destrutive medicine

Diet is the main alternative. Like with everything, it's not guaranteed to work, but it is best to start while your Crohn's is still relatively mild and not flaring out of control. Tons of diet info, just do a site search for specific carbohydrate diet and Crohn's for a start.

But really you are vastly exaggerating the risk of drugs. Untreated Crohn's which is simmering away for years in your intestines is far more dangerous than any drug for Crohn's, except Prednisone. If you get prescribed Pred, taper off that drug as early as possible and don't stay on it, even if the symptoms come back.

There are many natural supplements that some have had good success with. Slippery Elm, Fish oil, Coconut oil, Bee propolis, probiotics and many more. You may want to pose this question on the Ulcerative Colitis forum because they are very active with using supplements.

Good luck!

She wasn't saying your over reacting to being newly diagnosed, she's saying your over reacting about the medications being "destructive". Not treating your disease properly is more destructive, and I personally think a person can be doing just that trying to self treat with supplements and diet alone. In my opinion what your wanting to do is more risky long term then properly treating the disease with medications.

A lot of us need to take these medications to control our disease, so that hopefully we don't have terrible complications later on. Which scares me a lot more then what you call "destructive" medications, that have helped me a lot.

Post Edited (Jen77) : 6/21/2013 11:37:25 PM (GMT-6)

I understand, it is very hard at first. I'd like to say it gets easier, but I've found it's a constant battle of choices and decisions. I know some people say they do well with certain diets and supplements. It's so hard to say what will work for one, since we are all so different. Just as some meds work for one they won't work for others, and same goes for diets etc..

It is good that you are catching things in a more mild state right now. I was like that at first and they put me on Asacol. That's all I took for 7 years, besides rounds of prednisone when I flared. I did okay for most of that time actually. A few flares that landed me in the hospital, but no surgery or anything. Then the last 2 years I started flaring more and more, and on more and more steroids. Which is not a good thing. I was in a bit of denial and refused to go up the ladder of medications. Yet I was still shocked when they did my scope and things looked horrible in there. Went from a mild small section of ulcers and inflammation to now my whole entire colon was severely inflamed and had ulcers. I wish I would have stepped up my treatment a few years ago and didn't let it get that bad. It's a scary thing, and it seems to change on you on a dime!

Sorry if I came off snippy at all. No one really wants to take these medications. No one is happy about it I mean. I know I'm not. But I did a lot of research when my doctor wanted to start me on Humira, and I really had to weigh the risks with the benefits. I'm feeling so much better already after two doses, so I'm happy with my decision. I'd do a lot of reading on everything if I were you. It will make you feel a lot better to be educated on all the different treatments, both medical and alternative. I'm always reading everything I can get my hands on because it is so overwhelming.

But since you have more mild disease right now, perhaps you could try something like Asacol. That is a very mild medication, and might be all you need right now. You could also include some diet changes and supplements. I'm not against those things, I think they are great. But for me I like to add them in addition to my medications. Perhaps your disease is mild enough right now that diet and some supplements is all you would need. My advice is just to make sure you keep on top of it, don't let it get too bad before you do something else. Fearing treatment was probably one of the worse things I've done so far!

Sorry if I sounded a bit short yesterday; I didn't mean to be. You are not wrong to be worried. It's just I've experienced first hand the effects of untreated/unresponsive Crohn's over the years and I didn't not want you to refuse to take the meds out of fear. Humira and Remicade (in particular Remicade) are really currently the best two meds on the market for Crohn's by far. But there are milder meds you can start off with for mild Crohn's.

You can't do everything at once. Nothing bad is likely to happen in the next few months - for most people, Crohn's is a slow-burning disease, taking months or years to do anything (there are exceptions, but usually those people present severely from the off). That means you've got plenty of time to read up, explore the different options etc. The key thing is to bring the inflammation under control; it's inflammation, over the years, which causes all the damage associated with Crohn's. Whether you do that via meds or diet or meds and diet is entirely up to you.

Best of luck!

Make sure you give yourself time to process it all. For me when I was first diagnosed I went through a bit of a grieving process. I was mad, then I would go through a why me stage, I'd cry, I went in to denial about it. Just pretty much grieving the loss of my health I guess. Then you finally do come to acceptance and ready to fight. It all takes time though, and it's true that you most likely have time because it can be a very slow burning disease. It took years for mine to get from mild to bad.

But yes, best of luck with whatever you decide!

also have been searching through google for other approaches and came across this website and was wondering what you guys views on it were? i have a friend i dont see much, sent me the link the other day and i think she's considering it! http://learnbuteyko.com[url]

Post Edited (LBwilliam) : 6/24/2013 4:08:40 AM (GMT-6)

I'm not against trying alternative approaches, but that buteyko website really does look like a scam. £425 to be taught how to 'breathe'? No I don't think so. It doesn't actually claim to heal Crohn's, luckily, and I cannot imagine a single benefit it could have for Crohn's.

I reckon something like massage or meditation would be better than that. You'd feel relaxed for a whole lot less money. There's a lot to be said for the placebo effect and feeling better afterwards, but don't make yourself broke to feel temporarily better.

actually if you think about it going to a massues is what, £30-£50 a pop? if you did this more than twice a week for a month your probably going to spend more than you would taking one month of these buteyko courses they say its not just learning to breathe but eating, sleeping, breathing...... list goes on, i dont know! going to have a massage unless your in a country like thailand is extortionate, plus your only relaxed for a day and then the same again the next. i've had massages they help a lot, however unless you can afford to have one at least every three days whats the point they are only temporary? this promotes a long term solution and i tell thee my breathing is all over the place. :(

Maybe a mod could post something on treating Crohns naturally. I see quite a few threads regarding people wanting to treat Crohns naturally or that it'll go away. Mostly seem to be newly diagnosed and some in denial.
That being said Crohns is a devastating disease. Think of cancer and what happens or why it happens. No answer except the theiry the immune system didnt work properly and allowed a cancer cell to grow leading to cancer. There is no natural cure for cancer that I've heard of.
Now think of crohns the same way but opposite of cancer. It's believed the body has an overreaction to something and their immune system attacks their body. Researchers have not found a way to make the immune system work properly or how to. Until they do I do not see a cure for crohns pr cancer or any disease with unknown cause.

Not only does crohns attack your intestinal tract but my GI has seen it attack everything in the body except the brain. I thought it was intestinal and joint problems, but found out the hard way it can attack any organ.
I wish there was a cure, better treatments are what I'm looking for now. I played the natural game and almost died as a result. I wouldn't suggest to anyone newly diagnosed or dx'd.
I was diagnosed almost 8 years ago and it has been a long lonely road. Lots of different treatments that haven't worked. Started w prednisone over the years have taken, pentasa, mesalamine, azathioprine, cytoxan, humira, cimzia. All failed, but I haven't given up. I started remicade infusions in February and have become worse since starting. I live in an isolated town with no specialists so my PCP talks w my GI by phone when possible.

Currently I'm miserable getting remicade infusions, taking prednisone 15mg and azathioprine 200mg a day. No relief waiting to see my GI in the end of July. Hoping this combo works. I've been willing to try everything after I found out Crohns can attack everything but the brain.

Hang in there please know you are not alone. Diet can help don't get me wrong but it is not the answer.
_______________
Crohns dx 2005, peripheral neuropathy 06, osteoarthritis 06, fibromyalgia 07, pulmonary fibrosis 07,

Currently remicade infusions every 8 weeks
15mg prednisone everyday
200mg azathioprine everyday
Nuerontin
Anxiety med
Pain meds-not helping much
Zofran 8mg every 6 hrs
Promethazine every 6 hrs
Omeperazole
Monthly B12 shot