I've been on the SCD (which turned into a low-carb, grain-free diet with plenty of Gottschall yogurt) for 5 years. I have no symptoms, unless I screw up and eat the wrong thing. I can go months...
Good for you- but sudden weight loss isn't what you want, either. Have you lost those 7 pounds over just the past week on SCD? Don't be afraid to eat richly on the SCD- animal fats are fair game!...
re: ease of SCD versus carb restriction. People on SCD can get all weird when everything seems "illegal." People freak out over milligram quantities of lactose in pills as bulking agents, or...
Sorry to hear about your UC. In "Life Without Bread," Dr. Wolfgang Lutz suggests that a carbohydrate-restricted diet can put patients into remission; although other gastrointestinal disorders respond...
I've not heard of that particular side-effect to be associated with the SCD before, but there's always a first time! It is that time of the year to pick up all sorts of bugs, so maybe you're...
Frannie: Welcome. Popcorn is full of starch (as is all corn). If you find yourself sensitive to starch, you will probably do better on the SCD, as advised above. Starch causes klebsiella to grow, and...
Also note some people find relief in dietary modification. Lutz ("Life Without Bread") suggests as many as 85-90% of dieters can put themselves into remission on carbohydrate restriction; at least...
Good for you! Energy levels take a long time to return; most of your problems stem from defective or insufficient red blood cells. Not only does it take time for these cells to "turn over" (they only...
Unfortunately, ever since Thalidomide (and before), it's been found that jumping into new meds without thorough investigation isn't a good idea. Untold risks for new modalities- particularly stem...
There have been some papers in the IBS realm indicating that enteric coated peppermint oil (ECPO) has a positive effect on their gut pain. One of the better write-ups is here:...
Not to hijack the thread, but the 19th of December was my one year mark. I scanned in all my blood panels from the time when I first got sick, to October (my last doctor's visit). I also wrote up an...
Don't sweat the iron supplementation if you're on the SCD. Just make sure to get plenty of meat. Wheat is an anti-nutrient; it chemically removes iron, making it biologically unavailable. The SCD is...
As to why- presumably whatever causes the attack on the intestines also attacks the joints. If Ebringer is correct and the disease is ultimately rooted in Klebsiella, what happens is that the...
Clinicaltrials.gov says there are 8 trials currently recruiting volunteers with Crohn's for studies involving stem cells, if anyone is interested....
You might consider reading "Life Without Bread" by Dr. Wolfhgang Lutz. If you want to skip the cover price, here it is: Reduce dietary carbohydrates to no more than 72 grams/day. That's it. Once the...
6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) is considered to be a Pregnancy Category D drug, meaning it is potentially hazardous to the fetus. "# Purinethol may be hazardous to the fetus. Women who are pregnant or...
It's not just your doctor, but your pharmacist. Docs aren't always up on the latest and greatest when it comes to side-effects; that's the pharm's job. You can do your own research as well. Look for...
It may be against the law to fire someone because of a disease, but the bigger question here is whether they'll fail to hire because of a disease. That's illegal, too, but the hiring process is even...
Not at all. I'm just saying that between the onslaught of books on how candida does this and candida does that, I don't know as there is any proof it's capable of causing nearly as many complaints as...
I don't know as anyone has scientifically pinned down the complaints attributed to yeast as being specifically from candida. It's conceivable that the problems attributed to "yeast overgrowth" or...
I've not heard of any problems with yeast in honey. Honey is such a strong sugar solution that nothing will grow in it, so- I don't know why yeast in honey would even be a problem. I have had...
There are three macronutrients- proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Without fat, you die. Without protein, you die. Without carbohydrates, you do not die. It takes several weeks for the body to adapt...
DMom> Any details on the improvements you've seen?...
The reason these diets probably work is that they're depleted in starch; a few have no starch at all- I don't know as any of them have more than a bit of branched starch. If klebsiella are...
I used to get them. They went away when I got the wheat out of my diet. B vitamin supplementation may help; deficiencies of various B vits can cause aphthous ulcers, which is probably how Crohn's...
You'd think. But let's say- hypothetically- that Kp is responsible for Crohn's. And if somebody goes looking for Kp in the "waste stream" of us Crohnies, they're probably going to find it! The gut...
Yes, bacon. :) Last night was steak (which is rare for us) with mushrooms cooked in "Niman Ranch" bacon. (I don't support the factory-farmed stuff if I can possibly help it.) Oddly, I *did* have some...
Hello, HS. Lutz cites 72 grams/day of total carbs for many health reasons- including diabetes. If you're only looking to work on your Crohn's, yes- you could interpret that as 72 grams/day plus...
GF means no wheat gluten. In reality, it seems more likely the effects of GF dieting come from reducing dietary starch, which feeds Klebsiella pneumoniae in the gut. There are good data to support...
C. diff is one of those bacteria that can really cause a lot of problems; but, really- in an acute phase of disease, how does Crohn's differ from other GI illness? Pain, discomfort, D, pain, blood,...
News to me about the filtration. All I know is that somewhere I'm keeping some bee guy employed! Honey is a mix of carbohydrates; it's mainly glucose and fructose, with a little bit (1-9%) of...
Was it C. diff (Clostridium difficile)? Clostridia are common to the human digestive tract, and C. diff may be commensual (living there "naturally") in some people (single-digit percentages). They...
Sulley> SCD and other forms of carbohydrate restriction may work as much as 85% of the time in management of Crohn's. See "Breaking the Vicious Cycle," (as above), "Life Without Bread" by Lutz, and...
One year as of 19 December. Off my meds in a month. Reduced bleeding (from daily to rarely) in two months. Gained back 13 pounds in three months. Started adding a few new foods in 6 months. Doing...
That is correct; a good number of stomach ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pylori, which ended up winning the discoverers the Nobel prize. They were originally roundly ridiculed for their beliefs....
Opioids are known for one famous side-effect: constipation. Loperamide (Imodium) is an opioid receptor agonist, so it works in a similar fashion without giving the narcotic side-effects of true...
C2> If you find yourself "grazing," aim for high-fat, high-protein foods- cheese is good. Carbohydrates and sugars offer little satiety, and people will eat and eat without feeling full- emptying a...
Agreed, Harry. The 19th will be my 1-year mark on this diet. My blood values are normal, and I've been off prescription drugs for 11 months. No bleeding in at least 3-4 months. Back to exercising,...
"Specific Carbohydrate Diet," so- yes, SCD. "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" is good- very good- but complicated in that it can drive the dieter to orthorexia. If he gives up in frustration due to...
SCD for one year on the 19th. Breakfast (today): bacon and eggs! Normally: SCD yogurt with blueberries, a sliced banana, and honey. Lunch: Typically chicken with roasted cauliflower or similar....
Harry, you make some good points. Note that the "ultra low" concentrations of carbs for Atkins that you cite are for induction. They're to throw the patient into ketosis, which is a pretty sudden...
Lialda is a brand name for mesalamine, also known as Pentasa and Asacol, among many other names. Of the drugs for Crohn's, it has (in my opinion) a better risk:rewards ratio than some other meds....
Another strongly recommended book- "Life Without Bread." It is an English translation of a book written by an Austrian gastroenterologist who has successfully treated a large number of patients with...
Which supplement- the "essential soil organisms"? The author denies it, but it seems likely he was ultimately helped through carbohydrate restriction. Elaine Gottschall ("Breaking the Vicious Cycle")...
Sorry to hear about your son. I'm one of the resident low-carb whackos, and would be happy to spout all sorts of ideas in your general direction given the slightest provocation. "Probiotics" used to...
Infrared photocoagulation- no blood, no blades, no downtime, very little pain!...
Cyanocobalamin is not iron, but (being vitamin B12) is required for the body to use iron. Iron supplements should contain the cofactors used to facilitate absorption and use- B12, vitamin C, folate,...
There are a couple of studies that have shown improvement in Crohn's disease by stimulating the immune system. This runs counter to the theory that it's purely autoimmune....
Back up a step- you're holding steady at 141 after having started the diet, right? No additional weight loss? Sugars are the key to gaining weight; paradoxically, we're told it's fat that does it,...
It's not diet alone; there are three components required to cause Crohn's (for those that suffer the "infectious disease" flavor, anyway): 1) Presence of infectious agent- probably Klebsiella...