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

Do you think if they were in hospital they would be in this long? or maybe its something simple like a holiday?

choco8 was signed off for 6 weeks by her doc wasnt she? Perhaps she did the sensible thing and went away but she sounded really unwell - not eating and so forth.

Hopefully they're both feeling better/off on holibobs and not still stuck in hospital. I was only in for two weeks, but they've both been much iller for much longer than I was, so maybe they've had to stay in longer. Hope they've not had to have surgery :(

That's good news about your appointment, Motherwifeteacher!

I've woken up with loads of achey joints today for no apparently reason. Hoping I've just slept funny.

Just a quick update I am back from the consultant, he was very nice and the short version is I need a colonoscopy, he said he will push it as urgent and that he will make sure it will be a consultant doing (not sure the relevance of this) he mentioned bowel cancer as well as colitis (if that's the spelling) but as predicted I just feel better I have been seen and I am not as worried about what it is as I know I am on the way to being sorted.

He did say if it was inflammation he would be able to help treat it during the procedure, I asked how and he just said don't worry about that for now, he briefly mentioned the need to be 'clear' before the op but I had figured that from reading the posts on here, so I am now waiting for the date for the colonoscopy so if you have any tips on that it would be most helpful...

So glad he's hurrying the colonoscopy along! I don't know what he means by treating the inflammation during it, unless there's some kind of foam enema he can apply or something.

I've had two colonoscopies without sedation and found them fine and weirdly fascinating, but some people opt to be sedated. The laxatives beforehand taste utterly, utterly vile but to be honest the rest of it isn't much worse than the normal colitis diarrhoea and you'll feel so much better for having it out of the way and knowing what's what.

(MrsPinotGrigio Are you 'Pinot Mumsnet' on Facebook? )

Thanks spiderlight, I recently had to have a endosocpy following surgery to have my gallbladder and had to be heavily sedated as they were cutting my bile duct to release a rouge gall stone....so hopefully can avoid sedation but it does depend on what he has got planned....they may not give me a choice but like you said anything is better than diahhrea all day for months....

Just will be waiting for the post like a madman each day....

How are your joints did the achey feeling pass?

motherwifeteacheretc so glad you feel better after seeing the consultant - hope you don't have to wait too long for the colonoscopy. I must admit I was sedated for mine - only very light sedation but they gave me some painkiller as well as it was quite painful going round the corners! I did have a good look at the screen though - I'm nosey like that!!!! To be honest the laxative the night before was actually worse than the procedure - it was vile & the cramps were awful. Anyway I do hope you get some answers then - I thought I had as there was inflammation in there but then the biopsies showed no Crohn's so I had to have more tests although none are quite as 'invasive' as a colonoscopy.

spider no its not me - I go by my real name on FB.

Hoping that the missing ladies are both ok - I suppose its possible that they have both been in hospital but I also wouldn't have thought they would be in this long unless something has gone badly wrong . I was in 3 weeks & that was only because I needed blood & that sent some of my fluids wonky or I would have been out after 2.

Yes, my achiness is much better now, thanks. I never know what's colitis/autoimmune grumblings and what's just old age!!

Hello just a quick update. I had a call from the poo nurse this morning & I'm having my iron infusion on Monday. She told me to be prepapred to be there for about 6 hours so I'm going armed with books, magazines, ipod & phone. Hope it works quickly cos I'm so tired all the time at the moment.

glad you are having an iron infusion mrspino

Hope it helps!! (Being thick, is an iron infusion the same as a blood transfusion?)

An iron infusion is different to a blood transfusion.

My appointment is for this coming Friday, the nurse rang late Friday to offer the appointment & went through it all, she said they are sedating me (no choice offered) and I will be in for about 5hrs in total then ready to go home. So from Wednesday low fibre diet then Thursday no milk and lots of liquid etc....I'm a bit nervous but at least the dates in and answers will hopefully be found....

I hope the iron makes you much better ??

spider - no its not the same as a blood transfusion. Its actually ferrous sulphate (or similar) given intravenously. Took about 6 hours in all cos they give a 'test' dose first then flush then leave for a while to see if any reaction. If not they give the real dose which took about 4 hours to go in. No problems at all but it'll take about 4 weeks before it shows in my blood count - body has to convert it to iron now. Hopefully it works & I feel better soon - don't feel ill but I'm very tired by the end of the week & my legs ache in bed at night which makes it hard to get to sleep. Looked it up & apparantly 'Restless Leg Syndrome' can be caused by anaemia & it does feel like I need to keep moving my legs - its a very odd sensation. Will need my B12 injection soon as well so that may help with the tiredness as well. If I remember correctly chocol8 had an iron infusion a little while ago as well but she hasn't been back to say if her HB level went up. Still hoping she's ok - getting kind of worried now.

motheretc good luck on Friday - hope you get some answers. Don't worry about the sedation mine was very mild & I didn't feel sleepy afterwards or anything. They did advise me not to drive myself home though - just in case. Have they given you the evil laxatives - what are they? I've had Movi-prep & Picolax in the past & the Picolax was slightly less vile!!!! Do let us know how it goes.

Thanks! I get terrible terrible restless legs! Never realised that was related to low iron. Hmmm.

motheretc Best of luck! It's not fun but it's not toooo bad, honestly.

I wish chocol8 and Ava would check in...

mmotherwifeteacher good luck for Friday.
I am ill again. Stress sets it off really easily these days.

Sorry you are poorly, I hope you are able to rest and take some time for you.

I'm starving after a day on clear fluids...and preparing for the first moviprep at 7pm.... not nervous but in a strange way just want them to find something - worst news would be 'oh we can't find a cause...'

Anyway home about 7pm tomorrow so will update....

Feel better

I've just read the instructions and I don't even have a suitable container for 1litre of water...my pirex jug I was counting is .5 do I really drink 2litres if this aghhhhhhhhhhh

Ridiculous cooking bowl of what looks disgusting ready to go, can't wait to hand over the children and retreat...

Fingers crossed this is just the once....

You can do it....go on....

Well I'm back no inflammation so I'm guessing no chrons but they took 4 biopsies so just another wait....

motheretc sorry to be the bearer of bad news but my colonoscopy was inconclusive & I have Crohn's. Mine is in the small bowel & the scope can't go up that far although I do have some non-Crohn's inflammation in the colon. If you are still having the symptoms please ask for a small bowel barium or a CT scan as Crohn's can be anywhere in the whole digestive tract.

hope you feel ok after the colonoscopy & ahve ahd something nice to eat.

funny hope you manage to get plenty of rest this weekend & feel better soon.

ahve ahd = have had - my dyslexia is terrible toady!

Thanks for your post, feel a bit flat after it all as I and the lovely consultant thought he was going to see inflammation but none...I presume if biopsies are all clear I will be sent back to the consultant for a follow up and will ask for a scan- a lot of my pain/discomfort feels quite deep in my pelvis almost in my hip so a scan may show something....

I just feel like a fraud with strange symptoms but no answer....

motherwifeteacher it depends on the biopsy a bit and as mrspinotgrigio says Crohn's can be anywhere along the bowel so a scope may not detect it. A normal scope means you probably havent got ulcerative colitis though.
mrspinot I am weary (literally) of having a long term illness. Its so lovely when I am well and normal: so much gets done. When ill, everything seems an effort, the house goes to rack and ruin, the paper work doesn't get done, I'm irritable, I darent go on long outings, etc etc etc,

I had better go to my specialist pronto and go on that 6MP hadnt I? I really should take my own advice.