NSAID - Induced?!

I had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Habib on Monday (08.30.21), and he gave me some baffling but potentially really great news. He said he didn’t think I had actual Ulcerative Colitis; I may just be severely allergic to Ibuprofen! ((?!))

He said he suspects this because of three things:

1) While I have severe Pancolitis (ulcers and inflammation all through the colon), the rectum is fine. He called it “rectal sparing.”

2) My stomach is also ulcerated and inflamed, which isn’t typical of UC (and it’s not Crohn’s).

3) My colonoscopy/EDG biopsies found a large amount of eosinophils- which can indicate cancer (tested negative), bacteria/parasites (tested negative), or allergy (which is basically what’s going on… your body develops an allergy to NSAIDs).

I kept insisting it couldn’t be that because I don’t abuse Ibuprofen or anything. I don’t take more than the recommended dosage nor take it often. But I guess if you’re allergic, it doesn’t take much. 

But it also could be that the NSAIDs simply triggered an underlying Ulcerative Colitis condition. I’m not sure how he’ll know. Well, I guess if it goes away and doesn’t resurface unless I take NSAIDs it might prove that theory? Idk. Time shall tell, I suppose.

I was so excited about this possibility! I was seriously near bawling. Embarrassed a little, that it was “just” that. But as Derek pointed out, allergic reactions can be fatal. So it’s not nothing. But MAN, it’s an easier fix!

Doc told me to keep taking the Pantoprazole for the three months, just to keep things healing and not angry. Then I could stop. He said I didn’t have to take the Sucralfate anymore. It was to protect the ulcers as they healed, but he thought they should be healed enough to be fine without that. And I was already tapering off the Prednisone. I started at 60mg and then went to 40mg because I was CRAZY on the high dose. He said to go down to 20mg starting that day and then in two weeks to 10mg and then be done.

I was over the moon. This might just be over - and soon! I went to lunch with friends (Kaelie and Katie), did  some shopping at Bealls, and enjoyed a little bit of normalcy. Yay!


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