Posts Tagged ‘ulcerative colitis symptoms’

Now, I hope that you are getting a comfortable and full nights sleep. If not then read on…

We all know that colitis has a few choice symptoms that it creates in varying degrees of severity.

But what is the most difficult to deal with and how do you reduce its impact?

Mine was the knowledge of knowing that any major movement (and this could be only standing up) would require a visit to the toilet. In order to counteract this, I planned how I could reduce movement to a bear minimum, I planned what would be eaten and when, I planned how I would even sit or what position I would lay down.

One thing I did achieve was the abililty to still sleep most of the night even during the peak of a relapse. I would only need to go to the toilet once during the night. I managed this because I ensured that I slept on my back and did not move from this position. I proved that if I did move onto my side, this would antagonise the bowel and I would be sitting on the toilet within a few minutes.

It did take some training on how to remain on my back all night. But it helped so much in attaining as much sleep as posssible which is so welcome when you have a relapse.

Discover more how to reduce the impact of colitis symptoms on your daily life. For more info click on The Colitis Experience.com

When I was growing up, I remember my parents used to occassionally “fast”. I had no clue as to what all this was about and I when learned exactly what it entailed, it did not sound like much fun to a young boy.

Yet, after a long weekend of fasting, I remember that they would be singing the praises of not eating. It seemed like a renewal, a boost to their whole self, the process of cleansing the body to toxins. During the fasts, they drank a lot of water and a mix of honey, lemon and hot water.

I was reminded of this when I came across an article about how fasting can have very beneficial effects for those sufering from a variety of illnesses and diseases. Now, we know that when a colitis relapse happens, the intake of food can be drastically reduced, even eliminated for a period, but what about when a period of remission is being enjoyed. Ever considered that a period of fasting, just for a few days, could give the body respite from the demands placed upon it? It could give respite from your colitis symptoms?

A lot has been written about possible links between the consumption of milk and the incidences of colitis and Chrohn’s. Yet again a recent joint study between scientists in the UK and Canada found no association between dairy products and the risk of being diagnosed with these diseases.

And on the subject of milk, here is another, though slightly offball result of research involving a bit of horsing around but could offer some relief from colitis symptoms

It is all to do with mare’s milk where German researchers believe drinking mare’s milk may ease IBD! A total of 17 adolescent patients with chronic colitis and Chrohn’s who drank the milk were found to have high levels of “good” bacteria which are thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect as well as boosting the immune system.

Patients were given either 250ml of mare’s milk or a placebo daily for two months. Those given the milk reported less abdominal pain, less blood in faeces and needed less medication, though it is not clear why the milk is beneficial.

So off you go to the local stables and ask the them to fill a bucket for you. It beats asking for a barrowful of dung!

For the majority of colitis sufferers, once you have had an attack you should be able to attain the level of health that you had before it happened. Whilst remission brings with it relief from pronounced colitis symptoms, you must always be aware that the inflammation in your large bowel has not disappeared.

It is still there. Think about it as a volcano. It has erupted for the first time, pouring out lava and causing discomfort to those around (that’s you). The eruption has now subsided yet the volcano is still active. In remission, the blood, mucus and the abdominal pain and discomfort will have stopped. The open sore on the bowel lining caused by the inflammation will have closed and hence the weeping of mucus and blood stopped, but that does not mean you are now free to forget about it. It’s still there; in fact it will always be there yet for now it can be described as “sleeping” rather than in volcano terms, “dormant”.

You may ask “how can I prevent it from waking up whilst living my usual life again?” Unfortunately it is not as simple as advising you to do one thing and don’t do another. If there were definitive answers, all colitis sufferers would be following them and living perhaps a colitis free life. Until that occurs, you need to be aware of your overall health more now than before and consider whether by doing something it may have a detrimental effect on a possible relapse occurring.

The first tip to avoid colitis symptoms during a period of remission is to be careful in what your diet consists of. The vast majority of foods will have no detrimental effect, yet there is a chance that a few could bring on some symptoms such as diarrhoea. These symptoms should not last long, perhaps not even one day but you should not be unnecessarily provoking the inflammation present in your large colon.

The second tip is not to over stretch yourself both physically and mentally, especially during the period immediately after the attack period has subsided. It takes a significant period of time for the body to recover from a colitis attack and during this stage no excessive strain should be placed upon it that could trigger symptoms, which, if left unchecked, could develop into a full blown attack.

The third tip is to take life a little slower paced and develop methods where you can take a step back and re-energise yourself and reduce any levels of stress that might have been building. By effective colitis management techniques, you can ensure that it is you who are in control during a period of remission and to ensure that you do nothing to encourage the reappearance of the volcano and its problematic colitis symptoms.

Everyone who is diagnosed with colitis knows that the chances of a relapse happening sometime in the future are probably 100%.

And whilst it is a known, it is also an unknown known. (Sorry I am starting to sound like a politician. Enough of that.)

Can anyone with colitis write down in their diary when their next relapse will occur? If they could, they should sell the secret and retire to their very own tropical island.

Until such a day arrives, colitis sufferers have to continue to live their lives as normally as possible yet always at the back of their mind there is the thought that a relapse might appear from nowhere.

After my first attack, I went on to have four relapses. I could start to see a pattern emerge both in timing when they happened and some evidence based factors of why they happened.

I also saw a pattern of when I could be prone to a sudden appearance of symptoms which would last, thankfully, for only a couple of trips to the toilet. I understood why they happened and tried to avoid future circumstances that were similar.

Start to understand your colitis symptoms and their patterns by getting the answers

A few days back I was talking to someone who asked me some questions about my own experience of colitis as they suddenly had to cope with the appearence of blood in their stools.

First of all I told them not to panic, it does not necessarily mean they have colitis. It is most probably some form of ibs and I told them that they must go and visit their doctor. They did state that they had endured a period of quite intense stress due to the possibility of being made redundant.

The influence and physical consequences that stress can play on the body cannot be underestimated.

Why are colitis sufferer’s interested/aware of stress? Simply, the effects of stress can be seen in increased symptoms. Sometimes they only last a short period of time, even just part of a day or it can be the precurser to a full blown relapse.

Yet there are methods of dealing with the resultant stress that does appear. A little action to aleviate the build up of stress is much easier to make happen than be at the mercy of what colitis can throw at you.

One successful one is the step back from the rigours of the day and just unwind yourself physically and mentally. Now, I know everyone says that they are busy, but what is, say, five minutes during the day to ensure you step back and effectively “build” that defence against unwanted colitis symptoms.

And the secret to that is planning. And the secret to planning is keep it simple. And the secret to keeping it simple is to focus. Focus on your objective and the job will get done.

How about identifying a five minute period during the day (as that is when you will most likely be at your busiest and potentialy stressed) and designating it your “unwind time”

Now, one little incident will not blow your stress levels skyward but a cumulation of little events can build to a level of anxiety, frustration and ultimately unhealthy levels of stress. And we know what that can turn into.

So here is a simple process for you to create your own “5 Minute Time Out” where you should feel the level of stress reduce as you unwind. Even if you do not feel stressed, this action will benefit you by way of refreshing the mind and untangling the taughtness of the body’s muscles.

“5 Minute Time Out”

Get into a comfortable sitting position.
Slowly tense your whole body from feet to head.
Then begin to relax in a gradual manner.
As you do this, imagine the tension that is is flowing out of you being replaced with a soothing light. Make it a relaxing, soft colour: white, light blue, a warm gold.
As you are relaxing breath in through the nose slowly counting to 3.
Hold that breath and enjoy the soft coloured light that has filled your body and mind.
Slowly count to 5.
Slowly exhale.

Do this several times within your 5 minute period.

You will feel mentally and physically fresher. If you can do this say twice per day, maybe even three times. It is used to break the cycle of tension, concentration, everything that is involved in our daily lives.

It will give your body and mind time out to refresh, to heal and be a silent yet effective defence against the lurking danger of stress.

Try it out and see how the effects are on you. Make it part of your daily routine.

And make it part of your defence against the dangers of a colitis attack appearing from nowhere as a result of a build up of untamed stress.

One of the most important things to do wherever you are on your colitis journey is to listen to your body.

What do I mean by this?

Simply, always be aware of how you are feeling and if your body is operating in its “default” mode.

When in remission, is the bowel functioning as per normal without any hick ups to normal patterns and how to assess any abdominal discomfort?
When having a relapse, is the period in question becoming too long, are the trips to the toilet becoming ever greater, is the pain at its usual intensity?
When the default mode is breached, however slightly, this could indicate a developing potential problem.

I developed a specific way to ensure that when I had a relapse that I could measure its progress. If it deviated from this established plan, I could take action fast. With an ileostomy and now a j pouch, I know what to expect in terms of frequency and what to look for to maintain this.

Ensure you do listen to your body. It can be very important to your future wellbeing.

It is all about effective management of colitis symptoms.

Do you know how to?

One of the most important things to do when you have been diagnosed with colitis is to listen to your body, though what is meant by this? Simply, always be aware of how you are feeling and how your bowel is functioning, and understand how to recognise the signals that your health’s default mode is changing when either in remission or at the approach of or during a relapse.

When in remission, is the bowel functioning as per normal without any deviations to these patterns and how would you assess any abdominal discomfort? When having a relapse, is the period in question becoming too long, are the trips to the toilet becoming ever greater, and is the pain at its usual intensity or greater? When the default mode is breached, however slightly, this could indicate a potential developing problem.

If you are living with colitis then go now to The Colitis Experience to discover how to reduce the impact that it has on your life.

It had a huge impact on mine and now I reveal all the knowledge that you can use to protect yourself and be able to live as normal a life as possible.

Yes relapses do happen, but do you know if your defence is as effective as it can be?

Don’t leave yourself vunerable. I am still amazed that so many sufferers are still struggling with the disease without at least attempting to tackle it face on.

Don’t let colitis take the upper hand. You can reduce the impact that it has on your life if you take action.

Colitis symptoms can be managed more effectively.

You just have to take action.

Michael

As the number of cases of swine flu becomes greater each day and will have a marked influence on the health of the population as summer turns to autumn, what should those diagnosed with colitis be aware of.

There are those that have been identified as being more susceptible of catching the virus and colitis in itself is not mentioned. What is highlighted though is that those with a weak or suppressed immune system can be more at risk.

If your colitis is in remission then there should be nothing to worry about. If you are currently experiencing colitis symptoms as part of a relapse, you will be feeling tired, unwell and perhaps less able to fight off infection as your body’s immune system is working flat out to try and defend itself against the relapse. There is then the possibility that these symptoms may increase the chance of becoming infected by swine flu.

Just remember, there is no certainty here at all. And don’t forget that if you are in the midst of a relapse, you will most likely not be going outside and coming into contact with carriers of the virus.

And one final point. Currently, more people are infected with seasonal flu than swine flu and more people will have lost their lives through seasonal flu than swine flu.

Michael

So what is it to be, traditional medication to treat colitis symptoms or the use of probiotics?

There is a much greater awareness of the use of probiotics for gut conditions. Yet colitis is no ordinary gut condition is it? It is not a little rumble of the tummy and solved with drinking a small pot of probiotics.

Can they really reduce, even eliminate the beast that is colitis when it awakens from its slumber and roars, creating havoc?

What do you think? Have you used probiotics when suffering from the symptoms of colitis? Did they make any difference?

I am very interested in what you have to say.

Michael