Went to another GI doc for a second opinion, completely contradicted my first one

Try both simultaneously and keep doing both simultaneously. No reason at all to do one to the exclusion of the other, in my mind.

There are a few who found remission without meds but the vast majority do require meds to achieve a remission.

I've never found diet modification to help me personally. Some swear by it. Results vary wildly with UC as a general rule for pretty much every treatment. You can certainly try and see if it helps after 4 weeks or so. Look for tangible results and discontinue if you get none.

I'm surprised you got a GI who was so pro-diet: that's rare. You can always give it a go if you want, but if you're gonna go that route, I recommend exploring other diets as well, e.g. SCD, elimination - most strict diets revolve around giving up a few core 'baddies', e.g. sugar, gluten, dairy, but differ in how much they, say, tut-tut at carbs and what kind of carbs they tut-tut at. Your GI sees carbs in general as bad, obviously, but on the SCD you can get a lot of carbs if you just use almond flour in everything.

Everyone with UC is different: vegans and gymbros have flared alike, and they have radically different diets. If your GI seems totally wedded to his low-carb diet I would be a bit suspicious of that. Ask him how many other patients he's 'treated' with this diet and how many he has got into remission on it. And then report back, 'cos I want to know the answer.

the 2nd gi is a quack.

these things help a few people, but any doc saying from outset it will definitely help you 100% is a quack.

sounds like you searched for a doc who would say what you wanted to hear.

Thanks for all of the responses, I have a follow up with him in a few weeks. From what I remember at the first appointment he said it had something to do with biochemistry. He brought up that he was a biochem major before medical school, and that's why he treats patients this way. He said that every patient with UC he treated was able to get off their meds within two years, except for one tab of lialda, which he said is supposed to keep the risk of cancer down in IBD patients. Of course he said he's treated roughly 1000 people with UC and that number seems very hard to believe, but I don't know how many people doctors usually see either.

Thanks Uniform Charlie! I will have to buy that book! My new doctor sounds a lot like that wolf guy. He knows what he is talking about, but it sounds a bit loopy.

Gwsmalle said...
Thanks for all of the responses, I have a follow up with him in a few weeks. From what I remember at the first appointment he said it had something to do with biochemistry. He brought up that he was a biochem major before medical school, and that's why he treats patients this way. He said that every patient with UC he treated was able to get off their meds within two years, except for one tab of lialda, which he said is supposed to keep the risk of cancer down in IBD patients. Of course he said he's treated roughly 1000 people with UC and that number seems very hard to believe, but I don't know how many people doctors usually see either.

Sounds hard to believe.

Lots of docs were bio/chemistry majors before med school - that has nothing to do with 'why he treats patients this way.'

One tablet of Lialda to keep the risk of cancer down? Ask him for data supporting the use of one tablet of Lialda reducing cancer risk. There isn't any.

Any chance you can share his name/location?

Interesting - I just read his reviews (approx. 250) and they are mainly excellent - many patients claiming he has vastly improved their colitis symptoms through diet....hmmm....fake reviews or a diet we should all be trying? I think I will give it a go - nothing to lose - and I definitely know that sugar for me can cause flares - salmon seems to work wonders....but weirdly, in contrast to almost all advice - I find that a nightly large glass of champagne greatly reduces my symptoms - am currently badly flaring, and weirdly, it's got much worse after stopping drinking last week - my theory is that alchohol is an immune suppressant - which is the same as Mesalazine, right? I'm going for a sig tomorrow but have a horrible feeling that the meds are not currently working and mayneed steroids for the first time - all the things you want in your system while actively trying for a second child...sigh

I'd be careful with going off meds completely. My German GI took me off Azathioprine and not long after that I flared and needed Remicade.

I'm with Dr. Schmidt in Salt Lake if you want to look him up. He's awesome and helped me gain remission.

Susie...mesalazine is not an immune suppressant. You need to read more.

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