I'm new and i'm an old timer

hi. joined yesterday. am 64-yr. old female who had her 1st bout of uc at 20 yrs. old. way back then, i used whatever was popular to treat uc. had flares on and off all my life. no surgeries. 8 years ago i couldn't control the bleeding/diarrhea, and was hospitalized. gastro thought the uc had flipped to crohn's. had i.v. steroids, 1 remicade treatment while hospitalized, and when released, put on oral steroids and had 2 more remicade treatments. i'm hypomanic (bipolar 2) and the steroids made me out of my mind. my shrink said i never should have been put on steroids. never slept w/o ambien for the 3 mos. i was on the steroids. then put on 6mp and have been in complete remission on merely 25 mg. of 6mp. i work out daily at a health club and find when i take a strenuous spin class, my fatigue is almost more than i can handle. regardless, i must nap daily and go to bed early. that part of 6mp i hate but i just read that 87% relapse if they get of that drug. so my hubby and i adjust our lives accordingly. i never ever get sick, never have the flu/colds, but do have the bruising and little red dots all over my body. wish there was a way to combat the fatigue; that's my biggest complaint, but to be in remission for 8 yrs. is a miracle.

Hi trnrmom
and welcome

Wow! That's a long time!
I couldn't tolerate aza or 6mp, allergic reactions to both!
Glad you found us, hope we can be of help to you, lots of friends here for you
lotsa luv
Joan xxx

Hi Welcome to the forums!

Welcome! I'm glad you're in remission!!! I'm another old timer. I can sympathise with the fatigue and sleeping a lot. And I get bruising too, but I think that may be genetic -- my father had it too.

Sandy

Dx 1963
Now on:
Asacol
Azathioprine
Rowasa
Budesonide (sprinkled lightly in Rowasa, shaken, not stirred)
Folic acid