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Possible relapse?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Sawyer9
Sawyer9

Hello.

This is probably going to be really long, I apologise. Please read all before commenting as it may be easy to assume one thing without having read it all. I posted on here a few times around the beginning of this year as that's when I was in my flare. I've been in remission since feb via Asacol - three tablets, twice a day, and Imuran of three tablets once a day. Now I'm worried if I'm relapsing.

A couple of weeks ago I think, I had diarrhea for a couple of days. It only lasted those two days, there was no blood at all. No urgency. The days following were back to normal for about ten days ish. I thought maybe I'd caught an infection which could still be possible. I usually go to the toilet for that once or twice a day.

On sunday afternoon, I went to the toilet as usual, but as I felt itching in that 'area' before I went I decided to try and relieve it by wiping and I saw a small but distinguishable amount of blood on the toilet paper. This had me worried. I did my thing, it was totally normal, solid, no urgency, no more blood. I was worried more later. When it started last time, my gas smelled really foul and was noticeable apparently. It happened again on that day.

The next two days were fine again. No blood at all, no diarrhea, the same number of normal times I'd go to the toilet. I assume the gas was back to normal too. I thought to myself it was a false alarm. Then today I began getting diarrhea again. It wasn't urgent. There was minor cramping. No blood at all except for a very tiny amount which was about 3 millimetres in size.

Don't jump to conclusions with what I'm about to say, and yes I do usually take my medication properly and I've missed doses before on consecutive nights and everything was fine, but around the time the diarrhea first started two weeks ago I unintentionally didn't take my medication properly. I involuntarily reduced the dosage as I wasn't able get home until late on a few occasions so I couldn't take the two doses of Asacol too close together. It says it's better to miss a dose instead of taking double at once. You're probably going to think that's what's caused it. But what I find odd is as I said I've missed doses before, months ago on more than one occasion even on consecutive nights and nothing at all happened, everything was fine. And why does it keep switching on and off, like for a couple of days it's fine, then the next day it plays up, then goes fine again? It's like a switch is being flipped. My diet has been the same also.

Am I going through a flare? I've been taking my medication properly for the past few days which I was doing most of the time anyway. Do you think if I continue taking it, it will beat down this potential flare? Or is this just a normal occurance where sometimes your UC has a little episode for no reason and calms back down again? If me missing the doses has caused this, why didn't it happen when I was missing them before?

Thanks for taking the time to read.

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • helena108
    helena108 Sawyer9

    Posted

    Should speak to Dr or Ibd nurse as asacol may have. Stopped working for you. Personally I have found asacol don't work at all for me steroids Preston worked for me had a week with no meds as could not get hospital appointment and bleeding etc came back Dr put me on asacol rubbish am ringing in morning to ask to go back on steroids then try something different not sure if asacol are a cheap option.

    Good luck

    • Sawyer9
      Sawyer9 helena108

      Posted

      Asacol worked wonders for me. It was very fast progress. I'm sorry to hear it doesn't work for you.
  • looloo43
    looloo43 Sawyer9

    Posted

    Hiya, I too have colitis, ibs, bile acid malabsorption & fructose malabsorption all thankfully controlled at present by meds & diet. I do get "blips" now & then like you describe, even tiny random amounts of blood, but I think from my experience, your symptoms would be more severe & "urgent" if you were flaring. Personally if it were me, I would religously take your meds for a couple of weeks(even if you have to take them with you & buy a milkshake to take them with), keep your diet as normal, & see if you return to normal. Its easy to take for granted when you have bowel conditions that we can still get bugs or stomach upsets like "normal" people!! If you feel you are getting worse after a couple of weeks then I would contact your IBD nurse. You are the only one really who knows how you feel & how colitis affects you (symptoms) but I know its easy to worry you're beginning a flare as soon as you have a blip with your tummy/bowels.But try not to worry as that can make your bowels react too. hope this helps x
    • Sawyer9
      Sawyer9 looloo43

      Posted

      So you think it's just a normal occurance possibly caused by a bug? It is concerning.
  • looloo43
    looloo43 Sawyer9

    Posted

    I'm no doctor, just going on personal experience. also when you have stomach issues like colitis or ibs, life is never going to be perfect in that region, like i said, i do get blips now & then, & we can still pick up bugs, but if you feel its more than that (nobody knows their body better than themselves) then of course, don't wait, contact your ibd nurse. I wouldn't like to have changing meds on the cards etc unless i was sure it felt like colitis does.
    • Sawyer9
      Sawyer9 looloo43

      Posted

      It has carried on somewhat today. Been four times. Solid at first, then diarrhea the second one onwards. Minor cramp. Did you ever get things like that while in remission?
  • looloo43
    looloo43 Sawyer9

    Posted

    Yes, I did. in fact after my colitis was clinically controlled with meds(by that i mean proven under control by sigmoidoscopy) i STILL got exactly what you're describing: 1st one of the day ok, then rest of them diarrea & stomach pain with almost constant rectal soreness/irritation. As these symptoms were continuing despite the colitis being under control, my gastroenterologist sent for a sehcat scan as he suspected i may have bile acid malabsorption(causes the symptoms mentioned). this proved positive & i was put on meds for this which have transformed my life to almost normal again! I'm wondering if you might have the same problem...he said it is common in people with bowel conditions such as colitis & ibs, & can mimic the symptoms. i can now go to work or go out when i want to without worrying about urgency & potential toilet accidents, & no stomach pain. bile acid malabsorption is where too much "free" bile acid leaves your body through your colon causing irritation,pain & diarrea. they detect this on a sehcat scan by giving you a mildly radioactive (safe)tracer capsule that mimics bile acid to see how much is leaving your body through your colon. a week later they scan you to see how much of the tracer is left in your body & they can determine from this if you have bile acid malabsorption. (bile acid is meant to be recycled through your digestive system when you eat & return to your gall bladder for next meal, not leave your body through your colon). I think it might be worth you asking about having this test, as it so easily treated & the med makes a huge difference in a matter of a week or two. hope this helps.
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