Why no blood?

I was diagnosed with mild-moderate UC in the summer of 2015. Immediately put on Lialda 4.8g, which I've been on for a year and a half, but my last colonoscopy a year ago showed it wasn't healing the colon, though my clinical symptoms are improved (generally only 1-2 BM's per day, though always loose or extremely soft.) Next step is biologics, as I mentioned in another post.

Strangely though, I've never seen blood in my stool, even in the weeks/months leading up to diagnosis. I'm just wondering how common this is. My symptoms have always been loose stool, urgency, gas, etc., mild soreness in the stomach, but never any blood. I'd like to think this represents a really mild form of UC, but the fact that the docs still want to put me on biologics reminds me that this HAS to be treated seriously.

So I'm wondering, is anyone else like this?

sonvolt

Dunno, but I was exactly the same as you. No blood in my stool, ever, even though I had pancolitis. For me I didn't have mild disease, in fact it was the exact opposite.

I should clarify, there was occult blood in the stool - that's indeed what led to the scoping and diagnosis of UC. I've just never seen any blood.

I'm sure I'll have another colonoscopy (I'm moving, so changing docs again) before biologics are started. There's just literally been no change since the beginning of Lialda a year and a half ago. I'm in a constant state of a couple mushy stools in the morning, occasional soreness in the stomach. But I actually have a couple other auto-immune issues that seem to be running in parallel with the UC, including Vitiligo. So while my UC is not as life-altering as it is for some of you, I'm actually very anxious to get on a biologic with the hope it will help shut off the systemic inflation that's triggering my vitiligo, etc. TNF-a seems to be a common suspect in multiple auto-immnune conditions, so I'm hoping to drop a nuclear bomb on it. Does this sound too "pie in the sky?"

sonvolt

I'd just like to add that I got a Crohn's diagnosis without any blood in the stool and with symptoms as mild as sonvolt's. The only reason I went to my GP was because I'd never had diarrhoea in my life and it hadn't gone away after a few weeks. I was incredibly lucky not to be fobbed off; the GP ordered blood and stool tests then referred me to my local hospital. They did a colonoscopy and small bowel barium follow-through and I got my diagnosis.

Not everyone has blood, particularly in Crohn's disease. If you have unexplainable GI symptoms (diarrhoea, urgency, stomach pain, etc.) which haven't gone away after a couple of weeks, don't be put off going to your doctor if there isn't any (visible) blood in your stools. You could still have IBD, particularly if you are a young adult.

There's just literally been no change since the beginning of Lialda a year and a half ago. I'm in a constant state of a couple mushy stools in the morning, occasional soreness in the stomach.

But no blood? Maybe your Lialda is controlling your UC but you may also have IBS which causes your digestive problems.