Anyone who has suffered from a severe case of Ulcerative Colitis that does not consistently respond to conventional treatments knows how much of an inconvenience and hassle it can be. There is the urgency where you suddenly know you have to go to the bathroom right away and one is not available, can you hold it... hopefully. There is the embarrassment of being at someone else's house knowing that their bathroom is going to be uninhabitable for awhile after you leave. There is the fatigue, lack of ability to concentrate, and weakened immune system that happens from anemia caused by blood loss and malnutrition caused by bleeding ulcers and diarrhea.
After almost 10 years of enduring this disease with almost constant flares of inflammation, the only drug treatments which have been able to bring it under control were Prednisone, a steroidal anti-inflammatory and Cipro a powerful anti-biotic used to treat Traveler's diarrhea among other conditions.
The question I wondered then was this. Why is it that an anti-biotic could help me? Does that imply that bacteria plays a role in the cycle that causes inflammation?
Over time I discovered books, like the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which offered a solution to the problem and explained the theory of how undigested food is at the start of a cycle that leads to inflammation. Unfortunately this diet is highly restrictive and was very hard to stick to in my experience. I had the experience where I was literally wasting away from not getting enough calories even as symptoms started to improve.
Over time I have managed to combine several concepts to help myself become healthier and able to get off of Prednisone. Here are some non-pharmaceutical drug solutions which have proven to help significantly, more than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Asacol.
One theory about what causes digestive track inflammation is that it is caused by an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria from food that was not properly digested because people lack the necessary digestive enzymes. Undigested food begins to putrefy or rot within the digestive track and this provides food for pathogenic bacteria. With this theory or undigested food in mind and the need to counteract malabsorption, there are some actions that I have taken to successfully improve my Ulcerative Colitis symptoms to almost complete remission.
1) Eat an almost elemental gluten-free diet, basically meat, rice and products made almost exclusively from rice, fresh fruit and vegetable juice. I have also experimented with avoiding anything with dairy and corn but now have added them back in to my diet.
I found a discussion forum run by Peter Thomson in the UK, where I found many stories from people who had remarkable improvements in UC by removing gluten and sometimes other foods from their diet. This is interesting because mainstream western medicine has yet to acknowledge a link between gluten intolerance and UC, however there is a well established link between Celiac disease, malabsorbtion and inflammation in the small intestine caused by gluten intolerance and Crohn's Disease, inflammation of the small intestine.
2) Eliminate alcohol and caffeine, at least until you have gotten symptoms mostly under control. Alcohol and caffeine are irritants for your colon and the rest of your digestive track. However both are free of gluten, so if gluten intolerance is playing a role in UC then you might be able to reintroduce them sparingly when you are not in the middle of a flare.
3) Juicing fruits and vegetables for nutrition. This is key because in the midst of a flare of Ulcerative Colitis you can help get the vitamins you need without the fiber in fruits and vegetables. Fiber in the midst of the symptoms of a flare is not your friend. By juicing you also make it easier for the body to absorb a higher proportion of vitamins and nutrients, because it does not have to attempt to extract them from the plant fibers.
4) Digestive enzyme supplements (products I have used include Wholefoods Wholezyme). One theory is that food intolerance is caused by a lack of certain digestive enzymes. By aiding proper digestion you reduce or eliminate undigested food in the digestive track which can breed pathogenic bacteria.
5) Water-soluble fiber supplements, (Benefiber). This can help with symptoms, both diarrhea and constipation as well as by protecting the intestinal walls. The fiber also provides space for "good" bacteria to grow and help protect the intestinal walls and aid in more complete food digestion.
6) Pro-biotic supplements including VSL#3, a pharmaceutical grade combination of 8 different strains of Lactic acid bacteria which is shipped to you in an ice chest. VSL #3 was recommended by my GI Dr., Dr. Robyn Chutkan in Chevy Chase, MD and is the only probiotic supplement with scientific research documenting its effectiveness.
There are other pro-biotic supplements out there that are less expensive however all of the ones I found also had significantly less bacteria per serving, and oftentimes were not refrigerated to ensure the highest possible amount of active (live) cultures. When comparing products, look at the bacteria count per serving and make sure that the product is kept refrigerated to make sure the highest percentage of bacteria are active. Generally if the product has a higher bacteria count and whether it is kept refrigerated, it will be more expensive.
The theory for why is works: some "good" bacteria help digest foods like dairy products, other bacteria kill or prevent "bad" bacteria from growing, and other pro-biotic bacteria just take up space and "crowd out" any "bad" bacteria.
7) Enteric-Coated Peppermint oil capsules. I use Pepogest which I got at Wholefoods. Peppermint oil helps relieve gas, cramps and urgency. The capsules are more convenient and more powerful than tea and the label on the bottle says peppermint oil is better tolerated and more effective when protected from stomach acid. Plus it has the added advantage of contributing to fresh breath.
So there are a couple things that I have done which have been helpful to me. Hopefully there will be more advances made in understanding how Ulcerative Colitis happens and better ways to treat it with fewer harmful side effects.
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