Meet Erick:
I had my colonoscopy January 2013. The pathology report confirmed my worst fear, Colitis. I have left side colitis(28 CM). After getting the news, It was a relive to hear that it was not cancer or a life threatening condition. I was actually relived to know what it was that was wrong with my digestive system. It took a year to get to this point–the colonoscopy–and i had been told it was all sorts of things, IBS, Gluten Allergy, Hemorrhoids( I still think I also have internal Hemorrhoids). Not having insurance, while in college made it more stressful than it should have been. I am new to the UC community and truly amazed to read about varies people that have been through the same situation as I have. I hope to meet some cool people and get some support. Thank you.
Some more about me:
I am 24 years old, and married. I graduated from college last year. Currently studying for the LSAT and will be applying to Law School in the upcoming months. I was born in Mexico and raised in Los Angeles California. I mostly enjoy exercising, reading, and hanging out with family, and occasionally some Call of Duty(PS3).
Symptoms:
At this time, symptoms include.
-Bloody stool
-Mucus
-Occasional urge to quickly go the restroom.
-One or Two false movements per day(mainly gas and mucus).
My UC Story:
Getting diagnosed with UC has been terrible. Mainly because I do not have insurance, thus the process of getting diagnosed has been very, very expensive. Also, I can honestly say that UC was a huge distractions from my daily college life. Going to the bathroom and seeing blood can scare the S*** out of you, literally. Stress made the symptoms worse. For the majority of my college life I drank coffee often and had bad eating habits. Part of the reason that I eat very unhealthy was my mission to gain weight. I have been a slim and tall kind of guy for a long time. During my good days before any symptoms I was 175lb. Today I am 149lb, by the way I am 5, 11”. I have a very fast metabolism.
I use to get headaches two times per week before the systems of UC started. As a result, I consumed large amounts of Excedrin pills. It is my hypothesis that Colitis was a long term effect (7 years of consuming Excedrin pills on the weekly basis). My dad also consumed a lot of Excedrin, he stopped because Excedrin was taken of the market for some reason. He has been recently diagnosed with GERD and also got kidney stone(small). I think there could be some connections.
My family has been very supportive. They have listened to my somewhat obsessive concern with my symptoms and diet.
I am currently feeling confused. The GI told me that Colitis is a life long disease yet cannot explain why I have it?
Also, my social life has truly suffered. I am scared to eat unhealthy food and touch alcohol, it makes sense to me that these two things have to bad for Colitis right?
The most frustrating thing has been not knowing if the bleeding is only from colitis or also from hemorrhoids. My first visit to the GI I got an anoscopy and was told I had internal hemorrhoids. When I received the colonoscopy the GI said the rectum was to inflamed to see any hemorrhoids. It is frustrating because it is hard to know if the colitis medication is working since sometime I know when I follow a low fiber diet and need to push hard to pass those hard stools, I bleed a bit. But sometimes I just bleed alot with out having to push, I think this bleeding without pushing is the colitis symptom.
My question is how should my diet be since fiber tends to irritate UC but it helps Hemorrhoids, which I think and have been told I have(internal).
Medications (And my questions)
For the last three weeks I tried free samples of ASACOL but they did not do much, still kept bleeding, although my stools are more formed now. Before my stool was broken up and loose.
I pressured my GI to give me some samples of CANASA suppositories. It made sense to me that suppositories would be more effective since I have left side colitis. He hesitated because he said they are very expensive and probably could not offered them. But he nevertheless have me 6 day of samples. They have worked pretty good. I have minor bleeding and probably only bleed because of my low fiber diet and the hemorrhoids. However, I only have 3 days on CANASA.
Since I am a broke student, I have been looking into buying the Canada version of CANASA from NorthWestPharmacy.com, do any of you have any advice for me as far as attaining affordable medication.
Doctor would much rather have me on Prednisone but I would rather give suppositories a chance. I also got two big bottles of Sulfasalazine for free form the community clinic, however, I am hesitating to take them.
written by Erick
submitted in the colitis venting area
I had my colonoscopy January 2013. The pathology report confirmed my worst fear, Colitis. I have left side colitis(28 CM).
Hi Erick,
Yes, every over the counter drug that we take in our life time has to pass through our gastrointestinal tract. For some reason, it damages some of us. Perhaps we are just ‘weak’ in that particular area of our bodies.
As a young child, I had to take alot of antibiotics due to bad tonsils. Large antibiotic injections in my rearend. It was the only way to administer the large amount that I needed to kill the throat infections. (Terribly painful too). Then, in my mid twenties, I took the drug ACCUTANE, for acne, four times over about four years.
In my late thirties I was diagnosed with full blown ulcerative colitis, but I had had slighter symtoms for years before that. I was always told it was IBS or hemorrhoids, so nothing was done about it really…
If people don’t think that over the counter drugs can’t hurt you…think again. I cannot even take advil any more…it causes intestinal bleeding, which I never knew until a couple of years ago, either! So, all those years of taking advil probably aggravated the whole condition, along with the antibiotics, accutane, and probably some other meds I can’t even remember taking, as well. Cough medicines can be very bad, too, and most people take them, thinking they are quite benign or harmless.
I have always looked as to WHY I got UC, too. It actually makes my doctor angry that I even care…but wouldn’t anyone want to know?? Anyway, I know this is controversial, but I now refuse all of the UC meds as well. The very drug that was supposed to help the UC and keep me in remission, and that I took for 14 years straight, (asacol) made me sicker than I already was!
I believe that some of us are VERY sensitive to medications. They do not help us…only hurt us more. I refuse to go that route any more. I now only take a GOOD probiotic, one that is recommended for UC, and fermented L-glutamine powder. They are keeping me in remission, and I cross my fingers every day that they will continue to do so. One year and counting…I was NEVER in remission on the asacol, or the enemas. Just a band-aid that eventually stopped working even a little bit. All the UC drugs tend to eventually fail to work. What are they doing to our bodies in the process, is what concerns me. I figure I got into this whole mess due to meds…and I’m not going to take them any more! Sorry if I sound like Norma Rae…lol…if I get the UC bad again, I would likely try fecal transplants and failing that, opt for the surgery. NO MORE MEDS. That’s just me, though.
You are in control of your choices. Not your doctor…or your spouse…or your family…YOU.
Cheers,
Bev
:)
What are the products you take? Can you give me the brand?
Hi again,
I take a probiotic called ULTIMATE FLORA CRITICAL CARE by RENEWLIFE. One capsule every morning. It does not have to be that one, as long as you get at least a 50 billion strain one that is recommended for people who REALLY need probiotics, like we UCers. It is important when you take it, too. First thing in the morning, on an empty stomach with water, and then try not to eat for half an hour after.
The fermented L-glutamine powder is unflavored by NORTH COAST NATURALS, but again, I’m sure that the brand does not matter. I mix it with a bit of juice for taste, and I take it on an empty stomach, as well, about an hour before lunch. YOu can take anywhere from one to eight scoops per day, according to the jar. I take one or two.
Cheers,
:)
Bev, do you have an email? I have a similar story, college athlete who took mass amounts of ibuprophen and also had antibiotics as a kid for strep a lot, I have had zero luck with any meds and have had the same frustration with doctors not caring what caused the problem in the first place. I don’t want to sound crazy because if I knew a med would cure me I would pay anything I had to, but it’s been 6 years of frustration and I just feel like if it was meds that got me here in the first place and nothing seems to help then why waste my life/money continuing this viscous cycle of hope, spending more money and time and then dissapointment. I started doing my own research on glutamine along with folic acid, circumin, and quercitin. Mostly to help with inflamation. Have you heard anything about glutamine and pregnancy? My husband and I are thinking of starting a family and I have heard it could be something to avoid in high doses during pregnancy but is needed in high doses to be beneficial for UC?
Hi Sam,
You don’t sound crazy at all!
I’m really not sure about glutamine and pregnancy…I didn’t seem to need a high dose…
Sorry…I wasn’t finished…lol…I read that you can take up to 40 grams per day…I only take 5 now, but I think my max dose was about 15 grams. That’s what finally stopped me bleeding. Then I was able to taper down to the minimum dose of 5 grams.
Like I said, though, I don’t know about pregnancy…why would it be harmful…do you know?
My email is secondlook@hotmail.com
:)
Hey Erick,
I have UC and am studying for the LSAT as well. When you took the test, did you ask for special accommodations?
I’m considering asking but not sure how to phrase it.
@jesse
No I doe not because I was able to control the uc with suppositories. But if you have active uc I would strongly suggest you do. Please make sure that you have it under control before law school. Stress is very high in law school.