Has anyone with severe and sudden onset of disease ever responded to dietary changes?

Not everyone responds to diets. I certainly don't and maybe you don't either. From reading posts here, it seems like a lot of people have a lot of different responses to the various treatments both medicinal and alternative.

By the sounds of it, you have some pretty aggressive disease if the strong meds (Remicade, Humira, Methotrexate) didn't work for you. So, I'd be quite surprised if diets worked for you...

Just be careful about diet changes while in a severe flare. I was in a severe flare (and at the end of my rope) and I went to see a well known doctor who put me on a juicing diet. I got even worse and ended up in the hospital. Everyone is different though. That was just my bad experience.

When my symptoms were severe, I was not able to improve them with diet. Even if I ate next to nothing, I had UC symptoms; urgency, frequency, blood, cramping... Now, things are mild and I can definitely have less symptoms if I reduce the amount of intake. What I eat doesn't seem as impactful as how much I eat. It's really best to find a treatment that works for you so you can eat well and stay healthy. If restricting your diet enables that, great - so long as the diet isn't causing you illness! I haven't had luck with it myself.

Sigh...yeah, I know, it's so hard to figure out something that works. And I know what works for one person won't work for the next. I should be clear that I have Crohn's colitis, and not UC, but I hope you guys don't mind my crashing here since the Crohn's forum is so slow these days.

Honestly the only things that really seemed to work for me were Cipro, though the last time I took it it didn't work very well and I'm also afraid of tendon issues, and then the hormones from after I got my pregnancy flare under control. I'm having a hard time not getting really discouraged and wondering if my life is going to be completely overtaken by Crohn's. And though I have a lot to live for, living in a Crohn's flare is not living. I have really bad extra intestinal manifestations like arthritis, which make things pretty unbearable.

Gary- I haven't taken super high probiotics, but I took VSL #3 for a while and even did a fecal transplant, done via colonoscope, and neither seemed to have any effect.

I'm on prednisone right now and so I think it's making me really depressed, I'm having a hard time thinking I'll ever be better. I just started Imuran but when the biologics didn't work, I'm not sure about how Imuran may help.

Thanks, notsosicklygirl. I really need some encouragement, so I really appreciate your kind words. :) I hope it does help.

VSL is a mega dose probiotic but it doesn't work on everyone. I don't know that much about Crohns but there are many knowledgeable people here that do.

Dietwise, Crohn's colitis is no different from UC.

Hang in there Octobergirl. My UC pretty much came on like a slap in the head and my whole colon is involved too. I've been in a flare for over two years and tried a few different ways of eating . I did end up in the hospital for eight days from being so sick once and went on IV prednisone, antibiotics, blood transfusion, etc. Doc put me on Imuran at that time which I took gladly because I felt I was in a life threatening situation. I had marginal improvements in my BMs but not enough to justify the side effects of the Imuran, I went off of it 6 mos later. I will go on those drugs again if I get that sick again. I went into the hospital having 24+ BMs a day and left in much better shape, having 11 or 12 BMs. I've gone as low as 8 BMs, I've had a few spells of no blood and I've had a few formed stools over these two years. I've gone through quite a few pkgs of diaper like pads that I wear when I go out because of the urgency I experience. I've pooped myself many times at home and a handful of times when out. I have certainly felt down and out.

Anyways, knowing what to eat is so confusing but I know that food definitely affects me. Like I said, I tried a few different ways of eating with varying amounts of success. My fall back is always to just eat real food.

I've been fortunate to be able to consult with a functional medicine practitioner from the US (I was trying the diets under his supervision. I did some stool and urine tests and it seems I have SIBO. My practitioner has suggested I follow the AIP. My bleeding stopped within three days. Mind you I have been eating gluten free for two years already. I have 'taught' myself over the last couple of years to eat salmon at least three times a week AND (I think this is important) I figured out a way to eat liver, I drink bone broth every day. The Paleo auto immune protocol is not just about what you remove but what you add.

Right now I'm almost overwhelmed with how different I feel. My sore joints are gone and my energy is crazy high. I've been waking up in the morning because I have to pee, not because I have to poop. I'm sleeping through the night again. Today I had only 4 BMs!

Is it this diet? Who knows for sure but I'm thinking it is. It could be a coincidence. I'm being cautiously optimistic that I'm heading in the right direction now. Enjoying a break from feeling so sick for so long.

I'm taking a few new supplement things alongside the AIP. Three probiotics (Mutaflor, PrescriptAssist and S-boulardii) It was the day after I took PrescriptAssist that my bleeding stopped. I'm also going to add VSL#3 to the mix in a few days. Under the practitioners care I'm taking Lauricidin, some enzymes, fermented cod liver oil and something called GI Synergy. I take a few other supplements already like vitamin D3, K2, calcium/magnesium, iron and folate. I will continue to take my 5 ASA - Mezavant. I am still seeking a source for LDN.

My GI has been pushing me to try Remicade and I really don't want to. My experience here in small city Canada is that doctors are hard to get a hold of if you have concerns. They don't monitor closely enough until you get in big trouble. I am trying to hold off those big drugs until FMT is available (hoping for the next couple of years) Even if I have to stay on AIP till then, it's a safe way to eat.

You will get lots of kind supportive advice from all the people on this board. I've learned so much from them and they helped me trough some anxious times. I learned way more about my disease here than from my doctor, sad to say.

Wishing you good luck.

OG,

I read over my message after I hit send, then felt bad because my intention was to just tell you to hang in and don't give up, not to have YOU cha cha your pom poms for me *_* Thanks though, for your good wishes.

Chris Kresser is certainly someone who has helped a lot of people with gut issues and I'm also lucky enough to be working with him but I know from experience that he is limited in what he can do without testing and even with testing a lot has to be done by trial and error. Too many things that aren't understood. That's why I wanted to say hang in and don't stop trying. If I can't work with Chris anymore, I'd definitely look into Dr. Kharazian or someone who has trained under him.

Congratulations on your little one, I feel for you, it can't be easy. There is no harm in continuing to nourish your body with nutrient dense foods while trying to stay away from the foods that are known to create inflammation and problems. To answer your initial question, I think you just haven't found the right formula yet.

You're wise to not take anything off the table. Are you in the states? You'd likely at least be monitored closely and get your questions answered if you choose to take some of the stronger drugs. I'm sorry you didn't get helped (yet) with your diet efforts.

Good luck