Hanging In There – Question About Imuran

Introduction:

I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 1982 about five months into a pregnancy.

It was a nightmare situation with lots of violent bowel movements and bleeding. I wanted to die.

I was put on prednisone -pretty scary during a pregnancy! The good news is that I did not die , and that our daughter was born without any defects. After two years I was in remission.

My Colitis Story:

My initial experience with UC was frightening. I had never known anyone who had UC, and had no one to talk to about my feelings and the physical torment I was experiencing. Spiritually i was pretty mad at God for allowing this to happen -especially during a pregnancy. My gastroenterologist was an unfeeling creep and he did nothing to help me understand what was happening. Needless to say, I did not keep him as my doctor. I have had three gastroenterologists since then, and have stuck with the last one since 2001.

Because the azulfadine class of drugs does not work for me and causes me to vomit violently and black out, prednisone has been my reliable drug of choice. For each of my flares that occured about every nine years, prednisone had always worked. Last year I had a flare begin that has been the worst since my original flare in 1982. I was extremely weak and got down to 83 pounds. This time prednisone failed me, and I have had to go on Imuran/azathioprine. I have been on Imuran for eleven months, and it took forever to take effect. I had to take prednisone with it for nine of those months.

I feel discouraged from time to time because I have not been able to pursue step aerobics and other more challenging fitness activities because I have to stop and run for the bathroom. I have managed to get back into a walking routine-but i’ve not been able to walk the fifty-sixty miles a month I was walking before this last flare. Too, my sex life is not what I want it to be. My husband has been very patient, but this has been hard on him,too.

I cling to the hope that remission is just months away. My remissions are just that-complete remissions. I can eat anything I want and have plenty of energy during those times that have lasted for years. During those times I have enjoyed every moment of feeling normal and have rejoiced over every single normal bowel movement!

i will have a colonoscopy in a few weeks and hope it shows that my colon is healed. Right now I’m just discouraged because I still have bouts of diarrhea and accidents while shopping,etc. I am working with my diet now, and just this week I have eliminated coffee to see if that will make a difference. Of course, wine and beer have been off my list along with raw fruits and vegetables and hot peppers (in any form). I had just stubbornly kept drinking coffee because it was one pleasure I refused to give up.

Like all UC patients, I wish I did not have this disease. However, it apparently is genetic because my nephew was just diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease last year, and I suspect that my grandfather had IBD that led to colon cancer. He was too embarrassed to tell anyone what was happening. So,you might say he died from embarrassment.

I pray that a cure for Colitis and Crohn’s will be found and that the need for this website will no longer exist. Until that time, keep the website going and let’s continue to encourage one another. One thing you need to know is that during these years I have pursued a very fulfilling career that actually started toward the end of my first UC flare.Too, I have enjoyed church and communty activities including theater-even during flares! Life does go on! So, I pray to God every day for strength just for that day.

Question: Has anyone else taking Imuran continued to struggle with diarrhea?

Submitted By: “Poopy Boomer” in the Colitis Venting Area