See my recent posting about yeast. It may not apply here, but if you had a yeast problem, beer is full of yeast and could definitely irritate things....
So I have been in the throes of a pretty awful and persistent flare for the past few months. The drugs (rectal and oral) have seemed pretty useless, which has been very frustrating. In the past 1-2...
That is totally normal/typical. I have every size possible, especially during a flare....
I am a guy and have obviously never been pregnant so I don't have any concrete advice about that, except to say that you still have LOTS of treatment options. Get into that GI A.S.A.P.! I think that...
I don't know if "cramp" is the word but sometimes I do feel some pretty uncomfortable gut sensations right after putting an enema in. Usually it resolves and/or I go to sleep! Good luck working it...
I am in the middle of a moderate flare (lower symptoms, consistent bleeding and lots of gas but not a lot of diarrhea) that has been going for a few months (*ugh*). For the past couple days, I have...
I have often thought that colitis, like "dermatitis" is really a description of a symptom, rather than a cause. I know the doctors call it a disease, but it makes sense that different things may...
'roids can DEFINITELY mess with your moods. Prednisolone completely screwed me up in the head (suidical ideation, depression, anxiety, etc.) so I am sure it can cause milder depression in people. The...
So I have a related question. If I am taking Asacol and it is NOT really helping, is there a reason to consider switching to some other mesalamine pill, such as Lialda, Apriso, etc.? Or is it just a...
Interesting discussion! I have thought about these issues myself, as I am a left-sider. However, I will say that with me they have seen a small amount of inflammation at the other end (near the...
Q - I had a flare about a year ago. At that time they started me on Rowasa and then Canasa. Those seemed to really help with the bleeding and I eventually was kicked back into remission. I kept up...
Q - I have lower/distal left-sided colitis...my bleeding/inflammation seems all right at the bottom of the pipeline, so I have formed stool, don't have much of a diarrhea problem, etc. I'd say the...
I am currently on a hydrocortisone enema and heading into the final week of my 1 month course. I know that with oral 'roids you are supposed to taper, but I am not sure if that applies to enemas as...
Thanks for the input. I had never heard of the stuff--but there is such a dizzying array of UC drugs and treatments....
Today I was talking to a a doctor (not mine) about UC and he mentioned that several of his patients with UC have had good luck with a steroid called Entocort. I looked it up and it appears indicated...
I second the advice of Jane123. It is really tough, but if you can ride it out and keep some medication up there for a time period, it will probably help...and you will probably be able to do more as...
When I first started I was in the UK and they put me on balsalazide/Colazal and it seemed to do nothing. When I moved back to the US, they switched me to Asacol, which likewise seemed to do nothing....
Hmmm...not sure. It does not have a brand name, it's just called hydrocortisone retention enema. I want to say the dose is 100mg, but I am going on memory. I will look when I get home tonight......
Back in 2005 when I was first diagnosed they gave me prednisone and I had terrible problems with anxiety, nervousness, sleeplessness, suicidal ideation, etc. It also did not seem to help. Thereafter,...
I don't even know what 6MP is, so I would be interested in hearing how people fared...
Sorry to hear you are having it rough. I think we can all relate. It may not always feel like it, but you can handle this. Just keep your wits about you and keep searching for the right combination...
Having an 11-month old son and making the same connection, I have used several baby products and they seem to work pretty well. I would look for something with both zinc oxide and cod liver oil....
Zach - you are on the right track, brother. Financial flexibility and simplicity are great things to strive for. All the material stuff, money worries, etc. causes stress and there is no doubt in my...
Dr-A - my guess is because saline tends to cause less irritation on internal tissues than regular water. That's why they use saline to flush your your sinuses, etc....
One man's opinion: give Imuran a try. When I was first diagnosed in 2005, I had a REALLY bad flare and they almost had to take out my colon straight away. To avoid that, they put me on Imuran, a drug...
LFTC: I may take you up on your challenge. I have actually been reading about psyllium seed powder for months now but have not started it, mostly out of concern about it's effectiveness during a...
neekap - as to your "side note" question, I often have an experience where one BM has little to no blood, followed by another with much more (and vice-versa). I don't think that's the drugs kicking...
Rectal pain - you betcha! That is one of the hallmarks of my flares...it hurts like hell down there. I get both the sharp/direct pain, as well as the swollen/pressure feeling. And, I have a tendency...
It happens to many of us. I have had to do the old "underwear ditch" on several occasions, including work, pub, concerts, etc. It sucks. Further proof that accidents are not confined to the UC crowd:...
Just so I am not misunderstood: I did NOT mean to suggest that guila should not take anti-depressants. They can definitely help. I have taken them on more than one occasion and they have worked well...
I often wish for some kind of handy-dandy view inside the system...especially since I am a lower/left sided UC person. It seems SO CLOSE and I want to know where the damn blood is coming from!...
natty34 - that is a good point. I like your higher colon/diarrhea analysis and it make sense to me (in a layman's sort of way). Well, if all these nasty drugs don't do the trick, I may be joining...
I just wanted to add a supportive voice. When they put me on Pred, I had AWFUL psychological side-effects, including anxiety, suicidal thoughts, etc. I did end up taking antidepressants at that time...
Wow, this is a long and interesting conversation! I confess I know very little about fecal transplantation but the accounts given are certainly interesting. One question for the more knowledgeable:...
Thanks for the input. Those Rectal Rockets sound really interesting. How I need to summon up the courage to ask my pharmacist for "rectal rockets" and risk him/her referring me to the sex-toy shop!...
I am with the "try it" group. I have been taking Azathiorpine in various doses for over 3 years now. I have not had trouble with side-effects and seem to tolerate it well. of course, that is personal...
One of the many lovely features of UC is hemorrhoids (at least for me). I do not always have trouble with them, but they come up sometimes during flares and are really painful/uncomfortable. What's...
London Lady - A few thoughts: *You do not have to face this alone. There are many thousands of people who are having these problems and, with great communities like Healingwell.com, you do not have...
Thanks for the input, all. They actually have been flipping me between Rowasa and Canasa. Last time I had a flare (last year), they seemed to help but this go-round neither one seems to be doing a...
I am currently in a flare and am having a lot of gas, gurgling, etc. I feel like the gas is often a "driving force" behind my need to have a bowel movement, which then causes me to bleed. So I am...
I am having a flare and I am also a "bleeder" so I definitely understand! During my first bout of UC (back in 2005), I got an infection, was put on blood-thinners and ended up bleeding massively. I...
When I had my first (and horrid) run-in with UC in 2005, I was put on Prednisolone (which I think is the same as prednisone). I cannot remember my precise dose but I want to say it was 60mg or more....