Hi everyone! I’m going to my GI on Monday - I’m a bit over a month into my current flare, and I’ve been having rectal(?)/lower colon(?) bleeding. It’s weird, but I’m kinda wondering the purpose for this appt… as opposed to just increasing my pred dose. I’m hoping you can decipher this very long post as I’m typing under the influence… of pred!!!
Bloodwork done the end of Aug: neg. for c. diff; WBC slightly elevated for me; liver levels normal (finally!)
Meds:
* 6mp(mercaptopurine): Since ’09. Currently 50mg/day. My “ideal” dose is 75/day but I had to cut back after having elevated liver levels earlier this year.
* Pred: 2 weeks in – last week at 30mg/day, this week at 20mg/day. I’m sure I wasn’t on 30mg long enough, but the PA at my GI’s office was apparently trying to see if a quick course (weekly: 30-20-10-5-off) would work.
Symptoms:
*Blood: bright red (sometimes pinkish, sometimes orangish). Sometimes “on”/around stool, sometimes without a BM at all (e.g. sit on the toilet to pee, pass gas, wipe and there’s blood). Sometimes with mucus. No pain with BM.
*Fatigue: not new, but worse. Low-grade fever (99*): on and off. Sometimes I’ll feel feverish but have a normal temp. Nausea (since starting pred): not too bad, but noticeable. Bloating!!!!
The thing that’s weird to me is that in my last flare before this (Fall ’09), the bleeding stopped like 2 days after starting Pred, and I only started at 20mg. This time the bleeding never stopped, not even after a week on 30mg. I’m on warfarin anticoagulation therapy (had clots Winter ’09), and for anyone who has the “pleasure” to know what this means, my target INR is a bit higher than normal (3-3.5). So I’m sure that’s not helping anything.
In my mind, I just need more Pred for a longer time before tapering. But the LPN at my GI’s office was insistent that I come in pseudo-asap (after talking to her Thurs, she got me an appt on Mon!). Is there something else they're looking for other than my “normal” Crohn’s? (Inflammation throughout colon, worse in descending, and into sm. intestines.) Thanks!
Bloodwork done the end of Aug: neg. for c. diff; WBC slightly elevated for me; liver levels normal (finally!)
Meds:
* 6mp(mercaptopurine): Since ’09. Currently 50mg/day. My “ideal” dose is 75/day but I had to cut back after having elevated liver levels earlier this year.
* Pred: 2 weeks in – last week at 30mg/day, this week at 20mg/day. I’m sure I wasn’t on 30mg long enough, but the PA at my GI’s office was apparently trying to see if a quick course (weekly: 30-20-10-5-off) would work.
Symptoms:
*Blood: bright red (sometimes pinkish, sometimes orangish). Sometimes “on”/around stool, sometimes without a BM at all (e.g. sit on the toilet to pee, pass gas, wipe and there’s blood). Sometimes with mucus. No pain with BM.
*Fatigue: not new, but worse. Low-grade fever (99*): on and off. Sometimes I’ll feel feverish but have a normal temp. Nausea (since starting pred): not too bad, but noticeable. Bloating!!!!
The thing that’s weird to me is that in my last flare before this (Fall ’09), the bleeding stopped like 2 days after starting Pred, and I only started at 20mg. This time the bleeding never stopped, not even after a week on 30mg. I’m on warfarin anticoagulation therapy (had clots Winter ’09), and for anyone who has the “pleasure” to know what this means, my target INR is a bit higher than normal (3-3.5). So I’m sure that’s not helping anything.
In my mind, I just need more Pred for a longer time before tapering. But the LPN at my GI’s office was insistent that I come in pseudo-asap (after talking to her Thurs, she got me an appt on Mon!). Is there something else they're looking for other than my “normal” Crohn’s? (Inflammation throughout colon, worse in descending, and into sm. intestines.) Thanks!
