HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

New to Forums/ Ulcerative Colitis / Story / Questions

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/15/2013 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hello all this is my first post, I am a 21 year old male, symptoms started beginning of Nov 2013 with frequent bloody diarrhea and pain while eating certain foods. For the last 3 years ate mostly vegetarian while cheating every once in a while but who doesn't? After symptoms started immediately started cutting out all sugar and diary from diet but symptoms did not go away, went to the doc and he referred me to a gastro who wanted to perform a colonoscopy right away, didn't want to listen because of cost/trouble and went straight to some good friends at the health store who thought it might be UC and put me on a very strict diet of plain brown rice and plain potato soup with carrots,onion,garlic, and celery and no salt whatsoever! ;( (the guy who gave me the diet used this simple diet at first to bring down his ulcerative colitis and stop the bleeding) and equipped me with this colon formula (psyllium seed,marshmellow rt, slippery elm,speariment, and pepperiment ground up, activated charcoal, black molasses (for blood lose) and carob powder (for diet suppliment)

Very boring diet and only lasted about 2 weeks before I started adding some food back (bananas,avacodo, coconut milk, and various other things) was seeing improvements in diarrhea but got a little confident and started adding too much at once and symptoms came back with a vengeance.

Immedietly went back to the doctor, apologized, and had both a colonoscopy and endoscopy performed on Dec 12,2013, was immedietly admitted to the hospital because went from a weight of 140-115 in a month, very low sodium level, pretty severe inflammation and bleeding in my colon, and slight inflammation in my duodenum. Was diagnosed positive for UC and had a slight infection in my colon also.

So now in the hospital for 4 days writing this post, feel my energy coming back and my stomach is feeling much better, been doing alot of reading and when I leave gonna continue meds but also gonna go straight on Paleo diet after reading about it.

Was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for someone new to UC, any recommendations on what to eat/ not to eat during flare ups, and good ways to stay in remissions, or any useful tips/tricks =) sorry for the lengthy post but any help would be nice!! God Bless!
Posted 12/15/2013 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
My #1 suggestion: Take your meds.

My gut is happy on a low residue diet, but I am not. I've reduced gas and bloating by limiting FODMAPs. A food journal may be helpful, but I've not found it particularly useful during very severe periods of illness. It seems that ALL food has the same effect, which makes it look like I can eat anything I want. You may need to wait until things are calmed down some before you start experimenting with adding new things back into your diet.
Posted 12/15/2013 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
Hi..welcome to the forum.

Good to hear you're improving.

What meds are you on for UC and infection?

What's the extent of your UC...throughout or limited.

Diet won't heal your or make it worse, but it sure can have some symptoms exacerbated. Use common sense, eat a good balanced dietary intake to fuel your body while you're healing.

q
Posted 12/16/2013 6:43 AM (GMT 0)
quincy - right now still in the hospital but will leaving tomorrow, right now they have me taking 2 antibiotics: Flagel and Levaquin for the infection. Also taking Protonix for the swelling, Hydrocortizone as a steriod and Astcol 800mg 3x daily for the UC. Will post on my signature when I figure out what medicines I will be taking when I am discharged from the hospital and meet my GI doctor, crossing fingers for a good one first time!! As far as the extent, the GI who performed the Colonoscopy said he didn't not want to go completely through the colon to aggrevate the inflammation so not sure if it is throughout or limited, I am guessing in the near future I will have to have another colonoscopy performed (oh joy) and should find out more info then. Thanks for the advice!!

Tornado6 - Thanks for the advice, will definitely keep on my meds especially while I try to get my weight/strength back after being inactive in bed for so long, I do want to really watch what I eat especially after being in the hospital for 4 days with this sugar/milk absorbed diet, today was the first day in which they allowed me to have soft food and something that was actually filling, hallelujah! Can't wait to start exercising and playing basketball again to get back in shape, also hopefully will be able to deal with all these bills they piled up rather quickly and i'm laid off from work and having trouble drawing unemployment checks so its been a little challenge this first round but God is good and I have faith he can help me through this!!
Posted 12/16/2013 7:02 AM (GMT 0)
@Ctech21- Yes, God is good and He will see you through this! Just take it one day at a time for now and allow your body time to heal. Being so sick and losing that much weight so quickly takes it's toll.

The low residue diet worked well for me to help my colon to rest while the meds had time to kick in. Don't be surprised if they put you on Prednisone for awhile, too, to help get you into remission. That and Asacol worked well for me.

God bless! :)
Posted 12/16/2013 7:08 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you JJ-3 for the encouragement, it helps so much after finding out what I have and what I have to look forward to, it is a major blessing to have this forum and I wish to thank everyone out there for putting this together and making it happen, I hope that I can be a blessing in helping others and I will continue to update everyone when I know more about what I will be taking med wise/diet/suppliments and such, Thank you again!!
Posted 12/16/2013 7:10 AM (GMT 0)
By the way, still trying to figure out how to navigate through this website, is there a way to view the threads that you have posted to stay up to date when people reply? Haven't figured that out yet
Posted 12/17/2013 12:49 AM (GMT 0)
Ctech,

Welcome to the forum.
Glad you are starting to feel better in the hospital, and that they diagnosed you.

With all the antibiotics you are on, are you on any probiotics?

As to your question as to diet, supplements, etc...

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.

I hope you feel better and let us know how we can help you.
Posted 12/17/2013 3:25 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you InSoFla, alot of good advice and will definitely have to look up that stuff about the LDN and ow lose naltrexone as I do not know what that is. Since being discharged from the hospital I put up a signature with meds and basic info to make things easier. I am very confident with the meds for a while and then diet change, excercise, water and a strong faith in God that it will make this whole experience much easier and is something I will definitely accomplish, thank you everyone so much for all the support already it is a major blessing, God bless you all!!!
Posted 12/17/2013 4:41 AM (GMT 0)
Faith is a lovely thing to have with chronic illness. The doctor bills had me freaking out pretty bad at first but thats the one thing I easily gave up to God and knew things will just work out. As long as you are sending them even $10 a month, they usually leave you alone!

As for flare foods; everyone is different. On my bad days I can eat saltines and broth and thats about it. Plain rice and plain mashed potatoes are commonly doable.

Today I had eggs and chicken. Not quite feeling right today (possibly from new meds) so really its just listening to your body. Day to day, week to week.. until you get in remission. Which hopefully will be relatively quick for you :)

Keep up on your meds, even when you feel better. Stay strong. And enjoy this forum, so many knowledgeable, caring people here!
Posted 12/17/2013 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
Embers, yeah the bills are starting to really build, currently been laid off for about a month which was a blessing in disguise so I could deal with this situation, went far too long without having colonoscopy done after bad symptoms appeared(over a month) and could not have managed doing my work at that present time, so praise God the light is always shinning behind the thunder storm :) I have faith everything will work out, I will continue to update progress as it comes (or deprogress lols) and try to contribute where I can, loving this site very addictive!!
Posted 12/17/2013 5:05 AM (GMT 0)
Agreed. Im on here quite a bit. Always poking my nose around the forum. Love all the info, especially since this disease seems to affect everyone so different!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply