At this point, the biggest symptom I deal with is urgency, especially after eating. It's always Russian Roulette as to whether it will happen or not (at least it seems it to me). A while back I posted that I couldn't tell if my symptoms I'm dealing with are IBS or IBD related (still something I wonder about). I'm not having blood. Mainly mucus, urgency, and diarrhea at times.

Anyways, I'm on prozac now for anxiety (super low dose). But I was on effexor a while back. Came off it because I just thought I didn't need it anymore. I seem to recall it helping with urgency and IBS type symptoms, so I'm thinking about getting back on it in place of the prozac. Didn't really have any bad side effects while on it, just coming off it is a pain in the ass (no pun intended). Thinking it may treat my urgency?

Did my 3rd remicade infusion on Wednesday and still not noticing much of a difference. Kind of feels like a placebo. I know they do say it can take 4 or 5 infusions but I'm guessing I don't respond to it too well. Going to see my GI doc in a couple weeks and get his opinion on effexor. I've read a number of people having their IBS symptoms disappear completely while on it.

I personally don't see it as a treatment for your UC symptoms...I've been on Effexor quite a while and I still flare and I have IBS.

But, you may ultimately feel better on it with some symptoms eased enough to have it noticable.

Maybe Pristiq is a better option for you since it doesn't go through the liver as does the Effexor....considering the meds you're on and you have taken.

q

Sometimes the timing of the flare may have nothing to do with what you started taking or stopped taking (except your UC meds, of course). Flaring had nothing to do with my use or stopping certain psych meds though I thought it did at the time. An example is I stopped Strattera (for ADD) after a few years because of nausea. It also is very constipating. Immediately after I stopped my stools started getting looser and I thought that was definitely a result of getting off Strattera. But then the stools became looser and looser until it was brown water and the rest is, well, two hospitalizations and diagnosis of mild to moderate UC. Fast forward, seven months later. I was in remission and I started on Wellbutrin for depression and anxiety. It's also a constipator (if p-meds make you thirsty, they are drying you out). So within three days I became very constipated and I thought it was the wellbutrin and I better get off of it, which I did. Turns out it was tenesmus, the beginnings of a flare. It had nothing to do with Wellbutrin.