Advice badly needed: I don't know what's going on.

Hi, I will try to describe this quickly. I've been in remission for most of the past 10 years; last flare, fall of 2012 or so. Balsalazide x 9 daily, mesalamine enemas every 3rd day or so. Also have history of 2 attacks of diverticulitis. I've gotten surgical consults which varied in opinion, so held off on that option. I take VSL#3 and Florastor every day.

Last week, started feeling random abdomen and back pains, had very slight fevers--98.8ish, which for me, is a little high. Bowel movements essentially normal. I was worried about diverticulitis but couldn't get in to the GI so saw my primary. Blood work was all normal, so started on cipro/flagyl just in case it was early diverticulitis.

Friday, rectal stabbing pains started and were AWFUL. Also started have D which looked like it might have some dark blood in it. But really, the rectal pains were horrid-like a knife up my backside. The dr. had told me to go to the ER if pain got worse, so I did.

They did labs--WBC up a bit, they called my GI, and did a CT. CT showed no evidence of acute diverticulitis, basically a normal colon, but could not clearly say anything about bowel wall thickness in rectum and sigmoid. The report said that flare up of UC was posssibility. The ER doc. took me off of cipro/flagyl since it didn't look like diverticulitis.

Yesterday and today I've had a few bouts of Diarrhea that doesn't look terribly bloody but is an odd color, so maybe it is. Still having pain/discomfort in back/rectum/abdomen and crampy pains when gas goes through, almost like mentstrual cramps. Low-grade fever still, around 98.8.

I"m contacting my GI tomorrow first thing, but I'm wondering, should I have stopped the antibiotics? Does this look/sound like a flare? Some other sort of infection? The rectal pains were definitely reminiscent of UC, but I'm not seeing the blood/mucus I would typically see.

I'm so confused.

Chinamom

No, no appendix. I was only on the antibiotics for less than 48 hours. I'm wondering if I should have stayed on them. My fear, and maybe the dr.'s also, was that if it was a UC flare, the antibiotics would make it worse??? Although I've taken them before and tolerated them well.

Not yet-I've never tried it, but I will ask. I tried to use an enema last night and couldn't hold it, which is unusual. I had fallen asleep for awhile on my left side, woke up and rolled onto my back and I think I was chock full of gas. I can literally hear my intestines making crazy noises from the top to the bottom. If my dh weren't hearing impaired, it would probably keep him awake.

When I started the antibiotics, it was more out of concern for possible diverticulitis, but the CT scan showed no evidence of that. In fact, the CT scan showed a lot of relatively normal stuff, other than the fact that the view of the wall thickening of the sigmoid and rectum was "suboptimal" because they were "decompressed."

Now, I'm not seeing blood, but still feel uncomfortable and yuckish, very very low-grade fever, back pain. There has been a NASTY stomach thing going around my school that has taken out teachers and students alike, and I do work with little peeps in k and 1st grade, but it just seems to be lingering IF that is the case. My appetite has remained pretty good.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am MORE than a bit of a worrier, tend to catastrophize and assume all sorts of awful scenarios, and I spent last weekend trying to drum out a zillion resumes since I'm trying to find a teaching job next year, so I suppose I have a little anxiety going. I have no idea if any of that is relevant, but thought I'd throw it out there.

Well, I bit the bullet and called my GI doctor. He said to continue with the antibiotics since there could be a mild infection that the CT didn't pick up.

I am happy you called your GI. It's weird that you couldn't retain the enema but I think if I were in your shoes, I would try again tonight and see how it goes. I've had it where i have trouble retaining them one day and not the next, may have to do with how you're feeling that day or if your full of food. You could also try using a bentyl before the enema. In the worst case, use a suppository. I am not convinced this is going to get worse, with the bug around your area and the fact that there isn't any blood, there is a good chance it could resolve. I am sure the stress about work isn't helping either so try to take it easy. Things with work will work out :)

sounds like you don't believe it's an abscess/fistula....that's good but if your rectal pain worsens an MRI is in order.

I don't think so. I believe you need to contrast of the Mri too see the lower rectum. Pretty sure; but I could be wrong. For your sake I hope it's not.

This disease is very scary. Fear takes over everything. I get the perpetual worry.... I have 2 severe bowel diseases, 1 being rare & almost fatal. I get it. Truly hoping it's just a bug.

Thanks so much for the input. Knock on wood, feeling a bit better today. Went to primary care doc for follow up and he is checking CBC. Follow up with GI next week.

I am sure GI will suggest resection AGAIN, to get rid of just the sigmoid. I'm still not sure that's the best route for someone with UC--sounds like an invite for multiple surgeries . I don't enjoy being "one in a million" as they all like to tell me, or "doubly cursed."

Chinamom