HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

What would thinning colon symptoms look like?

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/25/2021 1:55 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,
Been on budesonide foam daily for about 5 months now..

Ever since I read on here about the possibilities of thinning the colon from this l, I worry I may be causing damage. The GI doesn’t seem that concerned.

How would I know if I was causing thinning of the colon? What would be the symptoms?

Also I read 10% is systematic so if its 2mg foam I assume 0.20 would be in my system which is not much of a concern I would think.

Not like its actually helping me much. Still bleed every single BM..
Posted 12/25/2021 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
How much blood and what is stool consistency? Do you have any blood or any mucus with passing gas?

q
Posted 12/25/2021 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
BMs are mostly solid, 1-3 a day, I do have blood and some mucus every time. This has been happening for a year, mostly during the last 6 months or so.

Not so much mucus or blood when passing gas though.

What would the symptoms of thinning look like?
Posted 12/26/2021 6:17 PM (GMT 0)
Not much info, interesingly. What I did find is possible outpouching...aka diverticulosis.
q
Posted 12/26/2021 8:19 PM (GMT 0)
If you had thinning of the colon tissue this would have been picked up on by your dr when having scopes.
Posted 12/26/2021 8:23 PM (GMT 0)
Interesting Quincy.
Thanks Straydog. I guess I’m more concerned because my last scope was about 6 months ago which was before doing daily budesonide foam for almost 6 months (still doing it)
Posted 12/26/2021 8:50 PM (GMT 0)
It takes years of consistent steroid use to typically cause this issue. Diverticulosis happens when an area in the wall weakens & you get a little pouch. I have this which was found on a scope, I've never had any issues. If stuff collects in those pouches infection can set in requiring an antibiotic, if severe surgery is an option. I have a friend that dealt with this for years, he kept putting off surgery & would get quite sick. He finally caved & had surgery & has done great, said he wished he had surgery much sooner. Again, this was found by colonoscopy.
Posted 12/26/2021 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Straydog, that’s reassuring. My GI also didn’t seem too concerned about that.
Posted 12/26/2021 9:25 PM (GMT 0)
Colon thinning and outpouching due to steroids is rare. There are UC patients who have been on steroids for years and don't have this issue. I wouldn't worry about it. It's better to do whatever is necessary to get your symptoms under control.

If this is your first stint with steroids and it has been 5 months, that's still not that much time in the grand scheme. Some of us have taken steroids off and on for 10+ years.
Posted 12/30/2021 8:15 PM (GMT 0)
I took oral Uceris for most of 2 years (and also a lot of pred courses over the years). I wouldn't be worried about it. I haven't heard of this. I know about thinning skin though and I got lots of stretch marks from steroids (not until I started the Uceris, oddly enough).
Posted 12/30/2021 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sara, more than the overall bad things that steroids do when taken orally, Im more concerned that this is super targeted to the colon being a rectal foam and every day a shot of 2mg is hitting that area.

I worry of that area would be experiencing thinning or similar issues.

Hard to tell when we can’t actually see for ourselves..
Posted 12/30/2021 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
I used hydrocortsone enemas for the most part of a year on and off a couple years ago when I was flaring badly. Doc wasn't concerned and gave me a script to get 3 months at a time through my mail pharmacy. I had a scope at the beginning of this month and there was a small area that had mild diverticulosis (that was clean) according to the report but the doc didn't say much about it. Just said I should eat more fiber.
Posted 1/4/2022 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hi CCinPA,
So all in all it didn't really negatively affect you after the long term use or was that what caused the diverticulosis perhaps?

I started the SCD diet again couple days ago. I then went last 48 hours almost without a BM only to go today and have a lots in one go and lots of blood of course.

This is all while on azathioprine, max oral dose of mesalazine, nightly mesalazine suppository and morning budesonide foam.. feeling very lost to say the least.

The burning pain In the rectum that lasts for about 2 hours after a BM is just pure horrible.

1Wish
Posted 1/4/2022 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
1Wish, if I remember right you see your gi this month? Make a list a list of questions for him/her. People that do not have an IBD can get get diverticulosis & never been on a steroid. It's time to move up to the next level of meds. Don't beat yourself up over this.
Posted 1/4/2022 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks straydog,
Yeah I'm preparing myself for biologics. The appointment is in about 3 weeks. I'm in Spain so not sure if it will be Remicade or Humira and doubt I have a choice as it seems to be a whatever they decide as this is not private care.

I will still continue to eat healthy meanwhile as close to SCD or similar but more so to train myself into actually eating healthy + exercise in the hope to assist with healing and maybe down the road be able to come off meds but I'm not so confident I can get myself out of this with diet alone at this point.
Posted 1/4/2022 4:12 PM (GMT 0)
You are not the first to think they may be able to control their disease by diet, nor will you be the last. I do believe that someone with very mild disease can possibly do this, it can go either way. The goal should be getting into a good solid long remission.

There is no shame in needing whatever medication to live a happy healthy life.
Posted 1/4/2022 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
I agree, however I can't help feel I haven't tried hard enough with diet and that I'm putting myself at high risks with biologics instead. That's what is getting to me quite a lot at the moment and I'm trying to read the positives of the biologics with risk rewards ratios rather than view any negatives.
Posted 1/4/2022 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
1Wish -- I suspect the diverticulosis is due to not eating much fiber because of being in such a long flare, but don't know for sure though. I am slowly increasing fiber but am taking baby steps so I don't have problems from too much fiber. Doc didn't mention anything about thinning colon. I have seen people mention that here that it could be a problem with long term steroid enema use, but I have never been able to find anything to back that up when I searched for it. I suspect that it might be something that "sounds" logical, but there's no evidence that I have ever found. If you need the steroid enemas/foam use them until you can get on a new med. I haven't used any enemas at all for almost a year now, but they really helped reduce blood and keep me functional until Remicade levels were finally high enough to remove any symptoms.

When I stopped the enemas I did it slowly ... I just started skipping weekends and then I skipped another day during the week, then went to twice a week and then once and then stopped. This was my own taper and I just did what felt right. Doc said I didn't need to taper, but since I had been on them so long I felt like I should taper.
Posted 1/7/2022 4:45 PM (GMT 0)

1Wish said...
Hi Sara, more than the overall bad things that steroids do when taken orally, Im more concerned that this is super targeted to the colon being a rectal foam and every day a shot of 2mg is hitting that area.

I worry of that area would be experiencing thinning or similar issues.

Hard to tell when we can’t actually see for ourselves..

I understand. Uceris was also targeted for the colon, so I thought that might be similar in terms of the potential affect you are describing, but I'm not sure. I've never heard of this myself, but I've also never looked into it. Of course, the goal is to get off steroids altogether as soon as you can. Xeljanz got me off steroids when nothing else worked anymore. I was absolutely terrified of taking it, but now I wish I had done so sooner. Good luck.
Posted 1/7/2022 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
1Wish, CCinPA is spot on about not enough fiber in a diet can cause diverticulosis. They recommend adding fiber either by diet or supplements. I read at the JHU & Cleveland Clinic that people that have hard stools or constipation it sits there causing pressure against the walls, straining was another factor can weaken a spot in the wall. One of them said the best way to describe it is to overfill an innertube with air & you will see a small spot to bulge out. So, if you have hard stools why not add some fiber?
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply