HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Homeopathy for Crohn's

Support Forums
>
Crohn's Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/6/2011 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
I am currently enrolled as an alternative medicine student, and did so because I have put myself into full remission, on my own, through advice from a dear friend who has already taken this same course. Every class that she was in, when she learned something new that may help the disease be relieved a bit, she would tell me about it. I have not taken any medication for over a year now, and have been able to put on some weight as well. If you google holistic remedies for Crohn's disease, you will find lots of stuff. Food and managing stress are significant factors in managing Crohn's disease. turn
Posted 12/6/2011 7:56 PM (GMT 0)
I personally think that natural ways are only way to treat and reverse IBDs long term. Meds are good for acute sypmtoms but they do nothing to address the underlying problems. There is a bunch of new research and 100s of people who have healed themselves with diet and natural remedies.

Are you on any particular diet?

 

Posted 12/6/2011 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
Kind of. I took the base line of no-no foods, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and dairy, and started there. I began reading labels on all foods, and even got my kids involved. I don't eat red meats (no cows or pigs), I don't eat food that's very processed, and I eat gluten free. When I want dairy something or other, I get either goat milk products, or coconut milk products. I haven't had a real flair up in a long time. The worst I get now is nausea and some diarrhea, but that's after I feel a bit gluttonous, and eat a whole bag of dairy and gluten free chocolate chip cookies :)
Posted 12/6/2011 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
I've recently started down this path, after numerous drugs have failed to achieve remission for me. I'm on week 2 of my elimination diet (no dairy, soy, gluten, sugar, egg). I haven't noticed any improvement yet, but it's only been 9 days. I don't think it's something I could maintain on a long-term basis, though. I plan on adding back each group, one at a time, to see what I react to. That is, if I get better after 3 weeks of eliminating it all. If I'm not any better, I'm not sure what approach my integrated doc will take. My appointment with him is in 2 weeks.

If eliminating all these foods does not help my symptoms, is there even a point in keeping them out of my diet? Is 3 weeks long enough to see some improvement?
Posted 12/6/2011 8:38 PM (GMT 0)
 

That is pretty much what I have been eating myself. I have no symptoms except some C when I change my probiots or somehting like that. I'm trying to get back to going strict SCD until I'm confident enough to start trying some restriceted foods.

Congrats on going the alternative health direction. It is becoming more and more common.

I personally don't like the term "alternative" vs "mainstream" just because companies sponsor mainstream.

I know of an intergrated doctor who has been practicing for 50 years and is now sharing his knowledge for free on youtube,

email me if you are interested

Posted 12/6/2011 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
Stephanie
You can, like you said, incorporate those foods one at a time to figure out which one's bother you. If they bother you, don't eat it. In most eastern medicine modalities, any tummy illness is a worry wort illness, which in my case, made perfect sense. My diet changed, and so did my mind set. I began to believe that everything happens for a reason, and that I would not be given anything that I couldn't handle.
I would stay away from gluten and any highly processed foods, and try to handle your stresses in a different way. It's easier said than done, but it can be done.
The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods is an awesome book for nutritional information. You can also take digestive enzymes. I take a papaya enzyme that I got from gnc.
I also practice other alternative things like crystal therapy and Reiki.
If you google holistic remedies for crohns and also bipolar disorder, you will find an amazing amount of information. :)
Posted 12/6/2011 10:02 PM (GMT 0)
Stephanie,

It took a long time to do the damage to your gut and it will take some time to fix it. But it has been done many many many times. There are thousands of people I see on natural message boards that have healed themselves and countless others that have but do not post on MBs.

IMO..

Diet is a very important part of restoring your gut health.

My intergrated doc takes the "seed, feed and occasioanlly weed" approach. Look at your bowels as if it was a garden.

populate it with probiotics, feed the probiotics and not the pathogenic bacteria, occasionally weed out the bad bacteria.

The foods you are eliminating are the foods that cause the most problems. Are you taking a probiotic?

It takes a little while to see improvements while your gut flora changes but it's worth it.

also as the OP mentioned that stress is a BIG factor. It deprives your intestines from oxygen, blood and it raises your blood sugar.

I also see you are taking omeprezole...When I fixed my intestines my upper GI symptoms went away.

 

Posted 12/6/2011 10:08 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I just started taking a probiotic a couple weeks ago. I also added L-glutamine, curcumin/turmeric, and Bastyr Formula B. Those were all recommended by my doc. I have NO problems with stress. Seriously. Work is unbelievable easy (not challenging enough, honestly) and my hubby is amazing at home, taking care of things when I'm not feeling up to it.

My doc did say that once my diet is better, the omeprazole would be the first drug I would no longer need. I just recently (a month ago) added a second dose at night because I was having problems. I tried to drop that second dose a couple days ago and I'm just not ready yet. Hopefully soon, though! My goal is to get down to ONE maintenance medication (not sure which one yet) as I do feel like medication is important in maintenance, along with diet. I used to be very skeptical of the natural route, but it makes a lot of sense the more I learn about it. I couldn't continue injecting and ingesting these toxic medications without at least TRYING to do something on my part. I like to see immediate results, though, and I'm starting to get discouraged, as I sit here at work with my heating pad yet again.
Posted 12/6/2011 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
 

Tumeric is really good but you might not want to take it while you are having upper GI problems.

Also it might be a good idea to take the probiotic in the morning about a half hour b4 you eat.

Posted 12/6/2011 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
Probiotics are an amazing tool for treating Crohn's. I take those also, sometimes I forget what I take. Besides that, I had just been working on a paper for class, so I'm a bit brainfried. :)
Have you looked up a naturopath or a homeopath? They would be a great compliment to the road your taking, and could help maintain homeostasis once you reach it. :)
Posted 12/7/2011 12:11 AM (GMT 0)
  Alternative medicine hasn't done too much good for me. I've tried to go all natural and my disease just got progressively worse. Others on here also have tried homeopathy and ended up having severe complications with the disease but I think they threw out their maintence medicines altogther too which is a no, no. nono I'm not a big fan of the whole ALL homeopathy/naturopathy route but if it works then it works!! yeah

   BUT I deffinately think that some vitamins/mineral supplements can help relieve symptoms and heal some things! I've recently started to take probiotics and haven't had much improvement in symptoms but it can't hurt! As far as diet, nothing really seems to help much with the symptoms. I can eat some crackers and feel fine and then next week I could eat some and be in the bathroom throwing up/having bad 'D'. I just try to make sure I'm getting some nutrients from vitamins/ensure/fish/meat.

  I agree, stress is a bad trigger! I'm glad you haven't had any lately :-)

- Happy Remission!

Posted 12/7/2011 3:37 AM (GMT 0)
I'm either allergic or non-responsive to traditional oral RX which is why I had to find what helps me....check out my sig below...
Posted 12/7/2011 12:18 PM (GMT 0)
I understand. My body can't absorb some medicines(oral) so I have switched up my medicine regime a lot. IV stuff always does the trick though for me! If it works for you and gets you feeling good then do it! No shame there. Remission is remission. As long as you get there then who cares? smilewinkgrin
Posted 12/7/2011 1:03 PM (GMT 0)
I love this post because it shows how successful the "alternative" route can be! I've struggled trying to find the right naturopath/holistic doc who can really help. I found an NAET specialist who muscle tests, so essentially my body can tell her what I need! But you need an open mind, for diagnostics like that.

Otherwise, I've found that Seacure by Proper Nutrition works wonders on healing my gut. It's been around since the 70s and helps to heal the microvilli and mucus membranes that CD has broken down. I attribute my major flare up in the past few months to the fact that Seacure was out of stock for what's seemed like forever...it's made from deep pacific white fish and the company was unable to harvest due to the tsunami in Japan! But now it's back :) Cheapest website I found is evitamins.com.

Good luck everyone in finding that balance that leads to remission!

Much love.
Posted 12/7/2011 5:44 PM (GMT 0)
I'm not in full remission by any means, but I'm certainly better than I WAS at 30+ BM's/day with lots of blood, mucous and severe lower back pain, I'll take any improvement and be happy with it.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply