Feeling Crappy

At first they might make it worse! I don't think Align is the best choice, look for a better probiotic product in the health food refrigerated cabinet. It seems the Align sales reps are recently upping their efforts to market their product to GIs...but it's not the best.

Try giving up gluten for a few days? That would be what causes such symptoms for me, even now when I'm in remission.

Added: wait, now I see you already take VSL! I can't imagine what Align would contribute, in that case.

Well, to be fair, my GI did say to try Florastor at first. But when I told him it didn't help when I took it two years ago, he recommended Align. And he said that sometimes the gut gets so used to a certain bacteria that the probiotic does no good. He did say I could continue taking VSL, but just add something different to it. Actually, come to think of it, Align is one of the few probiotics I have not tried.


How do I give up on gluten? Isn't it in everything? I will definitely cut out some sweets, and up the fruits and veggies. I should probably start taking flax seed again too. Coconut water never helped me before--would coconut oil be any different then?



Ugh, I just feel so crappy. I would so much rather have diarrhea than something like constipation. And my nausea won't go away even though I'm taking anti-nausea meds!

Hmm, I remember reading on here a couple years ago that coconut water was supposed to help with diarrhea. It never did anything and I didn't like the taste so I stopped.

I woke up with really sharp pain this morning on my left side, but it went away after breakfast. Maybe it was just gas?

It's weird--I've been drinking more water the past couple of weeks and it hasn't helped.

Ditto to JayBee's last post. It's so normal to get in a cycle of self-loathing when you feel crappy - but you know, and need to reassure yourself, that it's only a fleeting feeling - it has nothing to do with your real beauty and value on this earth! I know I have felt like "damaged-goods" and couldn't understand why my husband willingly deals with this. He tries to assure me, but it does take faith when you are feeling low. Keep the faith, my friend. I don't know why your mom would say such a sabotaging statement to you - but be assured, true love goes so far beyond bathroom habits!

If water isn't helping, please consider adding Magnesium to your diet. Calcium blocks absorption of Magnesium, so many people are low in it (even though they may not have optimal calcium either). Among other things, it relaxes smooth muscles; i.e., helps the kiki slide!

Many on here have benefited from the Spinach/sunflower seed diet, which among other benefits supplies a good dose of magnesium.
Of course, too much isn't good for D in UC, but a bit from whole foods probably will be gentle enough on your system and might be just what you need.

I also agree with yummy coconut oil (not water). I love the stuff - I eat it instead of butter on toast, I use it as body lotion, hair treatment, anything I can think of. The fresh, extra-virgin stuff smells and tastes so good!

Huge hug

Bookworm,
I'm Indian too and I agree in a sense with kweeks. My brother got very ill with a brain hemorrhage and paralysis in his early 20s. My mom started with all of that "what will he do, he'll be alone, how will we find someone for him" crap. It used to infuriate me. But because of her values and what she wanted for her children, that was one of her fears. I don't think she ever expressed it to my brother though. Anyway, my brother is now happily married to a really great woman (and, as a bonus for my Indian mom, she's a Doctor)! I am the mom of a kid with UC. Unless she goes into spontaneous remission or we find an alternative way to heal her, she will have to deal with this beast or surgery growing up. I have spent many hours crying and mourning the loss of the life I had wanted for her but I have always known deep down that she will be okay - she has to be and I have to teach her to deal with this any other problems she will encounter. That's my job as her mother. Watching my brother has taught me this is possible. I believe that the desire to do something often results in that thing. My brother's desire not to be limited by his health allowed him to achieve everything he has wanted to (and I do mean everything - education, relationships, career). Please look up a lecture given by Amie Mullins about overcoming adversity - I've watched it several times and it has moved me every time. She is very wise and knows what she's talking about. I don't know what your relationship is like with your mom, but if it were me, I'd tell mine to keep that attitude away from me and that if she has certain fears/concerns, she should see a therapist to address them. She shouldn't be dumping this crap on you. I suggest you find a good psychiatrist who works on medical trauma issues. This has helped my brother and my mother immensely. Also, please know that you are young and have to deal with a lot but so do many others. You can make the most of your life. There are many things within your control, and you have to focus on those.

Please watch this:
http://spoken-gems.com/2010/02/22/aimee-mullins-the-opportunity-of-adversity/

Thanks for all of the replies. As far as diets and treatments go, I've tried just about everything when I was flaring 2 years ago...spinach/sunflower, all types of probiotics, cutting out white bread and pasta, etc. I also keep a food and symptom journal. The only pattern I've found is that too much of dairy, fried or spicy foods will give me D.




killcolitis--thanks for the link and sharing your brother's story; I'm glad to hear that he's doing well! I would go to my therapist, but I don't want to use up money. I already spent $100 on allergy meds last week!

Do you have term papers to write + final exams coming up? The pressure may be weighing on your gut. Have you been getting enough sleep lately? The 20s are definitely a tough decade to negotiate because one is trying to prepare for a decent job or career as well as dealing with parents' expectations plus peer pressure from one's friends/social contacts. Sometimes you just have to tune them all out, and do your best to function on your own behalf. Take care first of what matters the most to you. Everything else will just have to wait 'til you feel better. Most of us females go through this stuff with our mothers sooner or later; you may think you are the only one or yours is the only ethnic group faced with such a hassle, but it is pretty universal. Think of those poor girls in underdeveloped countries where they're still threatened with genital cutting ... truly the pits. Hang in there, Bookworm, you are really way cool and know how to get yourself back together! / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)