i have ulcertaive colitis…?
and i was wondering if anyone had this and had any tips on dealing with the pain
here are my symptons my doctor said its different for everyone but this is just to much pain for me
1.loss of blood from using the bathroom so much
2.4-6 bouts of diareah a day
3. horrible abdominal pains
4. even worse stomache cramps
now i will explain exactly what is wrong with me
ulcertive coloitis is ulcers on my colon i have them on my ascending and descending or something i faint alot because of the blood loss and im going to be taking iron pills very shortly i also take an enema every night to heal the ulcers that are in the lower part sof my colon which is way nasty ok im done complaing how do people eat when they have this i.e. tips on a good nutrious diet ways to stop myself from fainting and how to stop or control the pain while im at school or at work or meetings and also how to relieve the stomache cramps that are so painful
any help will be appreciated as long as its legit
thanks
If you are not on medication currently, I would see a gastroenterologist about prescribing something for your UC, because 4 to 6 loose stools a day is a bit more than I would expect to see for someone as baseline. If your GI told you this was as good as it could get (before exhausting all of your medicinal options), you might want to look into finding a GI who specifically specializes in inflammatory bowel diseases.
Both the pain and the loose stools can be reduced by cutting back on stimulants and foods that are the most difficult to digest. The following are foods/drink that are most often problematic:
-Alcoholic drinks
-Caffeinated food/drinks (coffee, tea, colas, chocolate)
-Popcorn
-Starchy raw fruits and vegetables, particularly those that are stringy (celery, lettuce, cucumbers are the types of things I find patients have the most problem with)
-Popcorn
-Nuts
-Really processed or glutenous bread products (too much white bread, and most notoriously matzoh or crackers). They are like glue in the bowel.
Additionally, you might want to *try* separately eliminating lactose or gluten, b/c lactose or gluten intolerance can be masked by your other symptoms, and thus not diagnosed in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.
Also, chew ALL foods really thoroughly, especially anything that falls into one of the earlier categories (like if you can't help but eat nuts), chew the heck out of them.
Some of my patients find it helpful to eat smaller, more frequent meals and/or keep from eating too close to bed time (if abdominal pain is a greater problem for you at night when you are trying to fall asleep).
Good news: the iron supplements can be constipating, which might be a welcome side effect for you.
You can try adding probiotics, either in food or as a prescribed supplement to ease digestion (lessen cramps) and stool looseness.
Make sure you are getting enough fluids. Although it can mean more stools per day, it might reduce the cramping.
Warm baths can ease bowel pain by relaxing the muscles. Some of my patients claim this reduces urgency, so maybe taking one before school/work, and/or trying a heating pad on your abdomen at work might do something for you.
Of course, each person's experience is different, so I strongly encourage you to find forums for UC (and try suggestions for Crohn's disease, too) to get other people's suggestions…something may work for only two people, but if you're one of the two, you'll be glad you tried it!
December 27th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
My daughter is to be tested for Crohn's in a few days and it has been suggested that we start having her take 1 tsp per day of Mannapol. It is freeze dried aloe vera and said to be a cure-all for many auto immune disorders such as crohn's, colitis, IBS…Please research this …perhaps it will help you. My brother takes an alternative herbl supplement - for HORSES, yes HORSES. He is has improved 95% in the last year and no longer on any prescription medication. He went from being considered by the MAYO Clinic as one of the worst cases and no help available to working again, walking, running, swimming, etc and best of all driving long periods of time without having to pull over to the side of the road to relieve himself. email me if needed …I can give you the website info or whatever….My daughter now may have it and depending on the results of the tests, we willl start the supplement too! Best of luck to you. My brother does not take the mannapol but I have emailed him the info to check out too!
References :
Family history….
December 27th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
go to http://www.webmd.com/ and research it.
References :
December 28th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
If you are not on medication currently, I would see a gastroenterologist about prescribing something for your UC, because 4 to 6 loose stools a day is a bit more than I would expect to see for someone as baseline. If your GI told you this was as good as it could get (before exhausting all of your medicinal options), you might want to look into finding a GI who specifically specializes in inflammatory bowel diseases.
Both the pain and the loose stools can be reduced by cutting back on stimulants and foods that are the most difficult to digest. The following are foods/drink that are most often problematic:
-Alcoholic drinks
-Caffeinated food/drinks (coffee, tea, colas, chocolate)
-Popcorn
-Starchy raw fruits and vegetables, particularly those that are stringy (celery, lettuce, cucumbers are the types of things I find patients have the most problem with)
-Popcorn
-Nuts
-Really processed or glutenous bread products (too much white bread, and most notoriously matzoh or crackers). They are like glue in the bowel.
Additionally, you might want to *try* separately eliminating lactose or gluten, b/c lactose or gluten intolerance can be masked by your other symptoms, and thus not diagnosed in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.
Also, chew ALL foods really thoroughly, especially anything that falls into one of the earlier categories (like if you can't help but eat nuts), chew the heck out of them.
Some of my patients find it helpful to eat smaller, more frequent meals and/or keep from eating too close to bed time (if abdominal pain is a greater problem for you at night when you are trying to fall asleep).
Good news: the iron supplements can be constipating, which might be a welcome side effect for you.
You can try adding probiotics, either in food or as a prescribed supplement to ease digestion (lessen cramps) and stool looseness.
Make sure you are getting enough fluids. Although it can mean more stools per day, it might reduce the cramping.
Warm baths can ease bowel pain by relaxing the muscles. Some of my patients claim this reduces urgency, so maybe taking one before school/work, and/or trying a heating pad on your abdomen at work might do something for you.
Of course, each person's experience is different, so I strongly encourage you to find forums for UC (and try suggestions for Crohn's disease, too) to get other people's suggestions…something may work for only two people, but if you're one of the two, you'll be glad you tried it!
References :
work in IBD research