question on blood

If the incidence of blood comes

Hmm.. Well, they say that bright red blood usually means it's further down in the digestive tract, and it's most likely from internal hemorrhoids or inflammation/ulcers in the rectum area I guess.

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Female, 22, Ulcerative colitis (pancolitis) since 1999; GERD; gastritis; osteopenia in hip & lumbar region of spine from long term prednisone use

Current Meds:
Primadophilus Reuteri
40 mg Citalopram (for depression/social anxiety)
125mg Imuran

yes, the brightness comes from lower down, so i am guessing it might be irritation in the lower part of the colon...i'm not a doctor obviously....just a guess

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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.

It all means you're still flaring and the mucosal layer that's inflamed is very fragile and bleeds easily with the passage of stool.

If you were bleeding throughout the colon, you'd have obviously red blood if having many times a day bms...since the colon will eliminate at a faster pace.

If it's with a more solid stool and brighter blood..it would probably be lower..in the rectum.

I wouldn't think it was from hemorrhoids if you don't have them. Do you have rectal discomfort/pain during those bms>

q

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Thankfully I'm not (much) bleeding anymore! (touch wood!). I had this pattern of bleeding throughout this flare which I'm hoping is coming to an end. I've never even had the slighest pain sensation with UC - despite having severe pancolitis. I guess I should be thankful for that. I have my normal BM in the morning - no blood and good solid texture. In the night then I might pass some mucus and blood. Both seem to be on the decline. If I don't eat dairy I get very little of both. If I eat dairy then 2-3 hours later I get a rumbling grumbling sloshing colon and I know there is mucus and a bit of blood on the way.

Could the dairy be irritating the colon wall?

D

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5 mg Pred (yuck!)

Are you have been tested yet for a dairy allergy (if you have told sorry I can't remember). Are you eating it in large quantities?

Do you mind cutting your signature to 10 lines or less? Thanks!

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Tabitha (Tab)

100mg Azathioprine, 2 Fibercon, Colazal-6 a day, Acidopholis Pearls, Prilosec OTC

http://www.healingwell.com/donate
Co-Moderator UC Forum

I havent been blood tested for allergies. I did some muscle stress testing with 2 different companies. One said I was intolerant of dairy, the other said I wasn't. I'm off Pred from yesterday and I notice if I remove this my signature becomes 10 lines. Spookey or what!!!!

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5 mg Pred (yuck!)

Damo...it's possible that the milk stimulates your digestive tract -- hence the rumbles and the need to go. Iwould say you you are in fact lactose intolerant. We all are up to a point being adults. I wouldn't say you have an allergy.

Regarding your signature, you should state the fact that you just got off pred...and on one line state supplements, etc separated by commas. Many won't know that you've been just off pred if it's not on there. Remove the ones that are crossed off.

q

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Quincy,

The web provides lots of info about lactose intolerance. But no site explains HOW lactose intolerance affects the colon. From what I've read dairy/milk/chocolate etc are broken down in the small intestine. Ok so assuming that you are lactose intolerant then I guess the "incorrectly broken down dairy" enters the large intestine. Do you how it then causes mucus and bleeding in the large intestine. I presume the damage to the colon is a result of the cumulative effect of this poor digestion.

D

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3200 mg Asacol + 500mg suppositories as needed

Lactose intolerance doesn't cause bleeding in the colon, and the damage done by UC isn't because of poor digestion.

You'll have symptoms from milk containing products/foods in the colon because it doesn't have the enzymes to break down the undigested lactose (milk sugar). I'll assume that if an inflamed colon has more symptoms to deal with, it'll react even more. It'll probably produce more mucus to try to protect it (which is a good thing from my perspective)..the bleeding happens because the colon is fragile, and anything that passes over it will cause bleeding...maybe even the very act of peristalsis will cause it because blood may be pooled in there anyway. The colon is quite effective in elimination for UCers.
The point is to help calm the inflammation down, in turn, the reactions.

For discomfort from undigested lactose, avoidance is good.
You can get that checked from the doc..there are a few tests they do.

Damage at the cellular level is caused by the inflammation and the act of the disease itself, depending on if it's affected the mucosal layer or has gone a bit deeper into the submucosal layer.

Here's why you're bleeding...you still have inflammation. You've just been tapering off prednisone..your body has to now start producing the cortisol that was being put into your body via the pred. You're also NOT on enough rectal meds..since you've already deduced that your inflammation is low/rectally.

Please also consider to take a good probiotic..that will also help with lactose intolerance.

Consider to take the suppositories 3 times a day...that will ease the rectal inflammation.

quincy

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