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

6 weeks!

chocol8 I think you should have taken your pentasa granules.

Do you think that it's that too long Funny, or not long enough?

mrspinot the word fistula sounds to me like the surgeon has his eye on your gut.
I would look him up on Dr Foster to look at his surgical track record and help you decide if you want him or someone else to operate. Be prepared: thats my motto. Also maybe ring up the NACC and ask them about surgery and types of surgery and where to have surgery and who is best and what treatment is best if you have a fistula etc.

chocol8 it is ages.

I dont know how unwell you are feeling but honestly arent you better off taking the pentasa and at least going to work part time? I went to occy health and asked to be near a loo.

Also eat the mango for goodness sake. It will do you good.

The thing is it is really not a good idea to take too much time off work and in any case work is good for the soul and the pocket. YOu are less likely to be ill if you work. Try part time- a 'phased return to work' keep at it and see how you get on. ALso seriously think of changing your specialist. All this low residue not eating malarkey is making you ill.

At the end of the day you want to be better and still have a job. You wont be cured but you will be better. I never took that much time off. Your GP is no good. Instead of signing you off he/she should have referred you to another specialist.

Anyway if you are that ill your specialist should be seeing ou urgently and maybe putting you on a course of steroids and keeping you at work

Cos with the best will in the world your manager aint going to like it that you take so much time off.
Sorry for all these posts.

mango + pentasa + coca cola + part time work + ice cream + go home and rest a bit + see consultant urgently to check if need to go on 6MP/steroids= happiness.

I am back on the Pentasa again now Spider. If i really thought i could eat the mango - or any fruit, salad or veg, i so would, but when everything hurts to eat - i have to weigh up the severity of pain i will suffer as a result.

Not only that, but the severe tiredness is the other problem. This has taken my quality of life away. Except for a fortnight after i was in hospital, i have not improved in 9 months.

My new company are too small to have an occy health and they are in quite an old building - i haven't even seen the loos or where they are yet, will have to check that out before i start.

I haven't started in this job yet - i was offered the job in February, but they're waiting for me.

Was told not to drink anything fizzy so have not had coke - icecream cripples me and am on 6-MP as of 3 weeks ago. Steroids (except i.v) have no effect on me and have had them twice, once as a course early on and then as a reducing doseage after i.v.

Will find out if my iron levels have improved on Tuesday and whether this is affecting how i'm feeling.

chocol8 I feel so sorry for you because your colitis has been bad for ages and you really havent got a very good quality of life if you cant eat a proper diet and you are in pain and you cant work. I really think your doctors need to get their act together. If 6 MP doesn't work then there is the infliximab medicine.
You cant go on like this you have a life to live. Ask a relative to go with you to the next consultation.

Tiredness goes with the colitis and with the anemia and also ( since you arent eating properly) with malnutrition

Usually they try 6 MP for at least two months and usually the steroids overlap then they wean the steroids off once the 6 MP has started to work. And usually you have to keep taking the pentasa.
If I stop my pentasa (usually because i've been to busy to get a repeat prescription) I get a flare up sure as eggs is eggs. I think you are supposed to take the pentasa even if on 6 MP or steroids or infliximab or whatever. In fact if you have a flare up ou could probably increase your pentasa to three times a day but I'm not the expert so perhaps ask your doctor and if they ant get you well then you could ask to be referred to a regional centre who will then share care with your local consultant. NACC will know the best centre near you.

Ok so I looked up Fistula & I am now a teeny bit scared!!! Although I haven't yet spoken to my consultant or the consultant surgeon so I don't know the extent of the damage. I spoke to the Fluroscopy consultant on Thursday during the barium meal but I'm not panicking until I've spoken to my own consultant in 2 weeks. The consultant on Thursday did say that there doesn't appear to be active Crohn's in there so I suppose that is one blessing.

Chocol8 I would use the 6 weeks you've been signed off for to try to get some answers. Can you ask for a 2nd opinion or ask to be referred to a different hospital? (don't know where you are so don't know if that would be feasible) I agree with funny though - you don't seem to be getting the care you obviously need & they did take you off the steroids really quickly. I was on mine for over 2 months although a lot of that time I was reducing the dose. I've started introducing more food into my diet now although I am steering well clear of high fibre stuff & red meat doesn't seem to agree with me. Apart from that I am trying to eat more normal food - haven't tried curry yet but don't think I will for quite some time. Hope you manage to get yourself sorted soon.

The hair serum came this morning so I will try it next week & report back but I think it may take some time to work. On a brighter nore my steroid tache has finally gone!!!

Enjoy the sun everyone.

Here is some info on fistula from NACC

www.nacc.org.uk/downloads/factsheets/Fistula.pdf

Here is some info on medicines and IBD

note that laxatives and antispasmodics are not a recognised treatment for UC or Crohns.

www.nacc.org.uk/downloads/factsheets/FAQmedicines.pdf

How long did it take for the steroid tache to go?

Here is guidance on food and IBD
www.nacc.org.uk/downloads/booklets/FoodAndIBD.pdf

I finished the steroids at Easter & tache only disappeared in the last few days. Have also noticed my skin is awful at the moment - loads of spots & red blotches, although I think that might be the skin, hair & nail vitamins clearing all the crap out of my skin.

funny that's the leaflet I got my info from - the NACC are fab for info. I'm still trying to put everything to the back of my mind & am hoping that surgery is not yet a certainty as I'm so well at the moment & don't want to risk that. Will let you know how I get on at the consultant in 2 weeks.

MrsPinotGrigio I had a couple of months of awful skin about twe months after finishing the steroids - proper big festering teenage-style zits all around my jawline, which were at their most spectacular just as I turned 40 and my hair started coming out in really noticeable fistfuls, so that was joyous . It's much better since I've started taking MSM and using Clean'n'Clear face wash. Not quite what I meant when I wished for younger looking skin!!

Chocol8 I wish I had a magic wand to get you into remission :(

MrsPinotGrigio don't stress yourself out until you've spoken to your consultant who knows you properly, and don't be pressured into a decision until you've had a chance to read up on all your options. (I've just googled fistula and discovered what a fistula-in-ano is. I went to uni with a guy who was reputed to have two arseholes - I wonder if that's what he had. Not exactly something to look him up on facebook and ask him, though!!)