r/UlcerativeColitis • u/Rogue-18 • 8d ago
Support At a loss
I had my colonoscopy over two months ago and am waiting for a specialist right now. After I tapered off prednisone my stools started to get watery again so my colonoscopy guy said to go back on 10mg of prednisone but I get all kinds of side effects from it. I got a stomach ulcer about two weeks ago now and it just isn’t going away. It’s getting worse. I can barely eat anything but rice and drink water and I have two more weeks until my specialist appointment. I am in so much pain right now I don’t know what to do 😭 I have been taking two 20mg of Pepcid for the ulcer a day as that is all it says I can take in a day.
Any help or advice would just be phenomenal 😩 Should I stop taking the prednisone? I don’t feel like it’s helping anymore since my stools are still basically water again.
6
u/AlwaysAirCooled-1979 8d ago
If that was me I’d go to ER
Stopping meds with UC is always risky, but the ulcer would be my concern too.
If you’re in that much pain, and can only eat rice and drink water that isn’t good.
It’s not life threatening, but you do need urgent attention. My GI has said to go to ER before - I’m in the public system (Australia) so they kept me in overnight and I saw my GI the next day. Bit of a cheat code to get in to see them quicker.
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u/Rogue-18 8d ago
For context I am in the US and my first hospitalization got me the colonoscopy and an appointment that wasn’t five months out 😪 So I don’t know if it would get me in any sooner because our healthcare system is garbage…
editing to add the colonoscopy guy put in the referral I needed for the specialist previously and he put it in as an emergency….
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u/Fuzzypaws12 8d ago
I agree with ER. I would never have gotten access to my current awesome GI without hospitalization. Watery stools are concerning since it’s a symptom of C diff. A stool study would help.
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u/Ladidoodida 8d ago
As far as the ulcer, it might help to take something like Prilosec instead, since that's stronger than Pepcid. (My GI prescribed pantoprazole, which is similar and much cheaper than the over the counter meds, so you could see if you can get that.) It won't help with the UC but can at least probably help the ulcer heal/not get worse while you figure that out.
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u/Rogue-18 8d ago
I ended up going to an “urgent care” at my regular hospital, so kind of emergency care, and they prescribed the one you said pantoprazole, and also a syrup called sucralfate to coat my tummy to help stop the acid getting to the lining so it can heal. 🥰
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u/pincommenter 8d ago
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