Do you worry?

about Toxic Mega Colon?? I woke up today horribly nauseas and have been in the bathroom for two hours. All that's running through my head is.. what if what if what if. Do any of you ever really worry that you could get this? And if you did... how would you know.. what symptoms are there and are they different from what you go through anyways in a flare up?

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Diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis March, 07





Medications:]Colazal 3 pills 3x a day</STRIKE>

<FONT color=black> Prednisone

Lialda - 2 pills in the morning w/ food.

Honestly, I've never worried about it too much. Not sure why, I guess I just always tell myself it's just the inflammation/ulcers.


"Toxic megacolon occurs when the colon swells to many times its normal size. It is most commonly caused by severe inflammation and ulceration from ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, which weaken muscles in the colon.

Over time, holes (perforations) may develop in the colon, and stool may spill into the abdominal cavity, causing a serious infection.

Toxic megacolon is an emergency situation requiring immediate medical and surgical treatment. If it is not treated, death may occur.

Symptoms

Abdominal pain
Abdominal bloating
Abdominal tenderness
Fever
Tachycardia (rapid heart rate)
Dehydration
There may be signs of septic shock. A physical examination reveals abdominal tenderness and possible loss of bowel sounds. An abdominal radiography shows colonic dilation. There is usually an elevated white blood cell count. Severe sepsis may present with hypothermia or leukopenia.

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I've had all those symptoms before but after going to the bathroom then I feel better but I think if the symptoms ever persisted for a while I would definitely go to the ER.

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Female, 22, Ulcerative colitis (pancolitis) since 1999; GERD; gastritis; osteopenia in hip & lumbar region of the spine from long term prednisone use.

Current Meds:
10mg Lexapro (for depression/social anxiety)

Digestive Advantage: Crohn's and Colitis formula (2 pills per day, started 5/14/08)
125mg Azathioprine

4800mg Asacol (Four 400mg tablets, three times a day)

 

I worry more about colon cancer than that. My entire abdomen is tender a good deal of the time anyway, especially when I am pushing on it all the time everywhere feeling for stuff. I do not have abdominal pain, bloating is a sign of lots of things including IBS and just plain old gas, and most likely those symptoms are usually most of the time related to one of those two things. There is no lack of bowel sounds in me, I hear them all the time without the use of a stethoscope. And my gastroenterologist already told me that the catch feeling in my left side is not colon related as my colon is not in my side. And when I belch the pressure relieves off of my upper gut.

I have no fever and am not dehydrated that I am aware of. I drink plenty of water on a daily basis. I have no rapid heartbeat. Anxiety in itself can cause that. So I have to think other thoughts and not those kind of thoughts or I will end up back on Xanax which I sure wish I had right now.

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Diagnosed with left sided UC in sigmoid colon and rectum 1986.

Put on Azulfidine 2 X 3 a day and Rowasa enemas 60mg.

Have been pretty much in remission overall other than a few flares over the past 21 years.

Medicine changed to Asacol 400mg 2 pills X3 times a day. Taken off all meds in 2004.

Diagnosed with acid reflux 2005. Put on Protonix 40mg.

Have been using Canasa 1000mg suppositories nightly since January 2007.

Was put back on Asacol 400mg 2 pills 2X a day in July 2007 maintenance. 

There was a point in which I thought maybe I had it. I had my endo ablation, had an adverse reaction to the narcotic pain meds, was sent to the ER by ambulance and when I got home I didn't go to the bathroom for 6 days. I couldn't go, I couldn't fart, I was in extreme pain and bloated but luckily it just turned out to be constipation from the pain meds. I called my GI and told him the symptoms and he said try Miralax and see if it helps if not to call him back - well it worked obviously but it scared me just the same. So now, I just keep the possibility in the back of my mind but I don't get worked up over it. If it happens, it happens - the best we can do is to keep our eye out for the symptoms and call the GI or go to the ER if we think we're in trouble. But TMC is a rare complication so yes you should be careful but I wouldn't fret over it. That in itself is not good for your Uc.

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