Healing Your Ulcerative Proctitis

Ulcerative proctitis treatment or cure for rectal inflammation, includes anti-inflammatory medication such as canasa, hydrocortisone enemas, foams & suppositories, herbal treatments, acupuncture, and going on a colitis diet. Common symptoms are rectal bleeding and rectal pain.

Definition: When inflammation occurs in the rectum and the lower part of the colon, the last 15-20 cm, you have ulcerative proctitis.

Misspellings: ulcerative proctatitis, ulcerated proctitis, ulceritive proctitis, ulcerative proctitus, ulcertive proctitis, ulcerative protitis, ulcerative proctisis, ulcerated proctitus

What Is Ulcerative Proctitis?

Ulcerative proctitis differs from other forms of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease because proctitis only effects the rectum and is considered less severe, although it is chronic. In contrast, ulcerative colitis affects the inner most lining of the colon (large intestine). Crohn's disease can effect the colon and the small intestine and there can be areas of the bowel that are healthy and areas that are diseased with ulcers and inflammation. There is usually a blockage of the intestines with Crohn's.

Because proctitis is chronic in nature, flare ups are marked by frequent recurrences marked by long durations. But, there are individuals who have one occurrence and then doesn't experience symptoms for months or years. Usually a flare up will occur at some point.

Symptoms of Ulcerative Proctitis

Urgency to defacate/empty the bowel (tenesmus)

Constant diarrhea

Cramp-like abdominal pain

Bloody or stools with mucus

Constipation

Diarrohic stools

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Sexually transmitted diseases are a common cause of proctitis. See your doctor if you think you have an STD. Even if you think you may have yeast infection symptoms it's important to be evaluated to be sure you don't have an STD. The different kinds of STD proctitis are:

chlamydia proctitis

syphilitic proctitis

gonococcal proctitis

herpes proctitis

What Other Causes of Proctitis are There?

To date, the latest research doctors have about a cause involves bacteria or a virus that interacts with the immune system which in turn causes the intestinal inflammation. Other causes include:

Radiation (done when cancer is suspected)

Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis

Trauma to the area

Antibiotics

Proctitis Medication

For severe cases, prednisone has been used to suppress the immune system and stop inflammation. People with ongoing symptoms have been prescribed azathioprine for long-term relief. For mild to moderate cases, canasa with mesalamine as the active ingredient also called 5 aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) or mesalazine are used. They work inside the lining of the rectum to stop inflammation. A doctor might prescribe this medicine as a suppository or enema. Some of these medicines can be administered by the patient themselves.

When there has been too much damage to the colon and medications don't improve conditions, surgery is performed. During surgery the colon is removed (proctocolectomy) and replaced with a new colon by using portions of the small intestine called a J-pouch or ileo-anal anastomosis.

A temporary ileostomy collects waste and gas as it exits the body. Once the body heals from this first surgery, a second surgery can be performed to reverse the ileostomy and reconnect the bowel. Elimination funtions should return back to normal once the anal sphincter muscles develop their strenth.

Although these medications can help relieve symptoms of ulcerative proctitis, remember, all medications have side affects. Some of the side affects attributed to mesalamine have been reported as:

Rectal pain

Dizziness

Nausea

Worsening of colitis

Headaches

Muscle aches

Rash

Abdominal pain

Intracranial hypertension

Fever

Here's an example medication daily regimen for someone with ulcerative colitis:

Patient #1: Lialda, Endocort, Librax, Pamelor, Rowasa enemas nightly, and Fiber capsules all taken throughout the day.

Patient #2: Rowasa, Asacol, and Prednisone taken all throughout the day

Proctitis Alternative Treatments

As an alternative to drug treatment, changing what you eat can be very beneficial to eliminating the bleeding and pain associated with proctitis. For example, milk, dairy, sugar, wheat, and certain “trigger” foods seem to make symptoms worsen for many people with colitis. Staying away from these foods and talking to your doctor or gastroenterologist about a colitis diet could prove successful at staying in remission and healing your colon. For even more information and support, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (ccfa.org) has marathons, telephone help, local chapters, and books dedicated to helping those in need.

Related Pages

Copyright © 2010-2018 www.candidacounsel.com. All Rights Reserved. This site is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. If you feel that you have a health problem, you should seek the advice of a qualified naturopathic doctor or medical professional.