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What would you do? Need advise

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/7/2007 6:28 AM (GMT -7)
Little background info - I was thrown into a mini flare after a surgery/med ordeal.  I was told by my GI to start taking Canasa every night (before then I was only doing maybe once a week).  I started feeling better so I stopped the Canasa and actually started have full formed bm's (I haven't seen those in years!).  Plus I started on a probiotic.  Thinking that I didn't want to play with fire, I did a Canasa for maintenance and the next day I had multiple bathroom trips with D and pain.  The next day I didn't do a Canasa and I had formed bm's again.  I have an intolerance to Rowasa so I think I'm having the same reaction to Canasa.  So here is where I need some advise - I have started seeing blood again these past few days.  Just on the stool like a stripe with a little pain upon passing. 

*Can upping the dosage of a probiotic take care of the bleeding? Or does one have to have a rectal med to eliminate the blood? 

*Canasa takes care of my bleeding but causes other grief such as D, so would you take it to eliminate the bleeding, endure the D and hope that after you stop it that your body would right itself?

*Knowing that if you can't tolerate mesalamines - would you call the GI to start on steroid enemas for MINOR bleeding?  Seems a bit of overkill for minor bleeding.

I guess I'm just confused as to where to go from here.  Mind you, I have NO other symptoms other then the minor bleeding and a little pain.  I am only going to the bathroom once a day.

Posted 11/7/2007 8:15 AM (GMT -7)
Jini Patel Thompson's book Listen to Your Gut offers a diet specifically for helping heal intestinal bleeding. I can send you the info, if you're interested.
Posted 11/7/2007 8:35 AM (GMT -7)
I don't think that Canasa works for my bleeding either. At the first sight of blood, I go with Cortifoam. (Easier to retain and far more comfortable than the enema.) Sometimes, I use it only a few nights and get back on track. Other times I use it every night for a week, then every other night for a second week. I think it's a pretty low dose of steriods that gets absorbed into the system, so I don't stress out about it. But I'm not thrilled about it either!

I don't think upping the probiotic can make that kind of big difference... but that's just my opinion. I've been thinking that some of kind of aloe drink might be more effective. THere's info about that on Dr. Andrew Weil's website that's good.

BUT -- you know, it's interesting that you only have minor bleeding and no other symptoms. Sounds like a question for the GI. Could it be hemoroids? I've never had blood without D or mucus also.
Posted 11/7/2007 8:43 AM (GMT -7)
Julee, Canasa heals my bleeding but causes other intestinal discomfort such as D and urgency. And, no I don't have hemmeroids or a fissure. My GI checked me just recently. It seems the older I get, the longer I have this, the odder or more stubborn my symptoms get! Not to mention all the other goodies I get with this DD are just not typical! Who is Dr. Weil?

Princesa, Listen to your Gut, is that a highly restrictive diet like SCD? Is the diet something you would have to adhere to permenantly in order for it to keep working? The reason I ask is because I have NO willpower when it comes to diets! Never have....I like my food too much I guess! :)
Posted 11/7/2007 9:37 AM (GMT -7)
I would agree with the recommendations for Cortifoam. In my experience Canasa sucks big time. / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])

Posted 11/7/2007 10:49 AM (GMT -7)
Sherry....the fact that you can't take the 5ASA rectal meds is interesting since you're on Colazal...maybe the combo is just too much....but it could be that you're not on enought meds which is causing the catch 22 situation.  Not enough but it's too much causing other symptoms.

What about doing entocort oral and a rectal steroid (foam as others have suggested)?

Maybe the fact that you're on a 5ASA continually isn't good, but you're not flaring continuously..so, that's probably not it.

The Bio-Pro can be taken more often...I 'm sure I read that. You could definitely try and see if that helps. How many are you taking?

I hope things improve for you. I doubt it's food that's causing any bleeding..it could still be the period connection...are you soon to start again?

Were you checked for endo?

quincy
Posted 11/7/2007 11:05 AM (GMT -7)
Taking the bee propolis all these years now (daily) is the only thing that keeps my bleeding at bay, maybe you should consider going back on it? Possibly BP along with cortifoam can help with your bleeding issues.

:)
Posted 11/7/2007 12:02 PM (GMT -7)
Quincy, yes I was checked for endo and nope don't got that. I am not due to start my period (if at all - I may never have another period) because of the ablation I had done - not quite sure how an ablation relates to hormone swings and in turn to Uc flares. But like I said, I don't respond as a typical patient to many things just not Uc meds. I can't tolerate Asacol either but I can Colazal. There must be something in the Asacol/Rowasa/Canasa mix that my body just doesn't like. Right now, I'm only taking one of the Pro-Bio daily as per the instructions (it does say I can take more if needed) but I wanted to see how my body was going to react to having it in my system first before increasing - so far so good :)

Pb, I tried Bee Propolis and it lost it's effectiveness in me. When I stopped it a year or so ago and tried to go back on it, it did absolutely nothing for me. But it's been a while since I've been on it so I can give it another go I guess - won't hurt huh? :)

Tomorrow morning if I see the blood again, I am going to call my GI then to request the foam. I groan when I think about the foam here in the states - it is such a highly inconvenient aparatus they have us use! It sounds like its much more easier over there in Canada. It's basically a canister that you use to fill a plunger and use the plunger to disperse the med. This plunger is too awkward and clumsy, plus hard to use with motion limited hands such as mine.
Posted 11/7/2007 12:36 PM (GMT -7)

Red_34 said...
Princesa, Listen to your Gut, is that a highly restrictive diet like SCD? Is the diet something you would have to adhere to permenantly in order for it to keep working? The reason I ask is because I have NO willpower when it comes to diets! Never have....I like my food too much I guess! :)

No, I'd say it's less restrictive than the SCD and you only stay on the "stop bleeding" diet until the blood is gone. The way Jini's system works, she's developed different levels of diet, depending on what your symptoms are. The "stop bleeding" level is probably the most restrictive. As you heal, you move on to more permissive levels of the diet until you get to the "maintenance" level.

BTW, the jury's still out on probiotic use while active bleeding is present. I've seen some studies that suggest probiotics can actually make the situation worse, but it probably depends on the type you're taking. You could experiment cautiously with increasing your dose and see what happens.

Posted 11/7/2007 12:55 PM (GMT -7)
The cortifoam works the same way here (canada) with the applicator, I think it's a matter of getting used to it is all, and it sure beats feeling crappy without it...too bad about the BP, being 100% non-toxic means you don't get build up of toxins from it in your system...I stopped taking it for a day back when I first started on it, to see what if anything would happen and sure enough the first thing to rear it's ugly head was blood, luckily I started taking it right away and the blood went away and has stayed away the entire 4ish yrs I've been taking it now.

Maybe if you decide to try it again, take 2 together 2 times a day and go from there.

:)
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