I am not sure you could call this a "major" flare-up, but it definitely hit me hard and fast this time around. It's been nearly two years since my last flare-up, and I'm not sure I even want to count this one.
But, a flare-up is a flare-up, correct? Oh well, I guess so...
This flare-up most likely originated from me taking large amounts of whey protein over a 4 week period. Read my experience on Ulcerative Colitis and P90X to learn more about what I went through.
In fact, to tell you the truth, I don't think it was just the whey protein. I started eating really healthy, which included loads of raw fruits and vegetables, in addition to some nutrient-packed nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, and peanuts.
While I feel the whey protein was the main culprit, the other foods probably only worsened my condition.
Sixth Major Flare-Up
The UC flare-up hit right around the end of my fourth week of P90X. I felt some small crampings, which I thought were associated with bowel movements. The next day, the cramps went from light and infrequent to moderately painful and frequent. The third day, I was doubled over and cramping every 30 minutes or so.
I spent one day trying to rest under these flare-up conditions, then said enough is enough. I went to my local emergency room, where they immediately drew my blood and hooked me up to some IV fluids, steroids, nausea medicine, cramping medicine, and a small pain reliever.
I was offered morphine, but I refused. Morphine is awesome ladies and gentlemen, but it should only be used in worst case scenarios. I knew I wasn't as bad as I had been in the past, so I passed on the morphine, and they gave me an IV version of Vicodin instead.
After almost 3 hours in the ER, I was a brand new man with 3 prescriptions to help me through the flare-up.
Diet Changes
I completely changed my diet to my normal ulcerative colitis diet, which consisted of:
- chicken noodle soup
- chicken and rice soup
- saltine crackers
- toast
- jello
- gatorade
- water
Now, I am back to my normal diet, except I have completely abandoned the whey protein. I truly feel that was the main reason my flare-up was triggered, and ever since I stopped taking it, my UC has completely gone back into remission.
Doc Visit
Have to visit my doc this week, and I am pretty much betting on him scheduling me for a colonoscopy. Love the meds I get for the scoping, but HATE the prep needed the night before. I don't think I've ever met a person who enjoys chugging all that Go-Litely. No matter what I mix it with, it still tastes like cat-you-know-what.
Hope everyone out there with UC is doing well! Take care of your bodies, mind what your stomach tells you, and keep those stress levels low!
Thanks for reading, and thanks for visiting my blog!
