1. Community
  2. Gut, bowel and stomach
  3. Ulcerative Colitis

Flare and fatigue

Posted , 2 users are following.

missey_woo
missey_woo

Hello. I was diagnosed 2 years ago and prescribed mesasalzine 1400mg four tablets daily with excellent results. It was reduced six months later to two tablets and I have been pretty well controlled since. I do get "mini flares" usually around the time of my period but they usually settle of their own accord. But this changed about a month ago, With hindsight I have been foolish and should have seen my Dr earlier but I kept thinking it would settle down. My symptoms were blood, mucus, urgency and feeling so god dam tired. It all came to a head at the weekend when I felt so exhausted I physically couldn't function. I saw my GP who in addition to my current med prescribed pentasa suppositories twice a day and said she would ask the IBD nurse to contact me and she signed me off work for a week.

I'm going to the toilet a lot less frequently and there is no blood now which is great but I'm still so exhausted, I literally take my kids to school and then flop on the couch till its time to pick them up! My Dr seemed to think the exhaustion would be fine after a couple of days rest but so far that has not happened. Has anyone else experienced this? And how can I manage it? I'm not a lazy person honestly! I'm due back at work on Saturday and I have a mentally demanding job - I don't know how I'm going to cope 😯

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • saraht101983
    saraht101983 missey_woo

    Posted

    Has your doctor done a blood test? If you've been losing blood anaemia could be a factor (I've basically been permanently anaemic for about 3 years). Unfortunately tiredness/fatigue is also a sympton of a flare, and I've never been able to find many ways to combat it.  :-(
  • sheila91262
    sheila91262 missey_woo

    Posted

    Hi All, UC can be seriously draining as malabsorption, fast through flow of food and bleeding lead to anaemia annd exhaustion. Taking iron can be hard on intestines. My son took liquid multivits with iron bought from chemists which is better to absorb and also vit B complex to help with energy and skin and hair etc. He did have a pint of blood also as he was so anaemic but he was poorly and in hosp then, it worked tho.

    Good luck, Sheila.

    • missey_woo
      missey_woo sheila91262

      Posted

      Thank you for the replies, I am waiting for results of blood test. In the past I have had low iron reserves so maybe that plays a part. I didn't think about vitamins! I will definitely get some.
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.