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Steroid withdrawl or UC?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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VanJordan
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2019
Posts : 101
Posted 2/16/2021 3:28 PM (GMT -7)
I've been on prednisone for 2 years and now I'm tapering. No maintenance drugs -- they don't work. I have refused colectomy. Bowels are doing much better now, thanks to various alternative methods.

My question is...

I've gone from 10mg to 5mg of pred, and I did have a couple of days of feeling really weak and achy. My bowel frequency has increased, but aside from that there are no UC symptoms. No weight loss, no cramping, no blood or mucous, just frequency. I sleep through the night but when I wake up in the morning I have a bunch of incomplete BMs, maybe 3 or 4 by noon. Then not much more for the day. The stuff that comes out is stuff I ate the day before.

Is the increase in frequency due to steroid withdrawal? I read that diarrhea can be a symptom of low cortisol.

I've been taking immodium and it seems to be helping. Aside from the frequency I seem to be doing ok.
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CCinPA
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1574
Posted 2/16/2021 5:27 PM (GMT -7)
Since you have been on pred for so long you may need to taper slower -- say 1 mg at a time. I would go back up to 10 and ask your doc for a script for 1 mg tablets and then only go down 1 mg at a time and take it slow.
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TroubledTurds
Veteran Member
Joined : Jan 2004
Posts : 8595
Posted 2/16/2021 6:06 PM (GMT -7)
once you enter the 10 or less club, things can get a bit dicey - totally agree with CC - take it slower ! you'll get there -


TT
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VanJordan
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2019
Posts : 101
Posted 2/17/2021 11:29 AM (GMT -7)
The plan seems to be to keep me at 5mg but prescribe me hydrocortisone which has a shorter half life. Then I can taper off the 5mg without having to go down 1mg at a time.

I'm still nervous that my UC is going to come back. My stools reek right now, but I think it's because transit time is faster. No blood or mucous. It just smells gross.
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