What is full remission?

Question? What is full remission? (I understand that remission comes & goes)... Does anyone feel normal ever??

After a year of treating C.diff followed by an unexpected blood test diagnosis of UC, I still am trying to figure out if I am in "remission". Although I feel generally much better now than my year spent treating C.diff and newly diagnosed UC, I still get stomach aches after eating most meals. Occasionally my stomach will visibly inflate like a balloon after eating small meals- and I'm a small person! I avoid lasagna, pizza, chocolate milk which give me the worst pains.

Should I be getting all of these stomach aches and bouts of diarrhea after my mesalamine treatment? Or will these problems last forever? Should I be looking for more treatment options?

What does "remission" mean to you?

Remission, to me, means a complete lack of UC symptoms and a clear scope showing inactive or no indication of inflammation. I have had this a few times over the years but they get fewer and farther between over the years. Usually remission for me is 1 or 2 stools a day, occasionally skipping a day even, no urgency, no looseness, no blood.

Remission for me was no pain,no bleeding, no frequency/urgency, no diarrhea. It was 1-2 BMs/day. I ate whatever I wanted. I was on no medications. I no longer worried about tracking down the nearest bathroom everywhere I went.I was "normal." I was in remission x close to 8 years. I even forgot that I had UC, until it came back last month starting with some mild bleeding.

Remission (clinical or symptomatic) is an absence of uc symptoms. 1-2 solid bms a day without urgency, pain or any similar uc symptoms. When you're in remission there is no question about it, so there is no reason to ask: am I in it? You go about your days without thinking/worrying about uc or suffering due to it.

I thought remission was a fairytale, took me 2.5 years to achieve it (some take less time, others longer). I'm almost a year in remission now. Some go 6-8 years or more in remission. However, uc is known to have periods of remission and flares, so uc will rear it's ugly head again, just hope it's a long, long vacation from it.

Thank you for responses!

Granted my symptoms are no where near as bad as my first diagnosis 1 year ago, I should go see my Gastro because it's not normal yet.

If you are in remission do any of you continue regular check ups or scopes? I haven't had a colonoscopy in 2.5 years it may be time for another now that I'm trying to get into remission.

Yes, if you're not happy with your symptoms, you should talk with your gastroenterologist about it. Perhaps by changing your prescription medications around, changing doses, or adding another medication, you might have better symptoms.

Tell us what uc medications, dosages you are taking. Perhaps we can recommend things to ask your gastroenterologist based on what you're taking. How bad are your symptoms? Frequency, is it always diarrhea?

Cdiff is prone to repeat episodes. So, you'll want to make sure it's gone.

You are just like anyone else and not on medication...it's glorious.

Sustaining a symptom free period of at least 3+ months while also having normal values of ESR(with respect to HGB values), CRP, WBC, a Faecal calprotectin of 200 mg/kg or less, no blood or Pus cells in stool (without being on steroids).

(according to ECCO IBD Guidelines)


wish you all the best