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Cucurmin Tumeric does it help hurt or neither?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/23/2013 11:01 PM (GMT 0)
Is anyone currently taking Tumeric or cucurmi? I have read several posts from 2009 and 2010 from members that were taking and and it sounded like it was helping but there haven't been any recent posts. I would like to know what the success rate is.. I am considering incorporating this I to my current regimine.
Posted 11/24/2013 12:14 PM (GMT 0)
Mom,

Welcome to the forum.

Yes, curcumin is very good as it is an anti-inflammatory.
I buy the Super-Bio Curcumin from Life Extension, it's a very potent brand.
It is just one of the many supplements I take.

And the rest of the supplements are listed here:

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.

Some meds work for some and not for others.

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 doing these things it helped control my symptoms by 75%:
1) adequate high intake of vitamin d3 ( need to get your levels checked first)
2) probiotics are key, are you on any?
3) slippery elm powder to coate the intestinal tract helped greatly
4) l-glutamine amino acid powder for long term colonic repair
5) food combining
6) diet modification as in gluten and dairy free, Paleo diet
7) rectal meds help lots of folks out

Despite the decrease in symptoms, I was still BLEEDING very heavily at every BM. The Last 25% was taken care of by LDN, low dose naltrexone, which put me in remission. Within a week of starting LDN, the heavy bleeding ( too many times to count with blood clots and mucuous) which I had had for 1 1/2 years straight, went down to ZERO. And that is all thanks to LDN!

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.

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...

I was able to control my UC into remission through various supplements, probiotics, diet modification, and LDN , low dose naltrexone.

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.

I hope you feel better and let us know how we can help you.
Posted 11/24/2013 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
I have turmeric (1 teaspoon) in my butternut squash soup when I make up a batch every other week or so. I don't know if it has helped but it definitely has not caused any issues. It's just part of my diet of eating nutritious foods.

Here is my turmeric reference that I have stored away: University of Maryland Medical Center - Turmeric
Posted 11/24/2013 2:03 PM (GMT 0)

tap said...
I have turmeric (1 teaspoon) in my butternut squash soup when I make up a batch every other week or so. I don't know if it has helped but it definitely has not caused any issues. It's just part of my diet of eating nutritious foods.

Here is my turmeric reference that I have stored away: University of Maryland Medical Center - Turmeric

Are you referring to Paul Jaminet's perfect health diet in your signature?
Posted 11/24/2013 2:46 PM (GMT 0)

StealthGuardian said...
Are you referring to Paul Jaminet's perfect health diet in your signature?

Yes.
Posted 11/24/2013 4:02 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks InsoFla I got some samples VSL 3 from my GI.. It's so interesting that you said he gave you the choice of Remicade or surgery.... I am facing that same decision and Im not feeling comfortable with either so I am determined to get back in remission using alternative methods. I notice that stress is a major factor in regards to flaring. So step 1 for me is try to eliminate stress as much as possible. With 8 year old twin boys and a almost 13 yr old beauty princess.. It can be challenging at times. Plus my husband works like 12 hrs a day as a car salesman and I work too :) I need to find some balance and down time for yourself... sorry I had to vent a little. And I wanted to give a little background on myself and my current situation. In addition to the VSL 3, I am also taking l glutimine, and Astaxanthin once a day.. I am not sure what it does but I think it's helping I know something is because I am about 70% remission i am pretty much okay all day except in the morning when I have a big gastro explosion and have to stay in the bathroom for about 10 mins.. It can make for a hectic morning routine. I am excited about the possibility of being in remission without predinose (which has been my go to drug) for the majority of the time since my diagnosis.
Posted 11/24/2013 5:21 PM (GMT 0)
I've taken up to 3 g per day with peperine. I can tell you that larger dosages turn your poo gold flaked :)

I also tried it as a curcumin & mullein enema a few times, but I figured since there was so much undigested tumeric in my stool it was probably an exercise in futility.

I don't take it as a supplement now, but I do still cook with it often. I've been making a lot of variations of curried squash soup lately. It is one of my favorite spices anyway.

Nothing touched my UC until the combination in my sig now. I am much more functional, but I am still not in remission.
Posted 11/24/2013 11:47 PM (GMT 0)
Mom,

If you find the VSL #3 samples helping you, ask your doc to prescribe it for you as VSL #3 DS and you might only have a small copay.

I'm sorry he's given you what I call " the talk".
But IMO you are on the right track - try alternative supplements, stress reduction is key.
You've got alot going on in your life, lol, so yes do what you can to handle the stress.
Have you tried meditation?

BTW, what are you doing for your osteopenia?
Posted 11/25/2013 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
I started taking Curcumin in the spring of 2012 after a flare that landed me in the hospital. Since then, I have no doubt it's helped me maintain remission and now, get out of a flare.

In 2012, after the hospitalization, I worked my way up to 2 grams per day (Doctor's Best Curcumin, 500 mg capsules) as I tapered off Prednisone. I definitely thought the Curcumin was helping and stuck with it. Then, in October, I started to flare again because of antibiotics taken for oral surgery. After a few days of progressively worse blood, pain, urgency, I upped my Curcumin to 3 grams per day. 48 hours later, I was better than before the flare! Bowel movements were beautifully normal. Symptoms gone. Maybe it was spontaneous remission but I think it was the Curcumin.

I stayed on the 3 grams a day for over a year. I wasn't taking anything else for UC (intolerant of ASAs and Remicade) so it was luck and/or the Curcumin keeping me healthy. I ate anything except popcorn and lentils and had no symptoms.

This October, I started to flare again for unknown reasons. Doctor put me on Uceris and hydrocortisone enemas. Tried those for 2 weeks without much improvement. Then I added Prednisone 40 mg. Eight days into the Pred, I was better but the pain, urgency, unformed stool were still happening.

At the same time, I posted here and someone recommended I go to 6 grams of Curcumin. On the ninth day after I started Pred, I bumped my Curcumin from 4 grams to 6 grams and again, within 48 hours I felt much better. Today is day 14 at the 6 grams of Curcumin and I am 90% back to normal! No blood, pain, urgency. My only issue is weirdly-formed stool. And, during those 2 weeks of improvement with Curcumin, I tapered from 35 mg of Pred to 15 mg today. I'm shocked - who improves while tapering Pred?!

I've been taking the Uceris and enemas all along and it's entirely possible that they're what's working but I was on both of those for weeks without significant improvement. Once I added the Curcumin, my healing sped up.

FYI - I've kept a diary of what I take, how I feel, etc. every day for almost two years. With this current flare, I've been recording everything that goes in and comes out of my body so the dates and dosage info is accurate.

So I am a complete believer in Curcumin. I think the trick is to take enough that you see orange on the toilet paper. That means it's getting all the way through the body.

I use Doctor's Best Curcumin, 500 mg capsules which were recommended on this board. At 12 capsules a day, it's expensive. Amazon seems to have the best price:

http://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Curcumin-BioPerine-120-Count/dp/B000BD0RQS

My next steps are to taper off the Prednisone, Uceris, and enemas while taking the 6 grams of Curcumin. Once I'm stable without meds, I'll probably go down to 4 or 5 grams and see if that works for maintenance. I also plan to add one or more of these to my regimen: psyllium seed powder, resistant starch, Boswellia, Marshmallow, or LDN.

It's definitely worth a try. Just be sure to take enough. Good luck!
Posted 11/25/2013 12:53 PM (GMT 0)
FYI, I take Life Extension's Super Bio-Curcumin because:

Each 400 mg capsule of Super Bio-Curcumin® is equivalent to 2,772 mg of a typical 95% curcumin extract.

And I take 2 capsules daily.

:-)

I haven't done the math, but it may be worth it to see how it compares to 12 capsules of the other brands?
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