Advice please

[Pickle]

I am not sure if i am posting this in the correct place, so apologies if not..My husband was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis after a colonoscopy eight months ago.. He has been on two courses of steroids which he stopped a couple of months ago, but is now on three different types of medication...His symptoms seemed to alleviate for a while, but have recently returned with stomach discomfort, wind and he has gone off some foods and coffee etc....I also have some concerns because i feel that he has become more distant, detached and when i have mentioned this, he doesnt seem to know what i am talking about ( maybe i am being paranoid) but i have wondered if its possible that the meds he is taking are affecting him mentally?? I wondered if anyone on this forum is familiar with this...Many thanks

 

[Grumbletum]

Hello Pickles and a big warm welcome to the forum Sorry to hear that your husband is having issues. In short, yes, medication, especially steroids can have an effect on the mind. Feeling spaced out, foggy is a common complaint on it.
There is also the impact of being diagnosed with a chronic disease - I'm sure it's been a shock to you both, but I know myself that when first diagnosed and when in a bad flare, you can get a bit lost in the disease and learning how to cope with it.
Is he able to talk to you about these kind of things?

 

[Pickle]

Hello Grumbletum.. Thank you very much for your reply...My husband unfortunately is not a great communicator, so he trying to understand how he feels/thinks can be very challenging..He has a demanding job which keeps him out of the house 12 hrs a day and sometimes has to travel which adds ( i think) to the stress of having this particular disease/condition...But i feel that since his diagnosis, we are not so close and have drifted...I am not sure if its possibly due to his inability to talk about things and or his natural concern over his health,and the meds maybe have contributed to a change in him...I am not even sure if i should see our Gp and ask him, just feel at a bit of a loss at the moment

 

[Manatey]

I was a pretty outgoing social person before I was diagnosed. I am not so much any more. It is hard on my husband I know because he is VERY Social and likes to go out a lot. Between chronic fatigue, chronic pain, dealing with a diagnosis you are going to have to live with for life and other issues we may not be able to know about I think this is very normal to become more distant. Another thing that bothers me is that my disease puts more on my husband on a daily basis and that kills me. I used to be a very self sufficient person I have had to give a lot up. These type of issues are hard to deal with and everyone has to learn how to deal with these issues in there own way and when they are ready to. Try to support him without pressuring him because that will make it worse. Let him know in a gentle way you are concerned and are there for him and will do what it takes to help him deal with what ever it is he needs to deal with to feel the best he can mentally and physically:hang:

 

[SnowDay]

Hi Pickle. Welcome. I'm sorry to hear about the troubles you and your husband are facing. It's so horrible when something like this hits you, cos it doesn't just affect one persons physical health, it affects that persons whole life and the lives of those close them.

I too was very loud/proud, sociable and confident before I got sick, and I am a lot more stand-offish and quiet now than I was before. I think your husband needs you just to be there and be as supportive as you can (i'm sure you already are) when he's ready to talk about this and deal with it.

Meanwhile you can find a lot of the support that you need on this forum, I know I have. I hope you and him can cope with this. And you can always type up a new thread if you need help on something or just want to vent. . Good luck :hug: