14 yrs of UC and Finally Good Health

I wanted to share what worked for me and I know it will work for many of you. I suffered from Ulcerative Colitis for 14 years, most of those 14 yrs I was steroid dependent and I was hospitalized 6 times once for a whole month. I tried everything under the sun to feel somewhat normal. Until by dumb luck I stumbled upon a couple of things that worked. If you keep on reading you will understand that a gluten free diet was not what helped me out.

First I want to explain a couple things about the body and food allergies. There are certain foods when ingested cause a reaction in the body that makes it (the body) attack itself. The bad thing about this is that the attack could be any where in the body. The pancreas (type I diabetes), the intestine (crohn’s disease) (Ulcerative Colitis), the adrenal gland (addison’s disease) etc. And most of the time you don’t feel it until the organ is damaged. There have been studies published in the National Institute of Health www. Nih.gov. that note all these illnesses and what foods caused them. I will cite the specific websites on the links below.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10401714

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11407647

Certain foods when ingested cause a reaction in the body that makes the body tags certain components of that particular food. The body tags these food components when it enters the blood with antibodies. Antibodies are produced when a virus enters the body. The Antibodies tell the T-cells where to attack to fight off the infection. Unfortunately, it is a case of mistaken identity when the T-cells not only attack these food components but certain parts of the body as well like the intestines, thyroid, or adrenal glands etc. This is what causes the inflammation (autoimmune illnesses).

If you click on the links above you will notice that gluten is responsible for various autoimmune illnesses according to those studies. When I first read this I thought, I am not intolerant to bread because I can still eat bread and not have a bad reaction. But it does not mean there won’t be a reaction in the body or I rather say in the immune system. I can eat bread for about a month everyday without a reaction. Eventually I will get sick and get a flare. A lot of people believe that because they did not get sick immediately or within a week of ingesting bread that they are not gluten intolerant. That is wrong. Gluten is causing antibodies and will eventually make you sick.

There are many people who go on a gluten free diet and have no improvement in symptoms there are many factors regarding that most important cross-reactivity. In cross-reactivity the body mistakes another food for gluten and reacts accordingly, dairy (all milk products), coffee and sometimes even corn and rice.

I eliminated all gluten from my diet. And all foods that cause allergic reactions, gluten, diary, chocolate, corn, and yeast. Diary and coffee have similar structures that resemble gluten. I felt a little bit of improvement. If you clicked on the links above you will see that it took 6 months to a year to see improvements where the antibodies greatly reduced in numbers. A lot of people go on the SCD diet I did as well for about 9 months with little improvement. The SCD diet allows diary products such as cheese and homemade yoghurt. As stated diary has a structure quite similar to gluten and the body reacts as if it were gluten. Some people’s symptoms completely subside on the SCD diet others don’t. I think this is why.

I am not trying to say that we all have celiac disease but we all react differently to gluten and it is the main culprit to the autoimmune illness.

I went on a strict no gluten diet for six months it did not work but for some of you it will. I been on the SCD for 9 months it did not work. I still felt an uncomfortable sting in my colon and when food would pass by I felt pain, and not all the steroids, biologics, and 5-ASA in the world could help.

I was dx’ed with thyroiditis. I felt so bad I could not work. I tried LDN with a strict gluten free diet it did not work for me but for some of you it will. If you try LDN then Transdermal LDN is the way to go. I tried the capsules but it was too irritating to my digestive system. If you keep to a gluten free diet and exclude diary, coffee, chocolate, all processed foods. Some of you will feel better on LDN.

I read articles unfortunately I cannot cite. That state that the thyroid and adrenal gland are responsible not only for the intestinal walls but for the immune system as well. If either one is faulty it could cause a whole bunch of problems. If you were on a gluten-free diet and within 6 months you did not see any major improvements then something else was wrong. When gluten is ingested it prevents the thyroid hormone from getting into the cell. So you can have a properly functioning thyroid with sufficient thyroid hormone circulating your body but feel hypothyroid which will affect your intestinal wall. Gluten is also responsible for creating thyroid antibodies the antibodies start destroying the thyroid which later affects the intestinal wall. A poorly functioning thyroid in a susceptible person for inflammatory bowel disease will cause IBD (crohn’s, colitis).

Doctors try to treat the digestive tract when in reality something else is causing the problem. If you have been on different types of diets and treatments and all failed like me you should have your doctor look for thyroid and adrenal antibodies. The antibodies are caused by gluten and won’t let the thyroid hormone enter the cells. As a result the intestinal walls do not function properly and on certain individuals the intestines becomes inflamed. This is why certain individuals will never get better no matter what diet, medication, treatment etc they receive.

Some alternative doctors have you do a loading test. Meaning that you ingest lots of gluten and diary products for a week then they have you do a thyroid and adrenal antibody test. If you test positive you could go on a gluten free diet and see if it helps, if it did not then your thyroid or adrenal glands has been damaged by your immune system and you require medication. If you test positive for something it will most likely be your thyroid.

I tried armour thyroid or dessicated thyroid. I could not handle it, too much T3 thyroid hormone. I had week adrenal glands I felt that I was going to faint and it caused my UC to get much worse.

I read on the internet that a lot of people could not handle armour thyroid because of the T3 hormone. A doctor by the name of Ken Blanchard recommended a combination of 5% of T3 and 95% of T4 that is the amount of hormone the human body produces. Desiccated thyroid has about 30% of T3 and 70% of T4. I take a combination of compounded desiccated thyroid that has 5% of T3 and the rest compounded levothyroxine or synthetic T4.

One of the side effects of T3/T4 thyroid hormone is and I quote “Effect on small intestinal mucosal morphology and function: hypothyroidism causes atrophy whereas thyroid hormone administration leads mucosal hyperplasia (hyperplasia: increase in number of cells) throughout the small intestine. Thyroid hormone induces crypt mitoses, resulting in significant increase in total mucosal thickness. Below is my citation:

http://books.google.com/books?id=A3_Ji7vbQ-0C&pg=PA565&lpg=PA565&dq=thyroid+intestinal+mucosa&source=bl&ots=rz876oC_FC&sig=j5Y-Ubcmov28-JQ_ggHL09TaE6k&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wOUPT8alNLDC0AGZxM2sAw&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=thyroid%20intestinal%20mucosa&f=false

Too much thyroid hormone causes colitis but the right amount makes all symptoms go away. Usually doctors give too much thyroid hormone which will cause an exacerbation of symptoms you have to find the right amount for your particular case.

In conclusion first go on a gluten free diet, do not eat any processed foods like gluten free pastries either. If a gluten free diet did not work try LDN. If both fail ask your doctor to check for thyroid and adrenal antibodies. Remember to consume a lot of gluten and dairy products a week before the test. If positive find the right amount of medication for you. Make sure to divide your thyroid medication one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Remain on a gluten free diet and have your medication compounded with acidophilus.

This test should be done by your PCP: Thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb); Thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb); Thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody

If this diet is too hard to follow at first when you get better you will be able to eat everything except gluten, diary products, coffee and chocolate.
Digest gold once everyday (if your colon is not too irritated.)
Pharmax HLC probiotic when needed
Cabbage juice (do not juice the core)with baby spinach every 2 to 3 times a week (cabbage juice contains vitamin K that crowds out bad bacteria and glutamine that rebuilds the intestine baby spinach masks the flavor.)
Krill oil (omega 3 oil is too processed and it contains bleach)
No gluten, dairy, coffee, processed foods, chocolate)
No soy
Carlsons D drops 2000 IU 3 drops daily
Do not take vitamins a lot of times they irritate the colon get your vitamins from the foods you eat.
Be careful with raw foods juice instead.
Avoid citrus foods
Carrot juice is good twice a week
A new test that specializes in gluten intolerance. I personally haven't taken it yet.
http://www.cyrexlabs.com/CyrexTestsArrays/tabid/136/Default.aspx


I personally found that colazal and asacol interference with the thyroid hormone. You should take your medication but try to reduce it when you can.
Steroids definitely interferes with other hormones but if you need to take it buy vitamin b5 in a capsule and place a small amount of powder in water do not take the whole pill it will cause minor irritations.

I do not have any more pain or discomfort at all, unlike before I felt a sting in my colon the whole day. My health improved to a point that Ulcerative colitis does not bother me anymore I got my health back for three years now.

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

I have to say your situation sounds very similar to mine, I am suspecting celiacs. as I have been going gluten free lately and my urgency due to colitis has reduced, chocolate seems to aggravateme even causing bleeding if I eat a whole fudge bar. and I am currently on 6 mp and lowering prednisone. I have a few questions though,

1. are u saying that you have celiacs or gluten intolerance??
2. are u still following the strict diet to maintain UC remission?
3. are u in UC remission, no inflammation, bleeding?
4. what types of thyroid antibodies test was done??

I had my thyroid ultrasound done for thyromegaly, and it came back normal. but back in sept 2011, had thyroid bloodwork done which came high. then I went ona gluten free diet from november2011, and feel much better. any suggestions as I am confused.

I read alot of your post deepblue, thats some good fact checking you have, and great to hear you're doing well. In your conclusion, i'm pretty much following the regimen you suggest but taking a vitamin daily.

I 100% thing gluten is intolerable to many people, and there is no way it can truly be a stand out diagnosis for people. There is a few types of gluten sensitivity, my mom is currently reading that book by Elizabeth Hasselbeck on going gluten free and what it did for her; its suggested that 50% of the nation is gluten intolerant, but there is not an accurate way to test for it. It's the protein in gluten is not easily broken down.

Penngurl75,

1. are u saying that you have celiacs or gluten intolerance??

Celiac is described as, when gluten is ingested the immune system cross-reacts with the small bowel-tissue, causing an inflammatory response. Your body does not necessarily have to react to gluten in that manner. You can ingest gluten and have a different part of your body react to it, such as your thyroid, adrenal gland, pancreas, colon etc. and that would not be considered celiac disease. No, I do not have celiac disease. But my body does react to gluten.

2. are u still following the strict diet to maintain UC remission?

No, but I can not eat gluten, diary, coffee, iodine, and chocolate. I don’t like eating processed foods because they are hard to digest but eat them (processed foods) from time to time. If I ingest gluten or anything that has a similar structure to gluten my body reacts by attacking my thyroid and eventually my colon.

3. are u in UC remission, no inflammation, bleeding?
Yes, no bleeding, urgency or inflammation.

4. what types of thyroid antibodies test was done??

Thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb); Thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb); Thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody
Some people with celiac disease go on a gluten free diet but still have symptoms. The foods they eat cross-react to gluten. Or in other words, the body thinks they are gluten. This happens because certain foods have a structure that resembles gluten like diary (all milk products), coffee etc. read the following go down to Gluten-Associated Sensitivity and Cross-Reactive Foods
http://thyroidbook.com/blog/page/5/

Here is a list, once you start feeling better you don’t have to avoid all these products that depends on you and you should take digest gold it’s an enzyme helps you digest certain foods.

http://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsafe-Gluten-Free-Food-List-Unsafe-Ingredients/Page1.html

imagardener2,

Is your post directed to people who have thyroiditis?

No, I know a person with crohn’s disease who has a sibling with lupus. Both are autoimmune diseases. I could see a pattern if they both had autoimmune digestive disorders but not two different illnesses. People react to gluten in different ways. And I wanted to show that on my posting. I specifically have Ulcerative colitis then I got thyroiditis. Furthermore, I also wanted everyone to know that you require good thyroid and adrenal gland health for your intestine to be healthy.

stereofidelic89 said...
I read alot of your post deepblue, thats some good fact checking you have, and great to hear you're doing well. In your conclusion, i'm pretty much following the regimen you suggest but taking a vitamin daily.

I 100% thing gluten is intolerable to many people, and there is no way it can truly be a stand out diagnosis for people. There is a few types of gluten sensitivity, my mom is currently reading that book by Elizabeth Hasselbeck on going gluten free and what it did for her; its suggested that 50% of the nation is gluten intolerant, but there is not an accurate way to test for it. It's the protein in gluten is not easily broken down.

Actually, below is a link of a test that is more thorough than the current one in use by Doctors to detect gluten intolerance. I am not sure if it is covered by insurance.

http://www.cyrexlabs.com/CyrexTestsArrays/tabid/136/Default.aspx

According to another website it states "Standard blood tests for gluten intolerance have a less than 30 percent accuracy rate."

But I could not give you a recommendation about the above test because I have not taken it yet.

So pretty much this is the cure for UC?

hi deep blue, I had hashmoto like 10 yrs ago with a cardiac arrythmia I took inderal for like 2 wks after about a few wks I got better.

so u r saying thyroid antibodies showed up for u when u eat gluten etc, right?? how do u know when your thyroid isn't functioning right is there another test besides bloodwork, I mean I keep getting high antibodies one time and normal another time, I also have hives since the past 3 yrs.

as far as thyromegaly I think it is an enlargened thyroid, but it came back normal for me , did u have goiter then??

maybe I shd see a endocrinologist and get to the bottom of this mystery. I usually bury my head in the sand and let the disease control me but can't do that now I have too many responsibilities like motherhood. thanks for the info. I really appreciate it!! sorry so many questions.

Allswell,

I had my thyroid tested last year when my hair loss started, but I didn't do anything with gluten, can you explain that, will it change the results?

No, if you have the antibodies it will show up on the exam unless you have been gluten free for a year. Usually doctors do not check for thyroid antibodies. The test your doctor probably performed was to check how much thyroid hormone was circulating in your body.

Also my uc onset was 4mo. After giving birth, when the body is readjusting, hair sheds etc. any correlation?
Yes there is, two or 4 months after giving birth some women develop an autoimmune illness. The majority of women develop thyroiditis but others develop other types of autoimmune disorders. Most thyroiditis patients are women and they developed it after giving birth. You should still have your doctor check for thyroid antibodies. Click on the link below and it will give you more information about the above.

http://thyroidbook.com/blog/page/4/

Penngurl75,

If you had hashimoto’s and cardiac arrhythmia the doctor should have not given you inderal. Usually all people with hashimoto’s get heart palpitations myself included. And that is because the thyroid is being destroyed by the immune system and there is excessive amount of thyroid hormone circulating in the blood. If you go gluten free this should fix that.

so u r saying thyroid antibodies showed up for u when u eat gluten etc, right??
Yes, gluten causes an increase in thyroid antibodies.

how do u know when your thyroid isn't functioning right is there another test besides bloodwork, I mean I keep getting high antibodies one time and normal another time, I also have hives since the past 3 yrs.
I will usually feel very tired when my thyroid is not functioning well and eventually my UC will act up but that has not happened yet. Once you have the thyroid antibodies you will have them forever unless you go gluten free. Your hives are most likely a product of food allergies.

aguywithuc said...
This is a terrific effort deepblue sea,

Some people will post as they always do that food has nothing to do with UC and wont cause a flare.

It has made a huge difference in my case, I have no symptoms and I am consuming 2 loaves of harvest seeded bread each week. It has a lot of oats in it and no corn syrup. However I saw a naturopath who wants me to take the gluten 'sensitivity' test which I will get around to doing.

If I am sensitive to it then I will have to eliminate a good portion of my diet. For now I am cruising thru 1.5 years of solid remission but always on the lookout for better.

Thanks

After Dx of UC I remember I had over a year of remission with azulfidine. I ate pasta every single day. Then after the year and a couple of months I got so sick nothing helped not even steroids. I could never figure it out, if it was gluten that affected my thyroid and my thyroid affected my UC or if gluten affected both my thyroid and UC???? I can still eat gluten but not for so long. I keep away from it now.