I have been told that I have UC in my lungs. Has anyone else been diagnoses with this? If so, what are the treatment options?
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From what I've read, oral (or occasionally IV) steroids to get it under control, and then in many cases inhaled steroids do a great job keeping it under control. If you've been on sulfasalazine or mesalamine they can have a different effect on the lungs that may be confused with "UC in the lungs."
The inhaled steroid that finally worked on whatever-the-heck my lungs have going on is called Alvesco.
Here's a link to an article with some information:
never heard of it, but I had a friend who had trouble with her lungs, and they thought she might have crohns in her lungs. after much ado, testing etc, they decided it was the methotrexate that she was taking paired with Stelara that was causing the issue. to be candid both crohns let alone UC outside the GI tract seems like something else as I thought crohns could be anywhere along the GI tract and UC confined to the colon. but you are now the second person who is suggesting otherwise.
Thank you so much for the information!
Surprisingly (at least to me): the lung issues seem to be more common in UC than Crohn's.
DEWEYJ- did your friend get off the methotrexate? Did the cough then go away? Ive been on Humira but added methotrexate in February and noticed a cough begin shortly after too. It's not everyday but enough to feel something was different. Doc had me stop to determine if it was in fact the methotrexate. Did she switch to a different combination?
she stopped both Stelara and Methotrexate ultimately but initially the GI refused to let her stop meds as he thought she needed them to not reawaken the sleeping crohns. I forget what she is on now, I will have to check. I don't think she resumed same meds. I will also confirm but I think Mtx was the primary suspect. mind you before she dc'ed meds she went through a battery of tests to see if they could identify some other issue. there were none it was the meds.
I am on weekly Humira for the past 8 years, added small dose of oral methotrexate, only 7.5 mg and fortunately no issues. I did have a weird nagging occasional hacking cough when I was on Remicade but GI swore it had nothing to do with Remicade. Stopped Remicade, the cough disappeared.
Oh geesh, I'll be moving to Remicade next month. Hopefully the cough won't come back or worsen, ugh. Always something
off methotrexate? if I recall correctly I think it was the mtx that was suspected in her case. as to my cough who knows bit of a mystery as I didn't have it with Humira. but to be candid it did get so annoying that I had to buy bags of Halls cough drops because I would sometimes just have coughing fits. the good news the Halls quelled the fits so never anything more than oddity.
I am pinging my friend now to see if she can shed more light as well as confirm her current medications.
Yes off it for now until I chat with my pulmonary Doctor. Just wondering if I can try another combination to keep the antibodies down?
Azathioprine? aka Imuran, or Mercatoprurine? aka 6mp