The Best and Worst of Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms

Ulcerative colitis comes with many symptoms, including fatigue, loss of appetite, stomach pain, and sever diarrhea. None of these are fun or easy to deal with. UC causes a lot of pain, suffering and uncomfortable moments. Of the symptoms, the most commonly known and often given the most attention is the severe diarrhea. While I agree that it is inconvenient and not comfortable, the diarrhea is by far the easiest symptom to deal with.

Frequent trips to the restroom? Inconvenient. But not unlivable. It can be a bit embarrassing to explain to friends and family what is happening to you, but aside from the social taboo that is our digestive issues, this symptom really is not that bad. I carry a bit of travel size perfume on me when I go out, and I am strategic about which bathrooms I use and when. I also, when I get a really bad flare-up, drink a couple of teaspoonfuls of psyllium seed husk powder dropped into about eight ounces of orange juice in the morning. If you have researched the subject, you might ask, but why? Psyllium seed husk is some of the most intense fiber you can get! Why would you want to down something that people take to relieve constipation? I'll tell you why. Go ahead and drop a teaspoon of psyllium seed into a few ounces of water. Walk away for thirty minutes. When you come back, turn the glass upside down. Nothing will fall out of it. The psyllium turns the liquid into a gummy substance, and it will do the same thing in your digestive system. Your most severe diarrhea can easily become not so severe.

While I am not bothered at this point by the diarrhea associated with ulcerative colitis, I am often bothered by the other symptoms associated with it. During a flare-up, there is often constant stomach pain, and the feeling that you are never quite empty in terms of a bowel movement. These things, combined with the tiredness, give me a general icky feeling almost constantly. More than anything else about UC, it is this feeling of a lack of well being that I find the most difficult to deal with. The biggest way I go about dealing with this is in my avoidance of flare-ups. At this point, I have a pretty good idea of what will set me off. Dairy. Lots of spicy things. Overeating in general. And I stay away from these things as much as possible. But as we all know, flare-ups don't always seem to happen in direct correlation with what we do. And for these times, I am still looking for the answer. I am trying a month-long colon cleanse right now, hopefully removing some of the built up plaque and other material that the adult digestive system usually holds. As of yet, I am not sure of the effectiveness of this particular path, but I am willing to try just about anything to get away from the full, bloated, painful, tired feelings that I get during a UC flare-up.