Just diagnosed with UC, advice would be greatly appreciated

when I was first diagnosed with UC, steroids were prescribed as a short term fix! Short time is fine! Afterwards I'm sure you will be prescribed long term anti-inflammatory! In my case it took quite a while, chopping and changing meds until I found one that suited me! It's quite a journey but there is light at the end of the tunnel! It also depends on how severe or not your UC is! Try not to worry, just work with your specialist to find what's best for you! Good luck with it, let us know how you fare!

This is a regular occurrence for me. I have to have 8 week course of steroids approximately once a year. 

Steroids do you the world of good.  The main thing for me is hunger and sleepless nights. It’s natural so don’t feel like it’s unusual. 

Once the steroids finish if you have another flare up you might be put on a long term medication. They may give you that anyway before another flare up. 

I was diagnosed a couple of years ago following a very bad case of food poisoning. They tried me without long terms meds but it didn’t work and have been on them ever since. 

The gastro nurses are usually amazing so will be lots if support.

Hope this helps. 

Good luck

Carrie x

Hi Helen , i have recently been diagnosed with UC got rushed into a&e passing blood was so bad needed a blood transfusion and ended up spending 8 days in hospital had emergency colonoscopy where they found severe UC. Been on steriods since 40mg now down to 35 on a reducing dose over 6 weeks also on 1.6mg Asacol 3 times a day. No blood now but still not solid stools my kingdom for a solid stool! Not getting any side effects from the steriods except hungry all the time. Trying to stick to low fibre diet and all they advised , did you see a dietian? Got mr specialist appt mid May but got the number of IBD nurse at the hospital who had been great. Get a list of questions you want to ask the Dr. next time you see them , there's obviously a lot of info on the net but it's a lot to take in , im just trying to take it one day at a time really while i adjust. Good luck!

Don't entirely agree that steroids do you the world of good ! Certainly they can give a feel god feeling, and are effective in their place, however they must be used very carefully as the affect on bones etc can be quite negative! Always discuss long term effects of steroids with your doctor !

Hi,

ask for mesalamine enema from doctor to get rid of blood, do some googling on enemas to familiarize yourself with them, there no big deal!  If the dr says he wants to give you suppositories instead, refuse and ask for enema...DO NOT GET cortisteroid enema, stick with mesalamine! don't take the oral prednisone they will try to prescribe you or oral mesalamine, etc..

don't use bathroom for enema administering like most folks say to....tell spouse to stay out of room, lie on your bed, with trashcan nearby or windowsill for used enema bottle....put 1-2 pillows under the pelvis and a towel on the bed for spillage, a little extra vaseline is fine, go to sleep.....once you are able to keep one in overnight, try and keep it in, in the morning, and then put another one in....you may have to work up to this do a headstand to use gravity to pull that stuff in to your intestine and not just the rectum, just walk your feet up the wall of your bedroom while on your bed. If you aren't able to hold one in even for the night or even 30 minutes, don't get discouraged, keep trying! It will happen!

but after you are able to keep one in overnight, if you see improvements, like pink instead of red, then you are on the right track

the below regimen over the last 5 years has kept me in remossion and I am fat not thin so no starving going on here

if you do see improvements, 1st off try not eating red meat..

drink natural coconut water 1-2 liters per day, served cold from the fridge and then over ice, makes it sweeter tasting

eat 2--3 coconut milk yogurts per day

get 2 bottles of inner-eco coconut water with live probiotics from whole foods and use about one bottle per month a sip a day...if you start to run for the border or it cleans you out, then take a week off and then start back up again, eventually it will just keep you maintained

reduce fiber intake!!

watch for other foods that may be irritating you and remove them from your diet, dairy, salt, cured meats, maybe gluten, processed foods, refined sugar ( use honey instead)

eat soft foods like eggs, avacados, berries, yogurt...no citrus

If you find this all works for you then maintain the quantities for up to a year, except the bottle of inner-eco, you can back off to one every other month or maybe even one every 3 months, just listen to your body...after a year lower quantities of coconut water, and yogurt but keep them in your regular diet!

stay vigilent, don't just think you are all better and throw caution to the wind, but after a year you will be able to eat some of the things you used to, just don't go coo coo crazy  I didn't eat red meat for approximately 3 years, but ground turkey thigh is good and chicken still on the menu, laid off pork for a good while, lamb seemed to be acceptable to my system.....

good luck, god bless

It,s common for the Dr. to slowly bring you down off the steroid. The steroids are only a fast way of getting inflammation in your colon under control. Once your off. He will probably prescribe a medicine that is far more long term for healing the colon. I understand about the highs and lows that the steroids do.