Questions about stress & suppositories

Hello, this is my first post on here but I have been reading this forum for a while. I am a 33 year old male who was diagnosed with UC in August of 2013. I don't really need to tell the whole story but I have a couple of questions I'd like to ask.

1. I am convinced that the stress of my job at the very least, aggravates my disease. There is a small part of me that actually thinks it caused me getting UC, or at least "pushed me over the edge" but my GI doctor said that stress does not cause getting UC. But I had an interesting experience last week at work that I wanted to share and get other's feedback on.

Last week I had been out of the office for a few days, and after coming back the voicemail was loaded up with messages. I stared to listen to them and by the fourth message, I was experiencing so much stress that I had to run to the bathroom in the middle of listening to the message!

Also, that same day, while reading the e-mails, one e-mail was so stressful that, again, I had to run to the toilet! This time it was mostly blood that came out.

My point is I felt ok before reading and listening to these messages. So I'd like to know how much of this disease do you guys think is caused mentally. There have also been times where I'm thinking of a stressful situation, or a situation that causes anxiety, and then I'll have to go!

Would taking an anti-anxiety med help my UC?

2. So, I'm in a little flare right now, so in addition to 4 lialda a day, I'm also using Canasa. I can use it at night no problem, but using it in the morning is not easy for me. One time I put it in before work, and during work it kind of came out and it was quite embarrassing. So I'm afraid to use it before I go to work now. But I used one this morning because today is my day off, but I pooped about two hours after I put it in! My question is what is the best way to use it twice a day? Should I set my alarm and wake up at 3 am and put another one in then? Can you put in two at once?

Thank you for taking a time to read my questions. I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts.

Thank you for the response. Without getting into too much detail about my job, I will say that, if everything goes as planned, I will probably quit sometime later this year, for a few different reasons. The problem is, my job pays very well (around $100k) and I get excellent health insurance from it, which I obviously need after being diagnosed with UC. So I can't just up and quit. Also, not having a job would have it's own stress issues.

But, I understand what you're saying, and I think you're right.

Hi e-guide,

Welcome to healingwell.

I would say job stress is a major contributor to not just autoimmune disease, but many of the other health issues that are cropping up for Americans today. It's a tough issue because many people have to put food on the table for their families, so I think it's ultimately one that has to be dealt with right now (or we face future burdens and consequences).

There's quite a bit of data coming out to back up the negative effects of stress (and sleep deprivation) on our health, including flare re-occurence for those with UC (I posted some studies in another thread, so I'll have to find it). Things like sleep deprivation, job anxiety, stress from deadlines all take dangerous toll on the body, but it's very subtle. While stress isn't known to cause UC, it is in many cases the tipping point prior to the diagnosis.

There's also some emerging evidence that sitting long hours on the chair is the new smoking, as the risk of stroke and heart related conditions go up. The body simply was not meant to sit indoors for long hours. I think things like treadmill desks and ergonomic chairs are a good start, but it still does not seem to fix the 40 hour workweek issue, with many Americans still not getting enough sleep. I think the recent data said that 1 in 3 Americans are sleeping less than 6 hours a day.

I say this because I experienced many of these issues, but I did not know just how bad stress affected my body. It really wore me down on a more subconscious level, and I was not even acknowledging it. It wears down the adrenal glands and makes us vulnerable to colds and infections. The research is all there and I think we owe it to ourselves to do what is best for our bodies, even if it means quitting our jobs. For me it was literally a life or death situation because I developed adrenal gland dysfunction at some point.

My recommendation for you would be to look into things like mindfulness and meditation. Find something that you can enjoy, even if it means earning less. Quit your current job if it is stressing you out so much because it's ultimately your health that is on the line -- money can always come later.

Best.

Stress is huge!!! How can you quit your job? I would think finding or even starting another is more stressful?

I am 55 this year and I am really hoping to retire in 7 years! It's not gonna be easy but I will live on less and thankfully take my medical with me. However I can not imagine trying to find another job with this disease.

They say a bird in hand is worth more than 2 in the bush. Maybe just chg you perspective. It's only a job!

Well, all that may be causal. I own my own business. My UC started in the hospital while on broad spectrum antibiotics and at the same time I was going through the most major stress anyone could possibly imagine due to something extremely major going on at my business. My whole life (and my family's) was on the verge of going up in smoke. Eventually it worked out and I now only go through occasional stress. But, I still have UC even though that stress pretty much disappeared. I think it is too simplistic to think that getting rid of your stressful job will get rid of your UC. If you can remove that stress you probably have an almost 100% chance of improving but probably not to the point of getting cured. Personally, I wouldn't quit the job unless you had a good idea of what the future would hold. If you're rolling the dice, any numbers can come up, sometimes worse numbers than before.

Wow all that for canasa? I pop one in while on the toilet, then pretty much go for a jog right away if I feel like it. I actually do go for a walk immediatly. No big deal. You have to lie down for enemas but for canasa? I don't know.