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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/23/2009 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, I'm a 19 year old from Toronto and was just diagnosed with Proctosigmoiditis. My doctor has me on daily 5-aminosalicylic acid enema's and 4 pills of 5-ASA every day as well!

I am a very active individual in nature, having played for the U-14 national soccer squad and currently a personal trainer among other things (rugby, jujitsu etc.) so as for being the healthiest person I know it was surprising to say the least when I started getting all the cramps and bloody stools. At the moment I am afraid of never being able to weight train and participate in serious physical activity again... my 6' 204lbs 9% BF physique may take a serious hit with this disease. My main concern is whether or not I can lift heavy? eversince I've taken the medications I am sleeping for long periods of time and my BM is increasingly getting healthy but I have mucous-like dark red pieces in my stool along with the usual blood!
8 different doctors diagnosed me with Hemorrhoids before this and it has been almost 2 months of serious bleeding for me - 5 months ago I had my first flare up which went on for a month but again all I took was Hemorrhoid medication! it's complete BS the way these doctors work and I hate medicine since it breaks your body down in one department to assist in another! Are there any tests to determine what foods affect us as sufferers? I heard about IgG tests etc. and could certain stretches help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles so that bleeding is reduced?

For people looking to get better remember to baby your colon when you first get this... it's about eating NOTHING but whole wheat, lean meats (fish, chicken), NO alcohol or caffine, NO spicy/fried foods, NO heavy meats or acidic fruits and vegs (lemons, oranges) and drink lots of water! it helped me a lot so looking at how we're human it may help you too!

Thank you all for being on here, this is a difficult time but life is too beautiful to live in misery over a silly illness - you're all very supportive and the mere fact that you take time to help others with the disease is amazing!

God bless and rock ON!
Posted 3/23/2009 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome Scorpion24,
You've certainly come to the right place. I'm sorry you are now amoung the ranks dealing with this awful disease.

It sounds as if you already have a good handle on what you should be eating. But things may change now that your colon has changed. Watch for any signs that things you once were able to eat may now cause a little trouble. Every one is so different. There are all kinds of diets out there but what works for one might not work for some one else. It's just trial and error.

I know there are other body builders on here as well. If you start a thread specificly looking for them they will likely show up and you can compare notes. Any questions you might have you will sure find answers to.

I'm much older and in my first flare I lost 40 lbs in about 2 months. I had a real problem with the asacol and decided I wanted to do this as natural as possible. I told the Dr my body didn't get this way from lack of drugs and I wanted to figure out how to get things back in balance by natural means if posible. At this point I getting pretty close to remission but not quite. I was dx in July. There are a lot of people on here who have incorporated both avenues of treatment and as soon as things started getting under controll were able to come off the meds. You have to figure out what is best for you.

I wish you the best and pray things will be under control soon.

Edy
Posted 3/23/2009 6:55 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HealingWell, Scorpion. While there's no scientific evidence of diet causing or relieving UC or flares, some people have found that one diet or another seems to help them. I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice in that area.

I'm glad to hear your symptoms are improving. Your tiredness could be caused by a bit of anemia, or your body may just be using more energy repairing itself right now. There's no reason you can't continue your usual fitness regimen; we have others who are very active and do quite well.

This is a chronic disease, but the vast majority of people who have it lead completely normal lives. Hopefully you will also!
Posted 3/23/2009 8:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Scorpion.  Welcome.  I'm not a bodybuilder either - but I am an exercise/gym fanatic - go every day for a couple of hours.  I actually find that running and lifting weights help me feel better - and give me more energy.  Even on the days that I was seriously flaring I would try to hit the gym for at least a little bit.  My doc used to be amazed - you're this sick and still working out!  You just have to listen to your body and slow down a bit.  Once you're in remission you should be able to do your full routine no problem.

Posted 3/24/2009 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
I wouldn't say I'm a body builder but I do lift weights 3 days a week in hoping of getting a little bigger, (5'10''-135 lbs.). Colitis definitely has caused me to be more tired on certain days, but I think that when it is under control it is not too much of a hindrance. It also effects my appetite so that doesn't help me gain weight. Welcome to the forum, and I hope we can continue to talk about lifting while living with colitis.
Posted 3/24/2009 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
I actually started weight training as a way to gain healthy weight I lost when I was diagnosed with UC and was in a bad flare for the first couple of years. Although you certainly need to listen to your body and go easy on days you're feeling particularly bad or fatigued, there's absolutely no reason you should have to give up weight training - or cardio for that matter.

Bleeding is reduced by healing the colon, not by strengthening pelvic floor muscles. Oddly enough, a popular body building supplement - l-glutamine - is one of the best supplements you can take to help heal the colon. Omega3s - also popular with bodybuilders - are excellent for reducing inflammation.

In my experience, the diet that works best to help me stay in remission is very similar to what works for bodybuilding: high protein (lean meats and fish, eggs, egg whites), low carb and plenty of healthy fats.

If you want to talk more, feel free to email me.
Posted 3/24/2009 6:58 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you've done your research Scorpion. Keep it up and i'm sure you'll do just fine. As for UC affecting physical activity you shouldn't have a problem b/c your body is so young and used to the physical strains already. I was diagnosed at 25 and continued to play competative basketball in pick up games and tournaments without thinking about UC. Of course if you are flaring bad with bloody D then your body is obviously going to be drained more than usual but i still played ball during the worst of my flares. I say if you feel good enough to work out then work out. Good luck may God bless you too.
Posted 3/24/2009 7:43 PM (GMT 0)
I also like weight training, and have a terrific golf coach whose program I follow who was Mr. California. Unfortunately, I can't imagine how strong muscles or improved flexibility will control bleeding, sorry. But lift away, I know how good it feels to be strong.

Your diet suggestions would be way off for me. Can't do wheat or high fiber. I do like a high protein diet, and for some reason spicy doesn't bother me at all! Diet is a very individual thing.

I took a food sensitivity test through a Naturopathic doc that revealed my high intolerance to wheat, as well as other things. It was a blood test. He also suggests a cellular test but it is very expensive, like $2K, so I haven't done that.

Better living through chemistry...sometimes it is the only way to achieve health, regardless of the lifestyle you have been able to thrive on and enjoy up until getting this disease. Four 5-ASA is actually a very, very small dose, as you will notice here.

Nice to "meet" you, keep in touch.
(Any thoughts about why so many Canadians seem to be affected?)
Posted 3/25/2009 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
I also have an intolerance to gluten, but no test has ever indicated a problem. I've been tested for celiac and had the ELISA test - also pretty expensive when it's out of pocket - and neither showed any problems. I know from doing elimination diets and keeping a food journal what works for me and what doesn't. I finally stopped trying to get medical "proof." I don't have a problem with spicy foods, either.

Regarding the prevalence in Canadians, I've wondered if there isn't a Seasonal Affective Disorder component to the disease for some of us. I was first diagnosed in late winter/early spring and was back in the ER almost exactly a year later, so my worst times were consistent. My husband is the one that thought of the possible SAD connection and bought me a full spectrum light box which I still use to this day. Thirty minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening from mid-fall to early spring - about the time we're off of daylight savings time. SAD is more common the farther north you live, so that may be something to consider. There's also the vitamin D connection that's received alot of press lately. The less sunshine you get, the more likely you are to be deficient in vitamin D.
Posted 3/25/2009 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
send a pm to ucwarrior...maybe he can help
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