While you have indeed been exposed to a substantial amount of ionizing radiation, a bitewing radiograph results in only around 0.04 mSv of exposure and a full-mouth series of radiographs results in...
I'm facing the prospect of undergoing a proctocolectomy (and receiving a Brooke ileostomy) because of longstanding indeterminate pancolitis and a history of colon cancer (malignant stricture for...
Pouchitis isn't thought to share the same pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis and probably shouldn't be thought of as "the disease moving elsewhere". Rather, it is likely the result of fecal matter...
That's just a fine imposed by a public agency, the real damage is imposed through the tort system. Merck, for example, ended paying a settlement of over $4 billion for Vioxx. That amounts to a 3rd...
On an industry-wide level perhaps, but from the standpoint of an individual firm releasing a cure would allow it to capture an entire market and generate significantly more revenue than it would by...
This is nonsense. Developing a cure for any number of diseases would guarantee a firm tens, hundreds or perhaps thousands of billions of dollars for the course of the patent. That in itself is an...
I'm using 2 grams of curcumin daily....
Ingesting tumeric itself probably won't produce positive results as the concentration of the compound that has been shown to be useful in treating IBD (curcumin) is quite low. Personally, I use NOW...
It's difficult if not impossible to evaluate the long-term effects of drugs in a manner that is economical or timely and for this reason adverse effects, some of which are severe, are sometimes...
It's known that psychological stress can exacerbate colitis, although the worsening of your symptoms could simply be a coincidence (difficult to say). This relationship is somewhat paradoxical as the...
It's important to be mindful of that fact that many treatments that are said to be "natural" are of dubious efficacy (homeopathy for instance) and in some cases safety, and for these reasons one...
It's quite unusual for individuals who have had colitis for only 4 years to develop growths, especially in your age range. I'm not an expert on the management of these sorts of things, but it is...
I'm skeptical of whether or not a lack of phosphatidylcholine is a factor in the development of ulcerative colitis in some cases. It strikes me as being more likely that the immune response that is...
I'm guessing the key term is "serious lymphoma", as the incidence of lymphoma among the general population is significantly higher than 1.3 per 100,000 people. There's still a fair amount of...
I seem to recall a paper of Dr. Borody's mentioning that a number of his patients remained in remission for the extent of his follow-ups (5 to 10 years in some cases). At this point, it's difficult...
Water fluoridation isn't very popular in many regions of Europe, yet incidence rates for ulcerative colitis are quite similar to those found in Canada and the United States. As for the disparity in...
Coffee occasionally irritates my colon, however the satisfaction of my caffeine addiction is compensatory....
Everything sounds good. It'll certainly be nice to wean off of the prednisone. As a note of reassurance, Bactrim is commonly prescribed as a prophylactic measure for late-stage AIDS patients,...
I used azathioprine for around one year. Apart from fatigue I didn't experience any other adverse effects. An elevated risk of infection is a consequence of using azathioprine, however the...
That's a pretty intense regimen of immunosuppressants, and anti-microbial prophylaxis is certainly warranted. How long have you been on Imuran? Has a white blood cell count been conducted recently?...
An improvement in symptoms is normally an indication that the drug you've been prescribed is taking effect. Why discontinue? Doing so is counter-productive, remain compliant....
Low weight is something I've struggled with over the years. I've adopted a daily routine of complementing my normal diet with 40 - 50 grams of protein in the form of whey isolate (160 to 200...
I've been using 2 grams daily for almost a year at this point and overall I'm pleased with its efficacy. I experienced mild headaches initially, however those subsided after approximately one month....
I find I'm able to tolerate most alcoholic beverages quite well....
Restlessness, specifically restless legs, is known to be symptom of anemia, as is itchiness and fatigue. 6-MP might also be contributing to the latter. I'd begin supplementing with ferrous gluconate,...
I'm hopeful that additional studies will be conducted, as fecal bacteriotherapy might represent a highly effective method of treatment for a specific section of IBD patients. As others have noted,...
Equipped with a moderate understanding of molecular biology and access to Google Scholar, I've stumbled upon a number of interesting compounds with varying degrees of efficacy. Curcumin, a...
The procedure can be performed in two-stages if necessary, which would allow one time to cleanse, disinfect, and stabilize the condition of their rectum. Also of interest, I've encountered a few...
Yep, only the rectum is preserved for the purpose of attaching it directly to the ileum....
I detest that drug. It screws with my cognition, emotions, and results in an obsessive fear of developing avascular necrosis. I wouldn't be surprised if the symptoms you described are a consequence...
Is anyone here familiar with this procedure, or aware of someone who has had it performed? I'm currently exploring this surgical option as opposed to an ileoanal anastomosis. Apparently it allows for...
From what I understand, prednisone is capable of crossing the placenta only in very small concentrations. There is a minor risk of congenital defects....
I find metronidazole (Flagyl) to be extremely effective. In fact, my symptoms had vanished entirely upon concluding my latest round (1.5 grams daily for 2 weeks). Unfortunately, I tend to experience...
Do you mind if I ask how long you've been experiencing symptoms? Did your condition suddenly worsen in March, or is that when it first arose?...
Indeed, as azathioprine is an immunosuppressive drug one's susceptibility to microbial infections will generally increase....
For what period of time have you been using sulfasalazine? Has a skin culture or biopsy been performed?...
The symptoms you're experiencing might be attributable to a mild bacterial/viral infection, or myelosuppression. I would request blood work and a throat swab as soon as possible just to be cautious....
I've encountered reports of patients receiving daily doses of up to 8 grams specifically for ulcerative colitis. Adverse effects are much likelier to occur once 3 grams is surpassed however, which is...
Your case is indeed unusual. Typically symptoms recur almost immediately upon abandoning corticosteroid monotherapy. As for safety, abrupt discontinuation of prednisone is normally considered safe if...
According to epidemiological data Ashken azi Jews are disproportionately afflicted with ulcerative colitis. This is true also of Caucasians in general to a lesser extent....
Unless you're exposing yourself to sunlight on a consistent basis, I would recommend a daily dose of at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D3. As for vitamin C, 500mg should be sufficient if your intake of...
For those of you who are capable of tolerating sulfonamides and have used sulfasalazine specifically, how did you respond to this drug? Has it or did it at one point induce remission? Have you found...
You mentioned developing an oral infection shortly before experiencing symptoms of ulcerative colitis, were you prescribed an antibiotic? If so, which compound?...
The SCD has always seemed to me to be more suitable for IBS and perhaps Crohn's, not ulcerative colitis....
As Judilyn mentioned, immunosuppressive drugs (including 6-MP/azathioprine) increase the likelihood of developing cancer in general, most notably of the skin. Direct exposure to sunlight should be...
If a DEXA scan has been performed and osteoporosis of the hip has been eliminated as a possibility, the pain you're experiencing could very well be an extra-intestinal manifestation of IBD. If this...
Infliximab is generally considered preferable to anti-metabolites (azathioprine, methotrexate) due to its specificity of action. Nevertheless, there are a number of potentially serious adverse...
I'm inclined to subscribe to the hypothesis that chronic ulcerative colitis, in most instances, results from a severe disturbance of the micro-ecology of the large bowel. It might be the case that a...
While intestinal candidiasis is certainly capable of exacerbating ulcerative colitis, I'm not sure that it's responsible for pathogenesis. Personally, I've used both nystatin and itraconazole to no...
Animal Protein: Roasted chicken, stewed rabbit, grass-fed calf's liver, stewed ham, eggs, and salmon occasionally. Vegetables: Stewed carrots/celery/onion, spinach, garlic, broccoli, peppers,...