Do people with UC always suffer with diarrhoea or can you have formed stools and strain to go?

Get it checked out coz can vary. Best advce? Check out you tube for green smoothies and colitus. I noticed change from one sip. In 2 weeks I was fabulous. Now I eat greens for breakfast and lunch avoiding bread and no bread coated meats. Cabbage, celery, kale, green apples, collard greens, ginger lemon, smoothies. Pint morning on empty belly, night too, you should persever till all detoxed then can vary diet. Best of luck. Btw, im off of all medication as long as I keep to this with occasional meals of anything. let me know how you get on!

I did some reading on green smoothies and found this warning that green smoothies may cause kidney stones in some people due to their high oxalate content. Do read it first to see if it might apply to you.

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-green-smoothies-can-devastate-your-health/

A long discussion on the pros and cons of green smoothies. Well worth reading before embarking on it.

http://holisticsquid.com/are-green-smoothies-good-for-you/

Thanks for your replies but what I am really interested in is finding out about people's symptoms and if mine are similar to other people's.

I'm not going to worry about my diet until I know if I have it or not.

If anyone can tell me more about their symptoms I would be very grateful.

Thanks

Lorraine

You really should start with your family doctor as it seems that symptoms vary from very mild to debilitating as it is with your sister.

When I first developed symptoms I had bad diarrhea, dark stool and occasional fever. My mother's arthritis doctor (when I took her for a visit) dismissed it based on what I told him as nothing. My friend who was a second or third year medical student diagnosed it as uc over the phone. It was then confirmed by my family doctor. I was then hospitalized for a few weeks and recovered. Never had a severe episode since (40 years).

Over the years I'd have occasional relapses characterised by diarrhea and nothing else.

So best thing - see your doctor.

Thanks. I have seen my family doctor who referred me to the hospital. I have had quite a few hospital appointments including a colonoscopy and a scan and am seeing the gastro team. I was just wondering about other people's experiences. That's good that you haven't had a severe flare up since.

Yes,I have uc and never had diarrhoea

Thank you for that reply. Do you mind me asking what your symptoms were? And did it take you a longtime to get diagnosed?

Hi Lorraine,it took about seven months of being told it was piles and treated as such! I kept going back to docs and gastro man and told them I felt rotten and it couldn't be just piles but they said it was. In desperation I paid to see a consultant privately,expensive,but first visit he said " you poor thing" it looks like colitis. Colonoscopy week later confirmed UC and diagnosed proctosigmoiditis. Been on Pentasa oral meds and enemas for nearly a year,just one small flare. Trying to get to bottom of abdominal pains daily and wondering if it is the Pentasa. Never had diarrhoea just blood when wiping,urgency and pain.I get tired also but pain gets me down,currently using heat pads and solpedeine max if pain is bad. Hope you get sorted soon,keep us posted,not much support for UC sufferers I've found.

Hi Jill,

Thank you so much for that. I had a colonoscopy back in October where they took a biopsy. When they looked at in under the microscope they said I had inflammation and that it could be colitis. That doctor told me he was going to refer me to the gastro team but didn't. When I didn't hear anything I emailed to complain and was finally referred. I have had two appointments with the gastro team now and don't feel I am getting any further. The doctor I have been seeing is making me feel like I am making it up. I occasionally get diarrhoea but can go from loose to strained bowel movements in a day. The urgency to go to the toilet is getting worse even though sometimes when i get to the toilet i strain to go. i also get severe nausea and and get tired very quickly. I don't get bad pain, just a little twinge that feels like someone is pinching me from inside. While I have been going through this my twin sister got very ill suddenly and within 2 weeks was diagnosed with UC. I just want to get to the bottom of it.

Hi Lorraine,I got the verdict of UC straight after the colonoscopy and started on meds straight away? Felt much better after couple of weeks,think the worst was the urgency up till then. Feel much better now so don't give up, just need to sort the tummy cramps! Where do you live? Think you need to chase your GI x

I live in Muswell Hill, North London. My sisters doctor has been asked to see me, went to the hospital on Wednesday to see him and ended up back with the doctor who saw me before. Think there must have been a mix up with the paper work at the hospital. Have emailed someone to find out what's happening so will hopefully hear more tomorrow. Thank you so much for your help.

I had my initial bout of sever uc when I was around 26 brought on by severe family stress. I had dark stool (blood), frequent diarrhea and general feeling of the blahs. My friend a second or third year medical student diagnosed it as uc and my family doctor confirmed it. I went to hospital for a couple of weeks and felt fine almost immediately. I was probably given steroids.

I went for decades with only mild dirrheat at times treated with prednisone, which didn't seem to do much good, but I had no pain and it didn't affect my work or life.

In the last few months more sever diarrhea returned and I was found to have c. diff. After a couple of rounds of vancomycin and deficig and finally a fecal transplant the c. diff was cleared but the diarrhea remained (10 to 15 times per day). A few weeks ago a sigmoidoscopy found active uc. I have very rare and mild cramps, or upset stomach feeling. I was put on prednisone starting at 40 mg reducing by 5 mg a week. After four weeks not much improvement. My GI guy of 35 years thought I might have CMV, did another sigmoidoscopy to take biopsies and put me on ganvanciclvir two days ago while continuing with the prednisone.

Things may be turning around, but not sure.

I've reading up on the use of medicinal marijuana. Not much in the literature on clinical trials but some have had good resutls, particularly managing the pain and such. You should read up on it. Canada has a program where one can sign up and buy the stuff. The advantage is that the grade of grass with differing hallucinogenic vs therapeutic content is controlled. I'm in the process of signing up and will try it if my symptoms don't improve. It seems totally safe.

It's important to find a sympathetic doctor who'll listent to you and is prepared to think. It seems more difficult in the UK to change doctors. Here is Canada you can see as may specialist as your familty doctor is prepared to send you to, and they have no problem doing so.

Good luck and don't despair. The problem can disappear as fast as it came and you can live wihoiut symptoms for decades to come. Relaxation techniques definitely helped me at the beginning, at least I convinced myself that it did help.

Thanx Gabe99

Lorraine,they need to decide if you do in fact have UC and then get you on medication which will help oafs. All my symptoms have gone except the abdo pain,keep in touch and good luck