New Member with questions

I am 15, I am in high school and life is hard. I started acupuncture therapy and that helped me a lot, but I can only do it so often because I cannot miss anymore days or I will not be a junior next year. I need help!!! The medications I have been on are asacol, azathiopurine, folic acid, enercort, nexium, and prednisone. Sorry if I misspelled any of those, I am currently flaring up, have been bleeding non stop all day, and am too weak to go find any of those bottles. Anyway, call me crazy but the only medicine I am on now is the prednisone. I drink this special tea called echinacea and that helps with inflammation, but I feel like I need something stronger and natural. I found out I had UC when I was 11 and this is the first time I have ever been this ballsy and stopped taking my medicine, which was my choice. I was given the option of remicade and surgery, but I am not sure if I am willing to take that risk. Some one please help me! If there is anything I can do that is natural that helps with the demons inside of my colon, I feel like nothing works.

Post Edited By Moderator (Madcat25) : 3/13/2013 10:01:00 PM (GMT-6)

do you have a mom and dad or are you on your own ?

Oh and the pred still works, just look at my face, but the asacol and the azathiopurine(imuran)... not so much anymore.

Inflated,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm glad you found us.

And I am sorry you are suffering at such a young age, it's tough when you're going to school. It's good your parents are supportive.

I don't know about your doctor, but I can tell you that alot of doctors (mine included) only know how to medicate with big pharma, and don't have a clue about diet, probiotics, alternatives - nor do they want to know either.

My doctor too gave me a choice of remicade or surgery - both of which I refused, and had to find my own way.

IMO, diet makes a big difference. For alot of us, UCers - both gluten and dairy are big culprits, so eliminating them helps alot of the symptoms. And then there are other things you can do, like adding probiotics - good ones - like VSL #3 (you can get the prescription for VSL #3DS from you doc if he will prescribe it for you?) are important, as is l-glutamine amino acid for long term colonic repair, and then slippery elm powder to coate the tract, and lastly take a look at LDN, low dose naltrexone it put me in remission.

If you are interested in any of those options or additions to what you are currently doing, there are things IMO that you can control, which will have a direct impact on your disease, the symptoms you experience and their severity.

I was able to control my UC into remission through various supplements, probiotics, diet modification, and LDN , low dose naltrexone.

 

For more info on the protocol which has put me into remission, please go to this link: https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1666318 , and look at the 11th post.

 

For more info on LDN, you can take a look at the last post on the UC Resources page, if you have any questions, feel free to email me.

I hope you feel better and let us know how we can help you.

Don't let them push you  around.

 

Hi InflatedandnotDated,
Welcome to the forum.
There is a lot of good information in the existing posts.
You should definitely look at the U C Resources thread.
It would also be a good idea to have your parents look at it.
It's wonderful that they are so supportive.

Maybe you will be able to locate a new GI but the truth is that most seem to follow the same "path" through the "meds" including the ones you are currently taking and eventually leading to surgery. Your best bet is to educate yourself and your parents so that you can suggest alternatives to whatever GI you're seeing. This forum has helped me to do just that.

It is my belief that you should consider every possible option before considering a surgery that is not reversible.

If you would like to find threads that discuss a specific topic, you can use the search function located below the Join HealingWell tab at the top right.

I applaud you for taking the initiative to post your message and encourage you to ask about anything you want to know. There are a lot of very helpful people here to provide info.

Yes! They are extremely supportive of the decision to make a more natural approach. They did not like seeing me take SO many pills a day and still see symptoms... They also do not like my GI that much either.

Hi, Linc here again...Sorry got cut off.. parents are great,,lots of great input there...I definitely have success with the naturopath but I think i got a really good one..really all I can say is to sit down with parents work out a strategy, draw a line in the sand, never be overwhelmed by the internet on this and keep writing on this forum... glutten weaten and dairy..no..no .no.There is a site from America where a woman got this she did not fare well she said until she chanced a meeting with som eone like her ..she had great success and ended by qutting her job to become a health researcher.I found this site but as usual dismissed it..Not now..she is really into the food angle and for her it works. Her work is remarkable she cant possibly make money from it yet she does it, will message this site to see if I can put her name for you to see....

Hi, Linc here, I looked up the rules for this site and it says I can sort of, so I will. The womans name is Sherry Brescia so please type her name into the web and see, she is from America,she suffered pretty bad from one of these,she writes all the time on people who have these and the experiences they have, none of what she writes can harm you in any way I read her stuff all the time.Get your mum and dad to sit with you and do this if you want. I get her emails all the time,tehy are continuous computer generated from all the people who write her...will think for a while about herbs names not a good idea to give another person what suits me. She never tries toask for money donations or the like..Please look at her site and if you and parents dont like then dont use. I bought three books or guides on eating, she puts all the foods do and dont its cheap.

Inflated-Do you just have the accupunture procedure or does the accupunturatists give you herbs to help supplement the treatment?

Hi Inflated,

I noticed a dramatic and almost immediate reduction in symptoms when I eliminated grains from my diet. It's very hard to do, but for me, it has been worth it. The hardest part is that wheat is hidden in almost every prepackaged item - even soups and some packages of raw chicken (it's in the "natural flavoring" they are injected with!) I read that you have supportive parents (that's so great!), so maybe they could help you try this. Not everyone is sensitive to grains. Many do very well on a diet that includes them, but it might be worth trying for a month to see if it could help you. For me, it makes a huge difference.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this so young. I agree with other posters that you are wise to seek other solutions before agreeing to a surgery that can't be undone. I wish you health and success.

I have done a lot of back reading on this site. The most recommended natural things I can find are probiotics, l glutamate, and slippery elm.
Also a few more black cherry concentrate, manuka honey, coconut oil and another one I have just learned of that I am about to try out is black strap molasses.