Please someone respond I'm really starting to lose my mind

Posted , 5 users are following.

Alittle bit if background I was diagnosed with UC in 2003 not many flares as I had smoked and it kept me in remission. Long story short I had to quit smoking due to hormonal changes and heart palpitations. I'm in the flare of my life right now and I'm so scared It started the end of November and I was admitted to the hospital last month due to this flare I feel as if I was released way too soon as I was still very much flaring. I had x rays CT scans drank the stuff dye inserted said inflammation in the transverse colon. I'm on 40 mg of prednisone and it's not helping well it's not taking it away I'm better then I was in some ways in others I'm scared it's gonna kill me.im not running to the bathroom all day as I was before, I also was taken a iron pill and I think that slowed me down caused it to be very painful to pass stool I stopped the iron the other day and I had gotten dirreah and cramps that day all that night. I didn't eat much just crackers and some soup well I didn't use the bathroom yesterday just cramping blood mucus yesterday morning. I figured not much in there from all the dirreah day before well I ate more yesterday and last night I started feeling bloated gassed up and bad indigestion. Now here I am this morning bad indigestion stomach cramping off and on and I'm bloated gassed up it feels and not passing stool just that blood mucus stuff and not alot. I'm concerned shouldn't I be passing some stool today from the food yesterday? And I don't understand why the steriod isn't helping this improve more then it is is this a typical flare symptoms? This is only my fourth flare and it's the worse one so I'm still new to this flaring and what's normal what's not.im scared I have a blockage but wouldn't I have bad bad pain not just gas and bloating feeling and I wouldn't be able to pass any gas right. I do pass some not alot but some, and I also wanted to ask about apriso is anyone on this and how well is it tolerated I've tried since being released from hospital I can't swallow that huge blue pill I gag so bad.but my main question is can flares cause these symptoms I'm having bloating,gassed up,nauseas off and on not constantly, indigestion and feel like I can't burp it relieve gas like I need too. My left side is alittle tender but it's not bad I can push on my abdomen and release and it's no bad severe pain just crampy pain off and on.pkease someone respond

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Pamela,

    Sorry to hear you're having a rough time.

    Not having a bowel movement in a day is perfectly normal. You body stores stool in your rectum and sigmoid colon. Once there is enough in there your body tells you it's time to go.

    Obviously with UC things aren't entirely normal so you may go a lot more. Sometimes the blood and mucus can stimulate things and make you feel like you need to go, sometimes with urgency. You may just then pass blood and muscus and little or no stool. Again this is "normal" for UC. It does mean however that things aren't 100% and something needs to be done to improve things.

    Gas, bloating, nausea are also symptoms of things not being right in your digestive tract. Usually they're caused by something called "small intestinal bacterial overgrowth" or SIBO. In this cause you have too much bacteria living in your small bowel (they're meant to be in your colon!). Things like sugar, wheat, not chewing properly, acid surpressant drugs, stress and snacking make this a lot worse. 

    Perhaps try some fresh soups or smooties. Vegetables can help rebalance the gut bacteria and the fibre help your stools. By blending them you make them easier to digest. 

    If you can try to control your stress, look up things like mindfulness and yoga. Stress is a real problem for your body. 

    Also try to get sleep and rest to allow your body to heal and recover.

    I hope that helps.

    Good luck!

    • Posted

      I'm still having bowel issues yesterday I went twice it's still little and in bits and pieces bloating gas today I went twice so far first time bits and pieces and not much sec alittle loser and still some bits and pieces I'm not eating today doing liquids but my tummy has been gurgling and making lots of noise and I passed some gas as well I'm still bloated not extremely bloated is anyone else can relate to bowels doing this

  • Posted

    Hi Pamela2016

    I do feel your pain I had a flare last 9 months I also was on prednisilone 40mg for 6 months the next option was infliximab however my colon was really bad I ended up having surgery but rest assured if I can .. the symptoms you have are from a flare if you are in a lot of pain then best to get yourself to hospital so you can get treated 😉

  • Posted

    Six or seven weeks isn’t an overly long time for a flare in my experience. When I was first diagnosed it took two months taking 30mg pd Prednisolone and 4m pd Pentasa Mesalazine to get the diarrhea and bleeding under control.

    As your inflammation is in the transverse colon which sits immediately under the stomach it might be hard to tell whether the discomfort is in the stomach or colon but If you are not going to the bathroom as frequently then it sounds like the colitis symptoms ARE getting better.

    My advice would be to NOT take an iron supplement as this can cause stomach upset, pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. I have been specifically advised by my GI consultant not to take iron as it irritates the colon and makes colitis worse.

    Also, stay away from any food stuffs that can cause indigestion, gas and bloating. Soup which is probably onion based and crackers (wheat) could be the culprits. Try a bland diet of mashed potato for a week and see if that helps. Don’t have any dairy. If the potato is too dry, mash it with a little soya milk.

    One last thing. When the symptoms are under control and you start to taper off the steroids, do it VERY slowly never decreasing your dose by more than 10% of what you were taking the week before. Get some 1mg tabs as well as 5mg and a pill splitter so that you can control the reduction. By reducing very slowly, you can help alleviate the tiredness that occurs and can also prevent the shock your body can undergo as the steroids are withdraw - something which can trigger another flare.

  • Posted

    Thanks for both of your replies I really do appreciate it I had went to he bathroom a bit ago had some cramping more blood and mucus but I passed alittle stool as well so I'm hoping this is a good sign of no blockage or anything but seems not much stool being relieve as I ate more then I'm passing. I'm just so scared of this disease the indigestion is the worst right now not much pain in my abdomen just when it starts cramping it's not a constant thing just a gas buildup feeling is a dull constant. I think this prednisone is causing this indigestion and it's bad at the moment I just want to feel well again. I'll try the bland mashed potatoes diet and broths and jello I'm just starving I'm not eating much as it is.

    • Posted

      Sounds like you are in the US but do take a look at the site for Crohn's and Colitis UK. I won't post a link as it will throw this post into moderation. Just google it along with managing bloating and wind (what people in the UK call gas). There is an information sheet which I think you will find useful. The steroids could be contributing to the gas but ulcerative colitis patients also appear to produce more hydrogen sulphide than normal, and have a more difficult time breaking it down due to existing inflammation It's also very possible that you have symptoms of IBS as well as having IBD. The two often go hand in hand. Even though you may not feel like it, it's important to keep eating. Little and often is key. Colitis can prevent the body absorbing nutrients so it's important to eat nutritious food. Refrain from sugary foods and anything that may contain artifical sweetener which may include the jello. Again, lots of info on the website I mentioned. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

    • Posted

      One other thing. Try to take a little exercise. That can help with the transit of gas and matter. I know it can be hard while in a flare as we feel exhausted and need to stay close to a bathroom but do what you can.
    • Posted

      Thanks I'll try those things I'm eating very little it just seems not alot is exiting that's being put in it comes out alittle at a time and in bits and pieces it's scaring me alittle but I am passing something just not alot

  • Posted

    Hi ,

    My advice is don't let it get worse and try to wait it out. Get treated and keep the doctors and nurses inform as frequently as possible. I am in a situation where flare started very lightly nothing major and within a few weeks my flare up has gotten severely bad to the point I can take any food by mouth and only through IV. I started on Uceris for 2 weeks wasn't working, then was put on 40 mg prednisone for 7 days, then ended up admitted to hospital and given 80 mg prednisone via IV for 2 days, now on 60. mg for 4 days. Pain and severity of inflammation haven't reduced so my next step is getting a remicade injection before considering surgery. Throughout this test , I allow God to be my light because mentally going through this you can be a in dark place. I know that this too shall pass and so shall your healing come.

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