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How long on SCD?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/7/2011 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
Currently on the recovering side of a flare up. Started SCD diet a month or so ago. Planning on staying on it for a good bit of time - was thinking 6 months to a year. Reason being (to get out of the flare up first) so I can get hopefully get off all the drugs completely.

Was told about the diet by a friend. He is off all drugs and when he goes into a flare he just starts SCD again till he is back in remission. He said it is usually about a 3 month flare up.

My question to you guys is how long were you on SCD and were you able to get off all your medication because of it or not?

I am hoping that some day next year I will be able to control my UC with only smoking and SCD when needed. And if I don't completely get off all drugs I don't think I would mind being on a low dosage of Lialda - just really don't want to be on 6MP. I hear bad things about its long term effects.
Posted 11/7/2011 7:32 PM (GMT 0)
I was on the SCD for a year, it didn't work for me at all.
As it says in the book, it doesn't work for everyone..
Posted 11/7/2011 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
i am doing this diet since feb 2010 with very good results, but i am still taking 1500 mg of 5'asa per day.
Posted 11/7/2011 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on it about the same amount of time as you. So far I haven't seen much improvement but I'm going to stick with it a while longer to see what happens.
Posted 11/7/2011 9:14 PM (GMT 0)
I am almost 2 years on SCD but I never stopped meds. It's great that your friend is able to control his UC with just going back to SCD when needed but that has not been possible for me so far. I also am not able to eat/drink all the foods that SCD allows so a full SCD food list would be great haha.

You might want to start a food journal and use SCD as a starting place but everyone seems to have different intolerances when it comes to food. Your friend's colon may be different than yours. It's true that SCD doesn't work for everyone, it didn't work for me when I first tried it several years ago and I really stuck to their food list back then.

It's been the biggest reason for my remission but it wasn't overnight and it wasn't easy. Good luck with it and I hope you succeed. If you are not using mesalamine retention enemas yet I highly recommend you add them in, very few side effects and one of the safest meds you could use.
Posted 11/7/2011 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
I was on it for several months, I saw improvement but never enough to be off medication. I suppose for so people it is a cure all, but it never did it for me.
Posted 11/7/2011 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on the SCD since the first week of October, so my fun has only just begun. Concurrent with the restricted diet I continue to use big pharma's contributions; Mesalamine enemas, Lialda, and Prednisone (the latter I am weaning myself from).

It's too early for me to say whether or not the diet has provided me with any great benefits. I was diagnosed with UC in July of this year, so my definition of 'normal' is anything but what I've been experiencing since then. I've found that detailed tracking what I eat and my condition helps me identify what foods may improve the UC. Once I am off Prednisone, I'll be in a better place to assess my overall health while on the diet. To make things even more complicated, my acupuncturist has further restricted my diet by prohibiting a variety of SCD legal foods and common Chinese herbs. He believes they are inflammatory. Terrific.

I am adopting the SCD until things return to normal. If it takes a year or two of eating like a monk, so be it. When it's all said and done, it's a small price to pay for the return of the gut I once knew so well.
Posted 11/8/2011 12:27 AM (GMT 0)
tcf5010,

Good for you - for wanting to try something  like SCD.

It makes a lot of sense, and for many of us (me included) it does work when you couple it with other things: in my case LDN - low dose naltrexone. I only use occasional canasa suppository now to stay in remission.

Mr. Natural,

Did your acupunctarist also tell you about certain inflammatory foods that contain high omega 6's?

Posted 11/8/2011 2:56 AM (GMT 0)

beatUC said...
I was on the SCD for a year, it didn't work for me at all.
As it says in the book, it doesn't work for everyone..


ditto.
Posted 11/8/2011 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
InSoFla,

My acupuncturist had no information for me regarding Omega 6 foods. I do not believe his early education and work in China touched much on the concepts of Omega 6 foods. His only concern is that I avoid what he considers 'inflammatory' foods that may affect my recovery while under treatment. For example, he advised me to avoid onions, garlic, all seafood (fish, shellfish, cod liver oil, etc.), and ginseng (both red and white varieties). After 50 plus years of eating all manner of foods across the globe I've yet to develop any specific food allergies, but I'm still willing to play the game.
Posted 11/8/2011 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
Mr. Natural,

You may want to read up on the Omega 6's connection.

Here's what I found out:

There's a huge difference with regard to the ratio of omega3:omega6, and omega 6's are inflammatory.

Here's some threads on this topic, which might help clarify:

Here's your cheat-sheet to figuring out labels on meats and other products...

http://eatwild.com/GlossaryofMeatProductionMethods.pdf

Read my post on 9/4/11: https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=2193025

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&p=1&m=2238257#m2238369

This may be the connection you're looking for, I know it was for me. Let me know what you think.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Posted 11/9/2011 3:51 AM (GMT 0)
InSoFla,

Thanks for sharing this information. It will be helpful for my journey back to health. While not every animal product I eat is naturally raised, I'm fortunate to have parents who still butcher a few of their 'pasture fed' cattle for family consumption. (I hope I'll be that lively when I'm in my 80's.) Meanwhile I'll re-examine the slop that passes for poultry, pork and seafood these days and avoid suspect items.
Posted 11/9/2011 1:04 PM (GMT 0)
Mr. Natural,

If you look at the https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&p=1&m=2238257#m2238369, my post on 10/18/11 and click on the link provided, you'll see it isn't just animal products that are culprits. Grapeseed oil is 70% omega 6's , and there are other oils, nuts, etc... high in omega 6's as well. If you are extremely sensitive to omega 6's and therefore inflammtory conditions (as I am), every little thing adds up. Anyway, take a look at the full list, I think you'll be surprised. I'm trying to stay within the range of  LESS THAN 2% Omega 6's and have found it to be very helpful.

Anyway, just a thought.

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