So, I went to the second Naturopath yesterday, and I like this one because he has Crohn's. Here's my thoughts:
I know Crohn's is an INDIVIDUAL disease. What works for one person may not work for another, whether it is drugs or natural or diet. I'm into educating myself, and am thankful that my symptoms allow me to take time before I decide how to treat this long-term.
This Naturopath had a few intersting ideas. First, yes, Crohn's is an auto-immune disorder. Something is out of whack with your immune system. He said that it could be that the system is broken and we just can't figure out why. He also said that a food allergy could be a trigger. And lastly, he said that it could have been triggered by an infection, and now your body doesn't know how to shut of the auto-immune response.
He wants to do a few things in treatment (which again, I have not decided on doing yet): He wants to decrease the inflammation through Vitamin D and immune modulation therapy. Anyone have experience with this? I have no idea what immune modulation therapy is and want to know a bit more before I dive that direction.
He also wants to do various things to help heal what can be healed, treat a possible Candida problem (as per identified in the medical drs. charts), and start a good digestive support with enzymes.
I liked this doc because I could ask him questions and not feel bad about it. I still don't know how I feel about a Naturopath, but certain aspects make sense to me (such as a food allergy....if I am allergic to food it would be good to know so I can avoid any further problems!).
The main reason I like this doc though is that he has active Crohn's disease. To me, that means he KNOWS this disease in detail.
I think it's a good idea, for me, to have a good GI doc and a good Naturopath. For instance, the GI doc I have never would have prescribed Vitamin D, yet so many people are on it. I think it's a good balance to have both kind of doctors.
I'll let you know how this progresses. If you have any experience with a Naturopath or any of these other treatments, chime in! I love information...the more, the merrier!!!