Naturopath?

Hi everyone

Still so very new to this forum, and trying to learn everything.

I was just wondering if anyone has gone to a naturopath and taken all those food intolerance tests to see if their bodies react badly to certain foods. Mainly dairy and wheat, but others as well. I've never been to one, but am looking for some ideas, and of course that "miracle" cure that we are all hoping and praying for.

My 15 yr old daughter was just diagnosed in September. I will try anything, if I thought it would work, as I know you all would too.

I so value this site, and the wonderful people who are listening and giving better advice than most doctors ever could. Such an awesome support system.

I know everyone says it really doesn't matter what you eat, but then others say they were "cured" with their diet. I'm just wondering if those that say they are cured, are the ones who intend to write books that we all pay for and really, it's just a money making scheme for them.

I thought for so long that my daughter just had a lactose intolerance. I'm wondering if it's true, and if she does have this dairy sensitivity, could it take a lot of the inflammation away if we totally avoided it.

Just wanted to get a feel for what you may think. Thank you!

Straydog- thank you!
I was thinking exactly what you just said. I don't really believe all those diets, but you can only hope.

I do want her on medicine though-whatever works is what I want her on. She just had that bad reaction to mesalamine, so I'm actually kind of scared to try new things, but I know we have to. Right now the prednisone is working by itself, but I know she needs something else with it. She is feeling so much better, but realize that prednisone is only temporary.

Regarding the biopsy, we do have the results, but didn't really understand them. You are right, I need to get a copy of it. He said it was indicating Crohn's but I think he said indeterminate. ??

We are looking into another GI. In fact he's looking for us. There is a hospital downtown that has 4 GI specialists and an actual nurse that you can ask questions. We don't know if we will get one, but I do hope so.

Thank you for your reply.

The food intolerance tests that so many naturopaths order are just bad science. The naturapaths either don't understand what they're doing or intentionally mislead people in order to line their pockets. Having antibodies to certain food proteins does NOT mean a person has an intolerance or immune response to that food.

As for lactose intolerance, it's common in the general population, so your daughter could have it. It's even more common in people with IBD, so she certainly could have it. But removing lactose from the diet will only help with symptoms (bloating, gas, possible diarrhea). It has nothing to do with the inflammation of IBD. It's worth a trial to remove lactose and see if symptoms improve or to get tested for lactose intolerance. But if she's *not* lactose intolerant, removing milk, cheese, yogurt, etc could deprive her of needed nutrients.

If your daughter had no problems with milk and cheese before she got sick, then she isn't lactose intolerant - well, at least not permanently. Sometimes a flare-up can bring on temporary intolerances to foods we digest fine when we're well.

I had the same issue with everything causing me problems - one food hardly seemed any worse than another. There was no food in existence which caused zero symptoms. As soon as anything hit my lower bowels, that was it: I was feverish, fatigued, in discomfort or pain for hours until it had all passed. Still the same today, except it's less severe now (but still a pain).

Anyone who says they are "cured" by diet is either lying, in denial, or never actually had Crohn's in the first place. Diet is NOT curative. It is NOT healing. Even in those cases where extremely restrictive diets work, the effect is not long-lasting. The Crohn's hasn't been cured or gone away for good. The inflammation can come back at any time and frequently does so fairly quickly once the thing keeping it at bay is removed - meds, etc. Although not always. Some people have lengthy remissions without doing anything to maintain it, i.e. they're not on meds or following a restrictive diet.

In truth the outcome of Crohn's depends more on your genes than any other factor. But that's not something that anyone preaches. So many people want to think they have "beaten" this disease.

PS: Don't let your daughter's reaction to mesalamine put you off trying other Crohn's meds. They are completely different, chemically, to mesalamine. I was fine with 6MP, Azathioprine, Remicade, Humira and even methotrexate (an old and notoriously brutal chemo med). It was just mesalamine I had the really bad reaction to.

Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 10/6/2017 7:16:01 AM (GMT-6)

I’m really sorry to hear, and my heart hurts for you and your daughter going through this. I know you just want to take away all her pain...

Regardless of what anyone says, be it that a doctor or someone who has Crohn’s Disease; everyone is an individual, and every person is affected differently. I firmly believe that what you ingest is clearly going to affect the disease.
Have you looked into whether your daughter may have Candida, c-difficile? A bacteria infection? Have you had her stool tested?
Is she currently taking any antifungals? Probiotics? Perhaps dairy free probiotics?

I have tried many different diets, and nothing I can say has truly been a perfect storm, but the blood type diet has been very complimentary.

I have gone to a naturopath, acupuncturist, biochemist, iridologist, holistic doctors and the like, and again nothing perfect, and if your daughter is fighting many different bacteria regardless of what natural remedies are given, they aren’t as strong or potent as medication, and may work but take longer.
I have experienced c-diff twice.
On my 3rd GI because the first 2 were against me trying to heal naturally. Not putting a bad name to western medications because it has helped me in acute times, although, I believe just as the body has an innate way of telling you there is something harming your body, I believe it has a natural way of healing as well...again in time...no quick fixes like we all hope and pray for that miracle.
This 3rd GI is the only one who actually tested for C-difficile, and said “I wonder if it’s been this all along”...
Believe me I was eating paleo and flared for a year and a half, and it wasn’t until I started feeling nauseous all throughout the day regardless if I ate or not, did I go to the emergency and learn I had c-difficile...
Prior to this new GI the previous would call me after seeing my inflammatory markers were high, and fax a RX of ciprofloxacin, and metronidazole...which ciprofloxacin is considered a black box drug, and should only be used in severe cases...she would never Examine my stool only ever my blood seldomly...and this all happened while on my second trial of loading doses of Remicade...