Old Mike, Just wanted to chime in with a similar experience - supplemental lysine has helped with my UC (significant reduction in blood passed, likely due to healing promotion). In a way it is...
A couple of quick notes. No one is saying that OTC supplements are the be all, end all. But neither are the increasingly wide array of powerful prescription products, many of which have significant...
Just thought I would toss my 2 cents in here. I have had long-term chronic insomnia (mainly difficulty falling asleep vs. maintaining sleep) that slightly predates my UC diagnosis (1999). Although...
I haven't tried the following coming off Pred (I think some/all of these have helped to keep me *off* Pred...) but they have produced noticeable improvements for me... ***Repost/edit from another...
*Reposted from earlier thread - seems relevant* 1) You might want to become familiar with Pubmed - the national database of medical research papers (covering UC and everything else - keyword...
1) You might want to become familiar with Pubmed - the national database of medical research papers (covering UC and everything else - keyword searching is pretty basic and online help is available...
I believe that iron supplementation can promote inflammation, which is of course the exact opposite of what you want when you are flaring. But unfortunately a number of gastros see the anemia from UC...
I have used Gingko pretty successfully (which came as a big surprise). There are a small number of papers supporting its use - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18567620...
I was wondering if anyone has tried Gingko or Glucosamine for UC. I happened to try Gingko for other reasons and was very surprised to find an improvement in my left-sided UC (diagnosed 15 years ago,...
Quincy, I've been using Novo-5-ASA from NovoPharm (mesalamine generic) for over 10 years (which I mentioned). The active ingredient (mesalamine) is the same in Asacol and Novo. The encapsulation (pH...
Hmm, I guess my point is that all the collective experiences of board members are spread through hundreds of individual threads - defeating any attempt at a comprehensive overview (whether "correct"...
Just fyi - I've had good results with psyllium stabilizing my BMs and UC pain (Metamucil or generic - not absorbed by body so I don't think there are any "tolerance" or side-effect issues). Also, I...
Just FYI and perhaps apropos of nothing, but the neurotransmitter avenue of investigation has long intrigued me (once I found out, much to my surprise, that the intestines contain a lot of...
Argh - my formatting didn't survive. I had never used the polling function before - something along the lines of what I proposed might be kludged together by 1) making each individual treatment...
System Admins and/or moderators, This is a great board but one of its shortcomings is that the many possible treatments (prescription and OTC) of UC are discussed and evaluated in dozens of...
Based on the circumstances as they currently appear (sudden product appearances and disappearances, sudden component concerns unspoken for 20 years, the Case of the Mysteriously Missing Generic,...
LeafsFan, Long-standing UC does increase the risk of colon cancer somewhat but perhaps not nearly as much as some people (including Drs.) think. Frequently monitoring is justified but to help...
I didn't see psyllium or melatonin on your list - both have helped me significantly (with pain level, urgency, etc.). I've been taking psyllium powder (essentially Metamucil or generic equivalent)...
Now that Asacol is off patent, what is the latest on a US generic replacement? The questionable discontinuation of old line Asacol (vs. still on patent Asacol HD) back in the spring makes me wonder...
I was a *long* time user of mesalamine (13 years). 2x400 mg per day (along with two or three tablespoons of psyllium per day) kept me at a low level of pain, but in ongoing pain none the less. For 13...
Geeker, 1) I take two or three doses of psyllium per day (teaspoons/tablespoons depending on the brand, mixed in a glass of water) 2) I take 4 to 5 1mg tablets of Walmart store brand melatonin (which...
I wouldn't go anywhere for more than a day without a source of soluble fiber (in my case, psyllium - which I think may be in Citrucel - or another soluble fiber)...
Dairy (the swiss cheese sandwich) can cause issues even among non UC sufferers and I personally have problems caused by chocolates (the oxalates in them?). I would suggest altering your diet (no...
UC can impact the immune system and make you more vulnerable to a variety of infections - your symptoms might be "jock itch" (misnamed fungal infection that can occur in many moist areas of the...
I have used Asacol for about 12 years with middling results. While it certainly reduced the UC symptoms I had when I was completely untreated, it has never entirely subdued them. I would say that...
Another semi-random thought...I read on other threads that you tried some sort of soy drink (protease inhibitor?) and had what might be labelled, "The Great Poop Pause of 2013". Sounds like it might...
OM, One interesting note about Pubmed that I only discovered today...it looks like proteinease is an alternate search term for protease on Pubmed (there seems to be *some* difference in meaning but...
Actually made the point on Healingwell earlier today that Gastros make a bundle off of C-scopes but got pushback (only $200 per C-scope net insurance discount, etc.)...
I've been using psyllium powder for over 12 years (with occasional forays into pills and wafers). I'll say this - I think powder into a glass of water is by far the way to go. Basically, psyllium is...
Chronic insomnia (very hard to fall asleep, very hard to wake up) for about 25 years - developed sigmoid UC about half-way through that time period. Accidentally discovered UC-beneficial effect of...
One other brief note on proteases and pH - pretty sure I've read pieces indicating that some/all? enzymes get activated/deactivated at various pH levels. Would tend to support the idea that "where"...
OM, Right now, I am only taking 4x1mg (all at once, at night) of the Walmart brand of melatonin (which comes with some B6 - might make a difference...other melatonins don't seem to do as much for...
"the colonoscopy is not preventive treatment." Hmmm. I think a *very* strong case could be made that cancer surveillance colonoscopies are *very much* a preventive treatment. Over time, UC hikes...
Might want to think about the following OTC options - 1) Psyllium - Active ingredient in Metamucil (and its generics) - forms a gel in the body that many report helps with UC. Completely excreted so...
Not 100% sure but I think Boswellia is basically the same as psyllium (active ingredient in Metamucil and its generics). Have used psyllium for over 10 years and found it to be nearly as good (and...
After 13 years on Asacol (pretty low daily dose, though, 2x400mg) and psyllium, I was able to eliminate the Asacol entirely (and maybe beneficially, as my symptoms have decreased) once I discovered...
"Any Pubmed papers listing the dangers of DBP as it relates to DBP? " Should read, "Any Pubmed papers listing the dangers of DBP as it relates to Asacol?"...
Count me in with those who find the whole DBP scare pretty damn suspicious - Asacol has been on the market for *20 years* (generating billions and billions under patent protection) and lo and behold,...
OM, Yes, I have noticed the ammonia-like smell (near but not *exactly* like ammonia) when my flares are at their worst. These docs give an array of not very convincing answers -...
OTC (meaning cheap) options that are also probably worth giving a shot... 1) Psyllium - Ingredient in Metamucil (or generic equivalents - check labels and follow instructions) that forms a gel in the...
Excess iron (even when anemic) can be somewhat toxic (causing nausea). I've had it happen to me on multiple occasions (and I was only taking OTC pills - the Dr. supplied stuff can have even higher...
"I have no health insurance and have spent a fortune just get seen and prescribed 2 weeks worth of asacol ($230!!!!)" Thoughts 1) I have been getting a generic Asacol/mesalamine (Novopharm's...
Just wanted to post back on this thread, since it has now been over 2 months since I tried saccharin avoidance/sugar reintroduction. *I have been able to stop taking Asacol/mesalamine (which I had...
Valleyguy, I certainly agree with you regarding caution when trying new treatments, OTC and otherwise. I am the same way - and UC/Crohn's seems to be a disease that affects everyone just a little bit...
Old Mike, I recently came across the artificial sweetener paper myself. I started investigating the "protease possibility" (excess production/insufficient inhibition?) after wondering *why* psyllium...
Ditto on "everybody is different" theme - I've been using 1-3mg of melatonin per night (includes B6 as well) and I was shocked by the improvement in my UC symptoms. On a par with the improvement...
I started using melatonin (1-3mg of Walmart, "Spring Valley" brand with B6) for sleep issues about 6 months ago. I was amazed by the improvement in my long-standing (13+ year) UC symptoms - on a par...
SSOOOO, Please let me know if the melatonin (try the Walmart "Spring Valley" 1 mg with B6 - it seems to work better than straight melatonin for me) works for you. Just post on the board. I'll check...
I started using melatonin (1 to 3 mg of Walmart "Spring Valley" brand - comes with B6) about 6 months ago for sleep issues and was amazed by the unexpected improvement in my UC (on a par with...
Valleyguy, This is from left field (though a few papers in Pubmed give some support) - how about trying melatonin in the evening, before you sleep? Apparently melatonin helps increase bicarbonate...