What exactly IS a flare?

So when you had your scope, I am assuming she took biospies? Did she see any open sores (ulcers)? It is unusual to have only one bm a day while in a flare but it is not unusual to have one bm a day when one is in remission. Uc is just typically D, bleeding, abdominal pain and mucous however there can be variations. Some people on here have never had bleeding with their flares, just soft stool to D. As to how many times a day depends on the severity of their Uc.

I have left sided Uc and when I was at my worst, I was going approximately 15xs a day with massive amounts of bleeding and intense abdominal and rectal pain. But while in remission, I have 1-3 bm's a day, no bleeding, no pain and soft stool. I have never been like I was before my Uc days even while in remission.

I'm totally back to normal. Remission seems to be quite different for everyone, though. There are no "typicals" when it comes to UC, it seems. Or really, for most diseases, when you think about it.

If you're having any urgency at all, I'd stay you're still flaring. Maybe the soft stool is because your colon isn't totally healed and therefore isn't absorbing water like it should.

For me, I consider a flare to be when I have more than 4 BMs a day for at least several days in a row, and there's blood,mucus, urgency. I am scoped once a year at this point, regardless of flare/not flare. In between we address the flares with meds so they don't become acute (or maybe its the asacol helping that, who knows) so - my flares are defined by symptoms and we address those symptoms.

In between flares I have 2-4 stools a day - probably due to scarring and the surface having become smoothed out from inflammation - and they're pretty normal. I think.

I have so rarely had one BM a day in the past 23 years I can't answer your other questions......

Gosh, I hope you turn out not to have UC - how great that would be for you1

DocGP said...
Hi. Over the summer, while on a strong antibiotic... Since that time, my stool has never returned to normal. But, I have never again had fever, blood, mucous or bloating. I do occasionally get an ache in my sacrum or L upper side reminiscent of the hospital days. SO, my question is this...WHAT exactly is a flare? Am i in one? Do you always have blood/mucous during a flare? Or, can it simply be a period of abnormally soft stool with occasional urgency? Can one be in a flare if he or she only has 1 BM per day?

The antibiotic could have destroyed some strains of bacteria in your colon. Try probiotics and fecal transplantation.

Even if you got colitis from having been on antibiotics, you could now be predisposed to getting flares as a result. I have been diagnosed as having UC, and, like you, I really think my colon gets inflamed due to having been on antibiotics. I've taken so many of them and for such long periods. So I did fecal transplantation, and my stools returned to normal. However, I keep having to take antibiotics, either orally or topically. and the antibiotics have affected my condition. I'm flaring very slightly right now. I'm having 2 BMs a day, no diarrhea. But I know it's a flare, because I have some blood and mucus when I go. Plus, I feel nauseous and campy when I have to hold it in.

Some flares are microscopic. They can be seen only under a microscope. Diarrhea could be the only symptom of such flares. If you are having a period of abnormally soft stool with occasional urgency, then you could be flaring, albeit, very, very mildly.

You are right. Some information is not in books. It's good to hear a doctor say it.

I think this is a good question.  My experience is similar.  Generally even when everything else settles down I still have soft stools.  They are not the same as it was before I was diagnosed.  I sometimes wonder if the medications I now take affect the consiistency of the stool.

How long have you been a doctor? why wouldnt you ask a gi doc?

Just curious.

DocGP said...
How did you get the fecal transplant done. As gross as it sounds, it makes perfect sense.

I did the fecal transplantation at home, using my granddaughter's poo. See https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1612467 for previous posts on the subject.

DocGP said...
Why do you still need to take antibiotics? For your colon? Did it have to do with the transplant?

Not for my colon, nor due to the transplant. I get infections easily. Since doing fecal transplantation, I have taken antibiotics for urinary tract infections, periodontitis, an ear infection, and acne. I probably shouldn't have used antibiotics for my acne. My dermatologist was very convincing. She agreed to prescribing a topical antibiotic for me instead of one that I would have to take orally, and she also prescribed one that isn't supposed to be as harmful to the colon.

Thanks...
I guess I just don't want to accept this diagnosis.
I'm holding out hope for my March scope.

DocGP- My daughter was also diagnosed with indeterminate colitis after an episode of C-diff after taking antibiotics for an
infection. For months after finishing the Flagyl she was having loose stools that looked "tissuey"- never too much blood
anyways I finally had her get scoped and she was diagnosed as I said. She was started on Pentasa and for 6 weeks she was having diarrhea, tummy aches,urgency and the Dr kept saying that he would give the Pentasa a couple of months to work. Finally she was losing weight, looking terrible and not getting better. I was desperate so we stopped the pentasa and started prednisone and she was better the next day.

Now I wonder- was she better becasue we stopped the pentasa? started the prednisone? Hard to know.

At this point we have tried 3 types of 5ASA's and I have determined that she cannot tolerate them They give her diarrhea, urgency and tummy problems almost immediatly.

Not sure what is next...we are almost off our pred. wean and she is doing well. I pray that the pred. healed her colon enough so we don't have to do anything else.

Have you ever tried VSL#3?? I give that to my daughter 2 times a day. I also use Floristor which can really help- especially after/with a C-diff
infection. I would definitley give these a try to see if they can help you.

Good Luck!

ARe you saying that you need to be fecal OB negative to do a stool transplant? Or, are you saying that that is a marker of inflammation and one shouldn't do FT when inflamed?

I read nearly the entire FT thread...anybody know if LuckyLindy is still doing well? Has anybody been placed permanently into remission or been biopsy-proven cured?

Since I am so new to this problem, I want to do whatever possible to try to prevent it from becoming something I have to deal with forever.

And, like most, I am willing to try anything.

No, I haven't tried VSL #3 yet, but will order when I get back into town. I see they only ship it on mon-wed.

Thanks