I'm so glad to find a place to get support and information. I'm lucky, I suppose, to only have a "mild" case of UC. I'm a 30-something mom to two boys living on the West coast of the U.S.
I had my second baby in May 2010 and it was during the second trimester then that I started experiencing UC symptoms--mainly toilet urgency (how else do you say that?) and a frightening amount of blood loss every time I sat down on the can... which, as all of you know, can be a lot of times in a day.
I lost so much blood that I became severely anemic. I was getting acupuncture, taking iron supplements, Floradix, black strap molasses, eating lots of leafy greens, etc. It was never enough. I had to be wheeled around in a wheelchair, I was so exhausted and out of it. Finally, I had some IV iron infusions and that seemed to get me just back to normal.
I couldn't have a colonoscopy because by then I was well into my third trimester of pregnancy. I vowed to come back in and get one done after I had the baby.
Alas, when I gave birth, symptoms disappeared completely, so I chalked it up to a weird pregnancy thing and carried on, not realizing how good I had it.
Symptoms returned at nine months post-partum. I had a full blood panel done, and my iron levels are just barely still in the normal range. My vitamin D was in the crapper (pun intended), however, which makes me suspicious--isn't UC an autoimmune disease? Anyway, I scheduled a colonoscopy, which I just had about a week ago, and was instantly diagnosed with UC and given a prescription for Asacol. Still waiting for the biopsy results, but hopeful that it's not cancer, too (egad!).
I don't know if this is crazy, but I haven't filled the prescription yet. I have read a lot about how those meds can cause other serious problems, and I'm reluctant to trade one set of problems for another if I can avoid it. So I've researched and ordered some supplements (B-complex, Botswellia Serrata, DHA, EPA, Omega-3s, and D3). Has anyone had success in turning around a case of IBD with diet/supplements alone? I want to at least try before filling the prescription. I'm curious about Aloe--has it worked for you? Juice, gel, or latex? Do you recommend a brand?
I've been vegan for a decade now and was vegetarian before that. I eat a healthy diet comprised mostly of whole foods. I was baffled as to how I ended up with this thing, since no one in my family has a history of IBD (although I do have an uncle who beat colon cancer). Then I read that the acne drug Accutane can cause it. My mom had me on Accutane TWICE when I was a young teenager, so I'm guessing that's it. I wonder why it's just showing up now, though. Anyone else take Accutane before?
As a side note, despite my excellent iron levels up until the UC showed up, my GI doc and others continued to push that it was because I'm vegan, which I know to be untrue. So irritating!
I'm so happy to be here. I'm especially excited to meet other vegans, folks who are managing symptoms with diet/supplements, and those who may have been on Accutane in the past. I look forward to talking about our butts together.
I had my second baby in May 2010 and it was during the second trimester then that I started experiencing UC symptoms--mainly toilet urgency (how else do you say that?) and a frightening amount of blood loss every time I sat down on the can... which, as all of you know, can be a lot of times in a day.
I lost so much blood that I became severely anemic. I was getting acupuncture, taking iron supplements, Floradix, black strap molasses, eating lots of leafy greens, etc. It was never enough. I had to be wheeled around in a wheelchair, I was so exhausted and out of it. Finally, I had some IV iron infusions and that seemed to get me just back to normal.
I couldn't have a colonoscopy because by then I was well into my third trimester of pregnancy. I vowed to come back in and get one done after I had the baby.
Alas, when I gave birth, symptoms disappeared completely, so I chalked it up to a weird pregnancy thing and carried on, not realizing how good I had it.
Symptoms returned at nine months post-partum. I had a full blood panel done, and my iron levels are just barely still in the normal range. My vitamin D was in the crapper (pun intended), however, which makes me suspicious--isn't UC an autoimmune disease? Anyway, I scheduled a colonoscopy, which I just had about a week ago, and was instantly diagnosed with UC and given a prescription for Asacol. Still waiting for the biopsy results, but hopeful that it's not cancer, too (egad!).
I don't know if this is crazy, but I haven't filled the prescription yet. I have read a lot about how those meds can cause other serious problems, and I'm reluctant to trade one set of problems for another if I can avoid it. So I've researched and ordered some supplements (B-complex, Botswellia Serrata, DHA, EPA, Omega-3s, and D3). Has anyone had success in turning around a case of IBD with diet/supplements alone? I want to at least try before filling the prescription. I'm curious about Aloe--has it worked for you? Juice, gel, or latex? Do you recommend a brand?
I've been vegan for a decade now and was vegetarian before that. I eat a healthy diet comprised mostly of whole foods. I was baffled as to how I ended up with this thing, since no one in my family has a history of IBD (although I do have an uncle who beat colon cancer). Then I read that the acne drug Accutane can cause it. My mom had me on Accutane TWICE when I was a young teenager, so I'm guessing that's it. I wonder why it's just showing up now, though. Anyone else take Accutane before?
As a side note, despite my excellent iron levels up until the UC showed up, my GI doc and others continued to push that it was because I'm vegan, which I know to be untrue. So irritating!
I'm so happy to be here. I'm especially excited to meet other vegans, folks who are managing symptoms with diet/supplements, and those who may have been on Accutane in the past. I look forward to talking about our butts together.
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