Question for kim123 about diet

Hi Kim 123,

I have had ulcerative proctitis for about six years now with little/no relief from oral and topical 5ASA's and steroids.

I noticed one of your other posts regarding joint pain and you mentioned how the grain and sugar free diet helped your UC.

I am reluctant to try the stronger drugs - immunomodulators - because my husband and I hope to start a family soon.  So, I am willing to give this a go - I have toyed with the idea for about three years now.  I have tried it now and then, but not all out dedicated myself to the diet.

So, I was wondering if you would mind sharing with me how severe your symptoms were and how long it took you to notice a difference.  Did you stay on 5ASA's?  Could you cheat a little, or did you have to be 100%strict?  How long have you been in remission since starting the diet?

Thanks so much for your information!

Beth

Hi Princesa,

Thank you for your response.  I greatly appreciate your thoughts!

As posted, I only have UP.  I think one of the reasons why it's been hard for me to stay on the diet for very long is because I don't have diarrhea as a symptom.  I just have blood and mucus, mostly mucus.  I don't have any pain, except that I have noticed some lower back pain recently.  Most of the time I feel pretty good.  That is since starting on the Lialda and the Canasa (again), which has helped, but only gave me two months of solid remission.

I can live without bread pretty easy.  It's the sugar that gets me.  I don't eat that much.  When I get a craving, I'll eat half of a candy bar or a small cookie.  Then, I feel like the biggest loser on the planet because I "broke" the rules of the diet.  I am the kind of person who needs to see results pretty quickly - not a patient person.  So, it's been hard for me to deny myself and not see results.  Granted, I have only strictly 100% followed the diet for a couple of weeks before I fell off the wagon.

I have been taking Udo's Oil Blend since February.  And, I drink Absorb Plus for breakfast in the mornings and it has L-glutamine in it.  I have tried a couple different probiotics, but I really have not noticed a difference with any of them.  What brand do you take?

Thanks so much, again!

Beth

 

checkerjane91,

Just wondering, what diet did you follow?

I first started having symptoms right after the birth if my first daughter. That was also the year I moved into a moldy house, and started working in a moldy school. I had just started back on the pill when I noticed my symptoms. Don't know if that was a trigger, or not. Anyway, I flared on and off for 8 years, had polyps removed, tried all the meds they usually give you to begin with, nothing really helped. To tell you the truth, there were so many and that time frame was so long ago, I can't remember all of them. The rectal meds, including Rowasa were a lifesaver for me at the time. The only thing that made a difference. My symptoms were more of the gas/mucous, blood. Usually during a bad flare, which could last up to a year, during a BM, I was incapacitated before for up to an hour or more with severe pain. Mucous and gas were much of my symptoms throughout much of the day when I was flaring. Some D, now and then.

As for the diet, I went strictly on it for 2 weeks, not one mouthful or sniff of the wrong food. I really was so sick and tired of being sick and tired, that I wanted to make sure I gave it a fair shake. I was very skeptical when I started, as I was wondering if it was as simple as changing my diet, why wouldn't my doctors have told me about it, as well as telling me of fungus being a possible etiology of UC. After 4 days of feeling worse, which I found out was a Herxheimer's respons,e where the fungus is dying off (a good indicator I really did have a fungal problem), I started feeling better day by day. By the 14th day, I woke up and felt like an alien must have abducted my sick old body and replaced it with one feeling new and much improved. No more, pain, gas, bleeding mucous, and I had much more energy than I had for a long time. I went on a phase 2 of the diet, introducing some grains but still watching processed foods and refined processed sugar. Long story short...I got well again. NO symptoms, off all meds.

If you want more info or details on it all, email me and I'll send a bit more info on the diet, etc. I think I have taken enough space here. I say go for it, girl! Within 2 weeks you will know if you have a fungal problem, but you do have to be very strict. You may not feel 100% as everyone is different, but that is enough time for you to notice any improvement. Fungus will try to survive and your sugar addictions will be even stronger for the first while. Let me know if you want more info.

Take care.
Kim :)