I'm a little confused about some symptoms!

I take Canasa every night for 2 weeks out of a month and then it's every other night for the remaining 2 (ideally this is supposed to be the regimine).  Because on my last cscope the doc said I still have inflammation in the rectal area but the rest of my colon looked good.  So he told me to use the Canasa to keep the inflammation under control.  When I try to take Canasa every other night, I get D the morning after the night I don't take it. So then I go back to every night and I feel fine - no d, no urgency and fairly solid bm's.  I can't seem to get on them every other night.  Now if I read all those websites right, isn't D typically associated with inflammation in the sigmoid area and not rectum?  So if this is the case then why would I get D if my inflammation is only rectal? I didn't think that Canasa reached to the sigmoid or does it?  Because truly, I feel fine, normal and all that when I'm on it every night.  Oh and it's been like this since April and I keep forgetting to ask my doc about that because I have some other health issues going on at the moment that we are focusing on.

---

Sherry,

My UC was mostly limited to the rectum and I had chronic diarrhea for over 2 years. As with all other facets of the disease I think it's unpredictable.

Sue

---

dx proctitis in 1987

I think it's a toss-up as to whether sigmoid colon or rectum most affects D-- inflammation in either place can make us truly miserable. What I find really annoying, as I've written before in other threads, is that we in the U.S. STILL cannot get 5-ASA rectal foam, which would be much more convenient to apply & retain than those blasted Canasa suppositories that can ooze out, making a greasy mess. If you're getting results from them, though, then it's probably better to take nightly to avoid D in AM. It sounds like they are really doing helpful duty in the rectum, which is where the urge to eliminate reportedly comes from. / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC; currently on 3 X 3 Colazal daily for July flare in descending colon, which is responding)

I started a one a night regimen of Canasa after a bout of Diarrhea last week.  The urgency has let up somewhat but loose BM's are always present.  Sue is right.  There is nothing predictable about this disease. 

Considering the rectum is about 10 inches long, it would probably depend on how high in the rectum the inflammation is as to what the symptoms are.

If you were continuing to have more frequency rather than diarrhea in the morning/once a day...then I'd be thinking it would be higher.

Stress, hormones, food and fluid intake can also influence how stuff comes out and how fast it travels in the colon.

Was it actual diarrhea water-like or very loose stool?

Could you up the colazal maybe..or are you on the highest dosage?

Consider a fibre supplement to bulk things up a bit...that will ease that a bit and not have you focus on that too much considering all you're going through at this time.

Can the doc maybe prescribe you some steroid suppositories to use in conjunction to help get the inflammation down?

We are all different and for each of us, the unpredictability can certainly give us a turn to worry.

Hope this is only a short-term thing.

quincy

---

Thanks everyone :) I guess I was just confused as to the symptoms in relation to the inflammation level. Unpredictable for sure!

Heather - Yes, it's actual D on the days I don't take them but on the days that I do, everything is "normal" again. My gi once mentioned that he has some patients that are on them daily for years I was just hoping that since I started the 6mp, maybe I could lessen some of my meds :( I'm on 9 Colazal a day which as far as I know is the max. I did try to taper one pill a month from the Colazal but I'm unable to do so. The D could very well be from that but I doubt it since I've had this problem since April of this year and I didn't start the taper until just recently. I've tried finding a suitable fiber supplement for me but my body doesn't like fiber much. It increases any D that I'm having, throws in some left sided pain, and urgency galore. Any suggestions to a gut friendly one?

---

Not every UC patient has a 10-inch rectum! I was surprised to hear from my gastro a few months ago that the colon of UCers tends to shrink lengthwise over time. I knew about the narrowing issue, but did not realize that the disease process also can affect overall length of the organ. Sort of better NOT to know some of these things ... (???) Well, I really can't be bothered worrying about THAT, too! / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC; currently on 3 X 3 Colazal daily for July flare in descending colon, which is responding)

LOL...I guess if things were stretched out, it would be different than what would be measured as it sits in the body. It makes sense that the rectum would become shorter if it's become atophied and lost it's elasticity and ability to move/contract/expel properly. Constant spasming and inflammation would definitely change things.

In that sense...maybe once that has happened, the rest of the colon reacts differently?

Interesting..thanx OH!

q

---

Sherry..I can relate to the left sided pain with fibre supplements.although, I've only tried metamucil. I only use it during flares with diarrhea, not daily.

There's one with inulin that's been suggested as a good thing for the colon...I think it's fiber choice or fibercon. I'll have to do the research. The ones with methylcellulose might also be a good choice since they are more "hypoallergenic"...

Make sure you read all ingredients and not take any with artificial sweeteners that can irritate or cause gas/diarrhea, etc.

Oh, another one I have read is acacia...I think someone else is using that one as well as a bulker.

quincy

---

Thanks, I will look into those fiber supplements when I get back from vacation.

---

FYI all concerned: in U.S. Stony Field Farm yogurt lists inulin as an ingredient in its products. I noticed that Sara14 put SFF yogurt in her tag-- she can probably advise on possible effects/benefits. / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC; currently on 3 X 3 Colazal daily for July flare in descending colon, which is responding)

Quincy 

Hi...it seems the info varies depending on what/where it's found. It seems the rectum according to some is 8 - 10 inches..unless that means rectum going into the sigmoid....others are 4 - 6 inches. Seems a big descrepancy..so pick a number. No kidding Old Hat, that not everyone's is 10 inches. I should have rechecked before stating that info obviously..eeks!

It seems that the colon measurement can be 4 - 6 feet..so, I guess it's age, stature, body shape, m/f etc that determines the size.

All of the measurements I will assume are by how it sits in the body..not stretched out..which would be much more.

I read the small intestine is about 20 feet...so, that's a long way travelling during digestion.

quincy

---

Quincy you have great memory, I did the acacia fiber and it didn't work for me. I was having formed stools but still watery diarreah and I switched to this fiber and since then I can't get back to formed stools

---

I had the Rocephin shot and 2 weeks of Omnicef, this helped with my bloating and digestion. That was 4/15/07

fiber choice is the one with inulin....good luck!

---

katie
22
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery
on antibiotics while undergoing further testing by doctor
will start VSL #3 when antibiotics are done.