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Can UC resolve by avoiding triggering foods?

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Posted 12/27/2015 3:55 AM (GMT 0)
Hello All,

Newbie here. Diagnosed with lower left UC with cecal patch in July 2012 after a couple months of increasing bleeding (thought it was hemorrhoids at first). Because I have Celiac Disease, and many of the ingredients have potential for cross-reactivity with gluten, post-dx I stopped eating an almond tart that was my nightly dessert. I never went on any medications prescribed by my gastroenterologist and haven't had blood in my BM since.

My question is: Is there is anyone who has been able to control their UC with dietary changes, or am I just lucky that I haven't had a flare-up yet?

I had not had any antibiotics before the bleeding started, and no stressful events come to mind. I have had many rounds of antibiotics throughout my life however and of course my guts are probably not normal because of the Celiac Disease (dx'd in 2009). Parasites have been taken care of. Not currently on probiotics.

Thanks in advance
Posted 12/27/2015 5:11 AM (GMT 0)
Could be a little bit of both- avoidance and luck! UC can come back anytime though even if you stick to your diet or take your medications or do both.

Have you had a scope since your initial diagnosis? Do you see your gi for check ups or for blood work? That is a good way to monitor your disease activity of you really do not want to take meds. Your symptoms may not match what is going on inside so getting inflammatory markers measured, poop tests, and scopes is a good way to keep an eye on things.
Posted 12/27/2015 12:01 PM (GMT 0)
"Could be a little bit of both- avoidance and luck! UC can come back anytime though even if you stick to your diet or take your medications or do both. "


yup, bacongirl is exactly right !
Posted 12/27/2015 12:52 PM (GMT 0)
GI's would say no, that diet modification has no effect on UC. But for me diet mod. has had a much more positive result on my UC symptoms than RX meds ever had.

Since you are using diet mod. for your celiac and avoiding other foods too it's possible you are connecting two dots that are not really correlated to UC. It might be celiac that is your real problem. Although my celiac test came back negative (blood test not tissue) wheat/gluten definitely causes bleeding for my gut. I also eliminate almond meal because my gut hates fiber and when I eat almond meal my gut bleeds.

Many on this forum have tried diet mod. with zero results. But I and others use diet mod. successfully. One of the many reasons UC is so difficult to pin down.
Posted 12/27/2015 4:24 PM (GMT 0)
I would recommend staying on your prescribed maintenance medications, as studies have show those who remain in their maintenance medications have the longest periods of remission and shortest flares. The mild anti-inflammatory medications are also shown to reduce your colorectal cancer odds (uc increases them). They're safe medications. Medication non-compliance is an issue with chronic conditions, like ulcerative colitis (increasing preventable hospitalizations and increasing health costs). Many of us are young when diagnosed, not used to taking medications, and stop taking our medications when we feel better. I feel it's a mistake.

Can some get by without medications, yes? How many? The vast majority cannot. Uc is caused by your immune system attacking the lining of your large intestine, which causes inflammation, bleeding, and the other wonderful side effects we all experience. Untreated uc inflammation has a tendency to spread in extent and severity, which can cause a flare up.

Should you continue exploring alternatives, diets, etc? Absolutely, anything that helps you live better is worth it. Just not in exclusion of your medications.
Posted 12/27/2015 10:31 PM (GMT 0)

Bacon Girl said...
Have you had a scope since your initial diagnosis? Do you see your gi for check ups or for blood work? That is a good way to monitor your disease activity of you really do not want to take meds. Your symptoms may not match what is going on inside so getting inflammatory markers measured, poop tests, and scopes is a good way to keep an eye on things.

I have not had a follow-up scope. My GI said that as long as my liver enzymes are checked yearly and I don't have any symptoms, I don't need one until 2020. My ND has already been on top of checking the enzymes and I have had several poop tests.

I did a Boston Heart lab recently. My only inflammatory marker that is borderline is my LpPLA2 at 211 (200-235 range).
Posted 12/28/2015 1:29 AM (GMT 0)

iPoop said...
I would recommend staying on your prescribed maintenance medications, as studies have show those who remain in their maintenance medications have the longest periods of remission and shortest flares. The mild anti-inflammatory medications are also shown to reduce your colorectal cancer odds (uc increases them). They're safe medications. Medication non-compliance is an issue with chronic conditions, like ulcerative colitis (increasing preventable hospitalizations and increasing health costs). Many of us are young when diagnosed, not used to taking medications, and stop taking our medications when we feel better. I feel it's a mistake.

Actually I never took meds after my dx because my symptoms resolved after I stopped eating my almond tarts. Ideally I would like to get my immune system to stop overreacting in the first place and not constantly be on medication.

My GI had rx'd Canasa. From what I understand, you shouldn't be on that for more than 6 weeks at a time?
Posted 12/28/2015 1:56 AM (GMT 0)

imagardener2 said...
Since you are using diet mod. for your celiac and avoiding other foods too it's possible you are connecting two dots that are not really correlated to UC. It might be celiac that is your real problem. Although my celiac test came back negative (blood test not tissue) wheat/gluten definitely causes bleeding for my gut. I also eliminate almond meal because my gut hates fiber and when I eat almond meal my gut bleeds.

Interesting about the fiber but I'm not sure it applies to me. I already avoid grains and nuts because I am on the autoimmune Paleo protocol but I do enjoy the high-fiber fruits without problems. Can you tolerate high-fiber fruits?

Whether caused by UC or Celiac, no almonds for me :(
Posted 12/28/2015 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
i'd say eight years is way too long to go without a scope while not treating your UC. you are definitely taking a big risk doing that.

the inflammatory markers your doctor MUST be checking are sed rate and CRP. also, your CBC to make sure your hemoglobin is good and WBC is normal. the stool tests should check for WBC in your stool because that monitors inflammation. you can also have a fecal occult test to detect blood (that you may not be seeing).

obviously, if your body is super sensitive to almonds, definitely avoid them.

as for canasa, you can take that long term as a maintenance medication. i do not think it will reach all your inflammation though if yours is lower left sided. canasa is a suppository used to treat the rectum and enemas would be a better fit for your UC as well as an oral 5 ASA medication. these are safe drugs for UC compared to the hardcore ones you need when your disease goes untreated or worsens for no reason at all.
Posted 12/28/2015 3:37 AM (GMT 0)
I just tried Bosc pears (skinned) after years without them and my gut said no, first with constipation and then bleeding. Only a few fruits are my friends, mulberries are OK (I grow them) and every now and then half an apple (skinless). You are lucky that fruit is gut-freindly for you.

I agree with others that you should not go too long without a c-scope if you have a UC diagnosis and take no RX meds. Every other year seems like a good schedule.

I've never heard that Canasa cannot be used longer than 6 weeks.
If you have no symptoms then Canasa isn't called for. But your gut may have inflammation without showing symptoms and that's what the c-scope is for, to make sure you don't have pre-cancerous polyps or colon cancer (which is usually slow growing).
Posted 12/28/2015 3:04 PM (GMT 0)
The simple answer to your question is "no." For some people, dietary restrictions can improve symptoms, but for most of us food really doesn't seem to have much of an effect. The only food that affects me is anything really high in fiber - bran, large amounts of raw fruits or veggies, etc. Those give me colicky cramping and a few loose stools, but don't stimulate a flare.

Even for those people who find their symptoms reduced by food restrictions, that doesn't mean the UC is resolved. It is a life-long condition and the only cure is removal of the colon.
Posted 12/29/2015 8:55 PM (GMT 0)

Bacon Girl said...
the inflammatory markers your doctor MUST be checking are sed rate and CRP. also, your CBC to make sure your hemoglobin is good and WBC is normal. the stool tests should check for WBC in your stool because that monitors inflammation. you can also have a fecal occult test to detect blood (that you may not be seeing).

My ND tests my blood frequently for thyroid and CBC & WBC are on there so I think those bases are covered. I'm digging through my labs and haven't seen any SED rate or CRP so I will definitely have her add these. Thank you :)

In Aug 2012, my Lactoferin level was high with moderate WBC present but all the tests that I have done since then have been normal and without WBC. How often should I be doing a stool test?
Posted 12/29/2015 10:17 PM (GMT 0)

imagardener2 said...
I've never heard that Canasa cannot be used longer than 6 weeks.

I got this right from their website: It is not known if CANASA is safe and effective for use for longer than 6 weeks. It is not known if CANASA is safe and effective in children.
Posted 12/29/2015 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
Most medications are only appear in scientific studies of 6 months to a year, and not longer due to cost (which is what the text you're citing refers to). People here have used it for a decade or more. Of course it's safe. It's a mild anti-inflammatory.
Posted 12/29/2015 10:28 PM (GMT 0)
well if you haven't, you should at least try it for 6 weeks and see what happens - but yes, folks on this forum have used it for years - it should be safe for you too -


and yes malabsorbing, i have pretty much resolved my uc symptoms via diet - once i gave up all grains, i sent the digestive devil packing and my colon returned to a pretty happy place -
Posted 12/29/2015 10:38 PM (GMT 0)
Of course you don't want to take Meds, nobody wants to. There are people that have managed to keep UC at bay through diet, but it is a bit risky and not too common.

I think for me the worry would be that all the while I am not being treated it could be getting worse, which is why you need to have regular colonoscopy and blood tests if you decided to never take Medication.
Posted 12/29/2015 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
ETA: Just looked at my colonoscopy report and no mention of the left-sided UC. Just UC with cecal patch.
Posted 12/29/2015 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
but UC where ?
Posted 12/29/2015 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
My GI said that as long as my liver enzymes are checked yearly and I don't have any symptoms, I don't need one until 2020.

Question: Do diagnosed celiacs who eat gluten-free need to be watchful of liver disease even when eating no gluten? I am non-diagnosed and just curious. My DNA tests show a high chance of being celiac and I know my gut bleeds from gluten, I'm just not "officially" diagnosed and don't think my liver enzymes have ever been tested.
Posted 12/29/2015 11:21 PM (GMT 0)

ushippedyourpants? said...
but UC where ?

I didn't know what a cecal patch was so looked it up for my own education. This is an interesting pdf. Most people with a cecal patch have left-sided UC. No mention of people with only a cecal patch. The location (see diagram) is pretty darn far from left-sided.

www.miracalifesciences.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ACG_2012_Poster_Cecal_Patch.pdf

edit to add this statement from the pdf:
"Significantly fewer patients with a cecal patch underwent colonoscopy for UC surveillance only"

Which matches the OP's treatment .

Post Edited (imagardener2) : 12/29/2015 4:24:15 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/30/2015 12:11 AM (GMT 0)

imagardener2 said...
Question: Do diagnosed celiacs who eat gluten-free need to be watchful of liver disease even when eating no gluten? I am non-diagnosed and just curious. My DNA tests show a high chance of being celiac and I know my gut bleeds from gluten, I'm just not "officially" diagnosed and don't think my liver enzymes have ever been tested.

I am not sure about that. My ND has tested for my liver enzymes for awhile because my bilirubin has been slightly out-of-range for years but we could never figure out why. So I've been getting tested for alkaline phosphitase all this time and it has been normal, if toward the lower range. (Assuming lower is better in this case.)

In fact, now that I look at my numbers, my bilirubin is finally in range post UC dx and diet adjustments. Interesting..
Posted 12/30/2015 12:15 AM (GMT 0)

ushippedyourpants? said...
well if you haven't, you should at least try it for 6 weeks and see what happens - but yes, folks on this forum have used it for years - it should be safe for you too -

and yes malabsorbing, i have pretty much resolved my uc symptoms via diet - once i gave up all grains, i sent the digestive devil packing and my colon returned to a pretty happy place -

That's great! How often do you get tested?

I am just confused about needing to be on medication if there is nothing happening (i.e. my labs are good and I don't have any other symptoms).
Posted 12/30/2015 12:20 AM (GMT 0)

ushippedyourpants? said...
but UC where ?

Found it on another page. I just have it in my rectum with cecal patch. Everything higher up was OK.
Posted 12/30/2015 12:26 AM (GMT 0)

imagardener2 said...
Question: Do diagnosed celiacs who eat gluten-free need to be watchful of liver disease even when eating no gluten?

I got curious and started researching and found this: http://www.cureceliacdisease.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/0610CeliacCtr_Newslinks.pdf

My AST and ALT have been normal pre and post-GF diet.
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