MachOneMustang

Hello Everyone,

I am a 21 year old male and was diagnosed with Ulcerative Proctitis last December via a colonoscopy. In June I had a sigmoidoscopy which confirmed the locality of the UP and have been prescribed Asacol (800mg x 3 daily) and Rowasa suppositories which have, albeit curbed my symptoms slightly, have not exactly been my saving grace. However, I realize my sometimes-absent diligence could be exacerbating my symptoms, as I many times fail to keep up with the Rowasa regimen's required consistency. I guess I'm slightly impatient.

Anyway, I come to ask if anyone is aware of a known link between alcohol and UP/UC flare-ups. Now... common sense tells me that alcohol probably isn't the greatest thing for my compromised colon, but a recent trip to Atlantic City has left my bowels in shambles.

I should note that a rarely ever "let loose" or consume alcohol for that matter and am very health-conscious as well as aware of my condition. I have even consumed alcohol in the past seven months (maybe twice) I've been diagnosed with my condition with few (if any) complications, though I admit these other instances did not compare to the amount I consumed in AC. I guess I thought my digestive tract would forgive me for one more night of fun. Well... I was wrong. Granted, I consumed quite a bit of hard liquor (Rum) that night, but I did my best to make sure my stomach wasn't entirely empty prior to. Regardless, within a few hours, much of the liquor came right back up the way it went down with my dinner in tow.

I threw up for probably an hour off-and-on, dry heaving in a Casino bathroom for much of the night. I felt terrible the following morning when I realized I essentially ruined my night, but I felt even worse three days later when I realized my fairly regular (and firm) bowel movements (1 or 2 per day) had grinded to a halt overnight. Not only could I not produce a bowel movement, but I lacked any desire to have one either. No gas. Nothing.

Worried, I tried to produce (force) what turned out to be a pitiful bowel movement, which resulted in much straining and a TON of blood. Sadly, I really thought I was on the road to recovery going into that night, with regular BMs and blood tapering off. Finally it seemed the attention I had devoted to my UP for preceding six months of my life was paying off, oblivious to the thought it could all be undone in one single night of drinking.

A couple days later I had a BM, the consistency of which resembled more closely diarrhea and the gas and bloating that accompanied it was near unbearable. The following week saw little improvement, and my BMs were more loose, bloody, and smelly than ever before, let alone days apart. Worried, I called my GI and set up an appointment.

He told me to keep up with the regimen, which he thinks would curb the flare-up. Two weeks later, my bowels are still recovering from that ill-fated night. But this is where I'm torn. Is what I'm experiencing technically considered a "flare-up"? Perhaps I'm ignorant, but when I think of "flare-up" I do not think of three weeks, nor could I think the cause for such a drastic reaction be alcohol. However, I will let you, my friends, be the judge.