I am 58 years old. One day about three months ago I had a bad pain in the belly and felt like I needed to go and all I showed was thick dark blood, everywhere. The symptoms got more acute up to where I was going to the bathroom up to fifteen or sixteen times a day. Of all the times I went, about half of the time, there was just blood. Today I was diagnosed with colitis. I was told that I may have to take medication for the rest of my life.

I'm 24. I have colitis I have been taking meds for a few months and the pain has gone away mostly, but still running to the bathroom twice a day. Hopefully, it clears up cause I'm very worried about it!

I am a 52 year old female that was diagnosed with c. diff after taking antibiotics for an infection. After a hospital stay and IV antibiotics they found that I came in with not one condition but two. Because colon conditions can be hard to diagnose without a history I have not been classified yet. Steroids have helped greatly and I am being taken off the steroids slowly. Three specialists worked with me while I was in the hospital and the one thing they all agreed on was that I need to manage stress. If your stressed it can really twist your abdomen in knots without you even realizing it. They gave me an anti anxiety medication that I take when I am having a bad day, but warned me if I felt I was taking it too often I should go on anti depressants. I have been on the antidepressants for three week and I can tell A difference. I never had a problem before this but this situation we are in can be very uncertain and make us worry. When I am more relaxed my symptoms calm right down with me. So if you're having control issues and are doing all the right things talk to your doctor about it. It can only help.

I have colitis and when I eat, the food races through my stomach. Shortly thereafter, I get the feeling that I have to use the bathroom. I get there sometimes just in the nick of time. I have a lot of diarrhea, but no pain and no bloating. I have tried everything I can think of, including a gluten-free diet and lactose-free milk. Nothing seems to help. My doctor also gave me an antibiotic to kill the bacteria in the bowel but that didn't help either. I am just out of things to try. I have even tried anti-diarrheal tablets. Nothing works!

diagnosed 25 years ago with Ulcerative Colitis - was given medication. Went away after divorcing husband. I got it back a few months ago - work related problems with coworker and it started again. I'm not having the blood anymore (as far as my eye can tell) but I'm getting green stools and bad smell.

After a bout with diarrhea (Caused by food poisoning - I think) I continued to have soft stools and light cramping in my abdomen. I also felt some swelling on the left side of my stomach. This lasted for over two weeks. I made a doctor's appointment and was given 7 days of Flagil, an antiboitic. The symptoms improved but did not stop esp. the swelling in my stomach. I returned to the doctor after a week and was given 7 more days of the antibiotic. The symptoms improved but did not go away, especially the swelling in my stomach. I returned to the doctor and had a CT scan ordered of my stomach and pelvis. This turned up nothing. I am now going for a colonoscopy and taking probiotics (Align and yogurt which have helped greatly! I no longer feel swelling in my stomach!) Hopefully the colonoscopy will be a help. While I no longer feel the swelling in my stomach I still have minor cramping and soft stool on occasion (2-4 times a week).

I'm 41 yrs old and have been having intermittent mucous in my stools that are triggered by exercise. I started walking and running 2 yrs ago and had some urgency and loose stools in the beginning, but now its intermittent. I have never had diarrhea issues ever and am not currently having any. I had a little blood in the mucous but formed stool ....so my doctor sent me for a colonoscopy. He said I have colitis.

My colitis was cured surgically over 20 years ago. Not what anyone would wish for, but it's sure better than suffering with constant problems. One thing that isn't addressed here is the genetic component. Two of my three siblings also have colitis and we believe that both our grandfathers probably had some form of bowel disease which wasn't diagnosed (long time ago) - but one grandfather did have a colostomy (for cancer) when he was in his 70's.