When to Call a Doctor About Ulcerative Colitis

When should I call my doctor about ulcerative colitis? Before answering that question, we should separate this into two categories. First, there are people with diagnosed and/or active ulcerative colitis, and second, there are people with symptoms of ulcerative colitis, but have yet to be diagnosed.

Diagnosed and Active Ulcerative Colitis

If you are affected by ulcerative colitis, and have been diagnosed with the chronic disease, then chances are you are already very good at recognizing the symptoms straight away. You should call a doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the following:

• Rectal bleeding
• Bloody stools
• Mucus in stools
  
• Abdominal pain

Calling your doctor quickly is crucial to helping treat the flare-up as quickly as possible. Waiting longer risks the chance of making the colitis episode worse. Be sure to include all symptoms. It is important not to leave anything out. You may also be experiencing the following symptoms in addition to those mentioned above:

• Diarrhea
• Weight Loss
• Nausea
• Vomiting (in severe cases)
• Loss of Appetite
• Fever
• Exhaustion or Lethargy

Common questions asked by your gastroenterologist or nurse may include:

• Are you having bloody stools?
• Is there mucus present in your stools?
  
• How many bowel movements are you having a day?
• What is the consistency of your stool? Is it diarrhea?
• How much are you stooling with each bowel movement?
• Are you running a fever?
• Have you lost any weight?
• How long have the symtpoms been occurring?

People Not Diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, or Any Form of IBD

For people not currently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, seeing blood or mucus in your stools may be the first warning you receive. This can be a scary event. Uncertainty and fear take hold when something liek this happens. It is important not to panic, and when talking to your physician, remember to be very detailed in the information you are given. Remember, there are a number of conditions that can have these symptoms as well...some better and some worse. For instance, if you notice blood on your stool ,you may simply have a rectal tear. It is important not to jump to any immediate conclusions.

Who to Call?

For people not diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, you will want to call your family physician first. While desiring to talk to a gastroenterologist would seem the smart thing to do, in most cases, specialists require referrals from family physicians. Your family physician can also help you make a step in the right direction of getting an accurate diagnosis of your symptoms.

See the list of ulcerative colitis symptoms above to see what occurrences you should call your doctor about.

Blood and mucus in stools is nothing to mess around with, so your doctor may want to see you right away. Be aware that blood tests may be done to help determine any deficiencies your blood may have due to these symptoms.

If your family physician deems it necessary to send you to a GI specialist, then at that point you can take their suggestion, or ask for a preferred physician of choice. Some people know others who have an IBD illness, such as ulcerative colitis, and may want to use their doctor based on others' experiences. As a patient, you have thatright to choose a specific doctor or specialist if you so choose.