Hip Pain

Introduction:

My name is Judi. I am from Scotland but have been living in Texas for almost 5 years.
Looking back, I have had UC for about 13 years but only had it diagnosed two and a half years ago with a colonoscopy. I initially had proctitus but now have UC. I am currently on three Lialda tablets a day.

Some more about me:

I play and teach violin / Fiddle.

Colitis Symptoms Right Now:

I am starting week six of a flare. It’s not severe, I don’t have much cramps, just some left side pains now and then, and a constant back passage ache. I don’t have much warning for bathroom trips, and always blood, but diet certainly makes a difference on the amount of times I go, and consistency also. (Between four and seven visits per day)

One of my worst symptoms is hip pain, sometimes severe. Also back and neck pain. My fingers swell sometimes too.

Hip Pain

I lived through several UC flares over 12 years not knowing what it was. I went to my local doctor at the very beginning, and was told it was probably an infection, or virus that was causing the cramps and bleeding. No blood tests were done at that time. I knew I had to do something about it eventually. and was scheduled for a colonoscopy two and a half years ago. A year after being diagnosed, and three flares later, I went back to the doctor to ask for medication. I started on Lialda (three a day) and immediately had the worst flare ever. Severe cramps, 15 plus ( lost count) trips to the bathroom, dehydration, sweats, weight loss. Put on antibiotics which made me sick, eventually stopped the flare though. After a year with no flares, the doc decreased to two lialda a day and I started getting the warning symptoms back… Such an overwhelming ‘Itch’. I’m not sure if it was the change in prescription, but within three months I flared, that was five weeks ago. I let my doctor know, and so three weeks ago she put my dose up to three a day.

I have asked and now identified a family member that may have had Ulcerative Colitis. (She never talked about it with anyone, but other family members were aware of her symptoms. Unfortunately she passed two years ago so I wasn’t able to talk to her about it. My family and friends all know about me and UC. It’s important that people are aware of this disease.

The worst was the itch. I didn’t connect it as a symptom, but it was one of the first symptoms that I had for 12 years till I started lialda. It just stopped immediately. I’ve had unexplained back pain for years but the hip pain is a first and just started with this flare

Medications:

I don’t have so severe symptoms as most I’m sure, and I’m a stay at home mum. So I’m not sure how normal my life would be if I went to work and had to make several trips to the bathroom. It’s easier when you’re at home. I always talk to my doctor through her nurse. She’s never that helpful, and I have to explain thing more than once. I would like some medication for my hip back and neck pain, but not sure my UC Doctor can help me there. It would be good to hear from anyone experiencing the joint pain. I often struggled out if bed in the early hours just to try and walk off some of the pain.

written by Judi

submitted in the colitis venting area