Do Any Alternative Natural Remedies work?

By Alternative, I mean herbs, vitamins, or other forms of supplements/treatment?  I am in serious need of help for diarrhea,  inflammation and lack of appetite?  I also have trouble digesting fats, they run right through me,  but my doctor said there is nothing he can give me to help with it.  Any help suggestions on the above that has helped others even a little?

When I was diagnosed in 2007, I had two massive rectal fistulas that the GI said could only be healed with remicade. I decided not to go the drug route and I changed my diet to the SCD diet instead.  I followed this diet with fanatical dedication and in 7 months both fistulas were completely healed up and all my crohns symptoms like blood and white mucus in the stools were gone.  I still follow the SCD diet to this day and I have not had one flare or one symptom from crohns.  I suggest you read the book "breaking the vicious cycle" which goes into detail on this diet.

Thanks, Jen what is medical mj? NY Sooner is the SCD diet restrictive?

Hi, dorri. I don't know where you are located, so I can't speak to pricing for medical marijuana in your area. I will say, though, that here in California, the dispensary from which I order has lowered their (already reasonable) prices recently due to becoming more efficient. I got their email and almost fell out of my chair! :)

LOL, does it come in cookies? The legal approved mj stuff, isn't it subsidized by the government for medical reasons. I've heard of it being used legally in a couple of provinces but haven't heard of anyone around here using (the legal stuff) Most use the street stuff and that is in the news weekly, someone is always getting busted for possession or for selling or growing it.

I do a number of natural remedies and find them helpful. Search drweil.com or http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed for some remedies for specific things you want to address.

I find smoothies, or an almost liquid diet, for at least 2 meals a day to be very helpful in calming inflammation.

The scd diet is very restrictive,  no sugar, no carbs like potatoes, corn or bread, and no processed foods.  It is restrictive, but it sure beats taking hard core drugs like remicade or humira. 

It takes a lot of dedication for this diet to work, and it is not an overnight fix. It takes two or three months before your start seeing results, but it is well worth it if you are not on drugs.  I have been in complete remission for 7 years.  Colonoscopy last year found no active disease in my gut.  The only drug I do take is pentassa which has no side effects.

The SCD diet is a good start, regulate the caffeine and sugar intake (I can't cut it out completely, but moderation goes a long way). Remember to supplement your B12, and most importantly your D, as per your symptoms you may not be absorbing nutrients properly, especially the fat soluble vitamins. I too cannot digest fatty/greasy foods without almost certain consequences, it was worse before having the gallbladder removed. As far as MMJ goes, I am living proof that it will give you back a little quality of life. It will most definitely help combat the nausea, as some days it seems I have to force myself to eat. When inflammation is horrible, and the burning, and cramping are unbearable, it also seems to help calm things down a bit to a more manageable state. It's not a "painkiller", or something to replace current treatments. But as a supplemental, I find it impressively helpful. Here in CO they are experimenting with different strains, with less THC (psychoactive) and more CBD (what supposedly helps with inflammation) content. I haven't had a chance to see if there are any noticeable differences between the various strains yet as I grow my own, but am planning to check local dispensaries for the high CBD content strains.

Thanks will note this. I probaby could use the spinach considering that I am borderline anemic. Both chia and flax do have some gelatin substance, so I think that may be why they go easy on the intestines. Does acupuncture help?

Hi, Laurenne. I am in San Francisco and use a service that delivers in the city called the Green Cross. They are really great people and their products are consistently high quality. I am currently experimenting with high-cbd oil capsules to see if I get some symptom relief.

Also want to chime in and agree with those on the thread who find smoothies, shakes, simple soups, and juicing helpful in calming symptoms down. Such a great way to get lots of nutrition while giving the GI system a break.

Acupuncture worked so well for me until I had to switch providers due to insurance, and since then, I've not found another whose technique works for me (the last two I tried were lovely people, but their practices were too stimulating for my body). But, I'm still searching, as I was really amazed at how much relief those needles brought me!