me...
Hello all! I have been a part of this website for a year & a half now. I am so thankful for finding this group and all the knowledge and experiences that are shared. I am constantly looking to this site and this group for information on different meds and conditions that come up in my life and to give a thought or two here or there to anyone who sounds like they could use it.
I was diagnosed about 3 years ago and though my UC has been mild to moderate, it still has not been any fun. This disease ended my military career with an involuntary medical retirement. I find myself giving second thoughts to going out on certain trips due to the possibility that I might need to use the bathroom urgently. I have been having issues with urgency almost the entire time I've had this disease. Some times obviously worse than others. I have been dealing with persistent fissures that just won't heal. I've tried nitroglycerin ointment to help blood flow to the skin to promote healing, I've tried Proctofoam but it stung really bad and didn't seem to do much else. Maybe I didn't give it a fair chance, I only used it once or twice, I wonder if it's worked for anyone else. I just don't know what else to do. It seems the only thing that has ever cleared up the fissures was when I was on Prednisone and we all know all too well that prednisone, though it works really well, is a HORRIBLE drug to be on.
Lately I've been feeling ok. Still have bleeding with most BM. As mentioned before I do still experience some urgency issues and being close to a bathroom makes me feel more at ease. I get a bit nervous when I am not somewhere I can use the bathroom if I need to. We just started house hunting for our first home and it makes me nervous.. I know there are bathrooms in the houses but who wants to say "hey (realtor) I really need to use the bathroom, do you think the home owners will mind?" How embarrassing if I can't hold it through a couple of 20-30 minute showings... I've gone back on Asacol. The GI put me back on Asacol from Lialda when i was leaving the Navy because it's cheaper. If I knew then what I know now I would have asked him to keep me on Lialda. It seemed to work AND I didn't experience any side effects from it. This time and the last time taking Asacol I have been dealing with constant pain in my elbow joint. I am convinced it's the Asacol because only when I'm on it do my elbow joints hurt. I also take Rowasa and it is SO unfortunate that one of the more inconvenient meds is the one that seems to work the best. I really only notice a difference with the Rowasa. If I miss a dose then the next day is a rough one but if I miss a does of Asacol.. I see no difference whatsoever. My UC is pancolitis but my active symptoms have always been left sided and with the worst being at the rectum and sigmoid colon. I guess this is why the Rowasa seems to help so much. I do also take Canasa on occasion to help with urgency but it doesn't seem to be helping lately either.
I have been really interested in trying LDN. I have read a bit about it but my navy GI wouldn't even entertain the notion. And if you are familiar with military medical, there's only so much you can do, especially when you are facing a medical and physical evaluation board. So, I have had to wait until I was out of the military to look into the LDN. Any one have any bits of advice for me on LDN? Any personal experiences to share regarding LDN and UC?
Well, this has become quite the wordy first journal entry. I wish everyone good health and happy days! Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts and I'm looking forward to any thoughts anyone wants to share with me. <3
I was diagnosed about 3 years ago and though my UC has been mild to moderate, it still has not been any fun. This disease ended my military career with an involuntary medical retirement. I find myself giving second thoughts to going out on certain trips due to the possibility that I might need to use the bathroom urgently. I have been having issues with urgency almost the entire time I've had this disease. Some times obviously worse than others. I have been dealing with persistent fissures that just won't heal. I've tried nitroglycerin ointment to help blood flow to the skin to promote healing, I've tried Proctofoam but it stung really bad and didn't seem to do much else. Maybe I didn't give it a fair chance, I only used it once or twice, I wonder if it's worked for anyone else. I just don't know what else to do. It seems the only thing that has ever cleared up the fissures was when I was on Prednisone and we all know all too well that prednisone, though it works really well, is a HORRIBLE drug to be on.
Lately I've been feeling ok. Still have bleeding with most BM. As mentioned before I do still experience some urgency issues and being close to a bathroom makes me feel more at ease. I get a bit nervous when I am not somewhere I can use the bathroom if I need to. We just started house hunting for our first home and it makes me nervous.. I know there are bathrooms in the houses but who wants to say "hey (realtor) I really need to use the bathroom, do you think the home owners will mind?" How embarrassing if I can't hold it through a couple of 20-30 minute showings... I've gone back on Asacol. The GI put me back on Asacol from Lialda when i was leaving the Navy because it's cheaper. If I knew then what I know now I would have asked him to keep me on Lialda. It seemed to work AND I didn't experience any side effects from it. This time and the last time taking Asacol I have been dealing with constant pain in my elbow joint. I am convinced it's the Asacol because only when I'm on it do my elbow joints hurt. I also take Rowasa and it is SO unfortunate that one of the more inconvenient meds is the one that seems to work the best. I really only notice a difference with the Rowasa. If I miss a dose then the next day is a rough one but if I miss a does of Asacol.. I see no difference whatsoever. My UC is pancolitis but my active symptoms have always been left sided and with the worst being at the rectum and sigmoid colon. I guess this is why the Rowasa seems to help so much. I do also take Canasa on occasion to help with urgency but it doesn't seem to be helping lately either.
I have been really interested in trying LDN. I have read a bit about it but my navy GI wouldn't even entertain the notion. And if you are familiar with military medical, there's only so much you can do, especially when you are facing a medical and physical evaluation board. So, I have had to wait until I was out of the military to look into the LDN. Any one have any bits of advice for me on LDN? Any personal experiences to share regarding LDN and UC?
Well, this has become quite the wordy first journal entry. I wish everyone good health and happy days! Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts and I'm looking forward to any thoughts anyone wants to share with me. <3
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