i wish i could stop going to the toilet

[spider1980]

I have had ulcerative colitis for about 2-3 years and take medication to keep it under control. I take 4 yellow tablets which i fink is called salfasline and 200mg of asafirin. Since i have had this illness i need to visit the toilet about 10 times a day and seem to have lost control of my bowel. My doctor says there is nothing else he can do as the condition has calmed down. I am fed up with going to the toilet and only having a 30 second warning, is ther any thing else that can be done or do i just have to live with this inbarasing illness.

[groomberg]

I wanted to add, that I also have acupuncture once every couple of months, more when I have had a flare, that I swear works for me. I also take a probiotic tablet daily and use L-glutamine (2000mg) daily. Since I started doing these I have not had problems in years.
Hope this helps.

[groomberg]

I have had Ulcerative colitis for 18 years. I started with the low dose Azulfadine that you appear to be on. 4 tabs daily. But it did not completely resolve my flare. I currently take 8 tabs daily (500mg each) and split them throughout the day from am to pm. I have taken prednisone as well to reduce a flare for short periods.
My doctor tried me the Imuran that Trudie C has talked about stating most patients can go into remission for very long periods of time. For me, Imuran made my liver enzymes sky rocket and I had to stop after only 3 weeks of taking the meds.
If you drink alcohol I advise you stop especially during flares. Mild drinking can be okay while in remission but avoid like the plague during a flare. Of course the less stress the better. I hear you and am sorry for yuor suffering. There has been days where I felt like setting up shop in the bathroom. There are also other drugs available, sulfasalazine or Azulfadine have been around for a long time. Surgery is kind of a last option in my books. Colitis can come back in other areas of the colon and when eventually, you are left with a bag outside your belly and that is no way to live.
Good luck to you.

[TrudieC]

Yes there is more that can be done.  When my son has had it bad he went on prednisone but his disease was getting too bad.  He went onto Imuran, an immune suppressant.  He has been in total remission with one bowel movement a day for the last year and a half.  He is so happy to have his life back.

Another more drastic alternative is to have surgery.  I had ulcerative colitis for 10 years starting in my early 20's but then got a perforated bowel and had surgery to remove my large bowel and create a J-Pouch.  The J-Pouch is a new rectum made out of your small bowel and sewed into your anal muscles.  It cured me of the ulcerative colitis although I go to the washroom about 6 to 8 times a day but have total control, no cramping, and no urgency.  I am healthy again.  My son had wanted this surgery but because of the location of his disease the doctor said he can only do it when he is in remission and not with active disease.  With the imuran he has changed his mind.

Good luck to you.