Striving for symptom free ie less bms than I have now. Wonder if it will happen. Do you think mesalazine meds are slower at healing than pred etc

Hi, Gary
I by no means think that I will ever be CURED. It would just be nice to have zero inflammation and zero symptoms. I have had remissions like this last year or two where I had no symptoms and I was at my pre UC state but this time things are different and it is either taking longer with just the mesalazine as its not healed or this is about as good as it gets. Good as it gets at the moment I m struggling to accept.

That's what I need to do. I too am trying to improve it but don't yet feel comfortable. And yes there are people who are much worse that us. I read of people being in remission for years and then think why do I only get about 8 months at a time. What can I do to extend my remission. I religiously take my meds plus some supplements to try do this.

Glad I can talk about this

@ Old Hat--thank you for your reply! It means a lot. I will try to be patient and wait for a CAT scan. The pain is less on the weekends when I move around a lot more, but during the work week I sit at a desk and then it's worse. Back pain is a new thing for me...I've only had it for less than a year, but it's gotten worse recently so I hope it goes away. I'll just keep calm and active and stay positive. :) I still have mild inflammation, which is an improvement, but it's still inflammation.

Also, I had my calcium and potassium checked recently and they were both good. I've never had my vitamin d levels checked, though. I wonder if I should buy some vitamin d anyway. A lot of UCers seem to take it. Thanks again!

@ Mad Martha--no worries! Feel free to ask whatever you want, it's fine!

Thank you, Old Hat. I really need to move around a bit. I haven't been very good about taking breaks but I will start.

Hi kazbern,

Thank you for writing. I have been thinking about changing my diet. The diet I'm doing now is very gentle on my gut but since I discontinued the Metformin I can't even eat a small banana without feeling woozy. :(

I think a low carb diet is a good idea. I don't need to lose weight but I'm not underweight either (BMI 21) so if I lost a few pounds it would be ok.

I was reading about the Autoimmune Protocol and how it has helped a lot of people. The thirty day elimination period sounds doable and pretty low carb since I already don't eat wheat, grains or potatoes. I've never counted carbs, though, so I don't know. I've been eating one small banana and some nuts everyday (homemade almond milk and raw cashew cream) and sometimes a small serving of dried fruit and a little honey. I eat carrots and squash a few times a week too. That's probably too many carbs.

I am really hoping diet mod will help my PMS symptoms so that I don't have to change the hormones I take again. If I go back to the OB/GYN he'll just recommend a higher dose BCP or Lupron and that's not what I want. I just had high hopes that the laparoscopy would help with the PMS and the really painful BMs when I menstruate but it's been four months and there hasn't really been an improvement. It's ok, though. It was worth a try.

I hope you are well!