When can I stop taking the enema steroids, crazy
Wed, January 21, 2009 1:00 AM
I was recently, 3 months ago, diagnosed with Colitis. I’m currently taking a enema steroid. My doctor can’t seem to give me a defined answer as to when I can stop taking it. Any advice? The steroids are making me anxious and depressed.
byrdgirlJoined Jan 21, 2009
Sat, January 31, 2009 12:40 PM
Reply posted for byrdgirl.
Sorry it took me some time to get back to you.
To answer your questions for the past 5 years I was on meds.
They started me out with just canasa twice a day and that didnt seem to work so they added asacol to my plan which I took 2- 3 x a day still no relief at the time I just had proctitis.
I then moved to a different state and the new Dr. put me on colazal and more canasa which it ended up that the colazal gave me hives and the canasa still wasnt doing the job so they switched to rowasa and predisone (pill form) for a month which helped but as soon as I went off the pred. I started flaring again. ( I was also taking asacol at the time as well) The Dr.s that I had seen really could have cared less basically they told me to "relax" and that I was young ( 24 at the time) and I felt as though they really didnt believe me.
Long story short my husband and I moved to the west coast for a job and I ended up getting really sick and ended up in the hospital... my uc spread to part of my sigmoid. I finally found a Dr that cared about me and my health he is close friends with a Micro biologist at Stanford and he chatted with her for the best treatment plan for me which was cortenemas and an increase of asacol ( max dose ) finally after a long 5 years I felt some reliefe I was on the cortenemas for 9 months ( for 5 of it, it was twice a day) then I slowly tapered it was the best thing for me. Now I am on rowasa and the max dose for asacol and have been off the cortenema for 1 month now with no problems.
My advice to you if its not working talk with you Dr. and if you are seeing some change for the better just stick with it. I know it sucks.
Joined May 20, 2008
Mon, January 26, 2009 3:59 PM
Reply posted for Trissy.
Trissy,
Off the subject of the post, but other than the inconvience of the 5 year flare up, do you think your condition became worse because of it? Well, I should also ask, were you taking any meds during that 5 years?
The reason I am asking is that I am toying with the idea of not taking any "medicine" and just living with the inconvience?
Joined Jan 26, 2009
Mon, January 26, 2009 3:53 PM
Reply posted for byrdgirl.
i was diagnosed (after several months of tests) with uc about 9 years ago. when i was first diagnosed (i did not believe them as my only symptom was blood) my doctor put me on rectal steroids. my doctor was a *** so i found another one several monts later. that doctor took me off the rectal steroids first because my colitis did not go up as far as the medicine was being applied, and second, because prolonged use (more than 6 weeks) actually makes (in my case) the bleeding worse because steroids thin the lining of the colon (or so my doctor said) and the thinner the lining, the more one would tend to bleed as the ulsers would gradually get bigger (because layers of the outer linning are being removed). he said that steroids should only be a short term solution to stop bleeding quickly.
i am very skeptical about steroid use (especially oral).
Joined Jan 26, 2009
Wed, January 21, 2009 8:30 PM
Reply posted for byrdgirl.
Hi.
Well its true its hard to say when you can start tapering. I was on them for 9 months I just got a clean bill of health 2 weeks ago. I had a bad case I had a flare for 5 years with no relief for the extra time was needed for me.
Just take your time with it and remember its not forever.
Take care.
Joined May 20, 2008