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Old Hat I have a question

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Posted 8/30/2007 6:55 AM (GMT -7)
Anyone can comment on this, I just know Old Hat has the same UC (left sided ) and taking the same meds, colozal.

Hi

I'm on week 6 of colozal 4-6 a day, I have bleeding but when I had my c-scope my doctor said all the bleeding was from my hemmroids. I trust her, but it's hard to believe. I'm getting infered colaguation on them now. It takes about 5-6 treatments (laser)

I would say what has improved is I don't sit on the toilet for a hour at a time and I don't have anymore adominal pains when going to the bathroom. I able to function better and get out of the house without fighting myself. I'm still having that mucus and some urgency(still can't pass gas and I hardly have gas), 1-5 bms a day and my stools are not formed still mushy like. I've read this meds is for 6-8 weeks of treatment, do some take it longer? There's been no studies, I don't think, of people taking it for longer than 8 weeks.

I still have that ache in my jaw by my left ear. I swear I get when I'm on medication or in flare. To bite a apple hurts, b/c of opening my mouth that wide. I thought I had a cold for a couple of days (sore throat, drainage) but it went away. Weird

I guess for being on my 6th week I thought it would be gone b/c when I was on asacol and rectal enemas (rowasa) in 6 weeks it was gone (no ulcers when I had a sigmoid) I'm not doing rectal meds (my doctors said t was up to me if I wanted to do them) I just was hoping I was better along than I am. Just bummed I guess.

Any comments? Thank you.

Posted 8/30/2007 7:01 AM (GMT -7)
I've been on Colazal for over a year. I think you will find the majority of members have taken Colazal for longer than 8 weeks. The one thing I don't understand....if you are flaring...why are you only taking 4-6 colazal/day? I've been in remission going on a year and I just now tapered to 6/day. Before that I took 9/day.

Have you seen a primary about your ear? You could have a lingering ear infection. I consider myself a pro on ear infections as my son just got ear tubes for neverending ear infections. I had my first last month and boy those things hurt!

Sorry you are not feeling better. When do you see your GI again?
Posted 8/30/2007 8:34 AM (GMT -7)

Don't get me wrong I do feel better, but not confident in my stool. My GI never asked to see me again, but I want to see her and discuss the results of my c-scope. I don't remember much although I was carrying a conversation with her.

Here's some good news. I ate this morning and usually after I eat, I poo and today I didn't. Yesterday I had my hemmroids worked on good (laser) and he said this will help with having less stool a day. We'll see.

Thanks

Posted 8/30/2007 9:11 AM (GMT -7)
Hi, THEREAREMIRACLES! FYI: Colazal is now in Stage 3 (of 4) clinical trials with NIH. That means they're studying effects of usage beyond 8 weeks. My gastro told me a couple yrs ago, though, that enough is already known about 5-ASAs to make these trials pretty routine-- the docs don't expect major safety issues to crop up with this med. I hope the laser treatment clears up your hemmie problem-- many people suffer from the hs in a big way. I recall when Jimmy Carter was Prez it even got written up in the news that he needed surgery to get relief from HIS hs! Take care & avoid spices & other known irritants so that you can give the hemmie as much rest as possible. Then I think you'll do well. If you feel a need to discuss c-scope results with gastro, make an appointment ; contact often comes down to your insurance or lack thereof. It is usual to see IBD gastro 3 X yr. if ailment is under control. / 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)

Posted 8/30/2007 10:02 AM (GMT -7)
wait...ive been on colozal, 4 pills 3 times a day for nearly a year now....are you guys talking about some other form of colozal? Was it more common to only be on it for two months?
Posted 8/30/2007 10:08 AM (GMT -7)
I just read that in a 6-8 weeks study this should bring you into remission. I'm on week 6 and was hoping to be further along than I am. I do have to say today was the first day since I can remember that I ate breakfast and didn't go to the bathroom! I ate after my post so, I'm feeling pretty good about this.

How do you feel being on colozal?

 

Posted 8/30/2007 5:11 PM (GMT -7)
to be honest, exactly how i felt about asacol. if you imagine me as being in permanent mild flare, asacol and colozal both only 'slow' my return to flare status after ive spent time with prednizone. BUT, its a more effective delivery mechanism of 5ASA, isn't it? So maybe ive just lost my response to that over the years.

colozal+SCD seemed to have been the slowest 'return to flare' combination, but i've yet to call myself in total remission, which my doctor said 6-12 months after your last steroid dose.
Posted 8/31/2007 8:29 AM (GMT -7)

Hi Old Hat and Bjoe,

Remember my ear was hurting? I went to the doctor and he said it was inflammed and full of fluid. He gave me a depo shot (a steriod that lasts 30 days) then a presciption of amoxicillian. He did say I had an infection so I'm not doing the antibiotics but I had to do the shot. My ear is killing me to a point it hard to open my mouth to eat. I thought it was from the medicaiton, colozal, but it wasn't.

So I should still take my colozal right? I just get nervous being on different medications.

Posted 8/31/2007 9:31 AM (GMT -7)
oh yeah--dont stop taking the colozal until the doc says to.
Posted 8/31/2007 4:02 PM (GMT -7)
You must stay on Colazal!!!!!!!!!!!! Amoxicillin is in the Penicillin "family"-- so be sure you're not allergic there. Sorry to read that you got an ear infection. / 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)
Posted 8/31/2007 6:42 PM (GMT -7)
I took amoxicillan for an ear infection a few months ago. They didn't give me a shot though...never heard of that. Hope your ear starts feeling better soon. Ear infections suck big time.
Posted 9/1/2007 7:50 AM (GMT -7)
Here's what the doctor said "I'm giving you amoxicillian IN CASE you have a infection. He didn't say I had one, just my ear was inflamed b/c of the fluid. I'm not taking it b/c I've been on antibiotics since June two courses and I'm not going for a 3rd. The two I took previous were strong.

Yesterday was the first day I only had one bm, not a good one and it seemed like all day things just build and build (gas and stool) this morning I pooped for 1/2 hour just piles of poo. Why? This is diarreah right? Since it not formed and just mush. My intestines hurt so bad (below my belly button), that I feel I could poop even for another hour. I keep going and going. I really feel like there's never any waste/stool in my body for more than 8 hours at a time maybe less. This is not good.

I don't know if colozal is helping.

Posted 9/1/2007 9:56 AM (GMT -7)
Is the depo shot just supposed to help with the pain or make the inflammation go down? It sounds like an ear infection to me if it is inflamed, has lots of fluid and is extremely painful. You might have a hard time getting rid of your ear infection if you don't take the antibiotics, but I can understand why you wouldn't want to take a third round. Hang in there.
Posted 9/1/2007 1:28 PM (GMT -7)
"Yesterday was the first day I only had one bm, not a good one and it seemed like all day things just build and build (gas and stool) this morning I pooped for 1/2 hour just piles of poo. Why? This is diarreah right? Since it not formed and just mush. My intestines hurt so bad (below my belly button), that I feel I could poop even for another hour. I keep going and going. I really feel like there's never any waste/stool in my body for more than 8 hours at a time maybe less. This is not good."

ive been there--be sure you keep an eye on whether or not things get more formed or simply become watery. The later would be a sign of your colon's inflammation getting worse and water not being absorbed.
Posted 9/2/2007 5:37 AM (GMT -7)

Thanks my stool is always mush. I can hear in my colon (left side) gas and water especially in the mornng and when I go to the bath room it's white stuff and some diareah and then I poo, always mush. I can remember a couple formed bm's when I started this medicaiton and that lasted about a week and then went away. Once when I was on no medication after I hadt the rocephin shot and was on omnicef antibiotic I had a formed stool. When I have formed stool I know I have no inflammation. Why did it start and stop when I started taking this medication. It just bums me out. The docs say take fiber, trust me I went that route for a long time. Still my stools were bigger in size but very air like or fluffy but still not formed with no water. Is the left sided colitis the hardest to get rid of? Last night I did a canasa and still the same this morning. I'm almost out of my first bottle of colozal and darn it, I thought I'd be doing better. How come this is. When I was on asacol and 6 weeks later my doctor look with a sigmoid and I could tell too that the inflammation was gone BUT MY STOOL WERE STILL MUSH. Do you think the medication could give me this unformed stools? Heck I had when I wasn't on medss and when I meds so I guess it's just what I have right now. There's hope for me though b/c there have been a few and I can count them on my hand where I've had formed stools.

Hang in there and I will, I'm so determined to get healed.

Posted 9/3/2007 10:32 AM (GMT -7)
Stool consistency is not the major issue when 1st coming out of a flare; the no. of bms daily + reduction of urgency are the 1st signs that UC is responding to the meds. It might take you another 2-3 mo. to stabilize, if you stay on oral 5-ASAs. The process takes a while, believe me. One has to be careful about diet, too. There are foods that help with water absorption from the colon: plain boiled rice at 1st, then cooked oatmeal (not the instant that has chemical additives), shredded wheat, and when you're down to 1 bm daily, a small serving of beans. The fiber in beans is very good & helps make nice formed bms once you get rid of the inflammation. As many of us have said, you were not taking the standard dose of Colazal, 3 X 3 capsules daily-- so, that can explain your results to-date. RE ear: could a swimming pool be the cause of your problem? Worth thinking about if you've been using the same one & have repeat ear inflammation ... / 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)
Posted 9/3/2007 6:40 PM (GMT -7)
therearemiracles you said you are on canasa when needed. Can you please tell me what color they are? I recently picked up some from walgreens and they are brown. I have used them before and I remember them being white. Can you help?
Posted 9/4/2007 7:08 AM (GMT -7)

I thought I'd be funny and swing off a rope naked into the river and that's probably what got me. Stupid but fun. Every day is different for me as far as my bm's. Like yesterday a little mush in the morning, nothing all day long (here's the best part I was able to pass gas without fear yesterday, it's been so long for me) so, 1 bm yesterday, this morning I've been in the bathroom since 8:30am and now it's 10am and i just went again. I have piles of poo mixed with watery diarreah. The cramps are so bad I want to call my mommy.  No blood for the past 4 days. I feel like it's getting better, but very s-l-o-w-l-y.

Guess What? I'm selling this house to a guy who has UC. I didn't know it until he and his wife asked me to go out on Sat. I was telling the wife and she says my husband has that. So he came over and I could not believe it! The same thing! I've never met anyone in person that had UC. He's my age, late 30's! He said to me, when you were showing me the house, my left side was killing me and I said to him, when I was showing you the house, I was praying I wouldn't have to poop! We laughed. But now looking back, he did look like he was in pain. It's like when you're flaring and your in pain and someone is talking to you, it's like you're trying to pay attention, but all you can think about is the pain! He had that look. Anyways, it was cool to talk to him and I made new friends.

Posted 9/4/2007 7:13 AM (GMT -7)
Hi Pattywatty,


My canasa are off white color, never dark color. I do like them though, they stop the bleeding for me. Sorry it took me so long to get back, I didn't see you question until I reread the whole post. You can always email at if you want to talk more.

**Check her member page for email information.**-Tabitha

Blessings



Linda

Post Edited By Moderator (tjf) : 9/4/2007 8:37:18 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/4/2007 7:36 AM (GMT -7)
Pattywatty.....I believe Canasa are supposed to be white color. If I recall correctly you already had a post on this? I suggest calling your pharmacy.
Posted 9/4/2007 7:38 AM (GMT -7)
Linda.....we suggest not including personal information in posts. I see your email is on your member page. That way only members of this site can look up your email and not the general public. Just an FYI. I deleted it from your post and included how to view it.
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