I have just been diagnosed with UC after a considerably long period of regular stomach pain, a gradual increase in tiredness, dizzy spells followed by the shock of seeing blood pouring from my back passage 4 weeks ago.
My trouble first started about 8 years ago around the same time as I gave up smoking, I picked up a stomach bug which made me very ill and put me out of action for about 2 weeks. That’s when the stomach pains started, along with sometimes constipation, sometimes the opposite.
I saw my Doctor who sent me for an Endoscopy, the outcome was they said I had developed IBS and advised a visit to a dietitian. The dietitian said I should stick to a gluten free diet and drink more water. This I did my best to adhere to within the limitations of my budget as I sometime found it difficult to afford gluten free products. I was already taking medication, a low dosage of Amitriptyline for a back problem and later when my stomach pain started to become more severe, the Doctor upped the dosage.
After the blood started my Doctor got me into see a consultant within a few days (thank God for the NHS) who examined my stomach, said did you realise you have a small hernia here (I didn’t know), pointing to an area just below my sternum and and after shoving something up my backside said I needed to come in for an Endoscopy and Colonoscopy.
I do not remember a thing about the Endoscopy but the Colonoscopy was horrendous. The pain was excruciating and was not smothered by the drugs they had given me, fortunately it was soon over, or seemed to be and I felt fine when taken to my room to recover. Later I was told I had UC, given a prescription for Mezavant XL (Mesalazine) 2.4g per day for 28 days when I would see the consultant again for the result of biopsy’s taken. I left the hospital but on the way home started to feel really ill, the pain in my stomach was more severe than at any time since the problem had started and seemed to be centred on the area shown in the diagram the hospital had given me, the upper part of my colon. It has taken 6 days to settle down and fortunately the blood has reduced considerably by not completely.
I’m really pleased to have come across this website as I know I’m not out the water yet and won’t be until I know the result of the biopsy. I hope I can learn from others experience and they mine, its nice to know I’m not alone.
Tony – United Kingdom
All of the posts from “Annonymous UC” are from ulcerative colitis people who anonymously submitted stories or Doctor Reviews, medication, supplement reviews etc… I post all these stories to the site, but they’re different from my own personal stories so hopefully this account makes more sense:) -Adam – founder of iHaveUC.com
You are certainally not on your own Tony. I am going through some hell at the moment. I have had bad flare ups every 3 months since beind diognosed a year ago.
I hope you can find the magic answer soon.
Shirley
It’s interesting to me that you had your first major flare after smoking cessation. What my doctor and I speculate to be my first flare actually followed my giving up smoking too, although there were other stressors involved at the same time. Hoping health and happiness to you.
Thank you for your kind words and observations, I do wonder if smoking and stress play a part in this awful condition. My mother was seriously ill and subsequently passed away shortly before my later symptoms showed themselves, so there may be a link and worth the medical community having a look into. I do know many conditions can be brought on by stress, eczema being at one end of the scale and more seriously, cancer at the other.
I spoke too soon when I said my blood loss had reduced considerably, it increased again and I had to return to my doctor for advice. He proscribed a 14 day course of Predfoam 20mg and requested for the hospital consultant to bring forward an appointment. The medication seems to be working but I still get stomach pain. It interferes with my normal life as sometimes when out I have to find somewhere to sit down because of the discomfort.
Ps. Shirley, I hope to be staying with friends in NZ for Christmas, fantastic place to visit, I just love it there.