Ulcerative Colitis ANYONE? Help with safe foods and diet!?

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis almost 2 years ago. I had one really nasty spell early on, and have been on steroids ever since. The steroids control it completely, but they are very bad to stay on long-term. Every time they take me off, I have gotten sick. I am currently giving myself an injection once per week called Methotrexate. That hasn't worked for me, but perhaps an option for you. There is also a medication called Imuran that has been successful. Again, didn't work for me. I just started a new treatment called Remicade. It is an infusion they give you a few times per year. I have heard it works in 2/3 of the patients. As far as food is concerned, a low-fiber, low-residue diet is what was recommended for me. No tough meats or raw veggies or salads. No dairy, seeds, nuts or fruit with peels. You can generally find guidlines if you type in low-residue diet in a search engine. UC generally does not go away unless you have the surgery to have your colon removed, but that is typically a last resort. I know what you are going through and I hope you are able to find a succesful treatment.

Hi Lilly,most digestive problems are directly caused by incomplete digestion of the food we eat.Every natural food contains enzymes to assist us to digest the food we eat.All cooked food and processed food no longer contains enzymes-cooking destroys the enzymes.Your pancreas is placed under stress to produce the enzymes for digestion,over time it may give up and stop producing the enzymes.This leads to various problems including uc,colitis and chron's.There 2 natural nutritional roducts that you should consider-PhytoBioForte Super and Ellagic Acid.Check it out at www.4health411.com

I'm sorry to hear that you have it - I had it about a year and a half ago myself. Turns out I had some sort of bacterial infection in my colon that cleared itself up eventually. Here's something you may wish to try - the Selective Carbohydrate Diet. The info on it is as follows: The Specific Carbohydrate Diet has helped many thousands of people with various forms of bowel disease and other ailments vastly improve their quality of life. In many cases people consider themselves cured. It is a diet intended mainly for Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, diverticulitis, cystic fibrosis and chronic diarrhea. However it is a very healthy, balanced and safe diet that has health benefits for everyone. The foods that are allowed on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet are based on the chemical structure of these foods. Carbohydrates are classified by their molecular structure. The allowed carbohydrates are monosaccharides and have a single molecule structure that allow them to be easily absorbed by the intestine wall. Complex carbohydrates which are disaccharides (double molecules) and polysaccharides (chain molecules) are not allowed. Complex carbohydrates that are not easily digested feed harmful bacteria in our intestines causing them to overgrow producing by products and inflaming the intestine wall. The diet works by starving out these bacteria and restoring the balance of bacteria in our gut. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is biologically correct because it is species appropriate. The allowed foods are mainly those that early man ate before agriculture began. The diet we evolved to eat over millions of years was predominantly one of meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, low-sugar fruits. Our modern diet including starches, grains, pasta, legumes, and breads has only been consumed for a mere 10,000 years. In the last hundred years the increase in complex sugars and chemical additives in the diet has led to a huge increase in health problems ranging from severe bowel disorders to obesity and brain function disorders. We have not adapted to eat this modern diet as there has not been enough time for natural selection to operate. It therefore makes sense to eat the diet we evolved with. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet was clinically tested for over 50 years by Dr Haas and biochemist Elaine Gottschall with convincing results. From feedback from the various lists and other information at least 75% of those who adhere rigidly to the diet gain significant improvement.

Is a special diet required for ulcerative colitis? There is no special diet appropriate for ulcerative colitis. Most patients do not require a restricted diet, however when the disease is very active and during acute phases, a bland diet low in fat, fibre and stimulating food is better tolerated. Every effort should be made to have a diet including each of the four main food groups - vegetables and fruits; breads and cereals; milks and dairy products; and protein foods. A good selection ensures adequate intake of carbohydrate, protein and fat together with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals needed to maintain good health. In exceptional circumstances patients may benefit from intravenous feeding. When nutritional deficiencies occur, management by temporary supplementation is appropriate. Common supplements needed include iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin B12 and folate. Large doses of vitamins are not effective and even cause harmful side effects. A few patients lack the enzyme to break down milk sugar (lactose) and in these cases a reduced milk product should be substituted. Does surgery have a place in the management of ulcerative colitis? Ulcerative colitis can be cured by surgery. Emergency surgery may be life saving in a very severe acute attack, for instance if the bowel has perforated or if major haemorrhage occurs. Planned surgery may be needed if medical treatment fails, to cure the disease. There are several operations available but none are perfect. The two important operations are: - proctocolectomy with ileostomy - proctocolectomy with an ileo-anal pouch Proctocolectomy entails removal of the whole of the large bowel. From here the two options are to provide an opening of the bowel onto the abdominal wall (ileostomy); or to reconstruct a reservoir from the lower end of the small bowel and reconstitute an opening at the anus using the valular muscles of the anus to give control of bowel emptying (ileo-anal pouch). The ileo-anal pouch is a two-stage operation and is becoming the favoured procedure under ideal conditions. Usually a reasonable bowel control is obtained, although some patients develop an inflammation of the pouch (pouchitis) that can be troublesome. Usually a longer period of adjustment is needed for this procedure than the ileostomy, but the long-term outcome is better for most patients. DIET FOR U/C, IBS, COLITIS OR CHRON'S DISEASE: The Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ (SCD™), has been used successfully by many people to treat the following: Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Chronic Diarrhea, candidiasis, and autism.