Newbie: When does the bleeding stop?

I was diagnosed with left sided UC last week following a colonoscopy. I have had "stomach issues" since I was a kid (dairy intolerance, stress = cramping, etc.) and was diagnosed with IBS in my 20s (I'm 39 now). The bleeding, mucus and urgency started last summer after I started birth control again and I chalked it up to hemorrhoids until two weeks ago (stupid, I know).

GI (who seems knowledgeable and competent) started me on Rowasa nightly which I began last Weds, and Prednisone oral 40mg which I started Friday (I wanted to discuss side effects and taper plan first).

I think my urgency, tenesmus and cramping with bowel movements have improved somewhat (not gone but reduced), but I'm still bleeding. It's hard to tell if I'm really passing mucus still because I'm passing Rowasa in the mornings. A little constipated but that's normal for me. At what point should the bleeding be stopping? How long does it take to hit remission?

By the way, all my trigger foods are UC triggers so avoiding those - spicy, nuts, popcorn, dairy, alcohol, chocolate - and also for me, raw fruits/veggies and anything high fiber right now.

I think I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to improve and disappointed/worried each morning when the blood is still there.

Thanks!

Thanks, quincy. No oral mesalamine yet - appointment tomorrow. I will check - thanks.

The first few nights I was retaining about half the enema through the night - last night was the first time I retained the whole thing. Though from the first night I have been able to keep it in a minimum of 45 mins. (Minus any spillage - still getting the hang of getting it all in properly).

I'm following the instructions on the sheet - and in the pinned post at the top of this forum - but it seems as I squeeze the bottle, sometimes it's either a bit painful (like the nozzle isn't pointed where it should be) or slips out a bit, resulting in a small spill.

Thanks! I will try that tonight 😊

The million dollar question in the UC gig is when will i be in remission and fully healed. Very hard to answer, as it varies wildly person to person.

For me, blood is the very first symptom to go away. For others it is the very last symptom to go away.

Healing is a painfully, frustratingly slow process. You should start seeing big improvements in 3-4 weeks if you have the right treatment or combo of treatments. However, the hardest part is the last bit of healing to 100 percent and that can take many months.

If you plateau, or get worse then it's essential to contact your gasteroenterologist asap and mix up your treatment until you continue on the path of healing. There's a great deal of trial and error in treating UC. You should always see steady, slow improvement over time. If not then you're stuck with lingering symptoms and simmering inflammation which can result in you falling off the cliff back into a flare again.

Remission is the only sure fired way to stay stable and have the best possible quality of life. It feels like a moonshot for some of us, a struggle over many months or even years, but always worth it when remission is achieved. Forgetting about UC is always worth it, 1 bm a day without urgency is my remission.

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Moderator Ulcerative Colitis
John, 38, UC Proctosigmoiditis
Rx: Remicade @5mgs/kg/6wks; 50mgs 6MP, 4.8g Mesalamine DR
UC urgency, there's just no prize for second place. Aim for the gold or brace for a poopslposion.

Post Edited (iPoop) : 2/14/2017 10:00:18 AM (GMT-7)

Every flare is different. This one I'm in now is the longest I've ever bled daily. I think it's getting better because there has been less blood for the last four or five days. Saturday was awesome as I really couldn't see blood. I'm not out of the outhouse yet though.

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39, M, MO
Diagnosed in 1997 UC. Pretty much go on Prednisone and Cortenemas to get out of flares. No meds while in remission which lasts from a 1-1/2 to 3 years.
Current flare since 12-25-16.

Jane974 said...

It's also good to know that left sided UC doesn't affect your entire colon and is easier to treat overall with enemas.

Nope....not a fact and not a good suggestion to make.

q

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*Heather* I give suggestions, do with them what you will.
Status: ...Asacol 3 @ 2x daily; Salofalk enema @ 3rd night (nightly/ flares, tapered/maintenance)
~diagnosed January 1989 UC (proctosigmoiditis)
~Bentylol 20mg as needed; Zantac 150mg; Pulmicort/Airomir (asthma);Effexor XR 37.5 (depression)
~vitamins/minerals/supplements; Probiotics....(RenewLife Ultimate Flora Critical Care+Primadophilus Reuteri capsules @ bedtime)
~Metamucil capsules 7 @ 2x daily with meals; Vitamin D 4500 IU
~URSO 500mg @ 2x daily for Primary Biliary Cholangitis
My doc's logic.. "TREAT (FROM)BOTH ENDS" worth it !!!

Update: thanks to everyone for the help with my question! Quincy, I did much better with the Rowasa last night and also realized that I hadn't been getting the full amount out of the bottle previously. It's awkward but managed to squeeze from the bottom to get most of it out. Retained 100% overnight.

My cramping and urgency are getting a little better each day (only 2 trips to bathroom yesterday!) but still blood this morning. I am a bit constipated because I've removed so much fiber from my diet and stopped birth control 2 weeks ago, so that may be contributing to my "easier" mornings as well.

However generally improving overall I think, and I will discuss with my GI today. It's been one week on the rowasa (though clearly not getting all of it in until last night) and five days today on 40mg prednisone so will be interested to hear his thoughts. I have a list of questions prepared!

So, update: saw my GI yesterday, and the plan is to start tapering my prednisone on Saturday, slowly. In the meantime, though, as I started retaining the Rowasa, my symptoms started getting worse, and I had painful bloody diarrhea today, not something that was a normal symptom for me, as well as the return of urgency, spasms and tenesmus. They are stopping the Rowasa for now with a plan to start the prednisone taper on Saturday and then start another medication (yet to be seen if I am tolerating mesalamine) once I am fully responsive to prednisone and at 20mg/day. Biopsy showed no
dysplasia and mildly active ulcerative colitis through the sigmoid colon. I was doing much better symptomatically until I started inserting all of the Rowasa and retaining it two nights ago so he feels the prednisone is doing its short term job and we will be able to transition to a maintenance med in the next couple of weeks. They also said they would want to re scope in August to be sure I am fully healed and not just getting symptomatic relief.