I worried about this since I was diagnosed. The problem is if you are turned down, then you will have to put that fact on your next application and the next company will quote higher rates because...
I'm concerned about applying for life/disability insurance because I'm afraid if one place turns me down, then other places are going to ask/find out and charge me even more. Also, can anyone...
Have been on VSL#3 this week, 1 trillion bacteria per week (2 packs). This is 142X more bacteria than I was on previously. I felt some stomach aching the first day, but not since. I feel like it has...
I want to make clear that at this point I think I am seeing *perhaps a modest* improvement over before I started this supplement test. If I don't see blood for another week or two and am hence able...
Some supplements can form the stool, but not reduce the inflammation. This may help symptoms some (ie number of times to bathroom) but won't help the disease. Back when I was first diagnosed, I...
Well, another week has passed. I have been on fish oil for five weeks, turmeric for three weeks, and bee propolis (1cap/2X day) one week. This week was good. One movement per day and no blood....
I tried 9mg (equivalent to 40mg pred) for three weeks. It did nothing for my UC, but did start to give me the moon face before I stopped....
Anyone have any strategies for drinking liquid fish oil? I have to switch to a drinkable oil - I am maxed-out with the pills I can take, mostly because of the 12 huge fish oil capsules. pb4 - Even...
Well, I don't think fish oil is going to get you anywhere with your case. I can't believe that all that pred isn't clearing you up, it's an unsustainable dose in any case. Rather scandalous that you...
I've now been on fish oil for four weeks and tumeric for two weeks and I started taking Aloe Vera juice last weekend. The past week wasn't great - had a bleeding/D episode for a few days. Also felt...
I bought some bee propilis to start next weekend. Opened a capsule and felt it - weird stuff! Kind of like resinous dirt. PB4 - do you consider this and fiber something that simply helps symptoms (to...
If anyone cares, I'm going to be forum-blogging (perhaps weekly for little while) my experiments with supplements. I am trying them to reduce my prednisone use as I appear to have run out of medicine...
JingleBell, Can you tell us the supplements you were taking? I certainly don't want to mask my problem either. Seems like anti-inflammatory supplements would genuinely help (if they have actually...
Anti-inflammatory foods seem to be the buzz word, right? Well, I tried an anti-inflam diet a couple years ago, but I'm not sure I could get enough action through food. Now I'm trying through large...
I just found this video on U-Tube "Ulcerative Colitis: Emptying Ostomy Pouch". Quite enlightening! Until now I thought the bag was down on the side of the thigh, but its actually on the lower belly....
Sorry, I was wrong. These Spectrum pills have 360mg of EPA and 240mg of DHA per 2-pill serving. In my 8 pills per day, I am getting almost 4g of polyunsaturated fat, but only 2.5g of DHA/EPA...
I take Spectrum, which supposedly filtered for heavy metals and stuff. Plus it is quite concentrated with 1000mg combined EPA and DHA per two pills. I am taking 8 pills per day! Trying to see if it...
How about aloe-vera gel? Is that fall into the no-brainer supplement category? Also, I take a multivitamin, but are there some that UC people should be taking extra of, and if so, how much?...
Interesting! I'll have to look into the bee propolis, hadn't heard of that one. Chamomile tea has a medicinal effect enough to help UC??? Do you mean some probiotics are more "delayed-release" than...
I walked past a strip-mall spa the other day, and saw they offer colon hydrotherapy, also know as colon irrigation. For $85, they use a special machine to clean-our your entire colon with saline or...
I'm looking to add some supplements to my diet to try to lower my prednisone level a notch. To especially you long-timers on this list - what do people seem to have the most success with? I've taken...
I appear to be stuck on prednisone (~8mg) with few obvious options left. Has anyone here been on a low-moderate (say <10mg) prednisone use for more than 2 years, and if so, what effects have you...
Summerstorm Hmm, well maybe its not so bad as I thought. How often do you have a empty it, and can you do it in a bathroom stall without having access to a sink? Is no noises or smell with wearing...
You are short on time before that academy! A J-pouch or bag seems pretty tough in police academy (and as a police officer for that matter). An alternative would be this medicine plan. Try to get on...
LucusJ - You had some removed? Whenever I look on the web about that, I read things advising people with UC to not have surgery to remove them. Hemorrhoids are not only annoying, but it is hard to...
Seem high to me. There is a blood test you can take after you've been on 6MP for a couple months that gives an indication of how right that dose is for you. Only Promethius Labs does it, so it was...
Humira didn't do anything for me. I was shocked, frankly, and disappointed. But it wasn't first time medicines haven't done what they "should"....
It's an idea - surgery, and get off all these medicines. However, choosing to having to start going the in the bathroom 10X per day is a tough one even though it might prolong my life. I actually may...
Subdued - for long term use, moving from 15mg of pred to 7.5 is a big difference. I was very concerned about being on Humira, 6MP, and pred all at the same time (that's a lot of immune-suppressing!)...
I can't seem to go below 7.5mg of prednisone. Can't tell if this is because I need it to keep my UC in check, or because my body has stopping making natural steroids after two years. Supposedly the...
I was diagnosed 2 1/4 years ago so I have some perspective on UC treatments now I'd like to share. I'm also looking forward to hanging around the list more to get some new ideas! First tip - move as...
Suebear - about your quote below...I didn't know about this. What kind of side effects do you mean? Not that I really want to know. I've been on an average of 20mg for 9 months now. "The problem is...
There are great suggestions!!! I can try a 5ASA enema, have some in the house. Dakotagirl or USinNC - how long do they take to start working? Princesa, how much fish oil and probiotics are enough? I...
NoCitric - On average, about what dose of prednisone was your husband over those eight years would you say?...
As magical at steriods are, I would of course like to get off them. My "keeping things tolerable" level was 20mg last month. Now, thanking to 6MP (50mg) kicking in some, so I'm down to 15mg. Good,...
Thanks guys! That's interesting that your WBC fluctuated so much, Sherry. Could you tell it was doing that from how you good/bad felt or from your symptoms?...
I know they say with Prednisone "there WILL be side effects", bu the main ones I am concerned about are those that involve serious health risk. I am on 20mg right now while waiting for 6MP to someday...
I have been taking 50mg of 6MP for six weeks now, and haven't seen much effect yet. However, my WBC decreased encouragingly from 8.8x10e3/uL to 5.9e3/uL in the first month, and the my 6-TGN level...
How much omega-3 is enough for a therapeutic dose? The studies I read online used something like 4 grams a day which is about six double-strength fish pills, which is a lot to take (along with...
Thank you! It was quite a relief to hear it is reversible. My doctor prescirbed Foxamax, which you take just once a week. I only get *four* pills for my copay - that's almost as much as my dogs...
I thought this same thing too, and got a centrifugal one. Problem is, it didn't seem to really "work" (i.e. help the symptoms). I went on a big food experimentation thing, and definitely have come to...
I have been on prednisone at varying doses (probably averageing 17mg) for seven months now. I've been taking 1000mg of calcium/D daily the whole time, but just got the results of a bone density test...
I'm sure this isn't going to be particularlly helpful, but once in the fall I got a strong salty taste in my mouth for a few days and, figuring I was retaining too much sodium due to Prednisone, went...
Has anyone tried using the nicotine patch to go to remission? I have just started 6-MP, but I'm still on 10mg of steriods a day after six months of various doses and am eager to get off it. Since...
Thanks! Yes, Rockville is convenient for me. I'm not so sure about the Washingtonian ratings, since my doctor is on there and I am not so impressed by him. Checkbook Magazine made a list based on...
Can anyone recommend a Gastroenterologist they are happy with in the Washington, DC area? Thank you!...
Butterfly, How about trying Lomotil? Its an anti-diarrhea drug that stops the intentines from contracting for some period of time (4-6 hours). I've used it sometimes when I was going testing outdoors...
Well, I want to give this the best possible chance. I'll probably need more than fiber supplements to firm things up, but its worth a try, I have a container of FiberSure (inulin) I could try. I also...
Thanks Sherry! Its not just Sulfa, because this has happened with the other 5-ASA drugs as well. I've just been on Sulfasalzine for a few days, but the diarrhea has predictable started up, to about 8...
I've tried Sulphasalazine, Colazal, and Lialda and I think they work to reduce the inflammation, but they also cause bad diarrhea. Has this happened to anyone else? I've thought about taking an...