In about 2001-2002 I had started having bleeding while going to the bathroom… never any diarreah or pain, but always bleeding. Everyone I told always said it’s probably hemmeroids. so, I left it go for about two years. (I was only 21 after all…) Never had any pain or diarreah, just bleeding, and sometimes, mainly for the last year, the whole toilet bowl was filled with bright pink water. That’s when I finally decided I needed to go to the doctors and that it was more than just hemmeroids.
I went, had the colonoscopy and the doctor diagnosed me with crohns/colitis. He gave me pentassa at the time (I think it was something like 4 pills, four times a day) and some mesalamine suppositories. It got better… and as long as I used the suppositories there was no bleeding. I eventually stopped with the suppositories too.
Then a few years later, I was having a very stressful time at school, and ended up having to take antibiotics for a sore throat… well, that gave me diarreah. I got really sick and laid in a bed for weeks. At that time they prescribed me with prednisone (was weaned off after a few months), a very high dose of about 40mg a day, along with imuran. I got better, and had no symptoms for about 5 years.
Then, I found out I had a basil cell skin cancer. They said it was from the imuran lowering my immune system (since I have never been a sun worshipper). So I had that removed and wondered if I could go off of the imuran and not have any problems (I know I didn’t want any more skin cancer, also, I read that Imuran was bad for a fetus and I really want to have children some day.)
So, it just so happens that it was a bad time to decide to go off my meds. For one, they gave me antibiotics when they removed the skin cancer, and for two, I was dealing with another VERY stressful time in my life. It was all around a bad time to try this.
This time I got bleeding and diarreah. So, back in January, I started a round of pred… and wasn’t getting better. I researched and found out about the SCD and started that and low and behold… I got better. So, I’ve stuck with the diet, and a few weeks ago I came off the pred. I think a bit too soon though, since I started bleeding again. This time, no diarreah, but the bleeding has come back, this time for the first time, with a little bit of a pain in my lower left abdomen. It’s more like a pinch when I bend over to pick something up or if I twist my torso weird.
So, I’m not giving up. I started the into diet over again and am using rowasa enimas and hopefully I will get better for good. I really don’t want to have to go on pred again… and definately don’t want to go back to imuran or try remicade.
Also, I think I only have UC, even though my first doctor diagnosed me with both UC and Crohns. I only have symptoms of UC.
So, that’s my story.
– L
