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Can a UC flare go away on its own?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 10/21/2019 1:13 PM (GMT 0)
Pardon me while I obsess about my recent symptoms. I’m awaiting my stool sample results and my Nov. 15th colonoscopy.

My diagnosis is proctitis. When in flare I get rectal pain, urgency, and passing blood and mucous. I never get diarrhea. Recently I had bowel changes. Started with one day of diarrhea. Just two bathroom trips of pure water diarrhea. No blood. No recital pain and no urgency. I had stomach cramps, fatigue and intermittent nausea. Over the course of a week, each day my stools became more and more firm. Each day I’ve only had one vowel movement. The other symptoms went away entirely.

I’m continuing to take my Canasa every other night. I haven’t increased any. The only thing I’ve done differently is to take my VSL(Visbiome) twice a day.

Could I have stopped a flare from coming on worse by using extra probiotics? Is this not a flare because it stopped? Didn’t seem like a stomach virus because those usually last only 2 days. Wondering if it could have been food poisoning.
Posted 10/21/2019 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
Can a flare go away on it's own? Spontaneous remission is documented with an UC within the medical literature, it is rare but can happen to us. I'd guess you had a stomach bug if it went away quickly on its own.

You could have a stomach bug or food poisoning like anyone can, those often pass in a week or so. It could be a flare up which would persist for many weeks. Certainly getting a stool tests for infectious causes, tests for inflammation (a Fecal Calprotectin test, or C-Reactive Protein blood test) are always a good idea whenever our bowel symptoms get worse. We always want to rule out C Diff when we flare, as it mirrors UC flare symptoms but has a different origin requiring antibiotics to treat.
Posted 10/21/2019 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
I just got my stool results back. Everything was negative. I’m not sure why my doctor never orders the calprotectin stool wrest.
Posted 10/21/2019 2:38 PM (GMT 0)
It's possible that it wasn't a flare. It's also possible that your maintenance meds helped it stay stable and improve over time. It could also be the probiotics - though they never helped me, many people have great results. Not all flare-ups are difficult to treat, and they don't all turn into a long, debilitating health crisis. Some are mild and respond quickly! I am happy to hear you're getting better.
Posted 10/21/2019 2:48 PM (GMT 0)
>I’m not sure why my doctor never orders the calprotectin stool test.
It varies by country, Calprotectin is newer than CRP is. If your doc is oldschool then he/she might just do CRP as a rule. I know a lot of the EU block countries do not yet do Calprotectin widely.
Posted 10/21/2019 3:08 PM (GMT 0)

iPoop said...
>I’m not sure why my doctor never orders the calprotectin stool test.
It varies by country, Calprotectin is newer than CRP is. If your doc is oldschool then he/she might just do CRP as a rule. I know a lot of the EU block countries do not yet do Calprotectin widely.


My CRP was 2. The range was 0-10. I’m obsessing a little because previous CRP’s for me were 0.5 but the range was 0-3. Doctor told me 2 was normal. Can anyone comment about that?

I’m in the US. I wonder if insurance is the issue. Maybe they won’t pay for it.
Posted 10/21/2019 4:31 PM (GMT 0)
it is possible it was not a flare, or that you nipped it early with probiotics. It is also possible (although less likely) that it just went away because spontaneous remissions are seen in the control groups of medical trials.

I don't think you can know. Just observe and remember, and over time get a since wo how you body and your UC is working.

good luck
Posted 10/21/2019 4:47 PM (GMT 0)
I honestly do not think it was a flare but rather a stomach bug. Seeing a CRP of 2 might've meant there was some gut irritation and minor inflammation during the episide. I'd bet if you retested today, you'd be back to a 0.5, as is your normal. If you had a flare, your CRP would be more like 50.0.
Posted 10/21/2019 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
If you go through a phase of constipation, small skinny stools, etc...that is a symptom of low in the rectum/or very mild inflammation throughout the rectum.

I suggest you remain on the supps nightly for at least 2 or more weeks...then taper slowly to maintenance.

Are you also on fibre supplements? One ofnthe benefits of them is keeping the invaders moving out instead of settling in.

q
Posted 10/21/2019 5:02 PM (GMT 0)
No I’m not on any fiber supplements. I just started taking my iron supplements again so that might help bulk me up a little.

I’m still keeping my colonoscopy scheduled for November 15th because I’ve only had one colonoscopy so far when I was first diagnosed, 8 or more years ago. I think it’s a good idea to get my current gastro doc to check me out and take a few biopsies. I want to leave 2019 knowing I’m really taking care of myself and being proactive so that I can hopefully enjoy a more calm 2020.
Posted 10/21/2019 5:12 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, you're waaay overdue for a scope. Keep us updated as to how you're doing in the meantime.

q
Posted 10/21/2019 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
I had a spontaneous remission from my first flare but it was a long and sloooooooow, gradual process.
Posted 10/21/2019 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
CRP of 2 is nothing. I wouldn't worry.

In my experience, flares don't go away on their own. There is always something special that each flare needs, and it takes me a while to figure it out. Once I do, the flare ends pretty fast and then life returns to normal. Every time I flare, what's needed is different, which can be frustrating.

I failed all modern meds, so my ways of getting into remission are usually odd, but successful. It just takes me a while to figure it out each time.

But if I dont find "the thing", the flare doesn't tend to fully stop. The severity will downgrade over time until I can more or less live life again, but if I want the flare to be gone gone, I need to really keep trying alternative things.
Posted 10/29/2019 2:03 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like it was a stomach bug to me. Did the symptoms ever come back? Good plan on the scope. After having UC for about 8 years is when they recommend we start getting scoped about every 2 years, so you're right on schedule.
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