HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

How long does your flare take to go from mild to severe?

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/4/2019 2:57 PM (GMT -5)
Hey everyone. Just got out of a 4 year remission! It was the best 4 years of my life! For a second there I thought maybe I kicked uc’s butt for good haha. So anyway, a month ago I first noticed the flare smelling gas and I knew it was back right away. A couple days later I was back on mesalamine enemas & Lialda generic.
Now I was first diagnosed about 12 years ago with severe uc. All the times I’ve been in flares in the past, they’ve been bad and got bad pretty fast. I’ve been on remicade, 6mp, prednisone, asacol. So I figured I’d be in bad shape within a week but it’s been overall mild to moderate for the past 4-5 weeks.
When you guys go into a new flare, if it stays mild/moderate for over a month, will it usually stay that way till it passes for you? I think the most bathroom trips I’ve had for this flare is maybe like 7-8 in a day. I’ve seen a little blood a few times over the month. I Havnt been eating a UC strict diet though so it could be the food irritations.
Some days have been ok with just 1-3 bathroom trips. No urgency or cramping issues but the last couple days I’ve been feeling the lower abdomen cramping feeling. Overall it’s been more mild than moderate though. Praying this flare doesn’t “flush” out of control! Have a nice day everyone.
Posted 4/4/2019 3:33 PM (GMT -5)
Hi, sorry to hear you're flaring sad While I'm relatively new to UC (coming up to my 4 year anniversary - joy...), I had a lot of flares, including some that switched on full blast overnight and others that crept up gradually so that I 'accidentally' slipped from "I'll just wait and see if it calms down by itself" to severe symptoms, over a matter of several weeks or months. I never had a flare that just passed by itself, unless I count the time I had a cold with a fever where things got worse for a few days (night time BMs) then calmed down again. In all cases, I really wish I had told the hospital sooner because not telling them just meant prolonged suffering. Even "mild" symptoms can be exhausting when you have to deal with them for months at a time. The meds you are taking are quite gentle. Hopefully they will work for you but if not, something stronger could be a good option.
Posted 4/4/2019 5:37 PM (GMT -5)
Hi,
If it's a true flare, then no, it never goes away for me without steroids. Right now I'm using hydrocortisone enemas as maintenance until I'm ready for something else. Rowasa enemas actually make things worse. Why did you stop remicade and 6mp?
Posted 4/4/2019 6:14 PM (GMT -5)
Generally flares get exponentially worse, the longer you ignore them. The inflammation spreads in extent and severity, giving you worse symptoms as a result. I'd see your gasteroenteroligist asap and get back on some meds to beat this flare.
Posted 4/4/2019 7:58 PM (GMT -5)

decaf4me said...
Hi,
If it's a true flare, then no, it never goes away for me without steroids. Right now I'm using hydrocortisone enemas as maintenance until I'm ready for something else. Rowasa enemas actually make things worse. Why did you stop remicade and 6mp?

My doctor took me off 6mp after I was on remicade for awhile. Then I build antibodies towards remicade but I was healed when that happened. After that I was in remission for 4 years till a month ago. Now I’m taking Lialda and doing mesalamine enemas every day. Trying to see if these will control the flare before going back to stronger drugs.
Posted 4/4/2019 8:01 PM (GMT -5)

iPoop said...
Generally flares get exponentially worse, the longer you ignore them. The inflammation spreads in extent and severity, giving you worse symptoms as a result. I'd see your gasteroenteroligist asap and get back on some meds to beat this flare.

Yea I’ve already seen a gi when the flare symptoms started a month ago. He put me on Lialda and I requested the enemas cause they did well for me in the past. I made an appointment for next week to see him again. Been a while since I had a colonoscopy, dreading it but I know I need to.
Posted 4/5/2019 9:11 AM (GMT -5)
Are you on a flaring dosage of Lialda?
Posted 4/5/2019 9:55 AM (GMT -5)

chikinnooodle said...
Are you on a flaring dosage of Lialda?

Taking 2 a day. 1.2 gm pills. I was taking 8 pentasa a day but my free samples ran out and my insurance didn’t cover it. So taking generic Lialda now. I’ll ask the doctor if I should be taking more.
Posted 4/5/2019 10:14 AM (GMT -5)
4,800 mgs a day is the typical flare dosage for most mesalamines. Yes, ask your doctor.
Posted 4/5/2019 11:18 AM (GMT -5)
I don't think there's a way to know. For me, it always got worse, but not within any particular period. Sometimes you can go on, going a few extra times a day, and then things level out for a bit. Sometimes it gets explosive nearly overnight. I think a scope is a good idea, perhaps also steroid enemas, but I'd try the max mesalamine both orally and rectally, and see where things go. You're due for a scope regardless.
Posted 4/5/2019 5:56 PM (GMT -5)
A true flare for me usually starts as a gradual worsening of symptoms; stools get looser, more mucous, more blood, more cramping, sometimes less appetite.
I've beaten back more than a few flares by maxing out mesalamine (enema at bed time and in the morning and maximum oral dosage).
If symptoms come and go seemingly at random, that is normally just the typical ups and downs of U.C.
Posted 4/5/2019 8:37 PM (GMT -5)
Were you not on maintenance meds?
Posted 4/6/2019 1:30 PM (GMT -5)

suchatravesty said...
Were you not on maintenance meds?



Nope went 4 years on no meds. After remicade stopped working I figured if it got severe again I’d just have surgery. I battled uc for almost 6 years before I went into remission. It’s still pretty mild going into this 6th week. If the doc thinks I need stronger meds then so be it.
Posted 4/6/2019 2:56 PM (GMT -5)
Hi im curious, how did you find out about the antibodies to remicade when you were in remission? I always assumed they only test for this if you start flaring again. Thanks.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply