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slowly healing or beginning to flare again?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 10/4/2011 8:07 PM (GMT -5)
I hope everyone is doing well. I was hoping I could hear some of your opinions on what's going on with my UC. I am tapering off of prednisone (I'm down to 10 mg) and I can't figure out if I am heading into remission or if I should be concerned about flaring up again. My urgency is pretty much gone and I can eat fairly normally now. I have gone from going 8 times a day to twice a day. My stools are much more formed, but I am still feeling rectal pain every time I go to the bathroom (despite using Rowasa at night and Canasa during the day), which makes me feel that I am not fully in remission. I don't regularly feel rectal pain in remission and I usually go only once a day when not flaring.
I'm wondering if I should stop tapering my prednisone (or even bump it up) until I am completely symptom free or if I should keep going and hope that the Humira, Rowasa, Canasa, supplement combination will help me slowly heal up the lingering rectal inflammation. I don't seem to be getting worse as I taper (yet, anyway), but I am not totally better either.
Any thoughts? Do you all generally wait until you are completely symptom free before you taper Pred?
Thanks so much,
Bridget
Posted 10/4/2011 8:19 PM (GMT -5)
Hmm... I know when I am on prednisone, it makes my BMs very very formed, which is a drastic change because I have frequent diarrhea otherwise. I've gotten rectal pain when tapering off prednisone simply from having something larger than sloppy poo coming from my bum. Maybe it's the same for you?

I would discuss your concerns with your doctor, especially in regard to the tapering question.
Posted 10/4/2011 8:33 PM (GMT -5)
WingZero,
I hadn't thought of that--I've had diarrhea from July until the end of September, so maybe it is just a readjustment to firmer stools. Sometimes I can't believe that I actually am typing sentences like that!
I talked to my GI who says that I should stop tapering or bump up if I see blood or mucous, but I don't want to let it get too far, so I am a bit hesitant to wait for those signs (which usually means that I am going downhill).
Thanks so much for your response!
Bridget
Posted 10/4/2011 9:46 PM (GMT -5)
bhb, what time of the day and how much VSL do you take??

i have been taking 2 packets a day (when i wake up) for almost a week. i started added 1/2 a packet before i go to bed because i was finally able to taper down to 12.5 mg of pred. this seemed to help a lot because when i first tried tapering down from 15 to 10, it was very hard on me. i've found that i feel okay since i added 1/2 a packet.
Posted 10/5/2011 5:18 AM (GMT -5)
bananagirl,
I take one pack of the VSL DS in the morning. DO you take the DS or the regular?
b
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