So I am on vacation, going to several national parks and hiking. My symptoms have been manageable, or so I thought. I had an episode of bad WD last night. It passed and felt okay this am. However as the morning progressed, I started cramping really bad. We tried to do a few short walks and I had trouble standing up straight, no D, just cramping, and it continued to get worse. After 5 hours, my husband convinced me to go to ER. I don't have medicine for cramping, or spasms, and they were getting worse. Actually, cramping is a new MC symptom for me. Admittedly, I was beginning to worry too. I knew they would request a CT. I have refused them in the past, but relented today. one of the things she said it showed was moderate constipation. This blows my mind given the WD last night. I was given Bentyl (anti-spasmodic) and Tramadol (which is an anti-inflammatory, I know that is counter-indicated, but I felt so desperate.) Things have calmed down, and I can walk standing straight up again. I left with a script for Bentyl and for Colase.
I am really confused on Colase. Will that make things worse? I searched "Colase" and only found one entry. To sure what to do.
Thankful for any insight!
Angela
So back from ER....ugh, question about Colase
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Hi Angela,
So sorry for your experience on vacation! I don't have any insight on the colase. Just thought I would offer a few thoughts. You may have got into something while on vacation (food wise) to cause reaction. Make sure you are drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water (hard to do on busy vacation). And I would make sure my magnesium supplementation is on par. Constipation is a mag deficiency symptom.....if you are doing a lot of hiking and sweating you may need to up your mag dose if you are already on some.
Hopefully others will chime in and I hope the rest of your vacation is without incident!
Hugs
So sorry for your experience on vacation! I don't have any insight on the colase. Just thought I would offer a few thoughts. You may have got into something while on vacation (food wise) to cause reaction. Make sure you are drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water (hard to do on busy vacation). And I would make sure my magnesium supplementation is on par. Constipation is a mag deficiency symptom.....if you are doing a lot of hiking and sweating you may need to up your mag dose if you are already on some.
Hopefully others will chime in and I hope the rest of your vacation is without incident!
Hugs
Vanessa
Angela,
My symptoms alternated between D and C. That's not particularly rare for MC patients, it's just not common so most doctors are not familiar with it. It causes major cramping at times, but it will pass (until the next time).
Vanessa is right about the magnesium and adequate hydration.. With the right intake of magnesium, the C part of the cycle can be minimized.
Colase is just a stool softener (it's ducosate). It shouldn't cause any problems for MC, and it should lessen the intensity of the cramps.
You know, it's kind of funny — the "experts" insist that there are no nerves in the intestines, and yet when you get constipation, the pain can bring you to your knees. There has to be nerves in order for that to happen.
Tex
My symptoms alternated between D and C. That's not particularly rare for MC patients, it's just not common so most doctors are not familiar with it. It causes major cramping at times, but it will pass (until the next time).
Vanessa is right about the magnesium and adequate hydration.. With the right intake of magnesium, the C part of the cycle can be minimized.
Colase is just a stool softener (it's ducosate). It shouldn't cause any problems for MC, and it should lessen the intensity of the cramps.
You know, it's kind of funny — the "experts" insist that there are no nerves in the intestines, and yet when you get constipation, the pain can bring you to your knees. There has to be nerves in order for that to happen.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thank you both! I am doing topical magnesium. I am sure it takes some time to have them increase but I am working on it. I am learning that there are no "quick" fixes with this. I stopped the Uceris. I will see what happens over the next two days. If nothing happens, I will take the Colase. I am nervous to quit Uceris and take Colase. Actually, I'm just nervous as we are on vacation the entire week.
I am also understand the lack of knowledge in the medical community. The PA that saw me asked me if my doctor does CTs to monitor my condition, my answer, no, microscopic colitis doesn't show up on CTs, it's microscopic. The student doctor had to come back and ask me how to spell Uceris, and said that if I wanted to get out of the ER quickly, they would write me a script for antibiotics. The official ER doctor did not offer the antibiotics, and did get my pain under control, but looked at me funny when I said that maybe I ate something that I am sensitive to without realizing it-asked me if I had celiac, and the discussion went from there. Thus why I wanted to ask here about the Colase. And yes, that pain can bring you to your knees.
I will increase my water.....funny Death Valley is our last stop. We bought several gallons just to be safe. We won't be hiking there, just looking at the night sky, but I am trying to find humor in all of this. Our trip was planned before my diagnosis, just going to be cautious and try to make the best of it.
Thank you both!
Angela
I am also understand the lack of knowledge in the medical community. The PA that saw me asked me if my doctor does CTs to monitor my condition, my answer, no, microscopic colitis doesn't show up on CTs, it's microscopic. The student doctor had to come back and ask me how to spell Uceris, and said that if I wanted to get out of the ER quickly, they would write me a script for antibiotics. The official ER doctor did not offer the antibiotics, and did get my pain under control, but looked at me funny when I said that maybe I ate something that I am sensitive to without realizing it-asked me if I had celiac, and the discussion went from there. Thus why I wanted to ask here about the Colase. And yes, that pain can bring you to your knees.
I will increase my water.....funny Death Valley is our last stop. We bought several gallons just to be safe. We won't be hiking there, just looking at the night sky, but I am trying to find humor in all of this. Our trip was planned before my diagnosis, just going to be cautious and try to make the best of it.
Thank you both!
Angela
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
I spent a fair bit of time (over 12 months) fluctuating between MC mud and constipation - which other than the cramping pain can also lead to anal fissures and haemorrhoids (I had both)
the suggestions above are great, I found along with good magnesium intake (oral and topical) I had to increase the fibre intake a bit, to help the poop, but not so as to inflamed the MC.
a small peeled apple works well (little bit of fibre but also has pectin which is anti-inflammatory)
watered down apple juice or pear juice (again anti- inflammatory but can also help the movement get through)
increasing water intake (which you are already aware of)
increase oil intake (coconut oil capsules, having fattier cuts of meat etc)
the other thing that maybe beneficial is slippery elm powder - has to be super fine, not in a capsule, has to be powder. have small amount with your meal.
the other key aspect is being relaxed and giving the body time to pass the motion. doing breathing exercises, yoga etc of a morning. being relaxed to give the body time to pass the motion
one of the things I found I had to do until the magnesium and other elements had time to be of benefit, ie a few weeks, I would get up 3 hours before I left the house to ensure that pooping happened at home, in relaxed environment.
Even now anytime time I go away and change this routine a bit, I don't poop as much away from home, and especially the times I am sharing bathroom with other people - a weekend away in a share house with others takes me a week to get back into my routine. (when I get home I increase the mag and Vit D to help things get back to normal)
hope this helps
the suggestions above are great, I found along with good magnesium intake (oral and topical) I had to increase the fibre intake a bit, to help the poop, but not so as to inflamed the MC.
a small peeled apple works well (little bit of fibre but also has pectin which is anti-inflammatory)
watered down apple juice or pear juice (again anti- inflammatory but can also help the movement get through)
increasing water intake (which you are already aware of)
increase oil intake (coconut oil capsules, having fattier cuts of meat etc)
the other thing that maybe beneficial is slippery elm powder - has to be super fine, not in a capsule, has to be powder. have small amount with your meal.
the other key aspect is being relaxed and giving the body time to pass the motion. doing breathing exercises, yoga etc of a morning. being relaxed to give the body time to pass the motion
one of the things I found I had to do until the magnesium and other elements had time to be of benefit, ie a few weeks, I would get up 3 hours before I left the house to ensure that pooping happened at home, in relaxed environment.
Even now anytime time I go away and change this routine a bit, I don't poop as much away from home, and especially the times I am sharing bathroom with other people - a weekend away in a share house with others takes me a week to get back into my routine. (when I get home I increase the mag and Vit D to help things get back to normal)
hope this helps
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
I just wanted to say thank you again to all of you. I am home from vacation and things are returning to normal (Ha!).....funny, can't really claim normal, but funny how I wanted just to have routine, daily MC. The cramping subsided greatly after the medication I received from the ER. Although I left the ER with a prescription for Bentyl, I only had to take one while I was finishing my vacation. I did add the Colase (just one, for a few days), things did move along, but not in a scary D way. I also added a bit of apple juice and a bit of apple (thanks Gabes). Even though I was on vacation, it was hard to mentally be stress free as it was a fairly active vacation with limited restrooms, and that did cause me a bit of worry. Thankfully, it all worked out and there were no emergencies.
But what a resource you guys are. I truly had not felt pain like with the MC and it does take your breath away. It even hurt just to rest my hands on my tummy. I am laying in an unfamiliar ER, in another state, on the other side of the country. The medical staff, at least the initial medical staff, equated MC with colitis and an infection. It was just not where I wanted to be, but at the same time, I was having trouble even standing up straight, so rock and a hard place. You all give so much support when I felt no one understands. (My husband and 11 year old son are great, but it really scared my son that I was at the hospital, so I try to say as little as possible about how bad I feel.). Thus you all are truly a Godsend.
So thank you all again!
Angela
But what a resource you guys are. I truly had not felt pain like with the MC and it does take your breath away. It even hurt just to rest my hands on my tummy. I am laying in an unfamiliar ER, in another state, on the other side of the country. The medical staff, at least the initial medical staff, equated MC with colitis and an infection. It was just not where I wanted to be, but at the same time, I was having trouble even standing up straight, so rock and a hard place. You all give so much support when I felt no one understands. (My husband and 11 year old son are great, but it really scared my son that I was at the hospital, so I try to say as little as possible about how bad I feel.). Thus you all are truly a Godsend.
So thank you all again!
Angela
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Angela
glad that you are home and things have improved. (and there were no emergencies for the remainder of the vacation)
listen to your body, somedays you may need a little bit more of the fibre /oral mag / etc to help with pooping, and other days less.
with some recent changes in my hormones, I am finding that hormone fluctuations are causing issues, one month it is MC mud, and this month, it is constipation. I spent Sunday night from midnight to 3am sitting on the loo with cramps and belching and trying to pass a constipated poop. it is winter here so had a blanket over my legs to keep warm. MOnday I increased topical mag, and oral mag, increased fat and water intake. early night MOnday night and I have woken much better today (Tuesday) albeit no poop yet (I normally poop before leaving for work)
I find it takes 3 -4 days to 'recover' from these fluctuations.
glad that you are home and things have improved. (and there were no emergencies for the remainder of the vacation)
listen to your body, somedays you may need a little bit more of the fibre /oral mag / etc to help with pooping, and other days less.
with some recent changes in my hormones, I am finding that hormone fluctuations are causing issues, one month it is MC mud, and this month, it is constipation. I spent Sunday night from midnight to 3am sitting on the loo with cramps and belching and trying to pass a constipated poop. it is winter here so had a blanket over my legs to keep warm. MOnday I increased topical mag, and oral mag, increased fat and water intake. early night MOnday night and I have woken much better today (Tuesday) albeit no poop yet (I normally poop before leaving for work)
I find it takes 3 -4 days to 'recover' from these fluctuations.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama