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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 9/11/2015 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
I was in symptomatic remission for a little over 2 months. I saw my GI last Wednesday and told him everything was great, I also had a blood test which came back normal. He said that my body was now healing and if I gained about 15 more pounds then we would probably have to up my doses of Imuran and Asacol. My next scheduled appointment is for mid November.

Sunday morning I wake up and I have somewhat loose stool. I immediately thought "oh no" but, I was at a music festival in Chicago and was drinking and not really eating right so I thought that might have something to do with it and it not be the beginning of a flare. Monday I have somewhat loose stool again and Tuesday I have D, only twice though, still just was having about 2 loose BMs a day/no blood. Yesterday(Thursday) I have 3 loose BMs during the day and thought maybe since my diet was messed up and I was traveling the last week that that was the problem.

I laid down to go to bed last night and within 20 minutes I got abdominal pains and got up to go to the bathroom. Blood and loose stool. Then again a BM of straight blood about 15 minutes later. Today I have had 3 loose BMs with a little blood so I am now assuming I'm in a flare.

My question is, can I just self medicate myself? I have about 90 10 mg prednisone pills leftover and figured I could just start myself at 15mg a day for a week and taper myself down to get myself out of this flare, while conitnuing my maintenance drug. I also have a lot of Asacol HD and was thinking of upping my dose of that for the time being. I'm sure my doc would prob recommend the same.
Posted 9/11/2015 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
Give your doc a phone call
I would maybe get checked for c. Diff
Posted 9/11/2015 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
the "whenever I drop below 15mgs of Pred" line in my signature was a problem I was having before the Imuran started working. After about two months of taking Imuran, I tapered down to 10mgs, then 5 mgs then nothing and the flares never returned...I've been off of pred for close to two months now.
Posted 9/11/2015 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
50mg of imuran is a low dose - I think the normal dose is ~150mg for an adult man. I personally wouldn't start myself on prednisone - 15mg is a low dose. Sometimes if you start on 15mg or 20mg, if it doesn't work, you try to go up to 40mg and that doesn't work as well because your body is already used to the 15mg. I think you're better off going to the doctor and starting the course at the dose your dr recommends. You have only been going through this for a few days so I agree with Dikid, go get stool tests and see if there is a pathogen.

It's really easy to get caught up in thinking you ate or drank something, but perhaps this was going to happen regardless. No matter what the circumstance, you will always find something to blame. I used to blame anything and everything. Once I said it was the hot tub, another time it was the fajita I ate (still haven't returned to that restaurant)... It's just what we do, try to find something to pin the blame on and then we think, "next time I won't do that", then eventually you're barely doing/eating anything you still end up flaring.

2 months is barely a remission I am sorry to say. I had a few that lasted a year to two years and when it really comes down to it, that's short too. A one year break isn't enough to live a normal life.
Posted 9/11/2015 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
I would contact your gastroenterologist to let him know what's going on, regarding the possible flare, and get a stool test to check for pathogenic causes like cdiff. I'd go to 4,800 mgs of asacol hd, which is 6 (800 milligram) pills per day. I'd take a rowasa meslamine enema daily.

I wouldn't go on prednisone blindly, ask your doctor for a dose and taper schedule.

Agreed on the Imuran, a normal dose is 125 to 150 mgs, weight-based. Ask about it. Only adjust that under doctors supervision as your bloodwork must be monitored for signs of toxicity... Very important.

Good luck!
Posted 9/11/2015 8:00 PM (GMT 0)
well I called my GI. The thing is, is that I never get to talk to him on the phone. Usually it's someone at the front desk then they take down my info and run it over to a nurse. Now Im waiting for the nurse to call me back .

I felt like doing the pred myself just because I've read that people have said a short stint on it can get you out of a minor flare. And with flares it is better to nip them in the bud before they get bad.
Posted 9/11/2015 9:15 PM (GMT 0)
I talked to my doc via his nurse. They directed me to do exactly what I thought I should.
Posted 9/12/2015 12:18 AM (GMT 0)
That's great. Now you have confirmation that it's a good treatment path and you have someone you can go to if you have problems. If you do it yourself, it can be awkward to explain to the doctor that you've been taking steroids without any direction. Good luck!
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