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Returning to running after a flare

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Celeriac
Regular Member
Joined : May 2017
Posts : 197
Posted 3/20/2020 11:28 AM (GMT -7)
Hello!

I had a colonoscopy last month and got great news: Colon looks totally normal, save for 4 inches of quiescent inflammation in the rectum. I’ve been feeling great — not perfect, but it was a two-year flare so I’m keeping my expectations reasonable.

I’ve felt well enough to stage an excessively gradual return to running (was previously into distance; marathons and halfs). When I attempted a return to running last year, after getting a bit of improvement, my guts immediately got very, very angry. My meds were upped and I resolved to wait until I felt substantially better, talked to my doctor about hydration, etc. But since then I’ve stuck to spin/cycling and yoga.

For the past three weeks, I’ve been doing a very easy interval program, and have progressed to a whopping 2 miles of 1:00 run/recover intervals. I’ve also noted a marked spike in number of BMs (was at 1-2, now pretty consistently at 2-3/day with a bit more discomfort). This doesn’t really bother me, as I’d expected I might have some breakthrough symptoms to start but I have 2 questions:

1. This timeline also coincides roughly with my colonoscopy - so I think it’s also possible that things were a bit shaken up by the prep, though I’m not sure how long I might expect scope-related weirdness to persist?

2. For anyone that’s been able to successfully return to running, what was it like? Any strategies that helped?

Thanks!
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16186
Posted 3/20/2020 2:33 PM (GMT -7)
Congrats you're within a remission, as quiescent means quiet/dormant/inactive. It means signs of past Inflammation was seen.

I'd guess your system is not fully back to normal, post-colonoscopy. It might take 4-5 days for things to settle down and return to your normal.
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Celeriac
Regular Member
Joined : May 2017
Posts : 197
Posted 3/20/2020 2:38 PM (GMT -7)
Thanks!

I am about 3 weeks post-scope 😂
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C_G_K
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2006
Posts : 1414
Posted 3/20/2020 3:54 PM (GMT -7)
I get back into running whenever I am in remission. I just have to build up slow to get back to where I was.
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Celeriac
Regular Member
Joined : May 2017
Posts : 197
Posted 3/20/2020 4:02 PM (GMT -7)
That’s awesome! Do you ever experience breakthrough symptoms when starting back up?
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Sara14
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Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 3/20/2020 8:51 PM (GMT -7)
Not sure what you mean by "breakthrough symptoms." You're either flaring or you're not. I used to run marathons and ultramarathons. I was sometimes flaring and sometimes was not. Some people without UC get diarrhea when they run. I assume you know if you're one of those people. None of my GIs ever told me not to run or that it could cause a flare or make an existing flare worse. They said if I feel up to it, I can keep running. I've asked probably 4 different GIs if it's okay to run while flaring.
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C_G_K
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Joined : Dec 2006
Posts : 1414
Posted 3/20/2020 9:00 PM (GMT -7)

Celeriac said...
That’s awesome! Do you ever experience breakthrough symptoms when starting back up?

The two times I had really bad flares that put me in the hospital and on I.V. steroids, I rested up for months as I recovered and started back exercising very slowly. If you are run-down from a bad flare, excessive exercise is a bad idea. On the other hand, if you are feeling strong and fully recovered, and it sounds like you are, then go for it.

I agree with Sara14, you are either flaring or you are not, and if you are not, just live your life to the fullest. Of course avoid antibiotics, NSAIDS and triggery foods, but exercise is good for you.

The main reason I wouldn't run if I was in a mild to moderate flare, is because I would likely feel like I was going to crap my pants the whole time, and that's no fun.
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Celeriac
Regular Member
Joined : May 2017
Posts : 197
Posted 3/21/2020 6:19 AM (GMT -7)
Yeah, I did my last marathon during a flare and ... never again.

Prior to UC running never gave me GI issues. Since then, however, it seems to affect me greatly, when flaring, and in a more “general weirdness” way when I’m close to/in remission. My doctors are all for me running - it’s been our treatment goal to get me well enough to run again - but we did have a conversation about the small percentage of people who never get to “normal”, even when scopes are clean, and the various triggers for symptoms thereafter. I think I may be one of those people, and I think stress, both physical and emotional, is a trigger for GI symptoms (for me). I’m just trying to figure out how to work through that, and if anyone has experience.
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quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 32558
Posted 3/21/2020 8:22 AM (GMT -7)
I'm not a runner....but use common sense to not push your body beyond the point that IT has had enough long before you see the obvious symptoms.

Stress is stress....we may logically be able to determine it, but the body that is in a recovery or after recovery has limits much lower than previously.

Go for your run...push it hard...if it doesn't work, its on you to retain the lesson for your future decisions.
Been here long enough to see that most eventually get it.... although, some never do.
I've learned for myself that justifying symptoms doesn't mean it's true.

Baby steps maybe? There's a wide range from 0 to full out. Find your OK area.

q
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 3/21/2020 9:06 AM (GMT -7)
Hmm, weird. I've never heard or read that before in my life and I've done a ton of research about running and UC because at one point I was very concerned with figuring out if running was making my UC worse. I guess if that were the case, then you're just stuck with it? I don't think you'll find any answers here. I've looked through the past post history and I've made posts about running in the past myself.
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Celeriac
Regular Member
Joined : May 2017
Posts : 197
Posted 3/21/2020 9:19 AM (GMT -7)
I kind of figured - I also poked around a bit here and didn’t find anything. Docs just say go easy and emphasize hydration. My assumption currently is that it’s just going to take awhile to adjust, so I shall carry on at turtle pace. I initially had similar issues when increasing cycling intensity, but I was still technically flaring at that point. Just figured I’d throw the Hail Mary in case anyone was going through something similar at present.

Thanks!
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 3/21/2020 9:22 AM (GMT -7)
Maybe someone else will chime in. I hope it does improve for you.
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quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 32558
Posted 3/21/2020 9:27 AM (GMT -7)
https://autoimmunewellness.com/could-exercise-intolerance-be-impacting-your-recovery/


I didn't have to look too hard for a link.

q
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straydog
Forum Moderator
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 18315
Posted 3/21/2020 9:30 AM (GMT -7)
I just used the Custom Search & typed in "running exercise & UC forum". There are many threads when typed in this way. Everything from regular running to marathons. You might want to give this a try.
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Celeriac
Regular Member
Joined : May 2017
Posts : 197
Posted 3/21/2020 9:42 AM (GMT -7)
I’m familiar with exercise intolerance - in my case, that seems to fit less well, as I’ve been cycling/spinning at a much greater effort level than the running I’m currently doing. I’m also familiar with ischemic colitis/runners colitis (this the emphasis on hydration). I seem to be more sensitive to running, specifically, and it’s taking longer to adjust than it did when I ramped up cycling intensity. Which is fine; just wondering if anyone else had similar experience and, if so, how they proceeded.

There are lots of threads on running with UC, I was specifically wondering if anyone had any experience with returning to it after an extended flare. There isn’t any good info on that, specifically, that I’ve found.
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RyanC
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 98
Posted 3/21/2020 4:26 PM (GMT -7)
I used to run 10 miles a day, got UC 2 years ago and now can barely run a mile. Sorry for the bad news but got off all medications since January and hopefully I can get back into it. I feel biologics really messed me up even though I’m in remission. Pick you poison I guess.
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Celeriac
Regular Member
Joined : May 2017
Posts : 197
Posted 3/21/2020 4:38 PM (GMT -7)
RyanC - Ugh, I’m sorry. ☹️ Hopefully things will get better for you. We’re you having issues with fatigue while on the biologics?

It’s very frustrating, having to scale back so much when you’re used to distance.
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RyanC
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 98
Posted 3/23/2020 7:04 AM (GMT -7)
Definitely having issues with fatigue and joint pain while on biologics. Hope to start running again soon. January 6th was my last infusion, so I should be getting better. I hear it takes 3 months or so to get all that stuff out of your system.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 3/23/2020 11:12 AM (GMT -7)
I miss running, too. Hopefully we can all get back to it soon! I am starting at scratch now and super out of shape. Used to be able to go out for a 25-mile training run! I also heard Humira takes 3 months to get out of your system! I'm at 1.5 months and counting!
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