My doctor is having me evaluated for ulcerative colitis. I have had diarrhea for over a week now, lost more than ten pounds in less than seven days, have been able to eat four pieces of toast and a small bowl of cottage cheese in the last 72 hours, feel tired, nauseated, and just generally awful. Googling is just making me more worried. Anyone have UC? Does this sound familiar to you? How long will it last? 
(no related topics found)
-
Oh no! That sounds miserable. I have IBS, so I know the feeling of not being able to keep anything in. Stay super hydrated, and I hope you feel better soon.
-
UC generally has a longer time of onset and other associated symptoms (joint pain, eye problems). I'm hopeful that it's not UC... But Theyll do inflammatory markers, albumin and stool studies... And see what they show.
-
It's awful. On top of all the other stress, it is just making me so grumpy. They want me to drink something with electrolytes, but I can barely stomach water! I'm trying to drink some pedialyte, but having such a hard time getting it down. I was trying to look at the positive; that our grocery budget is down since I can't eat anything and I fit in all my pre-pregnancy clothes again, but honestly I would love to just feel normal right now.
-
@Mrs. Jacks: could the joint pain go away? I had some several months ago that I thought was related to my IUD (in my knees) that persisted quite a while after I had it removed, but now it's been gone for several months.
-
@Mrs. Twine: it's possible that it could go away. Let's see what your inflammatory markers show. We usually don't get too excited about testing for crohns and UC until there is bloody stool and a longer pattern of symptoms. I mean weird things happen and it could be, but it's an unusual presentation.
Try some Popsicles for hydration
-
Hoping you don't have it! DH has colitis and he manages it well with meds, but hopefully you get a different answer. UC definitely has a longer time of onset like @Mrs. Jacks: said...
-
Thinking of you! I've struggled with GI issues for years ... I finally had to cut out gluten to get relief. Hoping you can get in to see a specialist & get answers.
-
My SIL has UC. It came on slowly, and took them a while to actually diagnose it. She gets Remicade treatments now. The Remicade helps a lot--the UC doesn't bother her much at all most of the time. The day/day after she gets the treatment is pretty rough on her body, but it's only a day or two every few months..
Hopefully it's not what you have and it's just a virus or something (I think that's the first time I've ever hoped someone had a virus!)
Either way I hope you get some answers soon!
-
I have Crohn's disease, UC's nasty sibling and my mom has UC. It's my understanding that joint pain and other outside the gut symptoms are rarer in UC than Crohn's. I do agree that it seems premature to be thinking UC but at least your doctor is looking into things. Have you scheduled a colonoscopy yet?
I was diagnosed with Crohn's 7 years ago and have a particularly aggressive that took multiple drug trials to get under control. Lots of prednisone and a long term BRAT diet. This is the longest I've been gut-symptom free but I'm one of the oh so lucky that gets the joint pain, eye issues and other symptoms. It's been 2 years since my last gut flare but I'm still learning to manage the other symptoms.
Feel free to wall me if you want more info. I hope for your sake it's not UC or Crohn's but there are a ton of great treatments out there now to make living with this disease much more manageable. Check out the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's website (ccfa.org) for lots of good info.
-
@Mrs. Twine: So sorry you're going through this. I don't have ulcerative colitis, but in 2011 I had a Cdiff infection that caused colitis. I struggled with that for 9 months until they finally got rid of the infection. Can you stomach some hot chicken broth? I hope you feel better. I know how much intestinal upset sucks. Hopefully it's not UC and something temporary.
-
@Mrs. Twine: I hope this doesn't sound dismissive, and I also hope it doesn't downplay what you're feeling, but here goes. I know you've been under a ton of stress lately...is it possible that all the stress is messing with your gut? I know anxiety affects people in different ways, but it very much has physiological affects, and for me, it manifests in my gut.
During particularly stressful life events, I've had chronic diarrhea, heartburn/acid reflux, nausea, and lost up to 15 pounds. I've had every test in the book and my stomach, intestines, and colon have checked out fine. It's just how my body reacts to a stress overload.
You're certainly right to get these symptoms checked out, but I am hopeful the doctor won't find anything as serious as UC. In the meantime, eat literally ANYTHING that you can stomach. Crackers, popsicles, bananas, applesauce, toast with a bit of peanut butter, tea fortified with milk and honey, etc. The fatigue you're feeling could certainly be a result of not eating enough.
I hope you feel better soon!
-
@PointeShoesTutus: They are planning to schedule a colonoscopy. Thanks for offering to be a resource!
@IRunForFun: No, it's a valid point/question. I'm not offended. I'm not sure-- but I do know I have never responded to stress this way before, and I've had lots in my life. I brought it up to the doctor (that it could be stress), and it sounds like they just want to check everything out. So they started with a blood test and a stool test, which all turned up normal. I hope I check out fine and it's stress, too. I am trying to take advantage of any time I feel even a little hungry. I did manage to drink quite a bit so far today, so that's been good.
Reply
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
12 comments