Stopped eating meat and have gone into remission, but struggling.

You're in remission and you want your colon out? I know food is important but if Vegan guarantees a good colon and life then I'd advise you to do it.

Sorry if I came across rude! I just don't think taking out your bowel when you are in remission is the way to go. Treasure what you have :)

I think the problem I see, is that, if you have these sensitivities, they may be effecting your body overall and not just your colon. Perhaps you should continue with the diet for a month or two and see if you're entire overall health improves. I think it's worth giving up the things you love if you feel GREAT. If you're feeling okay and it's just helping you to keep your colon, I don't know how I would feel about that. The diet you describe is very restricted. I can tell you, before I had surgery I would say LUCKY YOU, save your colon at any cost. Now, I think I would rather go to the toilet a few more times, without urgency, without medication, without future worry, without pain, without struggle, and eat cheese - but that is just me.

You seem to have quit meat and dairy at the same time to get into remission. Dairy is a very common food trigger. I wonder if it would be OK to eat meat alone without the dairy. I can eat meat but not the conventional corn fed beef. McDonald's burgers do me in even if I avoid the bun but I have no problem with grass fed beef. When I was flaring one of the only foods I could eat was chicken broth, but now I can eat regular chicken.

I can understand people who are able to eat triggering foods like gluten again after having surgery. But I don't know if your colon has anything to do with sulfite sensitivity. Maybe you should do some research before your surgery to see if it will help with sulfite sensitivity.

Text musician man and see what vegan diet he is on, also check blogs online for good recipes. Lots of people are vegan because they want to be! It's doable. Life is full of sacrifices, I am considering it! It's really better for our planet! Good luck. Keep your Colon if you can, my doctor told me, you don't want those surgeries unless it's completely the last straw!

Hi Poppie, I am so sorry you are going through this. I have an intolerance to sulfites too and I found it was so much harder than giving up gluten.

I would just second what Kevin said. I often mistook one food allergy for another. It is so hard to pin down. And I found my digestive enzymes were a huge game changer for me too. There are also certain herbs that will increase your resistance to sulfites but I don't know a lot about them because I am new to the sulfite allergy thing too. Here is some more info on it:

http://www.learningtarget.com/nosulfites/vitamins.htm

Maybe someone else will know more?

I wonder too if like everyone else mentioned if you could try an elimination diet giving up one meat at a time? For example, red meat is supposed to cause inflammation so I wonder if giving up all meats might be a bit too much. Your diet just seems so restrictive.

Have you tried any stronger meds than Pentasa? Seems like a pretty big jump to go from low tier meds to surgery.

I can't make suggestions on vegan diet....but it does sound very restricted regarding nutrition. Maybe a naturopath who specialises in vegan diets who could make suggestions to cover nutritional needs.

I do understand your thoughts regarding surgery....

q

I managed to answer everyone...thanks..

coffeemate..I quit dairy products well over a year ago, but I continued to drink lactose free milk, but no cheeses, or other dairy products, sorry that wasn't clear.. When my diet became really narrow through sulfite intolerance this last year I became worried, and started eating grass fed cow butter as I have read of the benefits, (whilst taking a lactose pill) I have now noticed that I am not running to the bathroom anymore after breakfast, and so there is no doubt from my reactions that it is part of the problem. It is interesting that my body put up with this for quite some time before deciding enough is enough.

ewa...the gold standard test for allergies is keeping a food diary, which I have been using for months. You are correct that allergy testing is not conclusive for some people. For me it pinpointed half a dozen problem foods, the rest I found myself through careful monitoring of a food diary, which I have been doing for months, and I am still continuing to do so. Incidentally, through this home testing, I discovered that olive oil was making me very ill. When I wake up in the morning, sometimes my eyes itch uncontrollably before I even get out of bed, and so I know what that means..I go to the bathroom and wash my face, and sure enough, the skin around my face feels like fine sand paper, another confirmation of having eaten something disagreeable the night beforw, or sometimes for no reason I know of a huge hive will pop up on my forehead, forcing me to scrutinise my food diary nervously. This is the life I am living and it is not getting any better. I spent a couple of days making some vegan food, but I won't be eating anymore of it as my body really does not like lentils, and I have a rash on my face as I type this, and it goes on and on and on....that is the reality of food allergies.

isleman..I doubt if there are lots of recipes, but maybe a few I can try, because there are so many foods that I cannot eat, that being said I am going to buy some Tofu, who knows I might get lucky, but I cant take any sauces, salsas, anything in a bottle makes me feel neausous, anything processed makes me ill and Tofu needs a sauce does it not? But it is early days, and I need to do some online research for sure.


nssg....Yes, peace of mind, tranquility, no urgency, happiness, contentment, being able to eat what you like, isn't that worth having..


CCinPA..Taking stronger Meds makes no sense to me at all, as I am in remission. Allergies run in my family, and I am just unfortunate that this is the path that UC has taken me. It is well known that UC is an insidious disease with many other problems popping up alongside it.

There is a possibility that now I have stopped eating meat and dairy that my body may heal, maybe that has been the problem all along, I don't know, but I need to give it some time to find out.

I am fairly knowledgeable on what foods and supplements I need to take, the weight loss was over time and simply down to not eating what everyone else eats every day, cakes, biscuits, bread, puddings, alcohol, chocolate etc etc. but of course I need to be careful and not lose any more weight.

LondonRed...no worries, but remember that is just your view.

Imagardenr..I take a veggie drink every day and include curcumin root, I swear it got rid of my tailbone pain. With regard to wine, unfortunately, I can't buy sulfite free where I live, I have to ship it over from the USA. I did that over Christmas and it was expensive but wonderful. Vodka I like but I am unsure of what mixer I could take. Potatoes are working for me, Thank goodness! it is one thing that I rely heavily on and has not let me down so far.

toomuchpoopin...it is a good idea, but it is the protein in the meat that is causing me problems, (so I am told by my doctor) and I am inclined to believe him having seen almost immediate results from stopping eating meat.

Kevin...I like this "The reason I say that is that if you're having normal movements again and you can keep that up for a month or two, it's very likely you have healing (or something close to it). After healing, you may find that a lot of the foods you couldn't eat, you'll be able to eat again over time" I do hope so!

Elpisunbreakable...Wow your sulfite intolerant too, you poor thing, yes I am aware of that site you posted, it is one of the best, and I am taking some of the supplements he suggests. With regard to meat, as I mentioned earlier, I have been keeping a food diary for months, and so I knew that meat was the problem, reluctantly I might add! Keeping a food diary is the only way to discover problems, and you are correct in that it can become complicated as sometimes I found I had two different problems at the same time. I am fairly knowledgeable regarding sulfites now, I did a lot of research on it and my food diary helped too. You can ask me anything if your worried.

DMC..thanks, yes I need to educate myself. I made an amazing lentil and veg soup, but my skin broke out, so I cant have lentils, also I have a terrible reaction to chickpeas which are in a lot of vegan dish, and rice is out as well, I feel like I'm in some kind of horrific nightmare that never ends.

Quincy..Thanks, some people with UC will suffer for years, often housebound rather than having surgery, I have never understood that. Others think that remission is all that counts and that I should be grateful for that. It is true that I am fortunate that my UC is not severe, keeping me housebound, but pain is pain...and who is to say that my suffering is not on the same level as the housebound person. It is almost impossible for someone to understand what I have tried to explain unless they are going through it themselves.

Food is all I have left to enjoy, some of you may remember that I have Lichen Schlerosus......

naturopaths are like mummy's - some good, some bad -

I am glad u are educating yourself. I dont know what the requirements are but you might not be able to get surgery until u have exhausted treatment?

Just thing long and hard poppie! (Just like we like our poop to be) do not ask me why I added that silly sentence! Just to make u laugh! 😇😇

ncot...I felt I needed to say a couple of things, bearing in mind your opinionated rant to my post.

I notice in your recent post, that you are 'going through it' once again, and I feel like whenever you are going through a bad time, or feel depressed, or are suffering, that you want to make everyone feel as wretched as you do. This is absolutely unacceptable behavior and conduct, especially when it is clear that you yourself fully expect to be believed and sympathized with, when you frequently post that you are having a difficult time, (of which I have always been supportive) However, you then have the audacity not to extend the same courtesy, and decency to others, when they are posting about their current issues or problems.

While I am aware you have gone through a lot, I do not believe you are any worse off than either myself or many other fellow sufferers on this site, regarding how our illnesses and conditions make us feel. I am ill too, how I feel, is how I feel, and I have every right to articulate these feelings, in a support site such as this (yes a 'support' site..I will comment more on this later) and I also have every right to feel that people commenting will believe what I am saying, and post any replies on this basis of belief and understanding of how I am feeling.....not how THEY are feeling, or based on whether or not they believe me or not.

With regard to the 'support' site comment I mentioned above, I would ask you to look at a couple of the more inappropriate comments you made in the post (such as saying that my 'narcolepsy allergen-driven sleep' events are just a case of me having a nap!....Oh and the other very nice comment.... and I quote: "On the other hand, I am not convinced you are in remission") and honestly ask yourself, how in any way, shape, or form, these entirely unhelpful comments can be regarded as 'supportive'.....really???

Furthermore, having read your previous posts, it is apparent that there is a clear, and most unfortunate pattern to your posts, which for some entirely inexplicable reason, includes you making very negative, rude, and unbelievably unkind comments in your posts, when replying to some peoples posts. I have always taken heed of the old saying.... "treat people as you would like to be treated yourself" and perhaps you would be well served to take heed of these words yourself, the next time you feel like launching into one of your self-centered tirades in the future.