Intro:
My Story and Questions:
I’ve always had stomach problems since I can remember and have been sensitive to certain foods. I always chalked it up to having a “sensitive stomach” and didn’t really think it was anything serious. In October 2008, I went to the Emergency Room after having uncontrollable diarrhea and loose watery stools for a few weeks. The doctors thought it could be C Difficule, but they were never sure. They gave me some antibiotics and it seemed to go away.
This past May I thought I had a serious bout of food poisoning after going to the bathroom about 10 times a day with urgency. I started to see blood and got a little worried. After about a week I went to the walk-in clinic and they once again thought it was an infection or parasite. It kept happening and getting worse and I was basically house bound or had to stock up on immodium if I left the house. Thankfully I was working from home at the time. I started to feel just overall sick, exhausted, woozy, dizzy and tired. I was also getting pretty intense pain in my left side. I was just so frustrated that after about three weeks I decided to go to the hospital to see if they could figure it out.
When I got there I was told I needed to stay there for a few days while they figured out what it was and so they could do a colonoscopy. I was hooked up to an I.V for three days and had blood taken every few hours as I was so anemic and dehydrated by this point. I had never heard of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s before and they kept getting mentioned to me. I considered myself fairly healthy (and I’m only 25 years old), so I had never been this sick in my life before or hospitalized. I was going to the bathroom every hour and I was pumped with gravol and tylenol so I could sleep.
They did an ultrasound, internal ultrasound and colonoscopy to figure it out and I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. I was put on Mezavant (plus the enema treatments for 3 weeks) as well as a slew of vitamins and minerals because I was so nutrient deficient and malnourished after having intense diarrhea for about a month. I also had to follow a strictly no-fibre diet for about a month which meant no multi-grains, seeds, nuts, whole wheats, beans, lentils, raw vegetables and most fruits. I can eat somewhat normal now, but am still careful about it.
It’s been a few months and I’m still having pain on my left side which I’m trying to manage with Tylenol, but I’m starting to get a little concerned. My energy levels are getting better and I can start to go places without worrying about going to the bathroom or taking immodiums, but I still don’t feel like myself. This past week or so I’ve been feeling the symptoms come back and have been getting pretty bad diarrhea, dizziness, nauseous and exhaustion and I’m wondering if I’m having another flare up? There’s no blood and the urgency isn’t as bad, but I’m starting to feel sicker and sicker each day.
How do you know if you’re getting another flare up,
and how bad does it have to get to go back to the hospital?
I have a followup appointment with my G.I Specialist in October, but don’t know if I should go back sooner.
My Ulcerative Colitis Medication:
Mezavant 5-ASA
Submitted by “Downy” in the Colitis Venting Area
Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in June of 2011. It was a bit of a rough road prior to diagnosis, and now just trying to figure out what the latest symptoms are all about in Sept. 2011.
