Im a believer in herbs now! Herbs that helped me

[Ihurt]

I have a friend who see's osteopath doctor ( he is on the holistic side). Well my friend said that she met a lady there who was also seeing this osteopath that has crohns. This lady was really bad off. She did all the western med drugs and was just getting worse. She was at a point where her doctors were telling her she needed to have her colon removed. She decided to go the natural route with this osteopath. I guess he put her on a juicing diet and a special diet as well and a year later she is better than she ever was! I mean she told my friend she was told there was no help for her and she needed her colon removed it was in such bad shape by the westen med doctors. Yet after a year on a specail diet she is better than ever. How do you expalin that? I mean I think special diets can help some. I also think some herbs can be very beneficial.

Now am I saying all drugs are bad?? No, not at all. Just that some of these drugs can have very bad long term effects on the body. I know I myself have not even been diagnosed with crohn's yet, I still have to have some tests done. But I can say that I do NOT do well with medications. I get all kinds of reactions and side effects. I likley will have to do mostly natural stuff if I get dx with this disease due to my chemcial sensitivities.

I will say that I do also think that the doctors are in bed with the Big Pharma, that is for sure. I remember waiting in my doctors office for an appt. and there had to be like 6 pharma reps come in during that time handing their drugs out for doctors to give out. There are kick backs, dont think for one minute there isn't. As far as a cure, well that remains to be seen. I also have IC bladder which is another debilitating disease. It is another " chronic" condition. Chronic means NO CURE. The reason is because they have no clue what the cause is, so without finding a cause, there will never be a cure. And doctors and hospitals and Big pharma do NOT want cures. If there were cures, they would go broke! I mean I just found out from a person I know who is being treated with humira, that it costs $ 4000 to $6000 per infusion!!!! What a fricking Joke! No way do they want to have a cure when they can keep people paying them $2400 a month for meds!! That is outrageous. NO drug on this earth is worth that kind of money. It is like being robbed without a gun! And yes, the FDA is in cahoots with the pharmacies and all that as well. The FDA never will approve an herbal med or natural approach, they wont and cannot make money off of it plain and simple.

Unfortunately the world runs off of greed as sad as that is. Unfortunately your best interest is usually not the doctors best interest. Money is their interest. You have to be your own advocate and look out for yourself. I mean I am not saying that western meds should not be used, that is not true at all. Medications have there place and have saved lives. But they can also take lives as well. You have to do research and find what works best for you. Each person is different and I guess we all have to find our own path in terms of treatments to see what works.... That is just my two cents..

 

[Ya noy]

Just to throw in my 2 cents, I agree with Full3Mit. I didn't resort to alternatives until after spending a lot of time and money on ineffective medical treatments and prescription meds.

I'm not a fanatic though. Just as an example, I get frequent, reoccuring ear infections stemming from swimming many years ago in an infected bayou of Louisiana. I don't normally seek medical treatment, because about 90% of all ear infections resolve on their own, usually within 7-10 days.

Last one didn't though, so I had to go on a regiment of antibiotics. But by the time I finally gave in and went to the clinic, my ear drum was perforated--which is really, really painful! But even though it was excruciatingly painful, I refused to allow my doctor to prescribe any pain meds, in the hope the memory of the agony will enable me to "know better" in the future.

So I see Muppet's point too. And everyone else's as well.

 

[Jim Gonsler]

There is no documented proof of anything curing Crohn's, including prescription meds. Is documented proof of lots of side effects however. That is documented following the ads however.

Placebo is very powerful but it won't heal your crohns. You devalue the efforts of doctors and researchers everywhere, to the community's detriment, when you push nonsense like this. Yes, some herbs are medicinal and positive thought is very therapeutic but no, none of it is as effective as a proper medical and dietary regimen and most of it has not even been proven to work even slightly.

After 3 decades' experience with Crohn's, I've no more patience for snake oil or superstition, especially not when offered as advice to people who are still coming to grips with Crohns and trying to learn.

There is no herbal remedy in the world that rivals medical treatment of Crohns and anybody who says otherwise is selling you something.

 

[Ya noy]

There is no documented proof of anything curing Crohn's, including prescription meds. Is documented proof of lots of side effects however. That is documented following the ads however.

Very true, and I'm finding the timing of the resurrection of this thread more than a little ironic.

My husband's currently hospitalized with a life threatening skin condition called TEN (Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis), which is a severe form of Steven-Johnson Syndrome. Roughly 75% of his skin was covered in gigantic red welts, and now turning black, peeling off in huge scaley chunks, oozing fluids, exposing his body to bacterial infection, lowering his body core temperature, potentially damaging his other organs, etc.

But he's recovering. Thanks to the massive dosages of Prednisone they've been treating him with intravenously, which is working amazingly well, especially when you consider the mortality rate of this syndrome is estimated between 30-70%. It's like a miracle drug!

But ummm, this syndrome is also a KNOWN side effect of the prescription heart medication he's been taking, which his doctors have also confirmed was the most likely cause. Resulting in him developing a life threatening condition induced by a severe adverse reaction to prescription medication.

Sometmes, the cure can be worse than the disease, only he doesn't even have a heart condition. That prescription heart medication? It was preventative. His doctor prescribed it because he thought he "might" develop one.

My husband gets very irritable and sarcastic on prednisone, and told his doctor that, "monkeys might also fly out of my butt, so shouldn't I be on a medication to prevent that too?"

After 3 decades' experience with Crohn's, I've no more patience for snake oil or superstition, especially not when offered as advice to people who are still coming to grips with Crohns and trying to learn.

Speaking of "snake oil", this heart medication is an ACE inhibitor, synthesized from...rattle snake venom!

Oh, the irony.

 

[D Bergy]

Speaking of "snake oil", this heart medication is an ACE inhibitor, synthesized from...rattle snake venom!

Now that is funny!

Dan

 

[badbelly]

Good thread and I think good points on both sides. Of course big pharma is trying to push their drugs out to docs with their "drug reps". after r&d costs, they are under huge pressure to sell the drugs and find a use for them even after failure. A lot of the drugs we have weren't even originally developed for the ailments they treat! However on the other side of the coin we at least know the drugs have been studied correctly and scientifically. Be careful out there and do your own research and stay closely monitored!

 

[badbelly]

Speaking of "snake oil", this heart medication is an ACE inhibitor, synthesized from...rattle snake venom!

Oh, the irony.

Venoms are really cool and hugely complex. They could hold the cures for many diseases if we only study them more!

 

[Ya noy]

Venoms are really cool and hugely complex. They could hold the cures for many diseases if we only study them more!

You're right, and there's no reason anyone should feel compelled to "pick sides" on this issue. Both have their benefits and shortcomings.

My husband's condition is actually pretty rare, however the more medications you take, over an extended number of years, is bound to increase the odds of eventually developing an adverse reaction to at least one of them.

At the same time, if he hadn't gone into the hospital, or had waited any longer, his chances of recovery would have decreased dramatically. Most patients hospitalized with this syndrome do not respond anywhere near as well, or as quickly, to treatment.

Probably the reason he responded so incredibly well is because he's only taken Prednisone twice before and that was a number of years ago. So his body hasn't built up a tolerance to it, which very likely, could have rendered it far less effective, if at all.

When he took Prednisone in the past, he had pretty bad reactions to it. but they weren't life threatening, while his current condition is. So in this situation, the good outweighs the bad.

Even most of those incredibly expensive medical treatments for Crohns only have around a 35% effective rate, and even then, often only remain effective for a period of time.

You can't completely discount the effectiveness of herbs, vitamins and alternative treatments because it's been known for a very long time that Vitamin C can prevent and cure scurvy, over 90% of all goiters are caused by an iodine deficiency, and highly unorthodox treatments, such as "fecal transplants" have been producing some amazing results.

Now we usually try natural remedies first, and have found they are usually effective in assisting our bodies heal and recover from many things. The human body contains a number of natural healing mechanisms, and sometimes it just needs some help, which herbs and other natural remedies can provide.

But not everything, not always, and sometime we have to "bite the bullet" and accept that fact that natural remedies have their limitations too.

It's your life, your body, so choose wisely.

 

[brunotheannoying]

Wow i thought this thread died off! Lots of different opinions and info here. I’ve been reading the forum for awhile, really have not put my two cents in thou. I do agree that herbs/ plant remedies are very helpful. I was Dx’d with crohns 10/2010 after going to the ER totally falling apart ( bloody stools, fever, delirium ) after 5 days of test’s, I was told crohns with fistula and obstruction. Starting at the ilea- cecal to mid trans-verse colon.
After I was sent home with pred. I did the research for herbs, like we all did, (think of all the great side affects form rx. Meds ) And used many of the ones rlslmshdy is using. They seem to be effective so you can’t discount them. I can see muppets point that when things are out of control rx. Meds do have there place. That being said the cost to the body is sometimes more than the worth in a long term. Therefore natural will always be a better option. Rectum! Damn ner’ killed’em.

Hope this finds you well.

 

[brunotheannoying]

I have to do a full intro of myself, time and energy constraints. I will post as soon as things solw down.

 

[anniegetyoursax]

I am a 54 year old who has had gastro problems for the past 20 years and was diagnosed with IBS about 15 years ago. After experimenting with some prescriptions for IBS I had no relief. I sought dietary information and an Herbalist. The Herbalist developed an herbal formula for me to take every day and they include two of the mentioned herbs, marshmallow root and ashwanganda. My symptoms mostly stayed at bay for the past 15 years except when I would start feeling good and drinking wine daily. Recently I cut back on my herbs and had her change the formula a bit, eliminating the marshmallow and replacing it with another root. I began entering menopause, and things began getting worse. I saw an Integrative Gastroenterologist last month and he did a number of tests including a Colonoscopy (my 3rd in 15 years) and this time saw evidence of Crohn's. I may have had this all along, but my herbs and diet (gluten/dairy free) previously protected me. When I follow up with him I am going to ask him if I can continue using the herbal formula, maybe stepped up with some more anti-inflammatory herbs instead of using drugs. I have every side effect in the book with drugs, and since I have managed pretty well till now, I am hopeful to heal and prevent any further damage. Reading the stories of the serious nature of this disease has really frightened me! Especially because the drugs used to treat it have so many bad side effects.

 

[Rog]

It's all horse for courses.
One of my little girls I think would have died from pneumonia 4 years ago - she was in a real bad way but fully recovered thankfully, due to the local hospital, antibiotics and a tube down her throat giving her fluids.

However, conventional medicine whilst great with these life threatening short term illnesses is not so good with the long term chronic ones.

I really get a bit annoyed when people talk about drug trails and how alternative medicine has not been tested etc...
There is over 5 thousand years of testing that has been going on with some Chinese or Indian type remedies. Over here in the UK, big pharma is so scared that it is trying to bring in legislation that removes some of these well tried well known alternatives - if they did not work then it would not be doing such ieeople would just not use them.
Once it has removed the alternatives then big pharma has the whole market to itself.

The other thing that gets my goat is that no one is allowed to mention the 'cure' word. Well I am, I am not in remission, I am cured - there I said it, what are you gonna do about that!!!
I can eat a vindaloo curry, a peperami pizza, anything I want, I seem to have the cast iron gut that I used to have.
I maybe tempting providence but I just had to say it. If I get ill again then I consider it the same as contracting the flu - just god damn bad luck.

My local doctor once told me that medicine is not an exact science and I believed him, he was a great supporter of what I was doing and my results. The hospital however were very different, they struck me off their lists because I stopped taking one of their prescribe drugs - in fact I was told that 'you need to take this, else we cannot see you again'. From an outsiders point of view I could believe that doctors have shares in this big pharma companies - I also noticed that some of the local crohns support groups are funded by these big companies - its like they need you to believe you need them - all very sinister.

For me, I am well out of it, drug free and symptom free for about the last 6 years. In fact am hoping to hit 7 years - is it right that every cell in you body (with the exception of neurons) gets replaced every 7 years - hit that milestone and I will know that there is not a single cell in my body that has been doing unwarranted damage to my colon. Fingers crossed.

 

[Lisa]

Rog - glad to hear you have been symptom free for so long without medications - hope that continues. As for being 'cured' - may you have a life-long remission period....as truly, that what it is - remission. I used to go years between flares and having to be on medications....unfortunately, that time got to be less and less in between flares....thanks to modern medicine, I have been in remission now for over 7 years...but am in no way cured, as the medicine is needed to keep things at bay.

 

[Avery]

anniegetyoursax : Have you tried " Whole Leaf ALoe Vera Juice daily ?
I have been using it off and on for over 20 years. Along with other natural anti-inflammatories. Aloe really work for Crohns if you are disciplined with eating healthy low fat foods. I take 1/2 cup 2x day. When Im flaring I take more. But I rarely flare when I am consistent with the Aloe.

 

[Jim Gonsler]

Thanks for the information. I have heard that Aloe Vera Juice is pretty regularly mentioned as a natural treatment option that works quite well for many people.
Jim

 

[UnXmas]

It's all horse for courses.
One of my little girls I think would have died from pneumonia 4 years ago - she was in a real bad way but fully recovered thankfully, due to the local hospital, antibiotics and a tube down her throat giving her fluids.

However, conventional medicine whilst great with these life threatening short term illnesses is not so good with the long term chronic ones.

I really get a bit annoyed when people talk about drug trails and how alternative medicine has not been tested etc...
There is over 5 thousand years of testing that has been going on with some Chinese or Indian type remedies. Over here in the UK, big pharma is so scared that it is trying to bring in legislation that removes some of these well tried well known alternatives - if they did not work then it would not be doing such ieeople would just not use them.
Once it has removed the alternatives then big pharma has the whole market to itself.

The other thing that gets my goat is that no one is allowed to mention the 'cure' word. Well I am, I am not in remission, I am cured - there I said it, what are you gonna do about that!!!
I can eat a vindaloo curry, a peperami pizza, anything I want, I seem to have the cast iron gut that I used to have.
I maybe tempting providence but I just had to say it. If I get ill again then I consider it the same as contracting the flu - just god damn bad luck.

My local doctor once told me that medicine is not an exact science and I believed him, he was a great supporter of what I was doing and my results. The hospital however were very different, they struck me off their lists because I stopped taking one of their prescribe drugs - in fact I was told that 'you need to take this, else we cannot see you again'. From an outsiders point of view I could believe that doctors have shares in this big pharma companies - I also noticed that some of the local crohns support groups are funded by these big companies - its like they need you to believe you need them - all very sinister.

For me, I am well out of it, drug free and symptom free for about the last 6 years. In fact am hoping to hit 7 years - is it right that every cell in you body (with the exception of neurons) gets replaced every 7 years - hit that milestone and I will know that there is not a single cell in my body that has been doing unwarranted damage to my colon. Fingers crossed.

I think the problem with talking about a "cure" is when it's proposed to exist for Crohn's in general. It's possible you may be cured, obviously I don't know your situation, but I'm open minded enough to admit it's a possibility. However, even if you are cured, that's one piece of anecdotal evidence. There's no evidence that whatever it was that you believe has cured you would help anyone else with Crohn's. A cure for a disease implies it stands a chance of working for anyone with that disease, and in that sense there is no evidence whatsoever of a cure for Crohn's.

I'm also not sure about your claim that if alternative treatments didn't work no one would be using them. When I first became ill, I was a naïve teenager. I was very gullible - when I saw various alternative practitioners and read web pages on alternative medicine, I assumed that the treatments must work - why would someone claim something that isn't true? When I met for one-on-one sessions with alternative nutritionists, homeopaths, hypnotherapists, etc., etc., and described my digestive symptoms to them, they invariably claimed that not only did their practice work, but that they could help me . I consequently handed them large sums of (my parents') money. Then I'd find that their treatments didn't work at all. The nutritionists actually succeeded in making my symptoms worse.

Why did I keep trying so many? Because I was desperate. I was losing control of my bowels at school, I couldn't stand the thought of living my life this way forever. So when one alternative treatment didn't work, I'd move on to something different. Deep down I knew that these treatments were a load of rubbish, but I was so desperate, I needed to feel like I was trying something, just to stop me having to face the reality of a lifetime of humiliation and sickness, and alternative practitioners took advantage of this situation.

The reason I turned to alternative medicine in the first place was because I was getting no help from conventional medicine. My doctors put me on long waiting lists to see consultants, have tests, and yes, gave me prescriptions for medications that didn't help me. They didn't seem concerned and I couldn't get across to them how badly I wanted to be cured. I don't claim conventional medicine is perfect, or even always better than alternative medicine. I was abused by a doctor; I was put in psychiatric care because I was losing weight and my doctors assumed I was anorexic before bothering to listen when I told them there was something wrong with my digestive system.

However, the troubles I have found in conventional medicine have been largely the result of individuals (the abusive doctor; doctors who didn't believe I had stomach problems; doctors who were prescribing medications when they lacked the knowledge to accurate assess my illness), rather than a result of the practice itself. When I found the right doctors and the right treatments, conventional medicine has saved my life. If you want to go back far enough, I wouldn't have survived being born if it weren't for contemporary medical care. It has eliminated some of my worst symptoms altogether even though it can't "cure" me completely.

Contemporary medicine is researched and tested with techniques that alternative medicine simply wouldn't pass. Yes there's bias in conventional medicine, and money plays a big role in determining which drugs get developed, etc. However, every alternative practitioner I saw was happy to take my money, and when I informed them that I wasn't getting any better, they never once offered me my money back - they usually became very irritated with me and my failure to get better.

To say that greed at the expense of health is only an issue with big pharmaceuticals and doesn't come into alternative medicine is very inaccurate. One hypnotherapist advised me, in a free consultation, to go to a "real" hospital because I was too sick to be managed by hypnotherapy. I think he was the only decent alternative practitioner I saw. I've read that many people benefit from alternative medicine because they are given attention and understanding not found in the mainstream - alternative practitioners listen to them, relax them and give them hope. I never found this. Alternative practitioners wanted my money, gave me hope that they quickly dispelled by failing to produce the results they promise, and often had a tendency to become very short with me when I began questioning why I wasn't feeling better, often blaming me for my failure to improve.

Overall I think my experiences have led me to be incredibly cynical about both conventional and alternative medicine. I think they've just led me to lose my faith in human kind in general. However, it's conventional medicine that has come up with things - medications and surgery - that have helped me hugely, something alternative medicine has never done. If I get run over by a bus, I think I'd like real medications, a mainstream hospital, and definitely real painkillers, not a homeopathic remedy, a gluten-free diet, or a hypnotherapist.

 

[Rog]

Yes, been there, done that, had my fair share of alternative quackery.
I mentioned the (well know british goth band from the eighties - won't mention the word as I have already had my wrists slapped for using it) as its just the way I feel. I have had the remission feeling, you know, am coping but get the odd bout of big D.
Now the thing with alternatives is that just popping pills I don't think works all that well. For me it was seeing a guy who gave me acupuncture combined with chinese herbs. The person giving the treatment seems to be part of the solution. Ok so this sounds really strange and in the beginning I really didn't think this was the case. There was a very interesting horizon programme (science) TV a couple of years ago where they tried to replicate homeopathy. What they found is that out of the scientists doing the experiment and preparing the solutions, some of the them produced effective solutions others not. It's almost like a quantum effect where the observer becomes part of the experiment. They were able to repeat this effect, doing it several times even with in a blind study situation.
All I can say is that for me I found someone who worked for me, the chinese herbs I took and I asked him what they were and for and I quote "damp heat in the colon - giovanni decoction"
The recipe is secret and chinese herbalists will probably have their own remedy/potion to this condition.
All I can say is don't give up on the alternatives - there are 'good guys' out there, not just after your money, but you need to find that special person that can work for you.

 

[UnXmas]

Thanks Rog. I'm afraid I have given up on alternative medicine, I guess I just saw too many alternative practitioners for me to believe it's worth going to any more. I also avoid seeing any new conventional doctors though, so sometimes I'm really not sure which "side" of this argument I'm on, as although I'm pro-medications, I'm anti every kind of medical practitioner!

I do think a big part of the problem for me was that I was wanting a cure. I saw many alternative practitioners during a time when I didn't yet know what was wrong with me - I'd been misdiagnosed by conventional doctors with IBS, something that alternative practitioners claimed to be able to cure, and even conventional medicine seemed to think improvements were achievable. If I'd known my expectations were unrealistic, perhaps I could have benefitted more from alternative medicine, at least from the aspect of having someone to talk to about my problems, even if they couldn't alleviate my symptoms. Perhaps it would have helped if the alternative practitioners themselves had tried to dispel my unrealistic hopes from the start though, rather than encouraging them!

Having gone back and read through earlier replies, I realise this thread is actually quite an old one. I'm not sure if you're still checking this thread, muppet , but I wish I'd had someone like you to talk sense into me when I was a gullible teenager, new to illness and very desperate!

 

[Beach]

UnXmas - it sounds as if you have had a rough go of it, with both conventional and alternative ideas to address your GI issues. Sadly it seems there are a good number of snake oil sales men on both sides of the health care issue, conventional and alternative.

On the study methods you highlight mentioning, have you been reading about the problem of misrepresentation or sometimes hiding of results in the BMJ, out of your country? We have a similar issue here in the US many note. I know that the issue is trying to be addressed, but imagine it will take years to work out, if ever. As is said, sunlight is often the best cleanser.

I recall seeing you mentioning recently that you take an antidepressant. A write up I recall about about these medication test results.

"British Medical Journal seeks to re-evaluate medical ‘evidence’"

http://www.drbriffa.com/2011/04/29/british-medical-journal-seeks-to-re-evaluate-medical-evidence/

 

[UnXmas]

UnXmas - it sounds as if you have had a rough go of it, with both conventional and alternative ideas to address your GI issues. Sadly it seems there are a good number of snake oil sales men on both sides of the health care issue, conventional and alternative.

On the study methods you highlight mentioning, have you been reading about the problem of misrepresentation or sometimes hiding of results in the BMJ, out of your country? We have a similar issue here in the US many note. I know that the issue is trying to be addressed, but imagine it will take years to work out, if ever. As is said, sunlight is often the best cleanser.

I recall seeing you mentioning recently that you take an antidepressant. A write up I recall about about these medication test results.

"British Medical Journal seeks to re-evaluate medical ‘evidence’"

http://www.drbriffa.com/2011/04/29/british-medical-journal-seeks-to-re-evaluate-medical-evidence/

That's a very interesting article. I guess that even though conventional medical research theoretically has high standards, in reality it fails to live up to its own ideals a lot of the time.

 

[dkidd]

...has anyone tried Ayurveda treatments?

 

[really_worried]

Muppet I appreciate your comment, though again I will mention that I have not used ANY PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS since 1991. My crohns is not cured, but I have MAINTAINED CROHNS WITHOUT PRESCRIPTIONS. I still have symptoms at times but they are usually minor. I have gone up to 1yr to 2 yrs without a major flareup. Herbs are only a part of my treatment. Food is probably the most important treatment for Crohns. Supplements are another very important treatment since our intestines dont absorb all the nutrients from the foods we eat. It is not as easy as taking some prescription pills. It takes much more effort and it is not easy & eating the right foods takes discipline, but it is attainable. I am able to do it & so have others. Of course if someone is on a prescription they should not just stop it abruptly, since they might have a flareup. They should learn about natural treatments first and then start applying some of it & see how they feel. The book I mentioned is what I base my treatments on since 1991.
" Prescription For Nutritional Healing ". I can tell you from my experience these past 20 yrs that I have no regrets going natural.

Just making a comment about what you posted... as I have had crohns for 5 years now and in that time I have already had 40cm of my ileum removed as well as a perianal fistula and now a suspected rectovaginal fistula.... I did get off all my meds as I didn't appreciate the side effects and I believe the drugs are a band aid solution treating symptoms and not the actual cause... the fact "conventional medicine" has no wholistic approach to the way they treat patients had intuitively always bothered me and is why I stopped... But I believe I was so unwell (I was 51kg and im 172cm tall) and malnourished that nothing was going to help me at that stage so I agreed to have the surgery to get rid of the damaged part of my intestines and my appendix was also removed it has rotted away!! Anyhow after the surgery I was scared to get back on the drugs and I was compliant (my surgery was in July last year) but now my perianal fistula has become a rectovaginal one as I now have fecal discharge coming from my vagina... Im really angry and frustrated and I admire your strength to go the natural way I also want to do it again as Im already up shit creek without a paddle and the drugs have not helped me!! Im studying nutrition and I was studying massage and personal training but for the last few weeks I have not been going to school Im getting depressed and anxious that that people will smell whats going on downstairs... how did u progress and wind down off the drugs? I am taking infliximab so I either go and get the infusion or I don't.. just over it to be honest id love for the ground to swallow me up whole but that's not realistic so I guess I try to herbs and natural supplements again

 

[Avery]

really_worried

Sorry for not replying to your original question. I know this is very belated.
How have you been doing lately ? Hopefully things have improved for you.

And have others on this thread benefited from any of the alternative treatments discussed on this thread by some the friends here.

 

[inaka_bob]

You can't maintain a Crohn's remission with herbals. It's fantasy. Sorry. No well corroborated study supports this.

I'm glad you've had such a long remission, and maybe your condition is just mild which is also a godsend, but preaching to people that they should go off their meds even gradually in pursuit of this nonsense is irresponsible.

I agree that diet is a major component and that a remission can even be maintained with diet, to a point. For some longer than others, and for a very rare few maybe indefinitely.

If you want to advocate for this sort of thing, you should post peer reviewed study, not self help books, as sources.

Sorry to resurrect a dead post, and I 100% understand where muppet is coming from. As someone with UC I feel this way about SDC and Fodmap diet. I hear people preaching it cured them of UC. I 100% don't belive this. I have seen ZERO peer reviewed papers tying diet to remission.

On the other hand I have have peer reviewed papers that he is requesting. I dont have ten posts, so I cant posts links but I can post paper titles that you can google yourself.

Nettle leaf - "Ameliorative effect of IDS 30, a stinging nettle leaf extract, on chronic colitis."

Tumuric (Curcumin)- "Curcumin shows promise for treatment of mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis"

Green Tea EGCg - "Green Tea Polyphenols and Sulfasalazine have Parallel Anti-Inflammatory Properties in Colitis Models."

I would not be willing to try any of these if their had not at least been some laboratory evidence to back it up.

Muppet has SOME valid points. But on the other hand there is no money to be made in a bottle of pills that cost 7$ a month when your 5-asa drugs are 500$ a month. Your Remicade is $6,000 an infusion. Why would big companies and insurance want anything to do with a medicine that they cant make any money off. Big Pharma pushes doctors to push their meds. There is no herbal rep that comes and pushes a non FDA approved herbal remedy even it is clinically proven to work. My doctor wisphered to me to try some alternative meds, but admitted he has no experience in them. I actually had find and print out peer reviewed medical papers on CBD use on IBD to give to him to read because he was unaware of what CBD even was. and there are TONS of peers reviewed papers linking CBDs effectiveness in fighting IBD.

 

[rlslmshdy]

Hello this is my first post although Ive lurked on the site for about a year. I guess I should start with my history. I was diagnosed with crohns 12 years ago. I had the initial flare resulting in a week stay in the hospital. I went thru the basic drugs prednisone, imuran, entocort, etc. Those really didnt help. I eventually ended up going for emergency surgery removing 12 inches of intestines. I got down to 116lbs. @ 5'9". After the surgery I went on Remicade. I went into remission. That brings me to this year. Well really starting last October I started into another flare up. My weight was 160lbs. Ok by May of 2012 I was almost at bottom. My weight was down to 135lbs. Fatigue was killing me I couldnt hardly work my job much less go to gym. I felt like Remicade would help but the side effects and costs just wasnt worth it. So my theory was this. If remicade worked by lowering tnf alpha. I would research herbs that lowered tnf-alpha. So I looked those herbs up and gave them a try. Well I still cant believe it but it has helped. My weight is up to 155lbs. Even more incredible is how much my fatigue had improved. I feel like going to the gym. I still have diarrheah but probably cut in half. I think im back in remission. I know everyones disease is different so results may be different for others. I just felt my results were so good the herbs I tried were definitely worth listing.
Here they are:
CLA
Marshmallow Root
Turmeric Root 95% CURCUMIN
Cats Claw
Quercetin
Boswellia
Boron Chelate
Ginger Root
CoQ-10
Stinging Nettle Leaf
Ashwagandha
FishSMART Ultra enteric coated softgels
vitamin D3 5000ius
Vitamin b12
Im still amazed at my improvement. I wasnt really a believer in herbs but I am now. I feel i should add that these are the only things Im taking. Im not on any prescription meds for crohns. I hope you guys can benefit from this info.

I found another herb with a scientific study with positive results. Thats Wormwood.

I wish someone could do a study on taking all these together. For the past 3 weeks ive been in a bad flair up. I hadnt been taking these herbs for financial reasons. Last week i started taking them again. Ive been taking the recommended daily serving 4-5 times a day. So pretty heavy doses. Well the past 2 days ive been pain free (knock on wood).

Humira, remicade work by lowering tnf alpha, correct? Each of these herbs have shown positive results possibly lowering TNF-ALPHA. So wouldnt it be possible all of them together could mildly lower inflammation, tnf alpha?

 

[RenLPC]

Wow, I just read through this and and went through so many emotions. I am so thankful for everyone who is open minded enough to support others in their endeavors to find what works best for them. All of the comments about the pharm companies being the ones who are the real money grabbers, truer words could not be spoken.

It is absolutely possible for individuals to treat their symptoms with nutrition and remain in remission, it just takes a lot of trial and error (just like meds), and a lot of discipline. Good for you for finding herbs and alternative medicines that work for you and your family. Good for you for following up with your doctors to make sure you stay on the right path.

I've seen a lot of posts about the whole gamet of treatments and it's refreshing to see discussion, open mindedness, and passion. No need for "nonsense" and negativity.

 

[rlslmshdy]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4923812/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/17240130/

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2015/179616/


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/11215357/

 

[rlslmshdy]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/15338166/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4712861/

 

[Avery]

Update Dec 2018: 2017 was a bad year for the crohns. I was not able to eat anything without strong pains for 2-3 months. The worst flare I’ve had in years. I already had first hand experience that natural medicine does work so I continued to research others I hadn’t tried yet. I found this amazing info. Within 3 days of taking Wormwood, Circumin95, and Mastic Gum. I was able to eat without pain. Wow. Here is the Article. “Proven Herbal Treatments for Crohns.” This has to be one of the most useful info I have ever seen for crohns.

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/proven-herbal-treatments-crohn-s-disease

 

[helpme1]

I'm curious to know whether anyone has tried Slippery Elm powder? It is usually mixed with water and drunk and I believe has a similar effect to Aloe Vera juice.[/QUOTE

I have tried slippery elm and pysillian seeds together I had a marked improvement in my symptoms I had period of months no issues at all apart from kidney stones most important to drink plenty of water ideally.

 

[Avery]

I do use slippery elm powder in some water in the morning when I'm feeling the Crohn's coming on. Slippery Elm is also nutritional & that's what we need during a flareup. With warm water & 1 tbsp. powder it makes a slightly thick gel-like sauce.
I relied on fresh Aloe gel mixed in water for years but my plants have died.

The supplements I mentioned earlier, really are amazing for Crohn's from my personal experience dealing with Crohn's since 1991.
Again they are: Mastic Gum, Wormwood & Circumin95.
I take all 3 every morning & at mid-day.
Keep in mind that I do not use prescription medications, which I tried in 1991 twice & could not deal with the side-effects & go to work.

Please review this information based on small studies:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/proven-herbal-treatments-crohn-s-disease

 

[Bill Vetter]

Thank you so much for this! I've been looking for a list of herbs for my Crohn's Disease and will give them a try.

 

[Pinecone7288]

Hello this is my first post although Ive lurked on the site for about a year. I guess I should start with my history. I was diagnosed with crohns 12 years ago. I had the initial flare resulting in a week stay in the hospital. I went thru the basic drugs prednisone, imuran, entocort, etc. Those really didnt help. I eventually ended up going for emergency surgery removing 12 inches of intestines. I got down to 116lbs. @ 5'9". After the surgery I went on Remicade. I went into remission. That brings me to this year. Well really starting last October I started into another flare up. My weight was 160lbs. Ok by May of 2012 I was almost at bottom. My weight was down to 135lbs. Fatigue was killing me I couldnt hardly work my job much less go to gym. I felt like Remicade would help but the side effects and costs just wasnt worth it. So my theory was this. If remicade worked by lowering tnf alpha. I would research herbs that lowered tnf-alpha. So I looked those herbs up and gave them a try. Well I still cant believe it but it has helped. My weight is up to 155lbs. Even more incredible is how much my fatigue had improved. I feel like going to the gym. I still have diarrheah but probably cut in half. I think im back in remission. I know everyones disease is different so results may be different for others. I just felt my results were so good the herbs I tried were definitely worth listing.
Here they are:
CLA
Marshmallow Root
Turmeric Root 95% CURCUMIN
Cats Claw
Quercetin
Boswellia
Boron Chelate
Ginger Root
CoQ-10
Stinging Nettle Leaf
Ashwagandha
FishSMART Ultra enteric coated softgels
vitamin D3 5000ius
Vitamin b12
Im still amazed at my improvement. I wasnt really a believer in herbs but I am now. I feel i should add that these are the only things Im taking. Im not on any prescription meds for crohns. I hope you guys can benefit from this info.

From 2012 to 2022, 10 years later, do these herbal supplements do anything for your Chron’s disease still? I bought some of what you listed & most of the other supplements I have or don’t have. But do they still work for you? Any updates? Successes? Losses? I got diagnosed last year, Nov 8th. I would love to know if these will be successful for me as well.