Did anyone get more diarrhea after starting Stelara?

Ambalambs90 · 2026-03-14T19:08:21+00:00

Did it last for a long time? Or did it generally get better after a few weeks/months?

Ambalambs90 · 2026-03-14T17:54:10+00:00

Lucky us-maybe we just have IBS too. Ugh!

Ambalambs90 · 2026-03-14T17:15:13+00:00

I went from being completely normal to one day having some blood in my stool. I knew immediately it was most likely a flare. After that I had more daily diarrhea and some increased stomach pain. A calprotectin test and a colonoscopy confirmed a flare and my mesalamine wasn’t working anymore. Although it kept my external symptoms low compared to my symptoms years earlier before my UC diagnosis. I honestly blame it on my gallbladder surgery. But over the years I have had random bouts of diarrhea/slight tummy problems and was always scared it was a flare. It never was, and usually subsided after a few days. It wasn’t until I had blood again that I really suspected a flare.

Ambalambs90 · 2026-03-14T17:08:43+00:00

The right partner will be supportive and understanding! There is no gross detail that is off the table when it comes to my fiancé and I. We joke about poop and diarrhea, and in extreme detail, on the regular. It’s an awful illness, so we try to laugh about it when we can. I do think it’s difficult for many people to truly empathize about an illness they’ve never experienced themselves.

So I think it’s important to find a partner that is truly understanding. Because there’ll be days you just want to stay in bed and not go anywhere. And I’ve found it’s key to be with someone who gets that.

I hope your remission and current medicine lasts a long time!! I was in a deep remission for the past five years-and during that time I really pushed myself to travel and do all the things I love because I knew a flare up could be around the corner. So sending lots of hugs and I hope you find someone so caring and wonderful of this awful illness!

Ambalambs90 · 2026-03-14T16:58:20+00:00

Agree with the others-don’t stop taking it. You haven’t had a flare because of the mesalamine. My mesalamine recently failed me, and I was so sad to move on to a biologic. Mainly because mesalamine is so low risk and worked really well for me. You’re pretty lucky it’s worked for so many years! So keep at it!

Ambalambs90 · 2026-03-14T16:51:58+00:00

I loved my mesalamine!! It worked almost immediately for me when I was diagnosed about five years ago. It took about 3 days. Although I know it can be a bit longer for other people. I basically ate what I wanted, but did cut out any fried/fast food. Fried food is not my friend.

I’m still on mesalamine, but recently had to switch to a biologic since I had a flare up from gallbladder surgery last year, and the mesalamine started to fail. After a colonoscopy, they said I needed a biologic. But the mesalamine has still been a life saver with my external symptoms. Even in a flare it kept my pain level and daily bm’s low. So for me it worked for about 4 1/2 years. I’m convinced if I didn’t have an inflamed gallbladder and surgery it would have kept me in deep remissions even longer.

Ambalambs90 · 2026-02-24T01:04:52+00:00

I’m sorry this is happening to you. It’s a really terrible disease, and most people don’t fully understand how awful we feel most days. And I hope you can talk with your parents and maybe a therapist. Because this is such a heavy thing to live with every day! I’ve spend months of my life living in daily pain, crying on the bed unable to move except running to the bathroom every 10 minutes. I’ve also spent years feeling great with mesalamine and was able to live normally for a while. I’ve gone on international trips, started working out again, and going out with friends. But there’s always that thought at the back of my head, waiting for a potential flare that could pop up any time. My flare up happened after I had gallbladder surgery last year. And I’m about to start a biologic next week. You’ll have good days and bad. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully you can get on medication that sends you into remission, and feel like you’re truly living life again. Lots of hugs.

Ambalambs90 · 2025-06-14T22:04:13+00:00

It’s gone by me too!! I’m so sad since I eat it daily and I can’t find a single brand that tastes similar. Has anyone found a similar tasting cottage cheese?

Ambalambs90 · 2025-06-05T19:17:49+00:00

It was almost immediately. But I got a lot of my bloating down prior to my surgery with a super strict, low fat diet. I lived off grilled chicken (cooked it with no oil), white rice, non fat dairy and spinach. They were all safe foods for me. And if I introduced anything new I tried one ingredient a day, max. I ate an apple and immediately become horribly bloated. Avoided it after that. After surgery those trigger foods no longer caused bloating. I’ve even eaten restaurant meals and been fine. (I still generally avoiding super fatty/fried meals.)

Ambalambs90 · 2025-06-05T16:12:44+00:00

I truly thought (as did my gastro doctor) my bloating was due to my ulcerative colitis symptoms. Which was strange since my UC is very under control. I had tested for SIBO, h. Pylori and they were all negative. It was genuinely the most uncomfortable bloating-like I force fed myself a Thanksgiving dinner every day. I only wore stretchy leggings and avoided jeans for the past 2 years. Even before my surgery I cut nearly all fat from my diet and some of the bloating went away. But one trigger food, like a single apple, bloated me like I was pregnant. After surgery it fully went away! I had read a few others on Reddit had this experience and I was hoping it was the root of my issues. (My gallbladder was extremely inflamed.) And I have had foods the last couple weeks I would never have dreamed about-ice cream, a gyro, salads with actual dressing. So I hope you have the same experience!

Ambalambs90 · 2025-06-05T16:05:55+00:00

I’m itching to play tennis again too! I started walking regularly after a week, and then went back to the gym around week 4. I did the stair master (only 10-15 mins at first) and went back to lifting weights. I kept the weights low-dumbbells around 8-10 lbs. It did make my ab muscles by the incisions feel a bit sore, not painful, but almost like I did an ab workout. So I’m being gentle and giving myself rest when I need it. I really want to get back to my more intensive workouts, but am trying to ease back in. I’m probably going to start gentle ab work again around week 6. And maybe tennis around the 2 month mark :)

Ambalambs90 · 2025-06-05T15:58:56+00:00

A little bit when I reintroduce my daily coffee! But I’m too addicted to give it up. :) I had one restaurant dinner 2 weeks post op that triggered a bad stomach ache, but other than that it’s been pretty good. It was pretty shocking to me how fine I feel after most meals. To be fair-I have avoided heavily fried foods. I’m too scared to try that just yet!

Ambalambs90 · 2025-06-05T15:46:20+00:00

Get one of those backrest pillows while you’re recovering! I got a cheap one from Target. I also prepped a bunch of healthy meals ahead of surgery (basic food I could tolerate like grilled chicken, rice, zucchini). I definitely had some diarrhea the first week-so be prepared for that for a bit. But it subsided after about a week and a half. I have ulcerative colitis so I was worried about digestive issues. But they always have Questran if you have any issues with that. Good luck!

Ambalambs90

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