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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 10/12/2016 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
At age 23 I was diagnosed with mild (left and right) ulcerative colitis, although having symptoms since I was 18 years old, on and off. By 24 I achieved remission with the help of the SCD diet, Lialda, Canasa, and foam enema(forgot the name), and reducing my stress levels.

It's now 2 years later, I'm on vacation in a foreign country (Romania), and I'm bed ridden with symptoms worse than they have ever been. I have severe diarrhea with 10-15 bowel movement a day. I'm becoming very worried, and extra help would be appreciated.

Saw a GI doctor here and he prescribed me with 1G Pentasa Tablets X 3 a day, 1G Pentasa Supository X 2 a day, and Normix 200mg X 3 a day. On top of all this I take 6-8 Imodium tablets just to reduce the discomfort and BM's. I'm also back on the SCD diet.

I've been taking everything for only a couple days now.
Posted 10/12/2016 9:57 PM (GMT 0)
6-8 Imodium is excessive. Be careful.

I would ask for prednisone, get the symptoms managed, and then get home as quick as you can.

good luck
Posted 10/12/2016 10:03 PM (GMT 0)
Try and get some homemade chicken or beef bone stock and drink it often. Give your gut easily digested nourishing low residue foods, no fiber or anything rough. Soups like potato soup are good but not bean soup (bean fiber). Blend it smooth if it has veggies in it.

I agree with the Prednisone suggestion, don't think oral Pentasa is gonna work that fast.
Posted 10/12/2016 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
Whatever you do don't go out drinking alcohol while using Imodium I believe that combo had a part in a death of someone I used to know.

I have just been researching the differences between Sulfalazine and Mesalamine as alternatives to prednisone. You may want to research those as a possibility.

I would only ever take prednisone / prednisolone for one day max and a 50mg tablet.
Posted 10/13/2016 4:15 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with DBwithUC. Prednisone and get home.
Posted 10/13/2016 12:28 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys,

Revisited my GI today, hooked me up to two bags of saline solution to replenish my body, I was feeling extremely weak.

Tomorrow he wants to administer 2 doses of 200mg Hydrogen Succinate, and 2 doses of 200 milligrams Prednisone. One in the morning, and one at night. (All done via IV)

Any thoughts?

Post Edited (1990UC) : 10/13/2016 6:31:07 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/13/2016 2:47 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know about the hydrogen succinate, but as for the steroids: 400mg prednisolone in one day? Are you sure? That would be four times the amount that I have been given through IV, and sounds very very high to me. Although, I believe that 400mg hydrocortisone would be equivalent to 100mg prednisolone - so if it is 400mg hydrocortisone, that sounds about right. I think the max dose of hydrocortisone I have received in a single shot is 100mg though, not 200mg, and I'm not sure how useful making the dose higher would be seeing as I think it's relatively short acting anyway. I've also not heard of people only using the steroids in that extreme short term, the minimum I have been on steroids is around two weeks, although they were tapered down gradually in the second week. It's common here to then switch to an eight-week oral course, starting at 40mg and going down by 5mg every week. I'll be interested to see what others say about all this though. Remember I am not a doctor!
Posted 10/13/2016 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
usually the IV is not prednisone, but some other steroid. Check that he did not say cortisone or something that you heard as prednisone. If it was prednisone you will get methylprednisolone, which is said to be the same strength.

the hydrogen succinate is Hydrocortisone hydrogen succinate (about 4x weaker than pred), depending on what the other drug is, it is still a large dose. A few hundred mg. I do not know the exact dosing for UC rescue. I have read about immunosuppression dosing that can be 250 to 1,000 mg IV once daily - so 200mg 2x daily is not unheard of. (/www.drugs.com/methylprednisolone.html)

My questions would be about any taper. Will there be an oral prescription, say 80mg/day to get you home and to you own doc? I would not want to be released after 400+ mg to go cold turkey the next day.

good luck
Posted 10/13/2016 10:58 PM (GMT 0)

Tortured said...
Whatever you do don't go out drinking alcohol while using Imodium I believe that combo had a part in a death of someone I used to know.

I have just been researching the differences between Sulfalazine and Mesalamine as alternatives to prednisone. You may want to research those as a possibility.

I would only ever take prednisone / prednisolone for one day max and a 50mg tablet.

I was on 40mg pred for a month or so. If absolutely needed it can be done but not preferred. Also I drank on Imodium every week for 4 years and college and was fine.
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