coltis

[hendey]

just been diagnosed by doc as having this. any help/reassurance.

i feel really quite bad. im 19 btw.

[daniela]

Do you mean colitis?

[Alabasterlyn]

My daughter in law was diagnosed with Pancolitis which is ulcerative colitis that affects the whole bowel. She is only in her 20's, so I don't think it's particularly age related. Her condition is kept under control by taking anti inflammatories and she seems to cope with having this condition very well. She does have to see the gastroentologist regularly to make sure the medication is keeping her symptoms under control, but like I said, she seems to be fine and the type she has is quite a severe one.

[hendey]

Sorry yes I mean colitis spelling was never my strong point.

thanks for your post Alabasterlyn that is very reassuring.

[daniela]

Hi Hendey, don't worry about the spelling. At 22 I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, used to have bad abdominal cramps, . Didn't go to the doctor for 9 months, terrified of doctors. They proceded with a colonoscopy and diagnosed me with ulcerative colitis. Was given asacol by suppositories and after a few days I had no more symptoms. My colitis comes and goes but I could be 5 years were it doesnt flare up. In situations where I'm really stressed or worried it tends to come back, but after a few weeks it goes away. It also returns at times after taking some antibiotics, so whenever I need to take them I make sure that I take PROBIOTICS at the same time(bacteria's), they seems to help quite a bit. Don't worry about it, you will get through it and remember it doesn't mean that you'll have colitis all the time, it comes and goes.

Daniela X

[hendey]

daniela thanks for the information, could you tell me though, did you get mid back pain with this? and also did you find anything that either helped or hindered. thanks

[daniela]

Hello Hendey, hope your doing well. May I ask you what your symptoms are?
Where you diagnosed by a colonoscopy?
During a colitis flare up I have to avoid anything that has seeds, foods like strawberries, blueberries, sesame seeds, these foods tend to irritate the colon. I stay away from dairy foods,fried foods, raw vegetables and salads. But like I said in my previous post stress will do it for me....I therefore try to stay as calm as possible, not easy when you suffer from anxiety. What helps me is flax seed, I sprinkle it on some of my foods, I don't enjoy the taste too much but it helps restore my colon. Probiotics are very beneficial too, they can be bought at the natural stores or pharmacy. I also always keep in hand aminosalicylic acid or 5-ASA pills, here in Canada they are called ASACOL ( I dont know what they are called in the U.K) they take away the cramps and limit my trips to the bathroom. You need a prescription for these pills.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Daniela

[hendey]

Thanks for your kind words. I'm feeling a bit better, i have not been offcially diagnosed, but my doctor seems faily certain, i have not yet had any kind of colonoscopy.

My symptoms are: fever comes and goes, blood in feces, diarrhea/mucus, pain in abdomen, and back and side pain mid and low. I get crampy feelings too.


the doctor just prescribed me tablets to ease the spasms at the moment, and has booked me an appointment to see a gastrologist in over a months time.

although feeling better, i am debating whether or not to go back and see another doctor as don't know whether i can last a month.

can you tell me why you avoid salads, as all i eat at the moment really is spinach/lettuce and meats such as ham chicken and tinned tuna.

[Alabasterlyn]

Hi hendy, I would think it would be a good idea to get a correct diagnosis as a GP can only guess at what could be wrong really. When my daughter in law was first ill she was in agony with stomach pains, they came so out of the blue that she thought she had a stomach bug. It was only when she had a blood test done by her GP that it flagged up a high CRP level, which I believe is something in the blood that signifies infection. Her GP was convinced that she had crohns and referred her for a colonoscopy, which showed she had colitis and not crohns.

It is a good idea to make sure you take a good probiotic as it will give your intestines some good bacteria, although I'm not convinced that the ones you buy in supermarkets like Actimel and Yakult are actually that good. You can buy probiotics in pill form and apparently they are more effective.

Also going on a low residue diet when your symptoms are bad is a good idea. I know my daughter in law cannot tolerate any high fibre foods now and has had to go back to white bread, rice, pasta etc., which goes against the grain of the types of foods we are told to eat these days.

[daniela]

Hendey, I avoid greens and salads when I have a flare up cause in my case it gives me loads of cramps. Lyn is right, high fibre foods don't agree with me either when my colitis is acting up....I stick with white breads and crackers.

Daniela

[hendey]

hello, just an update, i saw the gastrologist, he has reffered me to have a colonoscopy, and cofirmed colitis via, an initial anal microscope examination.
i am currently prescribed,

mesren 400mg x8 daily
prednisoline 5mg 5 daily (reducuing them by 1 each week)

(for last 2 weeks)

lately i was feeling better, being trying the specific carbohydrate diet, i think
starch and sugar are real problem foods for me.

but my symptoms have got really bad the last few days, keep burning up, coltis symptoms at thier worst, i think it was that i tried almond flour the other day.

please can someone offer me some reassurance, i am losing a lot of weight, and my face just keeps burning up. please can someone tell me this isnt gunna kill me, or offer some tips on how to ease the flushing of the face/ high pulse.

[daniela]

Hi Hendey, it is normal to feel flushed and to have a high pulse. Colitis is an infllammatory bowel disease. Your body is fighting an inflammation in your intestine, that is why you may feel feverish, hot and high pulse. Don't get discouraged give a chance for the medications to work and it will go away. It takes a little while at times but it passes. You won't feel like that all the time, I promise. As for food everyone is different, in my case I had to stay away from dairy, vegetable and fibres. I would be ok eating dry crackers, white bread and white rice. Don't be scared and try not get down, it will pass.

Daniela x

[Alabasterlyn]

Hi Hendey, I think Daniela is right when she says everyone is different with regards to which foods make their colitis flare up. My daughter in law has found that chocolate and red wine makes hers flare up and she was quite ill over Easter with eating too much chocolate and drinking too many glasses of wine.