At 18 years of age I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis...I went to multiple specialists, had multiple colonoscopy'S and did everything these "specialists" recommended. Even spent the $1,000's on medications that just weren't helping over the next 4 years. While taking the medications and severely altering my diet to have minimal to zero dairy products, zero sugars (the -oses) and altered all of the types of bread I ate because of the wheat or grains, etc. during these 4 years I had 4 MAJOR flare ups with almost zero time of remission. During these flare-ups I was in immense pain, couldn't eat, and of course was spending at least 3 hours a day in the bathroom. I lost anywhere from 35-65 pounds in two week spans for each flare up. Keep in mind at 6'3" and 210 lb, I couldn't afford to lose that kind of weight. For 2 of the flare ups I was diagnosed with toxic-mega colon. (Meaning the inflammation was so bad that my colon was on the verge of exploding inside of me) I nearly died both times from this. Not once was I prescribed anything for pain other than what was given in the hospital. When my blood pressure was 240/65, most non-doctors would tell you there is extreme pain involved.
Then, when I was 23-24 years old, while I was in the service industry as a bartender/server I was offered a lortab (hydrocodone) and I refused it for weeks. I have never been into drugs and I don't even smoke marijuana. However, at this time I was living in Gulfport, MS and Hurricane Katrina had just hit and myself, like 80% of the rest of the city just lost everything. The restaurant I was working at was the 2nd restaurant to open after the storm but the first with a full menu that wasn't a limited menu of burgers and chicken sandwiches. Because of this, we were getting absolutely slaughtered by the amount of business coming in on a daily basis. It got to the point I could not keep up. I then, was searching for more than what a couple Red Bull could do for me. I decided to take up the offer on the lortab. Not only did I make a hell of a lot of money, but I noticed an astonishing change that night and into the morning...I wasn't in the bathroom even once nor was I in the nightly pain and discomfort of Ulcerative Colitis. However, I had not correlated that to me taking the lortab. Over the next year or year and a half, I began taking lortab almost daily. Not so much for the "high" it gave me, but because I became cognizant to the adverse reactions it gave me to the U.C. symptoms. Over those12-18 months I had gained nearly 20 lb, was finally having normal, solid and regular bowel movements. I had discontinued the use of all medications the doctors were prescribing besides the lomotil to help with any occasional diarrhea I may have had. At 26 I went into my G.I. Doctor and he was shocked at how good I looked and felt. I did not tell him what I was taking at that particular moment because I was about to have another colonoscopy and I wanted to get the results of that procedure to see just how healthy I actually was compared to how healthy I actually felt. After the procedure, I was sent home and told my Dr would call me in the morning because I did not have anyone there with me that was on my HIPPA that he could discuss the results with due to me having been under anesthesia. My roommate at the time took me home and the next morning the Dr himself called and asked me to come in to discuss the results of the colonoscopy. Of course, I was immediately nervous and scared to death of what he was going to tell me. Upon arriving to the doctors office I did not know what to expect. But, when he told me that he had never seen a colon as healthy as mine in almost any person without U.C. I was elated. He literally asked me what I had been doing different. I then told him that I was taking between 20-60 mg of hydrocodone a day for the last year and a half and discontinued the prescribed medications, he was literally speechless.
Of course, the doc became adamant that it just wasn't possible for the opiates to do such a thing and virtually "cure" me of the UC. However, I am a firm and adamant believer that opiates can and do help treat UC when not abused or misused. Why this is not something that is being more closely researched is beyond me. And if anyone knows of any GI doctors that do believe in this in the Atlanta area,PLEASE let me know.
Thanks for taking the time to read "My Story"
Then, when I was 23-24 years old, while I was in the service industry as a bartender/server I was offered a lortab (hydrocodone) and I refused it for weeks. I have never been into drugs and I don't even smoke marijuana. However, at this time I was living in Gulfport, MS and Hurricane Katrina had just hit and myself, like 80% of the rest of the city just lost everything. The restaurant I was working at was the 2nd restaurant to open after the storm but the first with a full menu that wasn't a limited menu of burgers and chicken sandwiches. Because of this, we were getting absolutely slaughtered by the amount of business coming in on a daily basis. It got to the point I could not keep up. I then, was searching for more than what a couple Red Bull could do for me. I decided to take up the offer on the lortab. Not only did I make a hell of a lot of money, but I noticed an astonishing change that night and into the morning...I wasn't in the bathroom even once nor was I in the nightly pain and discomfort of Ulcerative Colitis. However, I had not correlated that to me taking the lortab. Over the next year or year and a half, I began taking lortab almost daily. Not so much for the "high" it gave me, but because I became cognizant to the adverse reactions it gave me to the U.C. symptoms. Over those12-18 months I had gained nearly 20 lb, was finally having normal, solid and regular bowel movements. I had discontinued the use of all medications the doctors were prescribing besides the lomotil to help with any occasional diarrhea I may have had. At 26 I went into my G.I. Doctor and he was shocked at how good I looked and felt. I did not tell him what I was taking at that particular moment because I was about to have another colonoscopy and I wanted to get the results of that procedure to see just how healthy I actually was compared to how healthy I actually felt. After the procedure, I was sent home and told my Dr would call me in the morning because I did not have anyone there with me that was on my HIPPA that he could discuss the results with due to me having been under anesthesia. My roommate at the time took me home and the next morning the Dr himself called and asked me to come in to discuss the results of the colonoscopy. Of course, I was immediately nervous and scared to death of what he was going to tell me. Upon arriving to the doctors office I did not know what to expect. But, when he told me that he had never seen a colon as healthy as mine in almost any person without U.C. I was elated. He literally asked me what I had been doing different. I then told him that I was taking between 20-60 mg of hydrocodone a day for the last year and a half and discontinued the prescribed medications, he was literally speechless.
Of course, the doc became adamant that it just wasn't possible for the opiates to do such a thing and virtually "cure" me of the UC. However, I am a firm and adamant believer that opiates can and do help treat UC when not abused or misused. Why this is not something that is being more closely researched is beyond me. And if anyone knows of any GI doctors that do believe in this in the Atlanta area,PLEASE let me know.
Thanks for taking the time to read "My Story"
