Holistic way ???

[spcwife23]

holistic way ???

hey my family has this doctor that they know that deals in the holistic way of treating crohns.. he does it with herbs and diet instead of medication.. i am seriously decideing to try this way..

i sit here and try weighing out my options but i know i cant do the 6mp for long its to scary side effects long term.. i dont no it just doesnt sit right with my me.. i dont mind doingthe holistic and staying on pentasa but im scared that im one of those people that end up having bad luck and i end up getting cancer because of the meds im taking..

A) so im wonder how many people have tried the holistic (herb, diet) method and it helped?

B) and when you did try that way did you stay on the medication the doctor gave you while taking it or just you come completely off the meds?

C) how long did it take for you to feel better and try getting off the meds the GI gave you?

i dont no im just back and forth with thei decision, but i know i been really praying about this and i just dont think i can seriously stay on 6mp.. im waiting for my family to contact me back about what the doctor say about sending the meds to me and ill try it soon as i get them

 

[ameslouise]

Hi SPC. I was in exactly the same place when I was first DX with Crohn's. I couldn't accept my diagnosis, and therefore would not go on the traditional pharma meds. I just couldn't bring myself to do it!

I tried an "alternative" approach with vitamins, supplements, nutrient infusions, vegan diet. I was religious in my commitment. I spent 7 months and THOUSANDS of dollars thinking that it was working... it was the pred all along and once I came off the pred - BOOM. Everything went haywire. A scope confirmed I was no better off than when I had started and I went on Humira the next day.

All that being said, the Humira and methotrexate did not work for me either. My disease was too advanced and too stubborn.

I think we all need to do our research and follow the treatment method that we feel is right for us at the time. There have been many people who have been helped by many different alternative treatments. I unforutanately was not one of them. You'll find many books written about different treatment options and I have no doubt that those methods worked for those authors.

I think the important thing is to listen to your body and to stay on a good relationship with your doctor. You may need him in the on-deck circle if the alternative methods don't work.

Good luck! -Amy

 

[spcwife23]

thank you so much for your fast response.. thats why im so in between decisions on what to do.. i dont want to come off meds because im so scared if i do that things will get really bad and instead of being mild i end up making things worst than what they are right now.. and then to stay on 6mp is scaring the crap out of me because of long term.. see i dont mind doing holistic and staying on pentasa for the rest of my life, i just want off of pred and 6mp... but for right now i know i have to stay on them because i need to be able to funtion...

i guess i can try the holistic thing but im worried if it would react badly with the 6mp seeing not alot of drugs will agree with it..

 

[MapleLeafGirl]

I agree with Amy. Though I haven't tried the range of alternatives that Amy tried, I did try a few when I was first diagnosed. I tried Aloe, I tried homeopathy, various teas, fish oil, probiotics and nothing really worked. In fact, the homeopathy made things worse and I honestly think if I had went on drugs earlier, I would not be in the boat I am in now waiting for surgery. I always go back to the fact that Crohn's is an auto-immune disease and I honestly can't see how anything like fish oil or probiotics are going to fix my immune system. They may help with your symptoms and make you feel better but they aren't going to cure you. Just my two cents.

 

[ameslouise]

Maple -I agree... I might not be sitting here with a bag if I had gone on the Humira right away. But, coulda, shoulda, woulda.... I can't regret my decision. I had to go thru the process of trying all I could in order to come to grips withe my diagnosis.

 

[Lydia]

A good holistic doctor can help you come up with a complementary approach to conventional medicine. I have done both methods and I have never gone into remission with out medication. I have maintained remission using supplements and healthy diet. I made it 3 years with out meds, but that remission was induced by immuran. Same thing with my remission now. I tried the vegan thing for 9 months with supplements and I crashed so hard I needed remicade. Remicade is what put me in remission. This being said, I do take vitamins, and I eat a whole foods diet with lots of greens to keep me healthy, along with remicade. There are other pieces of the cancer puzzle, like eating good foods, with lots of phytochemicals and antioxidants. I also drink green tea and eat things like blueberries. I think if I keep all other aspects of my life clean, the cancer risk of these drugs is negligable.

I also dont regret what I have gone through. I should have done the meds a lot sooner. I almost ended up with a bag and would have got one if the remicade didnt work so well. But I also came to terms with my disease and I will never be in that much denial again. So no regrets. Remicade was a miracle for me.

 

[spcwife23]

Thank you everyone so much for the advice.. I think y'all are right maybe I can do both and see if I can get my self healthy.... I was worried about getting my self messed up even more by just doing the holistic thing but y'all convince me to atleast stay on 6mp and see if I can work with it...

I'm gonna look up different antioxidants I can eat and try doing the juicing and take it slow.. it's hard when you not sure what to do or how to make things better.. Guess this is what it means to finally be an adult and making decisions that is hard to make

 

[silveyk]

Hello...

I am an internal medicine / geriatric medicine- trained doctor with a spouse who has Crohn's. I am an advocate of integrative medicine. Basically, this is a fancy way of saying that you take pharmaceuticals along with complementary alternatives, like probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, yoga, and the like.

That said, since supplements are not regulated, you really need to do your homework. Go with a brand that is reputable...and uses a standardized active ingredient. While generics / store brands are good for most everything...this is not always the case with supplements. Depending on where you live, you can consult a pharmacist trained in herbal/alternative medicine, or a naturopath. (That said, be circumspect of alternative healers who diagnose you and then try to sell you their brand of supplement. There is a conflict of interest there.)

Dr. S (spouse of a Crohn's sufferer)

 

[spcwife23]

@ silveyk, thanks for advice, i definitly looking into everything im being prescribe by both doctors.. i just bought the fish oil with the omega 3 added.. i also take vitamins, probiotics.. im not sure what kind of stuff the holistic doctor will be giving but when i get the name i will be definitly be looking into it..

my cousin has the same problem i have but she got diagnose late, do hers crohns was to the point where the doctors were about to do surgery and he was helping her out.. most of the stuff he made her do was change the way she eat, do the whole juicing thing, and im not sure what meds he gave her, but next week or when ever they get in contact with him ill put what he told me up on here so you can see...

 

[Lydia]

iherb.com is a wonderful place to buy herbs. They have good brands and you can read customer reviews. I personally like Now foods, because they follow both cGMP and GLP standards. I used to work in a pharmaceutical plant and those are good standards to have.

and no I dont have any affiliations with iherb. I just really like to order my supplements from them.

I also like reading GreenMedInfo for studies done on herbs and foods that reduce colon inflammation in CD/UC. Just type your ailment into the search and a bunch of studies and meta-analyisis' come up.

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/

 

[spcwife23]

thanks lydia i will look at your link, ill alo definitly do my home work on what im given to take.. thanks everyone for the information and the advice in this matter.. im gonna stiick with taking 6mp since it seems to be not affecting me right now.. the only thing is i got my son flu lol which sucks..

can someone tell whats a good thing to use to build my immune system.. i heard of a vitamin it starts with a E but i cant spell it ( echinatia) or some spelling like that.. but if anyone can tell me so i can start using it.. my son started school and it seems like everyday some kid has a cold and i cant keep getting sick everytime he comes home... thanks so much

 

[Lydia]

thanks lydia i will look at your link, ill alo definitly do my home work on what im given to take.. thanks everyone for the information and the advice in this matter.. im gonna stiick with taking 6mp since it seems to be not affecting me right now.. the only thing is i got my son flu lol which sucks..

can someone tell whats a good thing to use to build my immune system.. i heard of a vitamin it starts with a E but i cant spell it ( echinatia) or some spelling like that.. but if anyone can tell me so i can start using it.. my son started school and it seems like everyday some kid has a cold and i cant keep getting sick everytime he comes home... thanks so much

You dont want to boost your immune system so much as balance it. Things like vitamin C and Vitamin D daily are excellent for this purpose. From Oct-May I take 500 mg Vit C and 4000 IU Vit D. I give my daughter 250 mg vit C a day and 1000 IU vitamin D daily as well. During colds and flu echinacea is good but I wouldnt take it daily because it may counteract the 6MP, but for short courses while sick it should be fine. I take Cold FX while sick. i find it works really well.

 

[exit4]

I combine prescription meds with low fiber diet and UltraInflamX for my vitamin/nutrition needs. I found that for me, UltraInflamX works the best. I was low on many vitamins and it put me back on track pretty fast. On my bad flare days, I take UltraInflamX with few Ensure can’s and no solid food.

 

[spcwife23]

thanks for replies, ill talk to my doctor about the different options i can do about building my immune system that wont affect my meds im on right now... i will have to take vitamin c for right now till i see him next month on the 17th..

 

[troydanielbecker]

You might read our blog. We really want to solve our IBD problems with diet and not with meds or surgery. We've had some success and learned a lot, but we're also using medicine and it looks like, now, actually going to the next step with more meds on account of another flare up.... in spite of all I've said about how our vegan approach and probiotics is working for us....

 

[spcwife23]

im all for trying different methods of getting this under control, but i cant give up meat lol sorry... i love my meat, i wont eat beef and meat thats tough to digest but i cant give up my chicken and eggs and stuff like that..

i decided to definiitly stay on both the meds and try the holistic way and do the teas and what ever the doctor tell me to take.. i think flax seeds is in there, because i remember thats what he gave my cousin who had it worst than me.. so im definitly gonna start drinking the flax seed tea....

 

[D Bergy]

There are three basic supplements that I consider critical to good health in general, and are even more important if you have Crohn's

Fish or Krill Oil. Antioxident, anti-inflammatory properties, balances Omega three to Omega six ratio, makes blood more slippery prevents clots. Many other benefits.

Magnesium in a absorb-able form, such as Magnesium Malate. Most Americans get enough Calcium, but in spite of that we have a lot of osteoporosis. Magnesium is needed along with Vitamin D-3 to utilize Calcium. We do not so much have a lack of Calcium, as an inability to utilize what we have.

Too much Calcium has been linked to heart disease. I think we have to be careful not to overdo Calcium.

Lack of Magnesium also results in a higher Iron level. Iron is needed but too much causes oxidization damage to organs. Magnesium allows the body to regulate iron.

Magnesium helps prevent diabetes. Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.

To sum it all up, Magnesium is critical to normal body function and most people are deficient in it.

Vitamin D-3. Needed also to prevent Osteoporosis. Low vitamin D-3 levels are implicated in so many diseases that it should not be ignored.

These are the big three in my opinion, second to none.

Dan

 

[Lydia]

im all for trying different methods of getting this under control, but i cant give up meat lol sorry... i love my meat, i wont eat beef and meat thats tough to digest but i cant give up my chicken and eggs and stuff like that..

i decided to definiitly stay on both the meds and try the holistic way and do the teas and what ever the doctor tell me to take.. i think flax seeds is in there, because i remember thats what he gave my cousin who had it worst than me.. so im definitly gonna start drinking the flax seed tea....

Vegan is only one of the many diets out there that can help crohnies. Some say a paleolithic diet can work wonder, and there is also the specific carbohydrate diet and gluten free diet. I am sure there is more, like the makers diet or the brewers diet.

I like putting ground flax in yogurt. Its a great snack.