medication vs natural routes

Just diagnosed with UC after i had diarrhea for about 3 weeks and then just blood & tons of pain for 3 more week...all started around Jan 15...stressed, eating tons of baked goods (vegan 25 years, so vegan baked goods chocolate, drinking alcohol a lot and just overeating & STRESSED). So being a bit gray and could not wait for next Dr appt, (saw the DR, & should have sent me to the ER) my husband did. Was admitted, low iron, low potassium and so on, and likely UC. They put me on IV predisone and giving me, what i later found out, Mesalimine and Pepsid, and IV Iron & IV nourishment...had not been eating really for weeks, dropped 2lbs...One gastro wanted me on prednisone for a few months..SOUNDS CRAZY TOXIC TO ME...saw another Gastro who thankfully wanted a colonoscopy ASAP once i was released. Was released on the 5th day...sent me home with prescriptions NOT A PEEP about DIET...SO the mesalamine was $700...NO THANKS and did not want the generic either, filled some anti diarrhea crap..never took it. weened off prednisone in 2 weeks. last day 5mg...I FEEL GREAT (the weight loss put me where really should be). Again, vegan 25 years and decided to go gluten free, NO caffeine (was 4-5 cups a day) no chocolate, and no night shades, no nuts. I also realize i had an episode 4 or 5 years ago...saw a medical Dr, also homeopath, and he gave me a remedy..GONE in 2 days and back to normal. Have to go for another colonoscopy in 3 weeks... was a bit inflamed so could not do complete. Researched Medical Marijuana. i believe with diet, MM & dealing with stress (yoga & meditation) will be my course as i see too many horrific events with these toxic meds. ill keep you posted.

It sounds like you are against medications and that is going to make your journey with UC a lot more difficult than it otherwise needs to be. The vast majority of us need to take maintenance medications for life. Maybe you're new and in denial but it is what it is.

It's not as easy as choosing between taking meds or using alternatives (do I want a pepsi or a coke today?) and getting the same exact results. I wish it was but it is not.

Alternatives work for some but often require years to figure out, are different for everyone in results, and many more will not work than will work. Alternatives did nothing for me.

Hey, the less you stuff your body with all kinds of medication the better but mesalamine is very, very mild medication so if you can get that at a decent price it's worth trying (prednisone is a different story). Of course good diet and stress management also help; my doc didn't say a word about those either and when I asked she just responded "if it helps you, by all means do it".

My UC was also stress induced, meditation, yoga, plant based whole foods helped me a lot. Ate lots of cooked vegetables for easy digestion and smoothies. Many people say that IBD people shouldn't eat fiber but honestly it works miraculously for me. Of course I also take medication though, couldn't have done it without it. Check out David Klein's Self healing crohn's and colitis book.

Vegan without gluten sounds difficult (and expensive). Just remember that this disease naturally comes and goes. Finding correlation between diet and disease activity takes time. Prednisone is also very good at inducing remission. I hope you are able to maintain remission naturally. If not, meds help most people so don't rule them out.