Introduction:
I was diagnosed in November 2011. I’m from Los Angeles, CA and recently bought a home and got married (this is what I think made my UC come out).
Edgar Riding with his Wife
The Motorcycle Rider’s Colitis:
My name is Edgar, 34 years old, and I was diagnosed with UC about a month ago. The messed up thing was that I was misdiagnosed: first it was a hemorrhoid, then they said it was diverticulitis, but finally after a having a colonoscopy it was confirmed I had ulcerative colitis EVEN AFTER telling them I was bleeding from my butt! I guess the hardest thing was the everyday life activities I was stopped from because of UC. Going to work, to the mall, or just out riding my bicycle was ruined by an embarrasing restroom break. One of the most suckass things was going to take a whiz and end up having some bloody poop come out. So, when I went to the doctor and got my colonoscopy I was prescribed Colazal at 750mg but I had to take 3 pills 3 times a day. I thought it was a lot to take since I did not want to kill off my liver but it seemed to work as long as I changed a few things of what I ate. To begin with, I stopped eating gassy foods like beans and peanuts plus absolutely no alcohol. So, since the beginning of my symptoms, which is around September 2011, I have been alcohol free (which sucks cause I miss drinking) but found out that when I did try to drink I would bleed more. I did not even drink a lot and when I did, it was like rum & coke or a cold beer. Now that I’ve changed my eating habits and stopped my drinking plus taking all these meds my life changed completely but no blood yet. Does anyone have a problem with drinking and UC? I have a follow up doctor appointment in February to see if I’m in remission. Hopefully it all goes well and i’ll keep you guys posted.
Medications:
I was diagnosed in November 2011. I’m from Los Angeles, CA and recently bought a home and got married (this is what I think made my UC come out).
Hi Edgar, well done for what sounds like getting into remission , long may it stay that way. I had UC diagnosed 10 years ago and came out of it like you did with exactly those meds and doses plus a pred enema. I was then symptom free for 10 years. In which time I drank a lot, as I found that I didnt have a problem with it. I did notice some diareah some times the morning after a particularly heavy session but that was it.
I went to the World Cup in South Africa last year and was basically drinking myself into a stupor every day ! and no problems.
But this year I have gone back into a flare and I know that drinking whisky makes it worse – however I drank 4 vodka , tonic water and lemons on New Years Eve and didnt have any change in my current not so great/not so good symptons.
Have a good one mate.
Richard
Yeah bro, I’m finding out by trial and error what alcoholic drinks I can have and not have. In my case as of now I can’t have anything alcoholic to drink or its a bloody toilet no doubt. I guess I’m going to have to wait til I finish all of my meds prescribed and see if then I can go back gradually and have an occasional drink. Thanks for your info though bro it sure helps to know what works more or less.
-Edgar
Hi, Edgar. My name is Maggie. I,too, was at first diagnosed with hemorroids back in 1980 when I was shopping, had to use the restroom and discovered blood on my tp. First time and I literally freaked. My sister took me to emergency where I had to get on my belly with my butt up in the air and the probing was excrutiating. I was told I had hemorroids. I really liked my beer! For the next few years I would have gastrointestinal problems and figured it was IBS, though I noticed it happened after an evening of beer drinking so I realized it was causing the problem but I refused to quit drinking. Eight years after the first misdiagnosis, I quit smoking and had really bad symptoms, like bleeding and lots of mucus. I was very scared. I went to a doctor and again was told I had hemorroids. I kept drinking and later started smoking again. Every time I quit smoking I had problems and finally got diagnosed with UC and went on Remicade. That cleared it up but in the meantime I started smoking again hoping to clear it up but I was 6 months into it and was to far gone. I finally quit for good 2 1/2 years ago and after I got that bout of UC cleared up I’ve not had a bad flare until just after Christmas. I drank 3 glasses of wine on Xmas eve and 3 drinks with Grand Marnier and have been very ill ever since. I’m now on Entocort and methotrexate and my GI is trying to get me back on Humira. When I’ve had mild flare-ups, even caffeine causes problems. I cannot drink alcohol any more! I have a marijuana medical card and that helps but I’ve felt too sick lately to even use it. I am 61 years old so I guess I had my fun and my drinking days are over. You are still young but you have to do what you have to do to stay healthy. I wish you the best of luck.
Hi Maggie, well I’ve read that sometimes smoking can help although I don’t want to go down that road again since I’ve been smoke free for several years now since I left the military. I have seen peoples postings that say smokers gum helps since it has nicotine in it therefore helping with the UC. I’m still reluctatnt to try it though but if push comes to shove I’ll give it a go. Thanks for your response, it was very helpful.
-Edgar
Edgar–I had to give up my coors lite but have found that Guiness draught (in the cans or on tap) doesnt bother me–it is not carbonated like the others–uses nitrogen for foam–i believe my guts actually like it!! MY diet is no flour, sugar, cayenne pepper, very little fresh fruit and veggies–I eat steak (not lean) and potatoes fairly plain, regular pork and chicken are ok too–i eat eggs and ham and or bacon every morning (no toast) mushrooms and maybe tomatos instead–really limit dairy –remember I am just saying this is what works for me. Best of luck to you
Hey Dave, I haven’t given Guiness a try but once it gets a little bit wamer in the weather I’ll give it a go. I was enjoying Modelo beer before all this UC business went down but now I’m not having anything. I have a fridge full of Coke and a freezer with a bottle of Captain Morgan just begging me to take a drink but my butt and gut are saying hell no you’ll pay for it in the next restroom session! So I guess that for now I’ll just be a “sober” UC’er and have my glass of water subtitution. Thanks for the Guinees advice though bro, I’ll give it a try soon.
-Edgar
Alcohol a strict no no for UCer’s.
Thanks Uma, I’m finding out little by little what not to drink.
Hey Edgar. When I had UC (I say had because I just had my colon removed a month ago) I would also be cautious of when I drank. I basically quit, except a few times that my flare was so bad I just got smashed just because I my thought process was how could it get any worse, I’m already shitting blood 20 plus times a day. Last Thanksgiving, I got lit up pretty good. Rum and Cokes all night. I knew I only had another week with my colon so I said fuck it and got tore up with a good buddy, my sister and cousin. The funny thing is, in about the 6 hour period where I was drinking, and drinking heavily, I felt normal for once. I didn’t have to use the bathroom once (except to pee a million times), didn’t feel any discomfort and kind of forgot I even had UC. I did wear a diaper that night to the bar just in case of any accidents. The next morning, I was hungover for sure, but I didn’t seem to have any out of the normal bowel movements (like I said, I was shitting blood about 20 times a day at that point so it’s hard to have anything out of the normal). I’m not condoning drinking if you are in a flare or if you have UC, but if it’s worth it to you, than let yourself go every once in a while. You may find out you can tolerate it and if you’re flaring so bad your life is miserable at the time, it might be good to get drunk, cause dealing with UC sucks!
Blake, dang bro you know exactly how I feel! I luckily haven’t had the urge to go out and get shit faced yet although I am fighting the temptation. Having this jacked up diease makes me feel like I’m a kid again trying to sneak into my dad and mom’s home after sneaking out and getting shit faced ( in the sense that I know I’ll pay the price NOT by being grounded if they found out, but because my asshole will explode with shit and blood). The most embarassing thing was going out with my friends and co-workers, back when I didn’t know what I had, and I went to take a whiz after drinking and then charting out blood. That was the most awkard feeling bro, knowing that you couldn’t even enjoy a good drunk piss. I’m going to try to hang on to my fucked up colon as long as possible, surgery for me right now is the absoulte last thing on my list. Good luck to you bro, let me know how life with surgery is.
-Edgar
I’ve had UC for 9 yrs. And Im 33. I used to drink a lot. But since having UC I rarely drink. But when I do I stick to Grey Goose and soda water with lime. It seems to not do much to my colon. It’s all about trial and error with this disease. Just wait and see. Good luck.
Seriously Trina you hit the nail right on the head! Trial and error IS the only way to figure this disease out. I’m finding out little by little what I can drink and what I cannot. I recently had some champagne for new year’s eve and the next day it was kind of okay although I ate some red velvet cake and thought that it was the reason for having a “bloody” toilet. I mean I didn’t have the abdominal pain like I would have but the toilet water was red so I think the red velvet cake was a no-no. I’ve heard a lot of recommendations about Vodka so I think I’ll head down that route next. Thanks for your info Trina.
-Edgar
Edgar
Like so many with uc, I have seriously dialed back on the alcohol. An occasional beer or glass of wine, a sip of whiskey on rare occasion, but that’s about it for me. Rum and sugary drinks are like pouring razor blades in my colon, so I stay away from those drinks completely. I have figured out how to control my symptoms principally thru diet, so adding alcohol to the mix is like playing with fire ( or firewater). Fortunately, medical cannabis is an alternative that both relaxes the mind/body and soothes the gut.
Best of luck.
I guess i’m gonna have to look into that medical maryjane and see if helps me out haha! But for now I think I’ll just do a trial and error session to see what affects me and what sits fine with me.
Thanks for your info.
-Edgar
Hi Edgar,
I used to be a beer and wine drinker. When I read in the SCD diet book that beer and wine were not recommended I stopped drinking both. The book said that an occasional vodka or scotch is permissible. I have either one of these a few times per week and I am not having any negative effects from this occasional alcohol use. I and very strict about it. I don’t just pour vodka in a glass….., I use a shot glass to make sure that I don’t “over pour”. Some UCers cannot drink alcoholic beverages at all because they will be in great pain if they do. Like most things in our diet, its different for everyone.
George in Napa
Hi George, well I think that I’m gonna have to as James Bond would and start taking those “shaken not stirred” drinks from now on cus beer jacks my gut up something fierce. What sucks is that in my family my dad is tip-top in health and he’s 61 so when I go over to his house he offers me a cold beer. Being Mexican, getting offered a cold beer with lime is like offering a crackhead a hit of some the best crack in town, in other words it KILLS me not to have one with the old man but I know I’ll pay the price later. Learning to adapt to different drinks and different foods has been a struggle but I guess I shouldn’t complain cus I’m not at the surgery opt level yet. Thanks for the info though George. Stay well bro!
-Edgar
Hey Edgar….I was just diagnosed in October of 2011. I was in a car accident and think that the stress of it caused the start of my UC path. I know we are all different, but for me, alcohol is a BIG no no! Just now coming out of a flare from November 25th where I consummed alcohol. Its been really rough not being able to drink because I’m 39 and my friends drink socially. And by socially, Imean every weekend! Lol. Its just not worth it for me anymore…
Hi Sandi, yeah I feel you on that one because my wife is a “social drinker” too haha! It kinda sucks though since we use to go to bars and hang out are home and drink but since I’ve been diagnosed it completely stopped and now she’s left alone not drinking. I did try to be normal again during new year’s eve by drinking champagne bu I paid the price and had a suckass flare. Now I’ve just been trying to get back on track since I went down to 3 poop sessions without blood per DAY! Man that was a great run but unfortunately it didn’t last forever, now I’m up to 9 sessions and blood came back, damn champagne haha! Well I’ll see what continues to work and what doesn’t but thanks for your input, I take all the recommendations that I can. Good luck to you and your UC :)
-Edgar
Whats Up Edgar! Fellow rider in so. Cal and i also got diagnosed with UC in November 2011.
I didnt even know this condition existed but here we are…much like you i gave up drinking completely cuz of the side effects
from it. Im not on any Meds…just taking natural herb supplements and watching what i eat. But the best thing that
Keeps me from going to the bathroom so damn much and helping me sleep at night is MaryJane. I wasnt a believer till I
Tried it. Just a suggestion for some relief from this condition.