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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 8/17/2017 2:01 PM (GMT -5)
I have had IBS most of my life but not diarrhea just constipation. A little over a year ago I started to notice mucus in my stool and somewhat ignored it until I started to see some blood which didn't bother me to much because I have hemorroids. I already have a GI for acid reflux so I gave him a call. He said let's do a colonoscopy just to play it safe. Afterwards he said it looks like you have mild UC. Saw ulceration at the very beginning (cecum) and very ending. He put me on lialda - 3 pills a day and then a rectal suppository Canasa.

It got rid of my blood and mucus but I have very soft stools or loose stools and go multiple times in the morning. This is very difficult as I am a teacher. They increased my lialda to 4 but I started to just have loose stools. I realized that since being on the lialda I have not been constipated. So is it the disease or the medication... so confused...I don't know what to do. My GI is having some stool samples done and I am waiting for a call back regarding the issue with the increased medication.

I have also had a barium study to look at small intestine to make sure it wasn't Crohn's disease and all was clear.
Posted 8/17/2017 3:38 PM (GMT -5)
Welcome to the forum. I'd wait for all of your test results before conclusively calling your diagnosis UC. Having a negative stool test for pathogens is a good one to get back 1st.

A storybook case of UC starts at the rectum and is continuous inflammation and then ends. There's never a break or skip when we're talking UC. Crohn's has breaks/skips. Certainly that is atypical for ulcerative colitis, to have active inflammation at only both ends (the cecum and rectum). If it is ultimately an IBD diagnosis, then I wouldn't be surprised if you end up landing with crohn's-colitis or indeterminate-colitis diagnosis. Those are diagnoses for when there is some ambiguity to what you have as it doesn't fit the norm of either UC or Crohn's.
Posted 8/17/2017 3:44 PM (GMT -5)
Hey there, I am relatively new here, too or I'd offer my thoughts. I just wanted you to feel welcome and know you aren't alone in the "confusion club". This disease is very different for everyone and concrete answers can be elusive.

You are doing all the right things though. I have mild UC as well and those are the meds that stopped my blood and mucus. Now that it has been almost a month symptom free, my "movements" are getting back to a normal pattern, too. Just a couple a day as opposed to 4.

Good luck.....I hope your results come back with an easy fix (or at least the meds work well for you)
Posted 8/17/2017 4:19 PM (GMT -5)
The GI did say UC and then changed it to mild indeterminate colitis. They have done a colonoscopy and a barium study and blood tests. But before the lialda I was always constipated after it very soft stools and when they increased the lialda loose stools
Posted 8/17/2017 7:30 PM (GMT -5)
Ahah, yeah indeterminate-colitis makes sense! I had constipation all my life before my IBD diagnosis
Typically, I'd only have a single bm on maybe 2-3 days during a week. Now with an IBD diagnosis, I've never had any issues with constipation since then. Now it's 2-3 bms a day, i guess I'm making up for all of those bms i missed over the years, ha!

Yeah are stools are a bit softer than pre-uc. It's typical for us.
Posted 8/17/2017 8:11 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Twin. Just wanted to chime in. I was on lialda for 3 years when I was first diagnosed. I'm no longer on it. Noting a difference between then and now my stools while on it where much softer and some what on the fluffy/loose side.

So for me it kept me in remission for a decent 2 years but my consistency was different. Also my remission on lialda was 1-2 bms a day. On remicade it's a different consistency (more formed and can skip a day) and only 1 x a day.

I think the different meds can affect things a bit.
Posted 8/18/2017 4:35 AM (GMT -5)
Welcome to the forum
Posted 8/18/2017 10:20 AM (GMT -5)
Did your GI take biopsies? Sometimes inflammation is not visible but shows up in biopsies. So it may look skipped area but may not be.

Also about stool, it could be you are still flaring. So stay on top of it with diet, medicine from both ends. If it turns out otherwise, its good but I always take little changes seriously and do the best I could. One thing I always tell to newly diagnosed, not to stop medicine if its keeping you in remission because if you flare again, same medicine may not work and you might have to go on second line of medication.

Hope you get in remission soon and for long time.
Posted 8/18/2017 11:41 AM (GMT -5)
There is a form of UC that involves the rectum and cecum....but it's suspicion it will eventually meet as pancolitis. So...biopsies throughout are very, very important as Pam mentioned.
The fact that you have diarrhea matches the cecum involvement. You could drop back on the Lialda to see if your stool consistency improves. You do need better rectal med tho.

Good you're having stool sampling done.

How much of your rectum was involved?
I suggest you get on retention enemas of 4g dosage...reason is to make sure the sigmoid is fully covered with max dosage.

Indeterminate makes sense, but since both areas are isolated...assume between should be treated as well which you mostly are.

When do you get results of biopsies?

Welcome to the forum!

q
Posted 8/19/2017 4:52 AM (GMT -5)
Welcome. Hugs about the stressful mornings especially being a teacher. It's a nightmare trying to work it all out isn't it & figure out what's causing what. Unfortunately there's often not an easy answer. You could have UC & IBS. That's what I have which means even when not flaring I can still be loose, frequent in mornings. Not sure what you're doing diet wise but keeping things bland & not too much fiber could be helpful. I'm trying a bit of low fodmap to see if that helps with IBS symptoms in between but at the moment I'm still just trying to get out of a flare that's been going on for months, I'm now on oral prednisone.

Definitely give the enemas a go I find they help with urgency.
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