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Anyone from India or other low prevalence country?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 6/20/2011 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
Curious as to your life style, diet, etc and how it compares to your fellow country mates. I see you have one of the lowest rates of autoimmune diseases in the world.

Post Edited (sooper) : 6/20/2011 7:25:35 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/20/2011 2:40 AM (GMT 0)
Well, from as in born and of origin and live there now, or at least lived there a during diagnoses from time of birth.

My friend told me tonight it is just our lifestyles that lead to the activation of the disease she said thats the case with autoimmune diseases like ms and crohns. So im really curious to hear from anyone really in a place where you are a low stat with crohns and your history. I know in Canada we have one of the highest rates of Crohns and MS. I mean I actually blocked this chick cause she was being so rude about it saying I have no right to complain and stuff. Give me a break ok, dont make it sounds like I chose this outcome. There are people who have lived im sure nearly an exact lifestyle through out the world who dont have my disease. In fact her lifestyle really wouldntr be all that different than mine. So i Googled India cause she said crohn's is almost unheard of compared to canada. though I read some stats found one chart with all countries listed and prevalence of MS 240 in 100,000 Canadians have MS. The highest in the world. Only 3 in 100,000 in India have MS. http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/map-ms/ (sorry I know pretty diff than CD but its just the only link I find with stats for each country and the disease) I dont know if I Could still ever be convinced that for at least everyone lifestyle is the sole factor in activation of the disease and there is a specific set of preventative measures or diet that could see through a disease free life that wouldnt have been otherwise. Something in the air maybe? The water? who knows but the numbers dont lie there is def something going on especially in colder climates.

Post Edited (sooper) : 6/20/2011 9:38:32 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/20/2011 12:56 PM (GMT 0)
I live in san diego, and I have mexican ins. so if it's emergency, I can go to nearesat hosp. for any prodcedure I have to have it done in tijuana, that is the closest border town for us. so the medical building is 100 yd's from border. I saw the only gi there, I asked, he said they don't get cd down their, only U.C. so they have not a lot of ex. dealing with cd, although I could have continueds my rem treatment their, I didn't like that thought, but they don't get cd in mex. much at all. I personally think they do, it just goes undiagnosed, or they will say U.C. It's easy going it's coming back is a pain. I walk then walk back. the walk line can be easy 1 hr. I've seen it 5 hr once, then I begged homeland security to let me go in the sentri walk line, I've applied for my sentri pass, but it takes months to get. it's also a lot cheaper, my wife and I is $ 200 a month for 100% coverage. It still scares me to think about procedure's being done down there, other than dental, that they are good at, great dentist's there, that is 1/3 the cost here in states. fI get pain med's, asacol, and immuran there, a month supply of all is $30 per month, they try to give you 2 months at a time, they know it's a hassle

AG
Posted 6/20/2011 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
Wierd AG. Something in the air maybe? The water? who knows but the numbers dont lie there is def something going on especially in colder climates. I can see why you would worry getting treatment somewhere where there is very little CD. However, essentially treatment for crohns is identical to UC so at least you say they have some more experience there. I would still feel your concern though cause I would guess they have less UC. etc and experience than say somewhere like I live and having one of the highest rates anywhere for a host of diseases and disorders. The doctors get a lot of practice here.

Post Edited (sooper) : 6/20/2011 8:14:21 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/20/2011 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
I'm from south Louisiana. Thats like a whole diff country when it comes to food and life stile . Doesn't fit the colder climate stat for sure. I really dont know what causes crohns and I dont think anyone else really knows either . Maybe someday there will be an answer but one thing is for sure, we didn't ask for this.
Posted 6/21/2011 4:27 AM (GMT 0)
True Sniper, we certainly didnt! She was being rude although she was touching on interesting statistics she was telling me it was MY fault and to stop complaining.
Posted 6/21/2011 8:37 AM (GMT 0)
I have been a vegetarian most of my life.. since I was 14.
What I was told by one of the top doctors at Mt Sinai Hospital here in NYC was that that was the reason I wasn't bothered with this disease until I was in my mid 50's

I can only assume that since many in India are vegetarians too and also eat a lot of turmeric (natural anti-inflammatory) in curries everyday that they are naturally keeping this disease at bay even if they are predisposed to it.. this would only hold true for the veggies there as the others would also be eating big macs and other western foods

I should mention that no one else has Crohn's in my family and I suspect it might be found in distant ancestors perhaps if their DNA could be checked etc etc
NY VEGGIE
Posted 6/21/2011 1:48 PM (GMT 0)
tsitodwag, I have been to the back woods of quite a few 3rd world countries and I agree with 100%. I just think we do not know what is going in most of the world.

I am however very curious about what is happening in Alberta Canada. I see lots of references to high incidences there. I was born there.

I know there are doing some ground breaking research. Perhaps ther are many causes and one of them is impacting Alberta ?

Dave
Posted 6/21/2011 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
I'm from Korea and the number of people getting diagnosed with IBD is on the rise there.
The population of Korea is about 50 million(only 1/6 compared to the population of the US but Korea is literally more than 100x smaller in terms of land size) and when I was in Korea a few months ago, my GI told me that Korea has about 70,000 people with IBD(50,000 people with UC)

I'm only 21 but I've been eating more Westernized food even when I was residing in Korea when I was young. I would have traditional Korean food probably once a day and basically none when I came here 10 years ago, except on special occasions. Also, drank at least 3 cups of milk everyday until 19 when I became intolerant to milk since it triggered GI problems since developing Crohn's.

Diet definitely plays a crucial role for me. Initially, during the first year of diagnosis diet didn't matter much b/c nothing triggered flare ups except the consumption of hard liquors. But as time progressed, my body started rejecting more and more foods as it became weaker. And none of my family/relatives has IBD.

Once again, a lot of people who eat the same kinds of food as I do won't develop IBD in their lives. This tells you that everyone's different. I was diagnosed in the first year of my college and to be honest, I didn't have a healthy lifestyle. I meant, who does in college? But I exercised regularly and I'm a certified trainer. It's unfair... I can complain all day but won't change anything so I've embraced it.

I think science alone will not be able to explain the reasoning behind this disease. I just think there's more to this than just science.

The sad thing is that I'm Korean and I can't have Kimchi lol.
Posted 6/21/2011 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
hey guys I am of Indian descent my Grandparents being born in India, I have had crohns since I was 17, 23 now and I can tell you one thing, it is something in the environment or that we are eating, my guess is perservatives and chemicals in our food.  India (I've been there for 3months) may be a poor country but the food is fresh from the garden and there are very little processed foods around (in the village there are none, there are processed foods in the bigger cities like New Delhi).  Anyway when relatives or people in India or from India find out I have Crohns they have never heard of it, and cant figure out what I'm talking about. Hopefully one day we will figure out what it is that is causing the stupid disease.
Posted 6/22/2011 4:00 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with TookieWilliams. I think if they find the reason for crohns it will have something to do with additives or preservatives or something we drink, eat or breathe . In other words, an outside influence . I don't think its hereditary other than the body being susceptible in the same way as a child is like his her parent . Tsitodauwg is also correct about the number of cases in other country being found and the link to medical care and financial circumstance . I hope the find the reason and the cure some day but I dont think I will live to see it .
Posted 6/22/2011 8:23 AM (GMT 0)
As many have recently stated and I neglected to write.. I do believe there is a direct link to the additives in our foods.. whether it is an unusual increase over the last decade of children developing autism or increases in the breast cancer rate.. there are so many chemicals and unnatural things in our food and environment that were created just in the last generation or so. Let's not forget high frutose corn syrup for one or MSG. And yea I'm sure if medical care was more available there might be more cases reported in India or other places BUT I agree with Tookie that the Indian food in the villages is really healthy and has tons of turmeric in the curry. It is a far cry from big macs or the snacks available at our local supermarket.. I couldn't believe the junk that was listed in what should be a very simple dessert pound cake!

As a veggie I almost never eat foods with chemical additives. I have to read every label to make sure there are no meat products in whatever I buy. Now I'm rereading the foods that were ok for years even more so because of my stricture. I miss Kimchi too btw.. I actually made a bold move and bought some hot sauce from La. because I couldn't take it anymore not being able to have salsa and other spicy foods I was used to because of the veggies in them and pieces that could get stuck in me.
NY VEGGIE
Posted 6/22/2011 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
Where would we be without the hot sauce ?
Posted 6/24/2011 11:20 AM (GMT 0)
I am an Indian, vegetarian, live in India. I was diagnosed with Crohn's after I came back to India from my MS study in USA. I think staying back in India helped me to keep Crohn's disease under control. I am on Mesacol and Iron mostly. Turmeric, hot weather, fresh vegetarian food probably helps to quieten Crohn's.

Arthritis is common among Indian woman, and it is an auto-immune disease. India has high diabetes incidence, another auto-immune disease.

One doctor told me that Crohn's statistics in India are on low side because it goes undiagnosed, as very few patients are asked to undergo Colonoscopy. Mostly it gets treated as intestinal tuberculosis.
Posted 6/25/2011 9:35 AM (GMT 0)
cdinhyd

Out of curiosity, have you any speculations on why there is a high incidence of arthritis and diabetes in India? Are those higher among women living a more western lifestyle?

I asked several Crohn's GI doctors here in NYC what they thought about MAP or the chance that because I traveled a lot that I caught an intestinal TB (my TB test was positive for the antibodies and I underwent 6 months of INH); not one thought it was likely.. and as I am sure you know the treatment would be very different. I know there are a lot of Crohn's people here and I guess especially in England that strongly believe that Crohn's is closely related to John's disease in cows.. I sincerely hope that someone figures all this out sometime in our lifetime
NY VEGGIE

Sniper.. 2 days of hot sauce and all is well.. I'm so thankful for the little things! Need to stay on this same boring diet until at least Oct.. at least now I can make it spicy!
Posted 6/25/2011 10:05 AM (GMT 0)
The doctor who treated me in US did not think of Crohn's as I am from India, but the doctor in India confirmed it as Crohn's after my first Colonoscopy.

Arthritis may be because of low calcium in diet, and women seem to be prone to arthritis in knees. As for diabetes, it may be because we take lot of sugar besides consuming Indian sweets.

One physician told me that even Mesacol was a major progress in Crohn's as earlier treatment used to be just Salfa drugs or antibiotics that upset stomach. Nobody is sure how 5-ASA works or keeps Crohn's under control. We can wait for the best....
Posted 6/25/2011 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
There is not alot of IBD in Mexico either. I think its much like Dawg said, in that the folks don't get the best medical care. Its just too expensive. We travel to Mexico alot, and I have yet to meet a mexican with IBD yet. I think down in Mexico, not the border regions, each more homemade food and less fast food. Although they have high obesity and diabetes rates. Hugs!
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