Being prepared for a flare-up when you have ulcerative colitis (UC) can help you feel more comfortable about leaving your home. Things to include in your emergency bag include a change of clothes, medications, and cleansing wipes.
UC is an unpredictable and erratic condition. One of the most challenging parts of living with UC is never knowing when you’ll have a flare-up. As a result, it can be difficult to make plans outside your home with relatives or family. Although UC may affect your daily routine, it doesn’t have to control you. You can live a regular, active life.
With a little preparation, you can feel comfortable about venturing out. For example, if you’re at a store, a restaurant, or other public place, it’ll help to know the location of the nearest restrooms in case you have a flare-up.
You can also help ease worries of a flare-up in public by always having essential emergency supplies with you. Here are six important items to keep in your bag when you have UC:
While knowing the location of public restrooms can help you manage urgent bowel movements and frequent diarrhea, a sudden attack increases the likelihood of an accident. Sometimes, you may not find a restroom in time. Try not to let this possibility interrupt your life. It can help to feel more comfortable outside your home by always having a backup pair of pants and underwear in your emergency bag.
Ask your doctor if it’s safe to combine an antidiarrheal medication with your prescription drugs. If so, keep some with your emergency supplies. It’s important to take antidiarrheal medications as directed. These medications slow intestinal contractions to help stop diarrhea but aren’t suitable for maintenance therapy.
You can take an over-the-counter pain reliever to help ease mild pain associated with UC, but talk with your doctor about safe medications. They may suggest acetaminophen (Tylenol) but not other types of pain relievers. Medications like ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen sodium (Aleve), and aspirin (Bayer) may worsen the severity of a flare-up.
In the event that you have an accident and need to change your pants or undergarments, pack moist cleansing wipes and toilet paper in your emergency bag. Since you can’t bathe or shower after an accident occurs outside your home, moist wipes can alleviate odors.
Keeping toilet paper in your emergency bag can also come in handy, as you may find yourself in a restroom without supplies.
Because a flare-up can happen unexpectedly, you may have limited bathroom choices. Some restrooms may also have an empty supply of hand soap. Preparing for every possible scenario is helpful, so pack alcohol-based hand sanitizing gel or wipes in your emergency bag. While washing your hands with soap and water is best for removing bacteria and germs, hand-sanitizing gels and wipes are the next best thing in the absence of soap and water.
Finding a public restroom can be challenging. Some public places don’t offer restrooms or only give restroom privileges to paying customers. This can pose a problem when you need immediate access to a restroom.
To help avoid an accident, talk with your doctor about getting a restroom card. According to The Restroom Access Act, also known as Ally’s Law, retail stores that don’t provide public restrooms must give people with chronic conditions access to employee-only restrooms in an emergency. This law, which many states have passed, also gives pregnant people access to restricted bathrooms.
UC is a chronic condition that requires ongoing treatment, but the outlook is positive with the appropriate therapy. Keeping these essential items in your emergency bag can help you cope with the disease. It’s also important to talk with your doctor if your symptoms don’t improve or worsen with therapy.
