Open main menu ☰
HealingWell
Search Close Search
Health Conditions
Allergies Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety & Panic Disorders Arthritis Breast Cancer Chronic Illness Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes
Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Migraine Headache Multiple Sclerosis Prostate Cancer Ulcerative Colitis

View Conditions A to Z »
Support Forums
Anxiety & Panic Disorders Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Chronic Pain Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux
Hepatitis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Multiple Sclerosis Ostomies Prostate Cancer Rheumatoid Arthritis Ulcerative Colitis

View Forums A to Z »
Log In
Join Us
Close main menu ×
  • Home
  • Health Conditions
    • All Conditions
    • Allergies
    • Alzheimer's Disease
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Arthritis
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Illness
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Migraine Headache
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Support Forums
    • All Forums
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Pain
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Hepatitis
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Ostomies
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Log In
  • Join Us
Join Us
☰
Forum Home| Forum Rules| Moderators| Active Topics| Help| Log In

Hydrocortisone Enema Questions

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
profile picture
HaleyA
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2021
Posts : 198
Posted 4/1/2021 7:29 AM (GMT -6)
Hi everyone. I’m new to the forum. Happy to have found it. I’ve had UC since 2019. My disease only extends to my sigmoid colon. I am on oral mesalamine and before this flare I was doing nightly mesalamine enemas. This combo seemed to be working great until I got food poisoning and it seemed to mess me up.

I found myself in a flare up recently consisting of stomach cramping and passing blood. I rarely have diarrhea with a flare so I’m thankful for that. My doctor prescribed a 2 week course of nightly hydrocortisone enemas and to begin to taper after 2 weeks and do mesalamine nightly enemas again. The hydrocortisone have worked great. Symptoms were gone after about 3-4 days. I am supposed to taper starting this Sunday. I am nervous because I don’t want the flare to start again. Is there anything I can do during the taper to better my chances of success? Has anyone used these and not flared once off of them? Any advice would be great. Thanks!
profile picture
quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 33217
Posted 4/1/2021 11:30 AM (GMT -6)
What is the tapering schedule suggested?

Welcome to the forum!
q
profile picture
HaleyA
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2021
Posts : 198
Posted 4/1/2021 11:37 AM (GMT -6)
My doctor suggested I taper to every other day and then to every 2 days and no more after that. She also said to replace the hydrocortisone enema back with my mesalamine enemy on the days that I’m tapering down until I’m only on mesalamine again.

Does that sound like a plan that will help me from flaring again?
profile picture
quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 33217
Posted 4/1/2021 11:46 AM (GMT -6)
I suggest you ask the doc for you to do both the steroid and mesalamine for a week...then start tapering the steroid.

Tapering is a process...and if you need to step up again, that's OK. Never flaring again shouldn't be a goal...learning about and understanding UC and its symptoms and how to treat will serve you a long time, and hopefully, lifelong.

I know of many who flare seldom...but they are on maintenance meds. I still flare, but extremely mild because of my meds and continual monitoring of what my symptoms mean. Took a long while to get there, however.

When were you diagnosed?

q
profile picture
HaleyA
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2021
Posts : 198
Posted 4/1/2021 12:10 PM (GMT -6)
So when you say do them both for a week.... do you mean one of them at night and one in the morning?

I was diagnosed in September 2019. I flared once last summer and that’s when I started doing nightly mesalamine enemas and it came under control. This is my second time flaring since being diagnosed. For maintenance I take 4 Lialda and 1 mesalamine enema at night.
profile picture
quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 33217
Posted 4/1/2021 12:18 PM (GMT -6)
Hi...yes one in the morning and one at night.

You were on the nightly enemas continually? What ones and what dosage?

What were your symptoms while flaring and what are they now?

q
profile picture
HaleyA
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2021
Posts : 198
Posted 4/1/2021 12:24 PM (GMT -6)
I did the nightly enemas most of the time. I would sometimes skip nights and I did try to come off of them once but I started bleeding again.
They are the 4g mesalamine enemas.

When I flare I have mild stomach cramps and bleeding. I have solid bowel movements even during a flare. I don’t have any symptoms at all now since being on the hydrocortisone
profile picture
momto2boys
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 2516
Posted 4/1/2021 3:03 PM (GMT -6)
I have used them many times over the years, I have been fine alternating every other day l, but if you are nervous, try using the hydrocortisone ones for two nights, then mesalamine for a night, the 2 nights of the steroid, it that goes well switch to every other day and then the reverse, two nights of mesalamine and 1 of hydrocortisone. I’m sure you could use both, if I had to pick one I would use the steroid in the morning since it is more readily absorbed.
profile picture
HaleyA
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2021
Posts : 198
Posted 4/1/2021 3:16 PM (GMT -6)
When you came fully off of the steroid were you out of your flare? I think this so what I’m most worried about because I’m just not very familiar with how steroids work and have never really used them in my life before now.
profile picture
momto2boys
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 2516
Posted 4/2/2021 5:05 AM (GMT -6)
I was not fully out of my flare when I tapered off the steroid enemas but much more stable so the rowasa was able to work more effectively. I am allergic to sulfites and have to use sfRowasa which isn’t always available so I have used the steroid enemas daily for as long as 3 months, the longer you use them, the slower you have to taper off of them.
profile picture
Old Hat
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2007
Posts : 5708
Posted 4/3/2021 11:42 PM (GMT -6)
You could also ask your doctor to try Colazal instead of Lialda, since your UC is confined to proctosigmoid region. Colazal (brandname) was devised especially to treat left-sided UC. (It now has about 3 generics, known as Balsalazide disodium.) / Old Hat (40 yrs with left-sided UC; in remission taking Colazal)
profile picture
HaleyA
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2021
Posts : 198
Posted 4/4/2021 7:59 PM (GMT -6)
Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions! smile
profile picture
Charliei2016
New Member
Joined : May 2021
Posts : 4
Posted 5/4/2021 7:47 AM (GMT -6)
Hi! I was just curious if you had any side effects from the hydrocortisone enema? This is my first time taking a steroid too and I’m very hesitant about it.
profile picture
HaleyA
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2021
Posts : 198
Posted 5/4/2021 9:44 AM (GMT -6)
Hi, I didn’t have any side effects at all. Hope you don’t either!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply


More On Ulcerative Colitis

Living With An Ostomy

Living With An Ostomy

8 Foods To Avoid With Ulcerative Colitis

8 Foods To Avoid With Ulcerative Colitis


HealingWell

About Us  |   Advertise  |   Subscribe  |   Privacy & Disclaimer
Connect With Us
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn
© 1997-2022 HealingWell.com LLC All Rights Reserved. Our website is for informational purposes only. HealingWell.com LLC does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.