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Posted 5/12/2016 6:31 AM (GMT 0)
So I have a few questions. What vitamins and minerals do I need? Has anyone tried those drops that are from marijuana but not the high part for healing? Does anyone else go like 10484 times day ten the next day nothing? And with weight loss did it stay off or did you gain it back?
Posted 5/12/2016 10:59 AM (GMT 0)
What vitamins and minerals do I need?

Get your blood levels of vitamin D checked. Most people are deficient in vitamin D but even more so if you have IBD. If you google “vitamin D Crohn's”, “vitamin D ulcerative colitis”, “vitamin D cancer”, or vitamin D anything you will see that it is important for maintaining health against a host of diseases.

A multivite wouldn't hurt. You should also probably get your blood levels of iron, B12, folate, etc., especially if you bleed a lot. Here is an example of vitamin D helping IBD Crohn's:

m.medicalxpress.com/news/2015-06-vitamin-d-crohn-disease.html
In a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study, the authors assigned 27 CD patients in remission to 2000 IU/day vitamin D supplementation or placebo for 3 months. They found, that patients treated with the supplementation were more likely to maintain their intestinal permeability, whereas this deteriorated in the placebo group.

Increased intestinal permeability is considered a measure of gut leakiness, which is shown to predict and precede clinical relapse in CD. In addition, patients with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had signs of reduced inflammation (measured by C-reactive protein and antimicrobial peptides), and these patients also reported better quality of life.
Posted 5/12/2016 12:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Lauren - all good questions. I am not a doctor but in my experience, one of the challenging things is nutrition during a flare since you aren't absorbing anything very well. I agree with IamCurious about the Vitamin D - that's something that seemed to help me. I have also heard of people taking zinc - but whenever I have flared, nothing stays in me long enough to help. Controlling the inflammation and healing came first, then I felt like I could benefit from supplements. I have never done well with normal vitamins - but I did consistently take calcium as prednisone depletes you of it. Especially if you are a female. I did okay with a good whey protein and added greens powder into it - read the ingredients to make sure they look good. Not sure how much of the greens I absorbed but the protein seemed to digest pretty easily.

I found that yes, healing is not a linear process and one day I might go 25 times and then 10 the next, then 24 the next....it messes with your head but try to ride it out.

With the weight loss, mine definitely came back, plus a little. :( I recently found that probably due to repeated rounds of prednisone, my hormones are totally out of whack so that's probably part of it. I also feel like my body went through so much that now it holds onto calories and fat harder as a survival technique. I'm hoping it will start to relax and let go of that a little. :)

Feel better!
Posted 5/12/2016 1:23 PM (GMT 0)
The vitamin D problem most people have is responsible for much of the problems with health we see today. I was low when I had mine check and started taking 5000 IU a day to get my level up. Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin and now I get mine from the sun. For sure get your level checked. With the other vitamins and minerals it is best to get them from the food you eat. Keep in mine the vitamins and minerals come from the fruits and vegetables. Stay away from the process foods and eat real food and you will get the vitamins and minerals you need. Keep in mine the GMO foods are void of the vitamins and minerals. Go organic when possible. I have a garden and grow some of what I eat.

http://www.naturalnews.com/027345_Vitamin_D_exposure_sun.html
Posted 5/12/2016 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
For me Vitamin D and Iron are the two that I am always low in. Do your research on the best way to get vitamin D. Everyone is different and a supplement sometimes won't digest well enough to even matter. You have to get creative! Iron on the other hand is extremely important. The symptoms of anemia are very similar to UC symptoms (diarrhea, fatigue, bruising, etc.). My Doc gave me liquid iron to take with vitamin C. It is disgusting to take, but you will feel so much better sooner with the liquid. I mix it with orange juice and it isn't too bad. Also, unlike the iron pills that can be hard on your stomach, the liquid absorbs more gently it won't cause stomach pain.
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