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How do your emotions affect you UC ?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 5/4/2014 9:31 AM (GMT -5)
I'm really under the impression that my emotions affect my UC when I'm flaring.

2 weeks a go my flare had tapered down a lot, no more blood, formed soft stool.

My 21 years old son has been home for a vacation and I have been the happiest mon ! He is a military and I hadn't seen him for one 1/2 year.

He is going a way the coming Wednesday, therefore my happiness has been running down as the date is coming along. My symptoms have returned also.

How about you guys is your UC affected by your feelings ?
Posted 5/4/2014 9:34 AM (GMT -5)
It has been well understood that stress can often play a huge part in UC. It's my guess that the stress of knowing your son is leaving is what is actually responsible. Emotions are probably a subclass of stress or vice versa.
Posted 5/4/2014 11:12 AM (GMT -5)
No surprise that bad moods coincide with flares or gastrointestinal problems. I find that the same thing happens to me when I feed the critters in my gut the wrong way or go into flares:

The gut contains 100 million neurons - more than the spinal cord. Major neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, norephinephrine and nitric oxide are in the gut. Also two dozen small brain proteins, called neuropeptides are there along with the major cells of the immune system. Enkephalins (a member of the endorphins family) are also in the gut. The gut also is a rich source of benzodiazepines - the family of psychoactive chemicals that includes such ever popular drugs as valium and xanax.

The gut is never mentioned in the context of mental health, but the field has also been stagnant for quite some time now. Many have reported better moods after supplementing with probiotics compared to psychotropic pills. This is perhaps why psychiatry is perhaps the biggest psudeoscientific endeavor out there, as most drugs are no more effective than the placebo (and many of the bad trials continue to remain unpublished and filtered out).

As the old adage goes, our gut feelings are often correct in telling us when something is wrong. The notion that anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts are in "our head" needs to be re-evaluated.

Best.
Posted 5/4/2014 11:33 AM (GMT -5)
Im so sorry you have to say good bye to your son again. Thank you to your family for making sacrifices of time to protect our country.


One of the unexpected side effects of trying to get my biome in some type of healthy shape has been a much happier attitude as well as being able to withstand stress that previously would have caused huge flares. Stress definitely effected my flares, for me they were the biggest factor.
Posted 5/4/2014 12:29 PM (GMT -5)
I think it varies with everyone.....and the different types of stress/distress we deal with on a daily basis compared to events that can overload the mind/body.
The effects don't hit immediately...but if you're already in a flare, expect it to go up and down as you're healing.

Are you on meds?, if so..which ones?

Are you around period time? or perimenopause or whatever state that can exacerbate symptoms?

One thing...it's good you're seeing the different type of stress/distress on your UC/healing.

I wish your son a safe tour.

q
Posted 5/4/2014 3:47 PM (GMT -5)
Gary, nice quick response :)!Knowing rapidly that my symptoms returning are very probably related to my stress and fellings about my son going away calmed me down. I'm now trying to pay attention to what plays a role in my symptoms. I felt guilty because Friday night I didn't take my salofalk enema..

Gardian, very interesting information I didn't know all of that. Now I get why, mood, stress and fellings are so related to the colon. Thinking of it, even when I'm not flaring big negative stress gets me sick to my guts. I remember a time when I had a car accident, I was sick for 2 days, vomiting and D.

Thanks for your thoughts for my son pathogeneKiller and Quincy.

Quincy, yes I'm on salofalk enema. Are you saying that feminin hormonal cycle can play a role in the UC symptoms when we flare ? Because, I have been thinking I might be pre-menopausing.
Posted 5/4/2014 9:17 PM (GMT -5)
Hormones can absolutely effect UC. There have been many, many people who post here who either start flaring with pregnancies or go into remission with pregnancy.
Posted 5/5/2014 8:47 AM (GMT -5)
Best wishes for your son.

I believe that stress plays a major role in flares. And the triggers after that, are food.
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