Constant diarrhea, flatulence and stomachache

[Uhanj]

I'm 26 male and had ulcerative colitis since 2005 and had some medical treatment for 4 years and it was hopeless so i had the colectomy on december 2009,
I thought that will do it and ease my pain but it just stopped the blood in the stool and a new type of pain which is extremely excessive diarrhea that results of total dehydration and alkaline fluids of my stomach burning on my skin, I really can't handle it anymore it goes some days to 25~30 times a day to the restroom how can I survive like that...my surgeon told me it will only take 6 months to recover but it's almost 5 years and nothing good happened....I'm so afraid to go out, I plain it that there must be a clean restroom nearby in 10 seconds no more or i remain at home... of course I lost my job after i tried too hard to get it and feel really awful, I can't eat anything i like, everything makes my condition worse, I have no aim at all in this life feeling like suicide is an answer to my harsh situation.
If anyone can HELP by anything please don't hesitate.

[orcasres]

I really have sympathy for your situation. My husband has had UC since the early 70's (he was diagnosed at age 20 and he is now 64). He never had a colectomy and ironically I am the one that ended up with colon cancer.

Do you still have a regular GI doctor? You need to go back to a doctor for help with your situation; surgeons are not usually the best at treating GI conditions long term. Obviously the colon is no longer in the picture, but you need a doctor to determine what help is available for you. Keep us posted and let us know what happens.

There are other folks on this forum with UC and maybe they will be able to add something.

Lois

[skypup]

Agree with Lois, this needs a good doc's attention. You don't mention whether you've had help along those lines. Are you in constant communication with a GI doc? Hope so!!!

[bitchslapped]

If you are located in the United States, the Suicide Hot Line should be able to help you immediately with your sense of helpless/hopelessness. I would encourage you to seek that kind of help immediately. Also difficult to tell what resources (medical insurance) or if it is provided depending on your country. You may need to change medical providers if they cannot give you satisfactory results in managing your current situation. Is there someone to help you navigate the health care system? Reach out like you have done here! Do not suffer in silence. Without knowing any of that information:

1. Seek immediate help for suicidal tendancies NOW.
2. Get to a hospital to treat possible dehydration. The emergency room?!

Let us know the help that you can find nearby with your severe symptoms.

Best Wishes

Bitchslapped

[sirash]

PLEASE - as another member suggested, if you are in the US,please call a suicide hotline - the national line in the US is 800-273-8255.
And please call someone for medical help -emergency if needed - right away.
I am new to this so dont know enough about UC etc. But I do know you can get help and things CAN get better. You have to believe that.
You are young Im sure theres a lot they can do for you -please reach out and get help.
GOOD LUCK!
A

[Uhanj]

Yes, I follow up with a GI doctor and changed too many of them but no gain, all of them prescribe the same medicines with no good to witness; Pentasa 500mg, Imuran 50mg, Folic Acid 500mcg and Sloupred 20mg which I hate the most. If any of you guys have tried any other thing that was useful please tell.

[Uhanj]

I wish i was in the US but sadly am not.

[orcasres]

My husband used sulfasalazine for nearly 40 years along with folic acid. It stopped working a couple of years ago; flares got real bad. He is now using Lialda (1200 mg daily) which is very expensive in the US, but outside the US, in Canada it is less than half the price. It is the generic mesalamine but because his colitis is at the end of the colon, it is coated so that it is a delayed release medicine and makes it to the end of the colon. Since you have had a colectomy this is obviously not an issue, but generic mesalamine might be helpful (and less expensive). There are suppositories, called Canasa, that are used for flares. My concern is that for these medicines to be effective they need to know where the problem is in your digestive system and to be sure that they are still dealing with UC alone. I am sorry you have had so much trouble getting support from a GI doctor. In your country, is it possible for you to see a GI doc associated with a center that treats colorectal cancer? That kind of specialist may be able to give you more help.

It is possible to get through this and return quality to your life, so please see if you can find a better specialist and keep coming back here and letting us know how you are doing.

Lois

[sirash]

Yes, please believe that it is possible to get through this. Hope you find a good medical center where you live,with good GI doctors. Please try to find one and come back here and tell us how you are doing .
Good Luck !
A

[dianetavegia]

Could this be IBS now that the colitis is cleared?

Also, are you taking anything for the gas? I have self diagnosed IBS and when I had a bad bout of gas a few weeks ago, got some Extra Strength Gas-X and took 2 pills, 2 times a day. My gas seemed to get worse. Day 5, the diarrhea started like CRAZY. I asked the online pharmacist who told me the generic name for Gas X is magnesium and it's the main ingredient in many laxatives. The 'black box info' said it lines the stomach, reduces acid and increases movement thru the digestive track. I was actually making it worse instead of just dealing with the gas for a few days.

Hope you're feeling better today. I would suggest looking online at the IBS info. Change in diet, seeking help for anxiety and just knowing what's causing the discomfort might help a lot!

[Uhanj]

Lialda is Pentasa, so it seems that there is no new medicine abroad...but the problem is the medical centers and the medical care in my country is awful, really terrible, even my gi doctor advised me to travel abroad to make such surgery and recover there but i don't have that kind of money.
I wanna know whether am i going to be able to work and have a life or not, and if yes how with this incredible restroom rate (15~20/day).
Is there a specific diet that you guys tried and worked for you cuz i tried many and none worked for me.

[bitchslapped]

I wonder if a forum for ulcerative colitis would provide helpful information for you. There are several on the web, just throwing this one out there for you through the link below. Also, if you can set your frustration aside (yes, express it, of course!, but be very specific on what medical avenues you have tried, where you are (access to resources), specific diets you have experimented with. I think the more specific we are on any forum, the easier it is for others to help & make further recommendations.

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Crohns-D ... port-group

[orcasres]

Diet is a tough one. First, my husband just had his latest colonoscopy last week and some of the colitis has returned. Before that he was in complete remission for the first time in 40 years, but we have learned to live with the ups and downs of this. His (and my) GI doc always recommends psyllium on a daily basis. Foods seem to change. He has always been told to avoid fresh vegetables, but he is an avid gardener, so that just does not happen. He is also a type II diabetic, so the diet has to be balanced between the need to keep it low carb and the requirements of UC. Lettuce and fresh greens are his latest problem; we have sworn off salads at the house and I get them when we eat out.

Have you had any luck tracking which foods cause you the greatest discomfort? That is really the only way we have been able to work with the diet issues and they do change for Mike on a regular basis. I am sorry the Pentasa does not work for you; I am still concerned that you are not dealing with just UC any more, but none of us are doctors and we cannot diagnose for you.

Lois

[Monique]

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear that you're in such discomfort, feeling frustrated and depressed. When I was undergoing chemo I suffered terribly from diarrhoea and yes, it was awful. Eight years later, I still suffer from irritable bowels (likely due to the fact that I had 18 inches of my colon removed). Anyway, the thing that really helps me is the BRAT diet. See the following links regarding the BRAT diet. I'm not sure if it will work for your condition, but it might be worth a try.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRAT_diet

http://www.healingwell.com/community/de ... &m=1787161

Please stay in touch and let us know how you're doing. I truly hope that you're feeling better today.

Warm wishes,
Monique

[Uhanj]

Many thanks too all of you I wish we all get well soon.