Progress after reading the recent science research

By ibddy

1 min read

Some readings and strategies that have helped me make excellent progress getting off drugs for ulcerative colitis

Overviews:

Read the recent research at these links.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6375348/
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/p/science-behind-the-diet/

I eat prebiotics and probiotics now.

Prebiotics:

To supply food (ie, insoluble fibre) for the good bacteria. What are the soluble fibre contents of various foods? I aim for low total fibre (less than 4 g/cup of soluble + insoluble fibre), and a good proportion soluble fibre. Carrots and spinach are good examples of veggies to concentrate on eating.

Probiotics:

The good bacteria. I eat regular doses of a fermented food to supply the good bacteria. I try to eat organic, low sugar (less than 4-5 g/100 ml) natural yoghurt several times per day. Also, I have been taking probiotic capsules.

FODMAP

I avoid high FODMAP foods. The aim with eating low FODMAP is to avoid lots of over exuberant fermentation in the gut.

In summary, my diet now consists of low FODMAP foods that are also low in total fibre and have a good % of soluble fibre.

Recently my symptoms have been suggestive of irritable bowel syndrome. Imodium and lomotil seem to have good success treating that. That is my finding as well. That is the only drug that I am using now after a month on the above diet.

I feel:

1. Disgusted with the ignorance of a specialist in gastroenterology
2. Very sorry for folks who have colitis and are not able to access or read the recent scientific studies
3. Optimistic that I have beaten ulcerative colitis

Very best of luck to everyone.

David

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ibddy Member
It should be noted that the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease may not be easy to differentiate from the symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome. From the Mayo Clinic: Ulcerative colitis symptoms can vary, depending on the severity of inflammation and where it occurs. Signs and symptoms may include: Diarrhea, often with blood or pus Abdominal pain and cramping Rectal pain Rectal bleeding — passing small amount of blood with stool Urgency to defecate Inability to defecate despite urgency Weight loss Fatigue Fever In children, failure to grow Again, from the Mayo Clinic: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine. Signs and symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. IBS is a chronic condition that you'll need to manage long term. Only a small number of people with IBS have severe signs and symptoms. Some people can control their symptoms by managing diet, lifestyle and stress. More-severe symptoms can be treated with medication and counseling. IBS doesn't cause changes in bowel tissue or increase your risk of colorectal cancer. Symptoms The signs and symptoms of IBS vary. The most common include: Abdominal pain, cramping or bloating that is typically relieved or partially relieved by passing a bowel movement Excess gas Diarrhea or constipation — sometimes alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation Mucus in the stool My comment. After having had UC for over 12 months, I realised that my symptoms had changed subtly after a change of diet. I decided to try medication that has a reported high success rate for irritable bowel syndrome. From the Mayo Clinic: "Over-the-counter medications, such as loperamide (Imodium), can help control diarrhea." My comment This medicine had an immediate positive effect for me, and I am now symptom free. i suspect some people might be wrestling with inflammatory bowel disease, when they in fact have treatable irritable bowel syndrome. Of course my narrative may not apply to anyone else, but maybe it does apply to someone. All the best David
1. donnak Member
 This is so encouraging and thank you for posting. Probiotics have always helped me. My new doctor took me off them saying they can be dangerous with UC which I am having a hard time understanding being this all flared after taking a high dose antibiotic for an extended time. What probiotic do you use? 
2. christine.laaksonen Community Admin
 Hi <inline-mention username="donnak" user-id="8847080"/>, I see your question to <inline-mention username="ibddy" user-id="2239380"/> and I'm just tagging them here so that they see your question about the probiotic they take. Also, I just wanted to share this information about probiotics and IBD, <a href='https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/treatment/complementary-and-alternative-therapies/probiotics' target='_blank'>https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/treatment/complementary-and-alternative-therapies/probiotics</a>. If you haven't already, it might be worth a conversation with your new doctor about what, specifically, they're worried about your UC and taking probiotics. (Perhaps it's your doctor has a reason specific to your medical information/history? Just a thought.) I hope you can get some answers! -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)
thedancingcrohnie Moderator & Contributor
Thank you for sharing this information. Of course, everyone is vastly different, but I am so happy to see that this has proven to provide you with relief. Wishing you the best in health always. Always dancing, Elizabeth (team member)