Meet Tina: Hi, I am Tina from Hampshire in the United Kingdom. I am 43 years old and a mother or two lovely children aged 9 and 11. I was diagnosed with UC nine years ago after the birth of my daughter. I am currently in a severe flare up which has lasted over 9 months. I am a teaching assistant in a local primary school.
Some more background info: I am, or was until this last attack, very sporty and love playing tennis. I also enjoy socializing and going out with my friends. I used to love a glass, or two of Prosecco, which sadly is again off limits. I am happiest when I am with my family and my chocolate Labrador!
Symptoms: I am have been in a severe flare up since May 2014. I have heavy bleeding, passing mostly blood at least 15 times a day. I have urgency and quite alot of discomfort, weakness and fatigue. I have been hospitalised for 11 days, and as well as prednisolone have tried nearly every immune suppresent going. I am currently on humira injections…. Currently nothing is working for me. For quite an easy going and placid person, I have a stubborn colon!
Humira, Will this Finally Work
I am currently in my 3rd Flare up since being diagnosed nine years ago. My first two flares were moderate and went easily into remission with prednisolone. In February 2014 I had rectocele surgery as my bowel had prolapsed and I believe that this was the trigger to my biggest flare up yet.
Admittedly I did put my head in the sand for quite a while as I was back playing tennis and working after my operation and just keen to resume my normal active life. However my bleeding was in easing in volume every day and I started to get very dizzy at work. Then my bowels shut down and stopped working so that I was only passing blood and not stools. That was when I was hospitalised and initially put on IV prednisolone. However my body was non responsive and I was then put on Ciclosporin and after 11 days discharged from hospital. However I started to get negative, scary side effects from Ciclosporin and was then put on Azthioprine, another immune suppresent. Again I experienced negative side effects and became virtually bed bound and nauseated, I started to quickly loose weight. My medication was then changed to Mercaptopurine, which again was poorly tolerated.
My GI then suggested that I start Humira injections with a view to starting Methotrexate after Xmas. They said that they were giving me a while to get the previous medication out of my system before I should start taking Methotrexte.
The humira is not yet working, although I have not yet had any of the very scary side effects that I have read about. I am signed off work to a job that I love and am at the stage where I am not sure that I can continue with these scary medications. My GI doesn’t want to give up on my colon, although I am not sure how much more of this I can take.
Medications:
Mesalazine – used effectively for 9 years, no longer working
Prednisolone – non respondent
Ciclosporin
azathioprine
Mercaptopurine
Humira
written by Tina C
submitted in the colitis venting area
Hi, I from Hampshire in the United Kingdom. I am 43 years old and a mother or two lovely children aged 9 and 11. I was diagnosed with UC nine years ago after the birth of my daughter.
