Maintenance plan?

Since most of the people who post are flaring, and leave once they're in remission, I haven't seen (and I did search) any topics on what people do when they're in remission.

I should probably ask my GI, who I haven't actually seen in over a year, but he's out of the way to get to (1:15 by bus each way).

When I was flaring, he prescribed 2x (1g) Salofalk suppositories and 4g oral Salofalk daily, but I eventually ended up only taking the suppositories, because the oral 5ASAs don't do much for me. Cost was also an factor in that choice.

Generally, I think people have said that they take oral meds for remission, and only add suppositories (or enemas) when they're flaring, is that an accurate generalization? Is it a bad idea to take only suppositories, even though it's just proctitis? I've also cut back to using supps only once a day; maybe that's not enough, but I HATE them.

I also plan to keep taking probiotics (5 billion CFU), as well as avoiding oil, sugar, sulphites, and any other high-fat or processed foods (not that I generally eat any of those anyway, except on special occasions). I've started eating ground flax on my salad again, and eating eggplant and apples without peeling them, although I still peel potatoes because of the higher solanine/glycoalkaloid levels in the skin.

I'm going to keep taking curcumin, since it is an all-round great anti-inflammatory, and may help prevent colorectal cancer. I'm also trying to fit more cardio into my life, since exercise is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. I'm undecided about continuing to take aloe gel... it may have helped a bit when I was flaring, but I don't know if it can do anything for me while I'm in remission.

Just wondering what peoples' thoughts are on my plan??


Thanks in advance

I've been in remission for several years with only fairly minor blips on the radar. I take a maintenance dose of sulfasalazine, which is half the therapeutic dose. I also stay on a fairly high dose of quality probiotics, omega-3 oils and caps for anti-inflammatory properties, l-glutamine for gut healing and as a body building supplement, and George's Always Active aloe, but only 1/4 cup a day.

Through trial and error, I've found a low carb diet works best for me, eliminating or greatly reducing grains, dairy, starches and sugar. I can definitely "get away" with more diet-wise when things are going really well. But my problem is I tend to get complacent and once my diet starts to drift and has been off course for a while, then the symptoms start creeping back in. So, I'm coming to the conclusion that it really has to be a lifestyle change for me, with only occasional treats.

These lifestyle modifications and always taking various supplements seemed bothersome at first, but it's all second nature now. It helps that I'm into body building, which requires the same kind of dedication. And I feel I'm alot healthier because of my UC wake up call.