HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Lots of ideas/opinions - where to start?

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/3/2012 2:58 PM (GMT 0)
So I saw my GI and my Osteopath on Monday. They both listened pretty well and each had different ideas for a course of care. My GI wants me to go on Rowasa and come back in 2 months. My osteopath wants me on Glutaloemine powder and on a sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free diet, using lots of probiotics, and to come back in 2 weeks.
I spoke to my aunt, who works in a geriatric GI's office. She suggested doing gluten-free first with the probiotics and Rowasa rather than eliminating everything, so that I'm not on a crazy strict unrealistic diet for the rest of my life without knowing exactly what affects me.

With all of these suggestions and opinions, my head is spinning. Can anyone give me some input? I need experienced minds helping me on this one!
Posted 2/3/2012 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
In my experience an elimination diet requires you to keep a journal of what you eat. You may want to have it fairly detailed in the beginning with times for medication and a place to write anecdotal information about your general mood and potential side effects of medications. I keep a simple spiral notebook on my night table and use it to review the day. It has really helped me to find my triggers and things that are soothing for my tummy.

On the medical info packet for my mesalamine enemas it indicates that it may take 3 to 6 weeks to have an effect. Keep this in mind as you change your diet. Hope this helps.
Posted 2/3/2012 3:53 PM (GMT 0)
Going gluten free also requires about 3 weeks before you'd see results. In my experience the Rowasa enemas gave me relief much faster than that, and the side effects are minimal for most people. I like your aunt's suggestions, but I would really just change one thing at a time.
Posted 2/3/2012 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
IMO, you can not go off many things at one time. You should go one by one, else how are you going to figure out, if it worked, what actually gave you relief. Osteo's strategy may be looking good on paper but I would supplement it with Rowasa and go off certain diet one by one, one diet every month. (I read a lot of this stuff for my son on austistic spectrum and almost everywhere they suggested that it takes about a month to see any effect of going off certain food.)

Whatever option you choose, would love to hear the outcome.
Posted 2/3/2012 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, that's a lot of stuff to be cutting out cold turkey! I wouldn't personally do that myself... I'd start with one thing and when I got over the withdrawl from that, then move on. You can throw your body into some pretty nasty symptoms if you just cut everything out right away and suffer from massive die-off (especially if you're taking probiotics at the same time).

Your aunt sounds more logical, I'd follow her advice but tweak your diet to your bodies needs. If something works well for you - whether it fits into the diet or not - use it/eat it. Keep a food diary, too.
Posted 2/3/2012 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
Ues, your aunt's suggestion is logical. The gluten free is separate from the UC issue from my perspective....why not try the SCD with the probiotics and of course....the Rowasa for sure.

q
Posted 2/5/2012 1:28 AM (GMT 0)
Your aunt's ideas are more logical in my mind.
Or just pick two, like Rowasa and gluten free or probiotics.
Sometimes a lot of folks also go dairy free
to see if it helps with the diarrhea. Usually that will happen within a few days. Gluten free takes longer!!
I cannot touch dairy when my diarrhea is raging.

Take a deep breath, start with enema and go lie down and think.
You will know what to do in a little while. Really.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply