Link between Bronchiectasis and Ulcerative Colitis?

Posted by Cville901 @barrywayne, Jun 30 11:39am

I've had Ulcerative Colitis since I was 15. I took Sulfasalazine for many years before switching to Mesalamine in my early 30s and continue to take well into my 60s. About 10 years ago I developed a chronic cough, and after seeing an allergist and pulmonologist, I was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis two years ago. Over the past couple of months, my asthma has also become much worse. My regimine includes nebulizing with saline and albuterol, use of a SmartVest for airway clearance, albuterol rescue breather, and Mucinex.

I have appointments this week with my GI's nurse practitioner and soon at the Vanderbilt Lung Institute. I'm hoping for answers and a treatment plan that protects my UC while also helping me breathe. I'm very active—I swim regularly (which really helps with airway clearance), love to camp, hike, and spend time outdoors. But I've had to reduce my outdoor activity significantly.

Has anyone else had their UC linked with Bronchiectasis? How did your gastroenterologist manage it? Did your lung symptoms improve after seeing an expert who has experience with BE?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

tglatthorn | @tglatthorn | 15 hours ago

I am currently studying functional medicine because I have learned over the years that many people have multiple chronic illnesses. And most times we see multiple doctors who treat each of the illnesses separately. And they treat each with medication addressing symptoms. Functional medicine doctors don’t treat symptoms. They look at the whole person and everything that is going on, including symptoms, medication, response to medication, lifestyle information etc. Then they do tests regular doctors don’t do and discover the root cause that most often underlies all the various illnesses. They look at the interaction between all the systems instead of only one body part or system.

I encourage those of you with multiple issues to read about functional medicine and consider a consult with a functional medicine physician. Mayo Clinic actually has a functional medicine department now!