I went to the same doctor as Keith and was hospitalized for 12 days. I agree with him that a second opinion might be warranted. That was 11 years ago and I have had only minor flare-ups since then. I...
I cannot eat cottage cheese. I do eat yogurt - after taking a Lactaid pill - maybe an unnecessary precaution....
I lived in western Massachusetts for over thirty years and moved to NYC a year ago. I'm a native New Yorker - greatest city in the world!...
I've been on azathioprine for over ten years and have had no side effects. My GI claims that the risks are for people on much higher doses - that is, those who are taking it to prevent rejection of...
I have used colocort for years on and off. Yes, you can get pred side effects, but much less is absorbed by the body. I agree with Sherry to taper off. I also don't listen to my doctor and use them...
I have no idea whether a flare can be triggered by a heat wave - however, I know that when I don't get enough sleep for a time, I can start to flare. I wonder whether the heat wave is keeping you...
Welcome to HealingWell, ImAud! I'm 62 years old and had my first flare when I was 20, but wasn't diagnosed until I was 29. Please be assured that while the disease varies, it is quite possible to...
Being cautious, I only drink bottled water or boiled water in Europe and even brush my teeth with it. In the UK hotels always have an electric tea kettle, so I just boil water and let it cool. In...
Thanks, Donna. I'll check it out. Right now I have a bottle of 400 tablets of 400 mcg - that's 80 days worth for me. I don't remember what I paid, but I'll check....
I had an abscess about 15 years ago, and a fistula ten years ago. I moved recently and had to change doctors. My new GI insisted I must have Crohn's and gave me a blood test which came back positive...
If I were you, I'd take one more folic acid which would give you a little more that one milligram. My doctor told me that you can't overdose on folic acid - any excess you would just pee out. Because...
KaseyF, How are you doing? Are you feeling better? Did you see your doctor? Malka...
I've gotten folic acid at CVS and at Duane Reade in New York. Sometimes it is under the B vitamins (when they have the vitamins alphabetically). You should ask the pharmacist, but in any event I'm...
Out of curiosity, I googled anemia and leg cramps. Apparently, anemia can cause leg cramps. Kasey, I hate to sound like a broken record, but I don't think you should wait until your appointment next...
The gastro-colic reflex is a reflex that triggers a bowel movement when food hits the stomach. It is more active in those of us with "increased motility" as my GI used to say. In other words, those...
You can buy folic acid over the counter. It is usually pretty inexpensive. Just go to any drugstore. M...
I was told to have a multivitamin with iron. Anemia isn't always from an iron deficiency. Are you taking folic acid? Sulfasalazine prevents folic acid from being absorbed by the colon. So, if you are...
I have oatmeal most mornings -with raisins and almonds. It has never been a problem for me. If you have to go to the bathroom while eating it, it isn't the oatmeal. It is your gastro-colic reflex...
I have been taking sulfasalazine for over thirty years and have never had any side effects (except for orangey urine). I am just about your height and weight and take 8 pills a day. After one GI...
I have had UC for over 30 years and have had a normal life. I had a relatively mild case until 15 years ago (not coincidently when my father died). Then in the spring and fall of 1997 had a terrible...
I don't know about implants, but I would never opt for any surgery that wasn't necessary. I've done a lot of work as a lawyer in medical malpractice and you wouldn't believe the number of things that...
I've been ordering mine by mail for years. It has a cheaper co-pay and I like having 3 months worth. I have a shelf in the kitchen filled with meds for my husband and me. M...
I really have nothing to suggest - except call your doctor and insist that he/she see you. Maybe someone else has experienced this. I wish you luck. Let us know how you are doing. M...
Get a second opinion from a GI - not a surgeon. I had a fistula and there are medications that can help it close up. Surgery should be a last resort. It is not always successful and creates other...
New York, New York (It's a wonderful town. I live in Manhattan.) Diagnosed while living in Deerfield, Massachusetts....
The only time I ever had pain like that, it turned out to be a rectal abscess. It is unusual for people with UC to get abscesses (unlike with Crohns) but it does happen. I hope your GI can see you...
I have been on Sulfasalazine since I was first diagnosed over 30 years ago. I take 4 tablets twice a day. I have noticed that taking the entabs (time released coated tablets) work better for me that...
In February I had a colonoscopy and the GI told me there was something that looked like a polyp near the cecum but he didn't know. He thought it might be a pseudopolyp, but couldn't tell. He didn't...
Yes, I am in the U.S. and have been prescribed the pills (Visicol) in both Massachusetts and New York. M...
I don't understand why your doctor won't give you the pills. I have had uc for years and have taken them without problems. I did read some place that people with kidney problems cannot take them. I...
I have been taking pills for prep for a number of years now. I will never go back to the liquid preps if I can help it. If you have no problems taking pills, this is the way to go. I once had to...
I had c-diff ten years ago. My doctor prescribed vancomycin right away. It took two courses of vancomycin to get rid of it - but it has never come back. Mine was from antibiotics (most likely...
While living in Massachusetts, I was referred to Dr. Present about ten years ago, in the midst of a terrible flare. I liked him a lot and I think he saved my colon. I was hospitalized and treated...
Following advice found on this forum months ago, whenever I am not sure but worried that I might be starting a flare, I drink a tea made from boiling two cinnamon sticks in a few cups of water....
I used to do medical malpractice work - so believe me there are duds in the US as well. Remember, doctors are just like the rest of us - some are very good, some not so good, some not so smart, some...
Judilyn, you are not the only senior citizen. I am 62 and retired a year ago. I've been married 42 years, have two sons, two daughters-in-law, and three (gorgeous) grandchildren. Grandchildren are...
Awhile ago, someone on this forum suggested boiling two cinnamon sticks in water (about one and a half cups) and drinking the water. Apparently, cinnamon reduces inflammation. I tried it and found it...
I finally received the results of the biopsies from my colonoscopy and they are good. I did have a polyp which was a hyperplastic polyp. According to sites on the web, hyperplastic polyps are not...
I went to the hematologist today and his opinion was that the most likely cause of the large red blood cells was the azathioprine (Imuran). He said that it was not harmful and there was no need to do...
I had C.diff after a hospital stay. (I don't know whether it started in the hospital or before.) It was clearly caused by antibiotics and was cleared up after two courses of vancomycin. My flare...
I had a fistula ten years ago in the midst of (or caused by) the worst flare I ever had. He should see his GI again. It sounds as if he might have an abscess if there was pus. If so, he needs to have...
Thanks to everyone for the replies. I have a routine annual colonoscopy scheduled for Tuesday and will make an appointment with a hematologist after that. (I can cope with one medical procedure at a...
I am taking sulfasalazine because I started taking it before asacol existed - and because it works for me. I once tried asacol and the pills passed right through me. I don't know if they tested for...
My new PCP did routine blood tests and now wants me to go to a hematologist because my red blood cells are abnormally large. I never heard of this and did some preliminary research on the web. From...