I was prescribed to take 30mg/day (Prednisone) to try to reduce t...

I have had ulcerative colitis for over 30 years but have maintained a life style that has allowed me to be off medication for 27 years. I was never put on prednisone....I was so lucky. My doctor at the time prescribed salazipirine.......I had severe ulceration and a lot of bleeding. I was on the drugs for about 6 months....he said I would be on for the rest of my life. I changed my life....moved to an island....quit eating meat and dairy and drank no alcohol for 15 years. Whenever I felt myself having an attack I took a lot of rest and was very careful. I have a couple of joints that really bother me whenever I get a bit run down and that makes me pay attention. I am now 57 years old and I do have wine and red meat once in awhile. I don't eat dairy....substitute with goat cheese and rice milk and I am very careful not to use any processed foods and buy organic whenever I can. I try to get lots of rest. And I get checked by colonoscopy for possible disease. It is a constant diligence that keeps it at bay and I feel very lucky that I am able to. I have a daughter with severe Crohn's disease who had a terrible run in with prednisone and has finally weaned herself off after 2 years. I think it is a terribly dangerous drug and to be avoided wherever possible. I realize that not everyone can change their lives like I did but it really does help.

I have lived with ulcerative colitis for eight years now. When I was first diagnosed, my doctor put me on prednisone (short term) and asacol. It worked pretty well, but I did gain weight. After about five years, I lost my health insurance and couln't afford my medication ($450 a month) so I just stopped taking it which sent me into a pretty big flare-up. I could not keep anything in my system. Everything I ate went right through me and I couldn't keep weight on. I lost about 40 lbs pretty quickly. Although I liked my body better, it was pretty painful and at times very embarassing. I had to know where a bathroom was at all times, and honestly sometimes I wouldn't make it. Luckily, I got married in 2003 and was able to get insurance through my husband's job. I was put back on prednisone and asacol and although my symptoms got much better, I gained wieght again and absolutely hated the way I looked. I stayed in remission for about a year and then I flared again. So my doctor increased my prednisone and asacol. I started having horrible mood swings and wild , kind of frightening dreams. I could not loose the weight I had put on. I was working out five days a week and completely gave up sugar and the weight still wouldn't budge. My pain, blood loss and complete fatigue was not getting any better. My doctor suggested as a last-ditch try before surgery, to try remicade. He said I probably had a 25% chance of it working, but I should try it anyway. I was scared of the side effects and what it might do to my immune system, seeing as I am a pre-school teacher and completely surrounded by germs all day, but I was sweetly suprised. It worked immediately. I started feeling significantly better within 1 to 2 weeks. For the first time in 8 years I stopped bleeding and have relatively hard stools. I aslo was able to get off all the medication I was taking and have lost all the weight I gained. I have been doing the remicade infusions for over a year now and the side affects have been very minimal. I haven't gotten as sick as I thought I would have and I think it is because I excercise 4 times a week and I don't stress about it. Before the remicade, I found that cutting out dairy (except for yougart and the occasional milk on cereal), red meat, wheat of any kind, fried foods, spicy foods and raw vegitables helped. Also, regular exercise is very important. Be sure to watch your iron levels and your hematocrit count. I had to have a blood transfusion because I lost so much blood when I was 22. It was not fun. I hope this helps. Keep your head up. Find out what works for you. Remember that you control the disease, it dosen't control you!

After many years with mild UC, I had 2 bad flare ups that put me in the hospital within weeks of each other. On 40 mgs. of prednisone now (tapering off) and will have my 3rd Remicade treatment end of December. So far so good and I don't really mind the side effects - I rather keep my colon! I avoid dairy, spicy foods and as much as I would love to move to an island that is just not possible so I'm learning to relax and not do as much each day. Try not to be too concerned about the weight gain, in the grand scheme of things its not that important, get healthy and worry about it then.

I have just been diagnosed with UC. I got sick while working on a cruise ship, (they thought I had salmonella poisoning) But when sent home they found I had ulcerated colitis.
After 3 weeks in the hospital and 20 pounds lighter I decided to see a naturopath. She has put me on a high protein diet, I stopped eating dairy and wheat, and I’m still avoiding raw vegetables and anything with seeds. I have found that the more protein I eat the less I will crave foods (because of the prednisone)
I have gained 15 pounds since I have been out of the hospital, but most of it is water and bloating. I have had no flare-ups since I have bee home (almost 2 months) and I am certain my new diet has played a huge role. And yes I am sure the prednisone has also played a role, I am looking forward more then ever to get off this drug, I don’t even recognize myself anymore. (My whole body has ballooned) And if you are still wondering what is the best time to take the drug, I would say with meals.
I would also recommend drinking chamomile tea; it works as an anti-inflammatory and is great for your digestive track. I drink 3 cups a day!