Over the Counter Meds

generally nutritional supplement advice varies with you level of flare, and with the prescription meds you are taking.

so, how bad is you flare, and what meds are you taking?

What exactly did you do to get in remission?

hey G7/sg/astute observer -

just curious about your journey - Im sure you've touched on it many times, but since you don't have it in your siggy, it never happened ;-)

so what is your history/original dx, meds you've been on, favorite 3 stooge, you know, stuff like that there -

?????

hey, no problem g man - just glad you're in a good place on your journey

Very few doctors will mention diet as part of the road to remission but some members here swear by its effectiveness. It does not work for everyone just as some specific meds do not work for everyone. Don’t bother with tests to determine food allergies, they are notoriously unreliable. There are members here who have been taking meds for years or even decades, but found that following an individual diet was what finally snuffed out their symptoms.

Sometimes following a specific diet with all of its Byzantine rules may not even be necessary, perhaps simply avoiding dairy and/or high gluten grains may be enough. That is why it is important to take ownership of this disease and find your own individual path. Many veteran UCers will recommend a food diary or journal to see how specific foods affect your gut.

Most members take their meds religiously and others combine their meds with diet, but one common thread for many is the use of probiotic supplements. Many doctors will not discuss them but most veteran UCers will agree that probiotics are important for alleviating symptoms. We may disagree which specific probiotics are most effective for us individually but in one form or another they seem to work. You will find many threads here discussing probiotics. Check the signatures to see our specific probiotics each of us use.

Another supplement that doctors may or may not mention but is famous for its effectiveness in this forum is vitamin D. You will find many useful threads discussing its importance and testing of blood levels. Another popular supplement may be a soluble fiber such as Metamucil or Citrucel, or its generic equivalents. They have helped many but others have complained that fiber, even soluble fiber, can cause irritation when taken when the colon is inflamed. Most of the other supplements seem to be individual preferences.

For most it is a matter of regularly taking your prescribed meds and this forum can be helpful for that. For example reviewing the experiences of others it seems that rectal meds such as enemas and suppositories seem to be very effective especially when combined with oral medications. Doctors seem hesitant to prescribe them unless a patient specifically mentions it probably because they believe their patients will feel uncomfortable. You will find members here who extol the benefits of rectal meds so maybe it is a good idea to let your doctor know you are open to them.

Check out our signatures for specifics.

Can I start taking Vitamin D or do I need a blood test to show deficiency? I will start taking food diary and add probiotic. Thanks,

A lot of uc treatment plans (both medicinal and alternative) involve a lot of trial and error. Try something for a while, see if it improves your symptoms, and if it does then continue that treatment. If it doesn't improve symptoms then move on and try something else (supplements and medications are expensive so take only what works well for you). You just need the time and patience to get there. Uc really seems to vary a lot person to person, what works and what doesn't work, dosages, etc.

I cannot comment much on alternative treatments, as it isn't my area of expertise. What I am better to advise you on is the traditional medication approach. I see you are taking only Asacol HD 800mg 3 times a day (800mgs a pill X 3 = 2,400mgs a day). Asacol HD can be taken up to 4,800 mgs a day, twice the dosage that you are currently taking (ask your GI about increasing your dosage). Also, you also are not taking any rectal medications and they might benefit you. Many of us have success with either meslamine suppositories (e.g., canasa) or enemas (e.g., rowasa). In your case, I would recommend an enema as it travels the furthest (from rectum to sigmoid colon) as you have uc throughout your large intestine (aka pancolitis). Treating from both ends is recommended with uc. I would ask your GI about meslamine enemas the next time you see him/her.