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Pumping up your Immune System?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/13/2010 3:41 PM (GMT 0)
Do you take anything to beef up your immune system

especially while taking  6-MP??

 

What supplements are good to take to prevent illness?turn

 

Thanks

Posted 4/13/2010 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
There are different approaches to treating IBD. The allopathic one which states that that the immune system needs to be suppressed to prevent it from attacking one's own body. Alternative practitioners seem to approach this differently, thinking that the underlying imbalance causing the disease (bacterial etc) needs to be addressed while the immune system needs to be supported, boosted or "tonified" (in chinese medicine). Some studies with CD from the UK have shown that patients who had their immune systems boosted actually went into remission. You can find these on pub med. I don't know if I'd try to boost the immune system while on immunosuppresents though because it seems contradictory and might lessen the effect of the drug. Maybe run this by your GI. I don't know if supplementing with something like Vit C would be a problem, though this can cause diarrhea in certain forms. Jini Patel suggests a specific type which is safe for IBDers on her sight.
Posted 4/15/2010 2:00 AM (GMT 0)
I take beta glucan from a reputable company (NSC). I haven't been sick once since I started taking it 4 years ago, and I'm a school teacher :) Whether that's coincidence, I don't know, but I'm going to continue to take it.

Posted 4/15/2010 10:11 AM (GMT 0)
Vegetable juices, homemade if possible, or go to your health food store. Stay away from fruit, veggie is best.
Posted 4/15/2010 11:15 AM (GMT 0)
The question of taking supplements to boost our immune systems is one I've been wanting to ask for a while. My understanding of what exactly it means for ulcerative colitis to possibly result from an immune system in overdrive and what exactly it means to "boost your immune system" is sorely lacking. I'm like killcolitis in my view.

For instance, I had red about an herbal supplement called Cat's Claw that many descriptions specifically stated could be helpful with GI disorders such as Crohn's or colitis. Also, it had a ton of other great benefits, especially for the circulatory system. It also "boosts the immune system" like echinacea or similar supplements. I stayed away for that reason alone.

I guess what I am asking is this: Is "boosting your immune system" synonomous with "probably going to make your autoimmune (or specifically IB) disease worse?"
Posted 4/15/2010 11:27 AM (GMT 0)
Levi,
Just to clarify, my daughter with UC is being treated with supplements and Chinese meds which do boost or "tonify" the immune system in a sense. She's also using curcumin which "modulates" the immune system. I'm not saying one way or the other is the right way. It's a confusing issue. If we were using 6MP etc, I'd stay away from anything that would boost the immune system unless it was okayed by the GI.
Posted 4/15/2010 11:40 AM (GMT 0)
OK-sorry about that. I see you were talking about the specific case of being on immnosupressants. I didn't mean to put words in your mouth.

Is boosting/tonifying her system with the Chinese meds working?
Posted 4/15/2010 11:54 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not sure but I think something is working. She just came out of an acute flare (knocking on wood and fingers crossed of course) without pred/flagyl. A week and a half ago ago she was having 6 bloody d bms a day including night waking. Yesterday, perfect poop. We switched her chinese meds from pills to teas (more potent but nasty), and added a quite a few supplements, the efficacy and dosage of which my husband has finally now started researching (I've been doing this until now, but he's an academic with a science background and is able to filter info in a way in whichI'm not able to). Curcumin, boswellia, zinc, sea buckthorn, some other stuff, and several new probiotics. We've had ups and downs, so who knows, but this is the first time we've been able to get the bloody D to stop without pred. Again, knocking on wood BIG TIME.
Posted 4/15/2010 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
To clarify- I wasn't really asking about a medication per se, more about taking extra Vit C or other

types of supplemets ( natural) to help ward off aquiring colds etc more easily due to the immunosuppresant

6-MP.

I guess just using the probiotics alone is a good way to keep the colon healthier.

I read about Beta Glucan and that definitley sounds like it would interfere with the 6-MP

but maybe for Kim it does not.

What types of veggies are best for juicing IMAGardner?

Thanks

Posted 4/15/2010 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
Vitamin C is only marginally effective against colds and flu. What really works is vitamin D. Once I got my blood levels up to optimal levels I have had only one cold in the past 4 years which is a huge improvement for me. Just make sure you regularly monitor your blood levels, D is one vitamin that you can OD on. But in reality if you monitor your blood levels you will be surprised how much more D you need to maintain optimal blood levels.

As an added bonus, D is also effective against IBD as well as heart disease and cancer. Look it up.
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