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Pre-Treatment for CHEATING

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Posted 8/13/2011 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
 

So after months of being good, I've been waiting to cheat on something worthwhile.

Every Thursday the local ice cream place makes Caramel Snickers Swirl... and I've been waiting and waiting...

Finally Thursday, I decided to give it a shot - and consequences be darned.

But I wanted some form of insurance, so I figured I'd try upping my Slippery Elm Bark Powder.

So before going to the ice cream shop, I took 1 tablespoon of slippery elm into a little water as usual (instead of my usual 1 teaspoon daily).

I had 3 wonderful scoops of Caramel Snickers Swirl on top of a cone, yummy!! It was sooo delicious, well worth the price to be paid (in UC currency), haha.

When I got home, I took another 1 tablespoon of slippery elm in some water. And I waited for the s&%^! to hit the fan...

Under normal circumstances, within 40 minutes to 1 hour of eating the ice cream (which I haven't had in over a year now), I would have been doubled over in pain, over the toilet.... but nothing happened. No pain, no cramps, no toilet necessary :)

Later that night, I took another 1 tablespoon of slippery elm in some water. So, I figured ok, I dodged the bullet BUT surely the next morning's BM would be into a blood filled bowl with D and blood clots... but nothing happened. No blood, no D - just normal and  regularly formed BM - and no pain, no urgency, no cramping.

So, I have to figure, that just like badslinke pointed out that VSL#3 DS is only effective in very large doses, perhaps it is the same with Slippery Elm Powder - if you take just a little, it doesn't do much, but if you take large doses it has a HUGE impact.

HUGE impact indeed: it enabled me to eat a forbidden food - delicious ice cream - for the first time in 1 year without paying for it with blood, pain, D, cramping, urgency! Hallelujah!

So, now I'm taking 1 tablespoon of slippery elm powder three times daily .

I'm curious, have any of you, tried it in such large quantities - and what effect has it had on your colon?

Have any of you tried this?

I don't plan on cheating every day, but it's so nice to know I can do it now without having to pay such a dear price.

 

Posted 8/13/2011 4:52 AM (GMT 0)
Wow that's interesting. You sure its not just because your gut is healing from the LDN and consequently better able to handle 'bad' foods?

Food for though ;-)
Posted 8/13/2011 4:53 AM (GMT 0)
thought*
Posted 8/13/2011 11:10 AM (GMT 0)
Good for you :-) I've never tried slippery elm bark. You think it was that rather than any other med/supplement you are taking?

Not trying to burst your bubble but I've had the same results when eating chocolate (no pre-treat lol). The first day of chocolate no problem, thought I was CURED so kept eating it in moderate amounts. Eventually the chickens came home to roost :-( Oh well fun while it lasted. My setbacks now don't include blood just urgency or D. My gut saying "stop that".

I hope this means you are healing and best wishes for that. Ice cream is my favorite cheat.
Posted 8/13/2011 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
badslinke,

Yes, I am SURE it was the slippery elm bark powder in HUGE doses.

A week ago I had a handful of delicious blackberries and raspberries and had bleeding the next am, so I KNOW it was the slippery elm powder at work for sure.

GIve it a try, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain from it.

I get my Organic Slippery Elm Powder from: http://www.pacificbotanicals.com/store/product.php?productid=327

I just ordered 2 pounds, it cost me $42. and will last awhile too.

Let me know if you try it.

Posted 8/13/2011 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
imagardener2,

You think it was that rather than any other med/supplement you are taking?

I am positive it WAS the SLippery Elm Bark Powder because that's the ONLY thing I did differently - and I didn't even do the Canasa either for 2 nights, haha.

Give it a try and let me know.

Posted 8/13/2011 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry InSoFla, still not convinced :-) raspberries and blackberries are rife with indigestible seeds that are notorious for causing bleeding and intestinal fissures for people with IBS or IBD.

Thus berries vs. ice cream is not a good comparison. One has natural fruit sugars, and is filled with gut irritating seeds, while the other is filled with unnatural sugars, but has no indigestible fibers in it.

If you are really willing, for the sake of science, eat the same ice cream again without the slippery elm and see what happens. Then we can start approximating a real conclusion on slippery elm here :-)

I can't blame you if you don't want to try it. Being a guinea pig for seeing what your intestines can handle is scary. It would be good info to have though.

??
Posted 8/13/2011 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
badslinke,

Sorry you don't agree with my analysis.

But a year ago when I had my ice cream cone, I was soooo sick....

I'm not sure I'm up to paying the price with UC bleeding, etc... by trying ice cream without slippery elm.

Posted 8/14/2011 2:07 AM (GMT 0)
badslinke,

Ok, so what if I experimented with having blackberries and raspberries again - but this time with slippery elm bark powder before, and after - and see what happens, would that be a good enough test?

Posted 8/14/2011 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
haha it would be a step in the right direction :-)

The scientific method requires control of variables to produce a valid analysis. To be really convinced, you would still need to just have ice cream again, exactly like you did, with all else being equal, except for the slippery elm.

No need really :-) If you feel slippery elm works for you, rock on! Playing with your gut like that can be dangerous, and I'd rather not hear about you slipping into another flare for the sake of some silly experiment :-/
Posted 8/14/2011 3:53 AM (GMT 0)
Good experiment. I think if I wanted to test with food then I'd want to be in remission before doing so to ensure a lower risk of slipping into a flare.

I've tested with foods in the last year. Cherries bad. Raspberries and strawberries good, surprisingly. I don't use supplements, except Metamucil if I'm irregular.

I'm glad you've tested. Congrats :)
Posted 8/14/2011 12:30 PM (GMT 0)
badslinke,

Ok, so I didn't have any raspberries and blackberries in the house yesterday, so I decided to test pistachios though.

I love pistachios, but generally they don't like me. I had some 2 weeks ago, and it resulted in lots of bleeding.

I had about 2 dozen pistachios last night, making sure to have my 1 tablespoon of slippery elm powder before and after.

I was nervous, I expected cramping, etc... nothing. Ok, I figured well in the morning's bm I would surely see plenty of blood to make up for that.

But NO BLOOD.

Here again, just like the ice cream, the only attributable causal relationship is massive doses of slippery elm powder.

So, what do you think now? Do you see any causal relationship?

Posted 8/14/2011 12:31 PM (GMT 0)
Sibby,

Thanks Sibby.

Posted 8/14/2011 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
Unfortunately, no. It could very well be, InSoFla, that your gut is healing and you are now able to tolerate foods that you weren't before. A lot of people with success on LDN have reported being able to do so. The only way to be sure is to simply try these things again without the slippery elm.

In your favor though, a 2 week period between the two experiments doesn't seem long enough for the gut to heal to a point such that it can tolerate bad foods all on its own.

Perhaps you are on to something :-)

The basic scientific method demands you control your experiment though to come to conclusions that stand up to scrutiny. Again, that means eat the same ice cream, but without slippery elm. I would even make sure to eat the same things the day before, and the day during, just to rule out those possibilities.
Posted 8/14/2011 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
It might not just be the slippery elm.

Was it the exact icecream? Were the ingredients the same as last time? Some icecream contain ingredients such as HFCS. That would do me in right there. Manufacturers are constantly changing their additives especially in regard to HFCS.

Or was it just the lactose? In that case, the fact that your gut is healing could be a great factor. I find that how much lactose I can have depends on my colon condition. I can't have any when I'm flaring. Now I'm drinking about four glasses of reduced milk a day.
Posted 8/14/2011 10:13 PM (GMT 0)
subdued,

I think it is the slippery elm  powder.

The ice cream is always from the same place - tastes the same - they follow their recipe, whatever it is, and I have to tell you is it absolutely delicious -at least this particular flavor: caramel snickers swirl. I had 3 yummy scoops - it was dripping over the sides of cone ... OMG I'm salivating already, haha... how well trained am I?

But Badslinke, if it's not the slippery elm  then how would you explain the certain success with the pistachios?

Posted 3/16/2012 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
InSoFla

I just started LDN 4.5 with a lactose filler and have seen an increase in my UC symptoms,... liq D, urgency and frequency. I dont know if its the filler, dosage or the drug itself.

I noticed that you have been eating icecream!....woah that is just awesome.... just thinking of ice cream gets my digestive system going and causes me liq D. I also noticed that you have positive comments about slippery elm, which i will be trying for sure.

Can you please tell me why you chose the transdermal LDN rather than pills? did you try the pills and have a bad experience? did you get the patches from skips?

thank u in advance...
[email protected]
Posted 3/16/2012 5:02 PM (GMT 0)
InSoFla


Whooops!........ironically you have already answered most of my questions in another post, lol......so please ignore the questions i asked you above.

I would like to know though, how you are doing and if you ever did get the bottom of slippery elm vs ldn!

Do you still follow your slippery elm protocol before you indulge a great amount of forbidden foods?

thanks!
Posted 3/16/2012 5:07 PM (GMT 0)
Just chiming in on the 1 TBSP/3x daily of slippery elm powder.
I have been at it for a few weeks and I do see a very noticeable change in a positive way.
Jay
Posted 3/16/2012 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
ubereem,

No problem, glad you saw my answers on another post of yours :)

I have been in remission since using the transdermal LDN - it's a cream, btw, not patches, which I got from Skip's Pharmacy.

With regard to "cheating", yes I know from experience that indeed the slippery elm powder "cocktail" is what's made the whole difference with being able to "cheat" without serious side effects (just a little gas perhaps). So when I know I want to indulge I do take it before and after the cheat.

But cheating is not a way of life for me, and I don't believe it is healthy - as it will continue to lead to inflammation. However, one cheat in several weeks I think is ok.

How are you doing?


 

Posted 3/16/2012 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
I've read somewhere, probably on cureforcollitis.com, that Slippery Elm Bark Power should be taken at least in 2 tablespoons daily to have its effect.
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