Could this be Ulcerative Colitis?

[Chocol8]

Sorry this is gross, but i am worried and looked online (prob not the best of ideas) and found that most of my symptoms seem to fit UC: different coloured stools which frequently changes but is mostly very loose.
Blood in stools (a lot), if i pass wind, i can pass pure blood but usually mess myself (very unpleasant), stomach churns constantly.
Being sent (eventually) for a colonoscopy to have a look see. Does anyone know what else this could be please? x

hello chocol8 I think you would be better off in hosp with a drip up because of the iv fluids . however....drink loads of fizzy water:this really helps, I mean at least a litre of it. its because you loose a lot of water in you poo. also high potassium bananas help because you loose potassium in your poo. also eat spinach because you loose blood in your poo.
my daughter got used to me being in hosp when i was ill- its better for the family as they know you are being looked after and tbh i found i got better quicker. I havent been in hospital for my colitis for a few years now - it was just when it was first diagnosed it was really bad
i found azathioprine made my hair go thin.

Oh, bless you Chocol8 :( You can't go on like this - I really do think you need to kick up a fuss and get IV steroids. By the time I was admitted I was so dehydrated that they were worried about organ failure, and you can't risk getting to that point. I needed IV fluids for over a week and two transfusions, and I'd hate to think of you going through that. I'd almost be inclined to go to A&E, or at least get your GP out today - don't leave it over the weekend. Sorry you've got it right-sided as well, but that needn't be a huge deal once they get you stable. I have pancolitis (the entire colon) and I'm fine.

I agree with spiderlight ...I had pan colitis but now I dont, so it does get better. With the right and proper treatment.

Hi Funny and Spider, i am happy to leave it til Monday, at least i can be admitted, rather than waiting to go through A&E for 6 hours. It's been 6 months, so a few more days isn't going to make a lot of difference. (I was told many years ago that my doctors do not do house visits - even for children, if you can carry them, they can get to the surgery).

Spider, what you went through sounds hideous! I am still walking and talking, so nowhere as bad as you were, poor soul! How long ago was that?

I received my copy of the letter from the consultant and it said that if i call the IBD nurse, they "will arrange for an elective admission to consider iv steroids." I did ask to see a dietitian as my diet is quite limited due to the UC and being a veggie and he has put a note at the bottom of the letter asking for a dietician to see me which is good.

Chocol8, it was last August/September. I'd been having problems with bleeding for months before that but I thought it was a bleeding haemorrhoid and kept putting off going to the doctor (because it kept going away on its own for weeks on end), and I hadn't connected the bleeding to the random joint pains, severe anaemia and apparently anxiety-related bouts of diarrhoea I'd been having for years. I've been told that it only got to the point of pancolitis because it was untreated for so long, though.

That's brilliant news OldBag! So pleased to hear you're doing so well on the Prednisolone! I'm not surprised you're jittery and not able to get more sleep. Have you tried taking them after breakfast? I didn't realise and used to take mine at night time and wonder why i couldn't sleep!!! D'oh!!!

Apparently iv steroids work better for some people and i think i read on this thread that some can have a bad reaction to oral or iv steroids. I hope i'm ok on the iv and that it works!

I will be calling the IBD nurse tomorrow. I hope they have some bed space mid week (got so much to do in the house which has been neglected cos of the way i'm feeling as the neighbours are coming in to feed my cat and draw the curtains etc).

Chocol good luck today, I hope they have a space for you midweek and the iv steroids work. You must get yourself better soon.

Old bag great that you are feeling better too. I am on my 10th week on the tablet steroids, I was down to 15mg but have gone back up to 20mg. My dd was baptised yesterday and we had a great day, but I can see in some of the photos my face is getting round and I could not sleep last night, I was still awake at 2 having gone to bed at 11 , I think the intense day and the steroids made me very jittery too. I have noticed some blood again and am thinking I'll call the bid nurse as I know that things are nt healed and the steroids and foam may have just masked the problem instead of clearing it.

Chins up ladies! I suppose the iv steroids have the same race rounding and moustache effects as the tablets. Lol

Hey ladies, just to let you know, i'm being admitted to hospital tomorrow morning. I hope i come back on the board feeling a lot better - and ditto for you too.

The phrase "Oh good I am glad" doesn't quite seem appropriate......but you know what I mean

Good luck

Thanks Katie. Typically i have a major water infection now, aching back, major pain and the need to pee almost constantly.

Got so much packing for me and my ds to do it's stupid!!! My friend just drove miles to bring me some cranberry juice, bless her.

Poor you!

Hopefully they will fix that too!

@chocol8 you are doing so well weel done!

The water infection is quite comon as you have had diahroea down there and it doesn't help with infection control. Mention it when you go in.

My mum has UC and as her daughter the best thing you can do is go and get better. They need to sort out your meds!

Hi everyone - can I join you all? I've been lurking for a few days & have just read most of this thread. I have recently been diagnosed with IBD although I have Crohn's rather than UC & have looked at some of the IBD forums but have struggled to find some support as most of the threads seem to be full of scary stories!!!! However this thread is really upbeat & positive. I'll give you a bit of background about me - will try to keep it short but bear with me if I can't!!!

Been really unwell since November & was having investigations for IBD but I really thought it was just a flare up of IBS until the start of Feb when I was in so much pain my Dad rushed me to A&E & I was admitted. Spent 3 weeks in hospital having more tests & discovered the Crohns is in my small bowel & the inflammation was so bad my bowel was completely blocked. Being in hospital was awful & I missed DP & DS so badly, but I obviously needed the treatment.
Was on IV antibiotics & steroids for 5 days & then went onto Prednisolone & Azathioprine tablets. I'm now reducing the steroids and am down from 50mg to 20mg. I was in so long as they needed to put me on a liquid only diet to rest my bowel and I couldn't tolerate the Ensure so I am now on Modulen. The good news is that the medication is doing its job & I am now reintroducing food - I actually got carbs back today!!! I lost 2 stone which I really couldn't afford to lose but I have put 1 back on since leaving hospital & the Drs are really pleased with me.

Chocol8 - I'm so glad you've been admitted - while being in hospital is a PITA you will really feel the benefit of the IV steroids quite quickly & they will also sort out all your other meds so you can hopefully manage your UC at home yourself. Good luck & I hope you feel much better soon - that also goes for all the other ladies on here with similar problems.

Oldbag - I'm also having problems sleeping & feel really jittery on the steroids but my GP said this will go as I reduce the doses. Hopefully in about 4 weeks I will be off them completely so I'll let you know how I get on.

Oldbag, I'm absolutely chuffed to bits that the steroids ahve worked so well for you :) I took mine first thing in the morning, which apparently helps to mimic the natural rhythm of steroids in the body, and although I still had rotten insomnia for the first couple of weeks, the jitters passed quite quickly.

Chocol8, I'm glad - well, not 'glad' but you know what I mean! - that you're going in for a few days. It will make such a difference, I promise you. The IV steroids are stronger and the drug itself is different. I had IV hydrocortisone, but then oral pred. When our dog has an autoimmune flare-up (she has SRMA) she gets IV dexamethasone and then oral pred afterwards. Hope to hear good news once you're home. Bad timing with the UTI though :(

Hello MrsPinotGrigio. Sorry you've had such a horrible time but this thread is lovely, so come on in! The blockage sounds horrendous - you poor thing!

Hi I'm not a sufferer but I was following your post & hoping that you got some treatment. I co

Hi Spider & thanks for the welcome

The blockage was pretty scary I must admit & the pain was awful - worse than labour!!!! I was on morphine for a week & then oral painkillers til I came home. Have been out of hospital 3 weeks now & haven't had any pain during that time so am hoping that there isn't any scarring, but won't really know til I'm eating properly.

The hospital are looking after me really well though & I've got lots of appointments lined up. I'm also seeing a dietician on a regular basis & at the moment I'm on a low residue (low fibre) diet which is supposed to make it easier for the bowel to work. Seems to be ok at the moment but will reserve judgement until I've increased my carb intake this week.

I also take my steroids in the morning but I'm still suffering the insomnia. My GP prescribed Amiltriptelyne(can't spell that sorry) which helps me relax to go to sleep but I am still waking alot during the night - hopefully it will get better but we shall see.

Hope everyone feels better soon

Hi I'm not a sufferer but I was following your post & hoping that you got some treatment. I was worried from your symptoms that you needed to be seen soon. I can't believe your Drs taking so long to investigate. How are you now?

Hi ladies, i'm back home today - thank goodness! I've had a horrible time and glad to be back to my ds, home and my bed (minus the screaming, shouting and buzzers going all night). I was in a side room cos i needed a toilet close by, but although i have been in for 5 days, i produced less than in one of my previously 'normal' days.

The iv steroids bought the UC under control within a few days so have not had the urgency or the bleeding which is a relief.

They wheeled me down for an x-ray on Thursday and said i had severe fecal impaction on the right hand side. I was given Laxido powder. OMG, they got everything moving in about 10 hours but it wasn't pleasant. I have to take 2 a day along with 2 litres of water.

Also on the daily list to take are:

• Omeprazole 40mg,
• Pentasa granules 8gm,
• Hyoscine Hydrobromide 10mg,
• Azathioprine 100mg,
• Prednisolone - 30mg
• Calceos (chewable vitamin tablets)
• Paracetamol and Buscopan for pain.

I have been put on a low residue diet like MrsPinot, (a big welcome to you!!) but do not have a diet sheet to follow. I was served mash potato, boiled chicken (i'm a vegetarian) and red lentils (which i am sure are not low res) for tea last night. I ended up with a jacket potato with cheese (and no skin).

For breakfast i was given scrambled eggs. I was very hungry late morning and then was given white rice, tinned tomatoes with big pieces of yellow, red and green peppers and onion and mushroom for lunch.
I was told that i could eat no vegetables or salad, so i'm not sure why i was given that...?

I am ranting here, sorry but feel really sick. My taste is all to pot and i am not enjoying my usual foods, even at home. My teeth hurt and i am really on edge. I was emotional before i went in but am more so now! I am hoping a good nights sleep will sort me out and i will feel better. I know it is a side effect of them but the steroids have made me go really jowelly and the pred will make my face go fat, so maybe my mood is already low because of this. Also feeling very weak, weary and emotional.

I will reply to the replies tomorrow, so sorry to be grumpy and negative, i hope to feel better tomorrow. Night night ladies. xx

Sorry, a big hi to Julia too! Thanks for your concern. Just seen how much i have written and what a miserable cow i sound, apologies if you have had to read though all that!

Hi Chocol8 glad the hospital stay helped get everything under control. I had a faecal impaction last year & the pain when it actually moved was awful. I've now been told not to take any laxatives as they can make the inflammation worse but tbh I haven't needed them.

I spent a lot of time on the internet looking up a low residue diet & found the stuff below really helpful with what you can & can't eat.

www.mealplansite.com/medical-low-residue-diet.aspx

www.whnt.nhs.uk/directorates/diagnostics/radiologydirectorate/preparation/x-ray/bariumenema/low_residue_diet.html

I'm nearly back to eating normally but I do think a low residue diet is the way to go.

Hope you managed to get a good nights sleep & you start to feel better. Don't worry about the side effects of the steroids - it does ease as your body gets used to them. Try to rest as much as you can & look after yourself.

Hi thanks for updating. I'm so glad that you finally got seen to ad you couldn't go on like that. I hope the meds & the diet helps. Take care x

Thanks Julia, and thanks for the low res diets MrsPinot, i have made a list for tomorrow. I think anyone would miss vegetables, but as a vegetarian, i really do! Especially mushrooms and sweetcorn!

I began bleeding again first thing this morning and was in pain, so wondered if i had come out too soon, but am only in mild discomfort and the bleeding and the urgency seem to have stopped. I have absolutely zero energy though, even climbing up and down the stairs is a problem.

How long do you think it will take me to feel ok again - with some energy?

Hello chocol8 glad you went in and that you are out. The hospital food sounds really yuk. Dont worry about your face blowing up with the steroids, when you tail down, which you will as the azathiprine kicks in the facial swelling will go. Keep the fluids up (at least a litre of water a day) and try a rice and yoghurt based diet thats my advice. Some people detox with french cabbage soup but I dont like it, I prefer the water after broccoli has been boiled, its tasty and a nice drink when tea can be a bit strong. Red Lentil, tomato and broccoli soup is also nice Bung it all in a pan, add lots of water, salt, ground coriander, turmeric and a pinch of chilli powder, and some grated ginger. boil till the lentils are tender takes about 7 mins, yum.
Incidentally Asda is selling some very pretty pyjamas for £8.00 in pure cotton with comfy drawstrings, much nicer than primark and more reasonable than marks and spencer, almost good enough to walk around in during the day.
Also though you are out of hospital you will still need to rest a bit as your body has had lots of inflammation and your bowel will need to heal up. Lots of classical music helps me, and gardening! The gardening is a good investment as it means there is a pleasant place to sit near a loo for bad days.

Why are you on hyoscine? Do you still need o be on it?