Flaring for a month! Possible steroid hospital check in coming. Any recommendations?!

[ashley225]

I've been struggling with diarrhea for almost a month now. The flare started with the usual cramping, blood, mucous, night sweats, etc. My doctor has me taking 40mg of prednisone along with some cortifoam enemas, none of them are really helping to get this flare to calm down. The discussion of hospitalization for more intense steriods has been suggested, however I am kind of against this. I'm against it for a few reasons, mainly that the weaning off the iv steriods will be horrible, more horrible than a regular taper from prednisone. Prednisone absolutely kills my body, makes me irritable and not even like I'm myself. Are there others that feel that way when taking prednisone? Has anyone had iv steroid treatment for the 3-7 days in the hospital and seen good results? I've been struggling with crohns/uc for the last 5 years and never been in remission. My doctor says I fall in the gray area of patients that look like both crohns and uc. I've tried remicade and had horrible allergic relations to it, so that doesn't work for me. I've exhausted the first level of medications doctors would give us, and take azathioprine 150mg daily, and now the prednisone. Im just kind of waiting for a new medication that is supposed to be coming out (according to my doctor at university of Chicago) that is similar to remicade...hoping that could help me! I'm just here looking for support and advice from all of the incredible people that live with this disease too. Thanks to anyone who takes the time to reply.

 

[If*]

Hello, so sorry you are struggling. Can you ask about supervised bowel rest?? Steroids made me feel angry and tense, which is not like me.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Lisa]

You need to get the flare under control before things get too severe. even if that means a stay in the hospital for a short time to be able to get higher doses of medications that may not totally agree with you. Take a step back and try to look at things objectively - which is worse - the effects of the disease, or the effects of the medications?