Lifestyle changes to help Ulcerative Proctitis?

Hi there,

Anybody any suggestions for lifestyle changes for treating ulcerative proctitis? I'm fed up taking meds and particularly fed up sticking enemas up my bum. I really feel there has to be a better way and a better approach, but I'm darned if I can find it!

Im working at giving up coffee - almost there, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and I'm off dairy and wheat for the last few weeks. I've been trying meditation, going to bed early and have given up alcohol (well for the moment anyway!) I don't think I can be ME and behave much better, but still no difference. I'd love any suggestions for things people found helpful, that doesn't involve medication.

Would a handful of seaweed up my bum help? That's about all I haven't tried but now that I think about it, it does sound quite soothing, lol!

That was a joke quincy ... just in case you thought I was being serious, lol but it did get me wondering if there was any such thing as a herbal type suppository. Obviously it's not something to mess around with, but it would be a way to introduce something soothing and anti-inflammatory, without the medication. Food for thought, but maybe there's not enough money to be made in that form of treatment!

I gave up coffee and didn't drink alcohol for a while and it had no effect on my UP. I think a lot of people here have luck with the SCD diet, reducing sugar and gluten intake, giving up processedd foods, not eating overly spicy foods... I've heard about people using vitamin e eneas but I haven't seen much conclusive positive evidence that it's helpful.

Are you taking a probiotic? Many have luck with VSL#3 or others.

Hi Notsosickly Girl. Yes, I'm on probiotics, but have on,ly been on them about three weeks. My stomach feels much better since I started them, but no improvement lower down as yet anyway. I could definitely improve with the spicy food, and I suppose that should be the next step, but normally it's my stomach that complains about that. I'm doing well with the sugar and processed foods and I'm half-way there with the gluten. Worth persevering for a few months I suppose to be sure if it helps or not. I was warned off red wine before and told that smoking can help!!! Maybe I should take that up, lol!

well, actually I was deemed the "high priestess of rectal meds"...I wear the monkier proudly since it was given to me by a beloved deceased member whom I'll never forget.


No stocks. They work. Why would I not use them? And I don't like having to use them....ever.

q

Holistic

I know your feeling because I was at the end of my rope 2 years ago. My meds weren't working and the mesalamine enemas were just a bandaid at the time, blood would always return and quite a lot of it. Not to mention the urgency, gas, D, etc.

I tried various diets including SCD over the years with little improvement but I decided I had nothing to lose to make one more try (as you are trying now).

I think you are doing the right things by eliminating gluten, dairy, alcohol and coffee (caffeine). I would also suggest removing all sugar, no fake sugar either (yes VERY hard) and other grains (don't replace gluten with gluten-free stuff like rice or quinoa). This sounds very difficult but the way I tried it was give it a time limit (don't think "I can't ever have _____ again") and see if you have improvement.

No fruit (that's sugar), keep insoluble fiber as low as you can.
Eat meat/fish/eggs, olive oil, coconut oil, vegetables (mostly cooked).

Can you do it? You asked for suggestions so ....

I have UP and drink coffee every morning. I tried cutting it out and it did nothing.

Hi Holistic-
Search for past posts by InSoFla and you'll find a lot of great info about supplements and diet suggestions.
You can use the Search under the "Join HealingWell" tab at the top of the page.

     Unfortunately, proctitis is the most stubborn to treat.  I suffered with it for twelve years.  Ironically, maybe because I took Colazal, the ulcerations never traveled further into my colon! 

     I ran the gamut of meds, tried alternative medicine, chiropractic, SCD, gluten free....no change.  Had a total colectomy with end ileostomy in June of 2010.

giving up dairy, alcohol, coffee, FIZZY DRINK, SUGAR, red meat, PROCESSED FOODS, STRESS, even micro waving food on an ongoing basis. Filtered water etc alone does not fix UC you need to help the healing process along a little with probiotic (really good quality organic concentrated) to help restore the bowel flora, you still need an anti-inflamitory like boswellia, then you also need something that heals your bowel cells so I truely dont think diet alone helps, it is the things you do along with the diet that works together with everything else. So giving up foods alone will not get you into remission it may ease it a little but the body still needs help to get into remission either from natural remidies or from medication. What ever works for the indiviual. Enemas suck thank goodness I dont have to take them anymore.

mum of 3
in remission using diet
taking rejuven x 1/2 scoup twice daily with Vital Greens 1 tsp twice daily in 300 ml rice shake and boswellia tablets twice daily all natural products. Along with diet

You can see by my sig how i cured my problem. Its no joke either. I am very diligent about what i put on and in my body.
Instead of sugar use honey or maple syrup to sweeten things.
Even completely normal i still dont have any cafffeine. Makes me jittery.
Almost all sugar you buy is made from gmo sugar beets. If you must use sugar make sure its organic.

Ryeberto,

Welcome to the forum.
Lots of things you can do.


As a newbie to the forum, I think it's important for you to know that you have options, which your doc probably won't tell you about. So let me share with you what's worked for me in the hopes it might help you too.

Some meds work for some and not for others.
IMO, it isn't one size fits all, and you have to find what works for you, and it may be a combination of things like diet, meds, supplements, etc...

For me, the traditional meds failed me and the mesalamines I became intolerant of.
And when the doc gave me a choice of surgery or remicade, I balked and had to find my own way.

He also told me diet has nothing to do with UC, but I found that it has a great deal to do with exacerbating its symptoms!

I found that by taking certain proactive steps, it put me in full remission.
My steps to remission included: diet modification, various supplements, probiotics, and LDN, low lose naltrexone..

If any of this interests you, there are things IMO that you can control, which will have a direct impact on your disease, the symptoms you experience and their severity.

For more info on the protocol which has put me into remission, please go to this link: https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1666318 , and look at the 11th post.