Re: Continued blood loss with UC on diet - how long is normal?

[Guest guest]

How did they determine you were allergic to mesalamine?  I've been really anemic since being on Pentasa.  I read to take folic acid but nobody ever mentioned allergic to it.

 

Welcome ;-)

 

Debbie 40 cd houston

 

Hello,This is my first post here, so sorry if this is too much detail, but I feel a little lost about what is happening and I dont' know how much information is helpful for anwering my questions. Thank to everyone who reads this!!

Here is a brief paragraph about my history. I had painful bloating/distention from 6 rounds of antibiotics in 8 months, then started bleeding after the last round in June 09, at which time I was diagnosed with UC. I tried various dietary changes and avoided medicine until December 09 when I had a blood transfusion and started prednazone and mesalamine. The prednazone didnt' seem to help that much and has caused lots of painful side effects, but mesalamine stopped the bleeding (at that point it was 8-12/day most with blood) and I was very anemic. Turns out I am allergic to mesalamine, so I went off of that in mid-January right after starting to eat only SCD legal foods. I was on allegra for the drug rash, but when I stopped that the bleeding returned in much smaller quantities. I continued to only go 3ish times/day, less urgency, minimal pain by comparison, and less bloating/gas.

(I had also been experiencing schizophrenic symptoms that increased gradually since the first round of antibiotics, which I had to mentally turn off, and which have subsided since the transfusion and introduction of the diet.)

I just restarted with the actual beginner's diet last week and did that for 5 days (turns out the DCCC I bought for it was not legal and contained sugar). I ate a bunch of bananas for a day, because I was getting really fatigued and headachy from almost no carbs for so long. Then I ate only legal cheese/chicken soup for most of the day to restart the diet and then added in squash and spinach, which seemed to settle with me okay.

I realized bananas are not so good for me in large quantities - they cause burning. And cheese might not be good at all (gassy, bloating), so I stopped both, and seem to be doing better today. Mostly formed stools! But still bleeding since mid-January.

I was wondering how long it takes people to get better from the bleeding? My gastroenterologist had not heard of the diet - but said I could give her info about it! - and wanted me start another drug, which would take a long time to work and has many side effects. I would like to avoid medications if possible. I am just now finishing my taper with prednazone, and it is literally hell coming off of it.

I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple years without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)

I guess one more question is, in your experience, is eating a lot of red meat (particularly beef) okay for a while in the beginning? That seems to settle best with me, and the fat in it satisfies really really bad fat cravings I've been having. Tried peanut butter once but I think that is too harsh.

Thanks to anyone who has any input on one (or all!) of my questions. I have a great naturopathic doctor, but I feel feedback from people going through this would be really helpful.Kat27 years old

Diagnosed UC June '09Meds: end of taper with prednazoneSCD foods only: Jan '10Restart at beginning of diet Feb. '10

[Guest guest]

Hi Kat

With being anemic in the past have you checked your thyroid?

Also you should look into this for your UC

http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/

The good thing about this is that it does not supress your immune system.

Sky

To: BTVC-SCD Sent: Fri, 19 February, 2010 1:59:45 PMSubject: Continued blood loss with UC on diet - how long is normal?

Hello,This is my first post here, so sorry if this is too much detail, but I feel a little lost about what is happening and I dont' know how much information is helpful for anwering my questions. Thank to everyone who reads this!!Here is a brief paragraph about my history. I had painful bloating/distention from 6 rounds of antibiotics in 8 months, then started bleeding after the last round in June 09, at which time I was diagnosed with UC. I tried various dietary changes and avoided medicine until December 09 when I had a blood transfusion and started prednazone and mesalamine. The prednazone didnt' seem to help that much and has caused lots of painful side effects, but mesalamine stopped the bleeding (at that point it was 8-12/day most with blood) and I was very anemic. Turns out I am allergic to mesalamine, so I went off of that in mid-January right after starting to eat only SCD legal foods. I was on allegra for the drug rash, but

when I stopped that the bleeding returned in much smaller quantities. I continued to only go 3ish times/day, less urgency, minimal pain by comparison, and less bloating/gas. (I had also been experiencing schizophrenic symptoms that increased gradually since the first round of antibiotics, which I had to mentally turn off, and which have subsided since the transfusion and introduction of the diet.)I just restarted with the actual beginner's diet last week and did that for 5 days (turns out the DCCC I bought for it was not legal and contained sugar). I ate a bunch of bananas for a day, because I was getting really fatigued and headachy from almost no carbs for so long. Then I ate only legal cheese/chicken soup for most of the day to restart the diet and then added in squash and spinach, which seemed to settle with me okay. I realized bananas are not so good for me in large quantities - they cause burning. And cheese might not be

good at all (gassy, bloating), so I stopped both, and seem to be doing better today. Mostly formed stools! But still bleeding since mid-January.I was wondering how long it takes people to get better from the bleeding? My gastroenterologist had not heard of the diet - but said I could give her info about it! - and wanted me start another drug, which would take a long time to work and has many side effects. I would like to avoid medications if possible. I am just now finishing my taper with prednazone, and it is literally hell coming off of it. I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple years

without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)I guess one more question is, in your experience, is eating a lot of red meat (particularly beef) okay for a while in the beginning? That seems to settle best with me, and the fat in it satisfies really really bad fat cravings I've been having. Tried peanut butter once but I think that is too harsh. Thanks to anyone who has any input on one (or all!) of my questions. I have a great naturopathic doctor, but I feel feedback from people going through this would be really helpful.Kat27 years oldDiagnosed UC June '09Meds: end of taper with prednazoneSCD foods only: Jan '10Restart at beginning of diet Feb. '10

[Guest guest]

Hi Kat

Sorry you've had such a rough year :/ but I'm glad you found SCD. It will help.

My son had to take a lot of steroids over the past few years and most of the current issues you describe sound like they could be from the prednisone. It's possible for some of it to be die-off or detox reactions as well, but my guess would be those awful steroids.

It sounds like you're very tuned-in to your body to know what's working for you and what's not. Congratulations! That's a big step. Steroids cause lots of cravings and I can understand why the red meat would be quite satisfying right now. Your cravings will probably balance out more after you're off the steroids.

I've never tried it myself, but several folks have recommended vitamin E enema's to help with UC and bleeding

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=67345

..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-Hope you're feeling better soon ¸.·´ .·´¨¨))((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:--:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

To: BTVC-SCD Sent: Thu, February 18, 2010 9:59:45 PMSubject: Continued blood loss with UC on diet - how long is normal?

Hello,This is my first post here, so sorry if this is too much detail, but I feel a little lost about what is happening and I dont' know how much information is helpful for anwering my questions. Thank to everyone who reads this!!Here is a brief paragraph about my history. I had painful bloating/distention from 6 rounds of antibiotics in 8 months, then started bleeding after the last round in June 09, at which time I was diagnosed with UC. I tried various dietary changes and avoided medicine until December 09 when I had a blood transfusion and started prednazone and mesalamine. The prednazone didnt' seem to help that much and has caused lots of painful side effects, but mesalamine stopped the bleeding (at that point it was 8-12/day most with blood) and I was very anemic. Turns out I am allergic to mesalamine, so I went off of that in mid-January right after starting to eat only SCD legal foods. I was on allegra for the drug rash, but

when I stopped that the bleeding returned in much smaller quantities. I continued to only go 3ish times/day, less urgency, minimal pain by comparison, and less bloating/gas. (I had also been experiencing schizophrenic symptoms that increased gradually since the first round of antibiotics, which I had to mentally turn off, and which have subsided since the transfusion and introduction of the diet.)I just restarted with the actual beginner's diet last week and did that for 5 days (turns out the DCCC I bought for it was not legal and contained sugar). I ate a bunch of bananas for a day, because I was getting really fatigued and headachy from almost no carbs for so long. Then I ate only legal cheese/chicken soup for most of the day to restart the diet and then added in squash and spinach, which seemed to settle with me okay. I realized bananas are not so good for me in large quantities - they cause burning. And cheese might not be

good at all (gassy, bloating), so I stopped both, and seem to be doing better today. Mostly formed stools! But still bleeding since mid-January.I was wondering how long it takes people to get better from the bleeding? My gastroenterologist had not heard of the diet - but said I could give her info about it! - and wanted me start another drug, which would take a long time to work and has many side effects. I would like to avoid medications if possible. I am just now finishing my taper with prednazone, and it is literally hell coming off of it. I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple years

without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)I guess one more question is, in your experience, is eating a lot of red meat (particularly beef) okay for a while in the beginning? That seems to settle best with me, and the fat in it satisfies really really bad fat cravings I've been having. Tried peanut butter once but I think that is too harsh. Thanks to anyone who has any input on one (or all!) of my questions. I have a great naturopathic doctor, but I feel feedback from people going through this would be really helpful.Kat27 years oldDiagnosed UC June '09Meds: end of taper with prednazoneSCD foods only: Jan '10Restart at beginning of diet Feb. '10

[Guest guest]

Hi Kat,

My addition/suggestion to other valuable comments would be to

eat “SCD” yogurt at least twice a day.

Best wishes.

Ozgur

From: BTVC-SCD

[mailto:BTVC-SCD ] On Behalf Of evenstrangerquark

Sent: Friday, February 19, 2010 6:00 AM

To: BTVC-SCD

Subject: Continued blood loss with UC on diet - how long is

normal?

Hello,

This is my first post here, so sorry if this is too much detail, but I feel a

little lost about what is happening and I dont' know how much information is

helpful for anwering my questions. Thank to everyone who reads this!!

Here is a brief paragraph about my history. I had painful bloating/distention

from 6 rounds of antibiotics in 8 months, then started bleeding after the last

round in June 09, at which time I was diagnosed with UC. I tried various

dietary changes and avoided medicine until December 09 when I had a blood

transfusion and started prednazone and mesalamine. The prednazone didnt' seem

to help that much and has caused lots of painful side effects, but mesalamine

stopped the bleeding (at that point it was 8-12/day most with blood) and I was

very anemic. Turns out I am allergic to mesalamine, so I went off of that in

mid-January right after starting to eat only SCD legal foods. I was on allegra

for the drug rash, but when I stopped that the bleeding returned in much smaller

quantities. I continued to only go 3ish times/day, less urgency, minimal pain

by comparison, and less bloating/gas.

(I had also been experiencing schizophrenic symptoms that increased gradually

since the first round of antibiotics, which I had to mentally turn off, and

which have subsided since the transfusion and introduction of the diet.)

I just restarted with the actual beginner's diet last week and did that for 5

days (turns out the DCCC I bought for it was not legal and contained sugar). I

ate a bunch of bananas for a day, because I was getting really fatigued and

headachy from almost no carbs for so long. Then I ate only legal cheese/chicken

soup for most of the day to restart the diet and then added in squash and

spinach, which seemed to settle with me okay.

I realized bananas are not so good for me in large quantities - they cause

burning. And cheese might not be good at all (gassy, bloating), so I stopped

both, and seem to be doing better today. Mostly formed stools! But still

bleeding since mid-January.

I was wondering how long it takes people to get better from the bleeding? My

gastroenterologist had not heard of the diet - but said I could give her info

about it! - and wanted me start another drug, which would take a long time to

work and has many side effects. I would like to avoid medications if possible.

I am just now finishing my taper with prednazone, and it is literally hell

coming off of it.

I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when

starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint

pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability

to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent

thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple

years without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I

just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by

starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)

I guess one more question is, in your experience, is eating a lot of red meat

(particularly beef) okay for a while in the beginning? That seems to settle

best with me, and the fat in it satisfies really really bad fat cravings I've

been having. Tried peanut butter once but I think that is too harsh.

Thanks to anyone who has any input on one (or all!) of my questions. I have a

great naturopathic doctor, but I feel feedback from people going through this

would be really helpful.

Kat

27 years old

Diagnosed UC June '09

Meds: end of taper with prednazone

SCD foods only: Jan '10

Restart at beginning of diet Feb. '10

Fethiye Mahallesi Havacılık Bulvarı No:17 06980 Kazan Ankara Türkiye Tel: (0312) 811 18 00 (pbx)Faks: (0312) 811 14 25 www.tai.com.tr "Bu mesaj ve ekleri mesajda gönderildiği belirtilen kişi ya da kişilere özel olup gizli bilgiler içeriyor olabilir. Mesajın muhatabı ilgilisi ya da gönderileni değilseniz lütfen mesajı herhangi bir şekilde kullanmayınız çoğaltmayınız ve başkalarına ifşa etmeyiniz. Eğer mesaj yanlışlıkla size ulaşmışsa anılan mesaj ve ekinde yer alan bilgileri gizli tutunuz ve mesajı gönderen kişiyi bilgilendirerek söz konusu mesaj ile eklerini derhal imha ediniz. Bu mesaj ve ekindeki belgelerin bilinen virüslere karşı kontrolü yapılmıştır. Ancak e-posta sistemlerinin taşıdığı risklerden dolayı şirketimiz bu mesajın ve içerdiği bilgilerin size değişikliğe uğrayarak veya geç ulaşmasından bütünlüğünün ve gizliliğinin korunamamasından virüs içermesinden ve herhangi bir sebeple bilgisayarınıza ve sisteminize verebileceği zararlardan sorumlu tutulamaz.Şirketimiz hakkında bilgi almak için lütfen web sitemizi ziyaret ediniz. (http://www.tai.com.tr)”Fethiye Mh. Havacilik Blv. No:17 06980 Kazan Ankara Turkey Tel: (90312) 811 18 00 (pbx)Fax: (90312) 811 14 25 www.tai.com.tr“This message together with its attachments is intended solely for the address(es) and may contain confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient please do not use copy or disclose the message for any purpose. Should you receive this message by mistake please keep all information contained in the message or its attachments strictly confidential and advise the sender and delete it immediately without retaining a copy. This message and its attachments have been swept by anti-virus systems for the presence of known viruses. However due to the risks of e-mail systems our company cannot accept liability for any changes or delay in receiving loss of integrity and confidentiality containing viruses and any damages caused in any way to your computer and system. To get information about our company please visit our web site. (http://www.tai.com.tr)”

[Guest guest]

Kat,My husband's bleeding went on for a very long time. I think it was well over a year to a year and a half with only brief periods of no bleeding mixed in. For some, it is one of the last things to go. Sounds like you are already making good progress. I would try introducing the yogurt soon. With all the anitbiotics and the prednisone for such long periods I think it is possible you have a yeast/Candida problem. It also sounds like you are having quite a bit of die-off. Take epsom salt baths (2 cups in a bath of warm water up to your navel) and soak for about 15 minutes. It will help with the detox. http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/health_benefits.htmHang in there, AmeliaHusband UC 9 years, SCD 20 monthsLDN 3 mgTo: BTVC-SCD Sent: Fri, February 19, 2010 3:59:45 AMSubject: Continued blood loss with UC on diet - how long is normal?

Hello,

This is my first post here, so sorry if this is too much detail, but I feel a little lost about what is happening and I dont' know how much information is helpful for anwering my questions. Thank to everyone who reads this!!

Here is a brief paragraph about my history. I had painful bloating/distention from 6 rounds of antibiotics in 8 months, then started bleeding after the last round in June 09, at which time I was diagnosed with UC. I tried various dietary changes and avoided medicine until December 09 when I had a blood transfusion and started prednazone and mesalamine. The prednazone didnt' seem to help that much and has caused lots of painful side effects, but mesalamine stopped the bleeding (at that point it was 8-12/day most with blood) and I was very anemic. Turns out I am allergic to mesalamine, so I went off of that in mid-January right after starting to eat only SCD legal foods. I was on allegra for the drug rash, but when I stopped that the bleeding returned in much smaller quantities. I continued to only go 3ish times/day, less urgency, minimal pain by comparison, and less bloating/gas.

(I had also been experiencing schizophrenic symptoms that increased gradually since the first round of antibiotics, which I had to mentally turn off, and which have subsided since the transfusion and introduction of the diet.)

I just restarted with the actual beginner's diet last week and did that for 5 days (turns out the DCCC I bought for it was not legal and contained sugar). I ate a bunch of bananas for a day, because I was getting really fatigued and headachy from almost no carbs for so long. Then I ate only legal cheese/chicken soup for most of the day to restart the diet and then added in squash and spinach, which seemed to settle with me okay.

I realized bananas are not so good for me in large quantities - they cause burning. And cheese might not be good at all (gassy, bloating), so I stopped both, and seem to be doing better today. Mostly formed stools! But still bleeding since mid-January.

I was wondering how long it takes people to get better from the bleeding? My gastroenterologist had not heard of the diet - but said I could give her info about it! - and wanted me start another drug, which would take a long time to work and has many side effects. I would like to avoid medications if possible. I am just now finishing my taper with prednazone, and it is literally hell coming off of it.

I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple years without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)

I guess one more question is, in your experience, is eating a lot of red meat (particularly beef) okay for a while in the beginning? That seems to settle best with me, and the fat in it satisfies really really bad fat cravings I've been having. Tried peanut butter once but I think that is too harsh.

Thanks to anyone who has any input on one (or all!) of my questions. I have a great naturopathic doctor, but I feel feedback from people going through this would be really helpful.

Kat

27 years old

Diagnosed UC June '09

Meds: end of taper with prednazone

SCD foods only: Jan '10

Restart at beginning of diet Feb. '10

[Guest guest]

Kat,

I can answer some prednisone questions . When you're on, and coming off of

prednisone, there's a huge slew of symptoms that you can potentially experience.

How intense the side effects often depends on how much you were taking at any

one time. I found that if I weened more slowly off of the drug, the side

effects weren't as bad....but then again, I was on it for 11 years so I got

pretty used to the symptoms. At the higher doses I experienced pretty much

everything you listed:

joint pain and head aches - because your body is retaining water in the joints

and cheeks. It also lowers your bone density so be sure to have that checked

and that you're getting enough calcium.

anger/violent thoughts - I nearly stabbed someone with a pencil, I kid you not.

depression - I was never going to kill myself but there were some thoughts in

that general area.

fatigue - though I think it was more related to how sick I'd been. I did have

trouble getting upstairs (which was inconvenient as my room was upstairs) but I

think that was less fatigue and more related to the steroid's effect on my

joints.

Insomnia - like you wouldn't believe!

Feverish/night sweats - seriously...it sucks to wake up drenched in sweat,

doesn't it?

Weight gain/Moon Face/Buffalo Hump - from the water retention...who comes UP

with these horrible names?

Constantly hungry - because clearly my body wants to gain MORE weight /sarcasm

Inability to concentrate - it made high school extraordinarily difficult. I

even had the added issue of falling asleep when trying to do homework.

Diluted sense of taste - everything was so bland until I started weening off it.

Lovely scars running all over my body from where my skin was stretched too much.

Loose skin that won't go away because my skin just stretched too much.

Memory loss - my memory isn't half of what it used to be now.

Mainly I experienced all that stuff when I was on the higher doses (above 20 mgs

at least). It wasn't fun at all. And when I switched from IV steriods to oral

I went through a 3 day period of excruciating pain in my knees. However, it did

help me get better. I'm surprised you thought the asacol was doing something

when the prednisone wasn't since it's always helped me. Asacol has always been

a maintenance drug. Ah well . Anyway, it sucks but it IS temporary (well,

okay for me the scars & skin stuff wasn't but everything else was!).

I'm *almost* glad that I went through it only because I'm now significantly more

in-tune with my body/mind. I'm better able to tell if my mood is being affected

by hunger or meds or another outside influence and I'm able to be sure that I'm

not going to snap at someone who doesn't deserve it. I don't know if you're

experiencing die off or not but it sounds like it's just the side effects of the

drug (from what I've experienced anyway). I just hope that they're not weening

you too quickly. Every time I got off too soon I'd just flare up again.

Hehe....but then again it took 11 years, SCD and switching to Lialda before I

was finally able to ween off completely.

The side effects are horrible, they'll make you feel crazy. But they are

temporary. You're doing an amazing thing by being on the diet while on the meds

and I hope that you get off them soon and feel drastically better!

Stacey

> I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when

starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint

pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability

to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent

thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple

years without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I

just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by

starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)

>

[Guest guest]

Amelia,

Thanks for the info about your husband. It is good to know I am not alone, and

that even if I keep bleeding for a while, I may still be healing, just taking

time.

Does the yogurt help with candiditis? I'm pretty sure I had it since I had

thrush after starting prednisone, and I suspected I had it years ago but no one

would diagnose it.

I did start the epsom salt baths, and they do help I think! Aches and pains are

reduced a lot! It is wonderful to be able to lay down comfortably for the first

time in a long time. The violent thoughts and inability to focus, etc. is all

getting better (except certain times of day! I get really angry for a couple

hours and then it's okay again).

Thanks so much for your help.

Kat

>

> Kat,

>

> My husband's bleeding went on for a very long time. I think it was well over

a year to a year and a half with only brief periods of no bleeding mixed in.

For some, it is one of the last things to go. Sounds like you are already

making good progress. I would try introducing the yogurt soon. With all the

anitbiotics and the prednisone for such long periods I think it is possible you

have a yeast/Candida problem. It also sounds like you are having quite a bit of

die-off. Take epsom salt baths (2 cups in a bath of warm water up to your

navel) and soak for about 15 minutes. It will help with the detox.

http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/health_benefits.htm

>

> Hang in there,

>

> Amelia

> Husband UC 9 years, SCD 20 months

> LDN 3 mg

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> To: BTVC-SCD

> Sent: Fri, February 19, 2010 3:59:45 AM

> Subject: Continued blood loss with UC on diet - how long is normal?

>

>

> Hello,

>

> This is my first post here, so sorry if this is too much detail, but I feel a

little lost about what is happening and I dont' know how much information is

helpful for anwering my questions. Thank to everyone who reads this!!

>

> Here is a brief paragraph about my history. I had painful bloating/distention

from 6 rounds of antibiotics in 8 months, then started bleeding after the last

round in June 09, at which time I was diagnosed with UC. I tried various dietary

changes and avoided medicine until December 09 when I had a blood transfusion

and started prednazone and mesalamine. The prednazone didnt' seem to help that

much and has caused lots of painful side effects, but mesalamine stopped the

bleeding (at that point it was 8-12/day most with blood) and I was very anemic.

Turns out I am allergic to mesalamine, so I went off of that in mid-January

right after starting to eat only SCD legal foods. I was on allegra for the drug

rash, but when I stopped that the bleeding returned in much smaller quantities.

I continued to only go 3ish times/day, less urgency, minimal pain by comparison,

and less bloating/gas.

>

> (I had also been experiencing schizophrenic symptoms that increased gradually

since the first round of antibiotics, which I had to mentally turn off, and

which have subsided since the transfusion and introduction of the diet.)

>

> I just restarted with the actual beginner's diet last week and did that for 5

days (turns out the DCCC I bought for it was not legal and contained sugar). I

ate a bunch of bananas for a day, because I was getting really fatigued and

headachy from almost no carbs for so long. Then I ate only legal cheese/chicken

soup for most of the day to restart the diet and then added in squash and

spinach, which seemed to settle with me okay.

>

> I realized bananas are not so good for me in large quantities - they cause

burning. And cheese might not be good at all (gassy, bloating), so I stopped

both, and seem to be doing better today. Mostly formed stools! But still

bleeding since mid-January.

>

> I was wondering how long it takes people to get better from the bleeding? My

gastroenterologist had not heard of the diet - but said I could give her info

about it! - and wanted me start another drug, which would take a long time to

work and has many side effects. I would like to avoid medications if possible. I

am just now finishing my taper with prednazone, and it is literally hell coming

off of it.

>

> I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when

starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint

pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability

to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent

thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple

years without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I

just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by

starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)

>

> I guess one more question is, in your experience, is eating a lot of red meat

(particularly beef) okay for a while in the beginning? That seems to settle best

with me, and the fat in it satisfies really really bad fat cravings I've been

having. Tried peanut butter once but I think that is too harsh.

>

> Thanks to anyone who has any input on one (or all!) of my questions. I have a

great naturopathic doctor, but I feel feedback from people going through this

would be really helpful.

>

> Kat

>

> 27 years old

>

> Diagnosed UC June '09

>

> Meds: end of taper with prednazone

>

> SCD foods only: Jan '10

> Restart at beginning of diet Feb. '10

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thanks. Yeah, I'm taking rhodiola to help my body adapt to making more cortisol,

and I have energy again during the day and I am experiencing less of the weird

die-off/prednisone withdrawal symptoms. Glad to know the cravings will go down

too! Lately I keep thinking about sugary things, which I know are forbidden. It

does get easier. I started taking epsom salt baths and those help I think. Plus

time.

Kat

>

> Hi Kat

> Sorry you've had such a rough year :/ but I'm glad you found SCD.  It will

help.

>

> My son had to take a lot of steroids over the past few years and most of the

current issues you describe sound like they could be from the prednisone. 

It's possible for some of it to be die-off or detox reactions as well, but my

guess would be those awful steroids. 

>

> It sounds like you're very tuned-in to your body to know what's working for

you and what's not. Congratulations!  That's a big step.  Steroids cause lots

of cravings and I can understand why the red meat would be quite satisfying

right now.  Your cravings will probably balance out more after you're off the

steroids.   

>

> I've never tried it myself, but several folks have recommended vitamin E

enema's to help with UC and bleeding

> http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=67345

> ..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-Hope you're feeling better soon

> ¸.·´ .·´¨¨))

> ((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:-

> -:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> To: BTVC-SCD

> Sent: Thu, February 18, 2010 9:59:45 PM

> Subject: Continued blood loss with UC on diet - how long is normal?

>

>  

> Hello,

>

> This is my first post here, so sorry if this is too much detail, but I feel a

little lost about what is happening and I dont' know how much information is

helpful for anwering my questions. Thank to everyone who reads this!!

>

> Here is a brief paragraph about my history. I had painful bloating/distention

from 6 rounds of antibiotics in 8 months, then started bleeding after the last

round in June 09, at which time I was diagnosed with UC. I tried various dietary

changes and avoided medicine until December 09 when I had a blood transfusion

and started prednazone and mesalamine. The prednazone didnt' seem to help that

much and has caused lots of painful side effects, but mesalamine stopped the

bleeding (at that point it was 8-12/day most with blood) and I was very anemic.

Turns out I am allergic to mesalamine, so I went off of that in mid-January

right after starting to eat only SCD legal foods. I was on allegra for the drug

rash, but when I stopped that the bleeding returned in much smaller quantities.

I continued to only go 3ish times/day, less urgency, minimal pain by comparison,

and less bloating/gas.

>

> (I had also been experiencing schizophrenic symptoms that increased gradually

since the first round of antibiotics, which I had to mentally turn off, and

which have subsided since the transfusion and introduction of the diet.)

>

> I just restarted with the actual beginner's diet last week and did that for 5

days (turns out the DCCC I bought for it was not legal and contained sugar). I

ate a bunch of bananas for a day, because I was getting really fatigued and

headachy from almost no carbs for so long. Then I ate only legal cheese/chicken

soup for most of the day to restart the diet and then added in squash and

spinach, which seemed to settle with me okay.

>

> I realized bananas are not so good for me in large quantities - they cause

burning. And cheese might not be good at all (gassy, bloating), so I stopped

both, and seem to be doing better today. Mostly formed stools! But still

bleeding since mid-January.

>

> I was wondering how long it takes people to get better from the bleeding? My

gastroenterologist had not heard of the diet - but said I could give her info

about it! - and wanted me start another drug, which would take a long time to

work and has many side effects. I would like to avoid medications if possible. I

am just now finishing my taper with prednazone, and it is literally hell coming

off of it.

>

> I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when

starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint

pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability

to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent

thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple

years without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I

just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by

starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)

>

> I guess one more question is, in your experience, is eating a lot of red meat

(particularly beef) okay for a while in the beginning? That seems to settle best

with me, and the fat in it satisfies really really bad fat cravings I've been

having. Tried peanut butter once but I think that is too harsh.

>

> Thanks to anyone who has any input on one (or all!) of my questions. I have a

great naturopathic doctor, but I feel feedback from people going through this

would be really helpful.

>

> Kat

>

> 27 years old

>

> Diagnosed UC June '09

>

> Meds: end of taper with prednazone

>

> SCD foods only: Jan '10

> Restart at beginning of diet Feb. '10

>

[Guest guest]

Stacie,

Thanks for so much information. I am concerned that I was coming off too quickly

but my naturopath said I was handling it well and that the sooner the better.

However, since my bleeding seems to be getting worse again lately (I'm done as

of today with prednisone having started at 40mg/daily orally), I am concerned

that I'll just have to get on another med or back on prednisone again. My

gastroenterologist warned me that coming down might cause another flair, but the

next available med didn' sound too promising. It was mesalamine I was allergic

to, not asacol. I'm not familiar with that one.

I do feel I am much more tuned into what is motivating my behavior and feelings

now, but I just want this to be done! I have had several years of different

autoimmune disorders and feel like I lost my '20s to them, so I want to get

better! But yes, going through this is a tremendous source of knowledge about

myself and human strength, and how to accept help from others, and what my

priorities in life are (living coming first!).

Thanks for all the info about being on/coming off prednisone. I totally believe

you almost stabbed someone with a pencil. I have been close!

Kat

> > I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when

starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint

pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability

to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent

thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple

years without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I

just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by

starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)

> >

>

[Guest guest]

At 02:02 PM 2/20/2010, you wrote:

If you're not absorbing

nutrition you may have to double up on doses of iron and other vitamins

like B (and a little bit of C, although it is acidic) in order to absorb

the iron better.

Iron supplements can be bad news when one has gut issues -- it feeds the

bad bacteria. Some people go with infusions to by-pass the gut, others

manage with cooking in cast iron, with liver (bleh!), and with green

smoothies.

Interestingly, added C, is tolerated, can help tissues heal.

I use quercetin, myself, for allergies and other inflammation issues.

Bromelain, derived from pineapple, is a digestive aid when taken with

food, and an anti-inflammatory when taken on an empty stomach.

—

Marilyn

New

Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

[Guest guest]

> Hi ,

>

> Thanks. Yeah, I'm taking rhodiola to help my body adapt to making more

cortisol, and I have energy again during the day and I am experiencing less of

the weird die-off/prednisone withdrawal symptoms. Glad to know the cravings will

go down too! Lately I keep thinking about sugary things, which I know are

forbidden.

That's just the bacteria/yeast pinging your brain to feed them by reminding

you of sugar. That's their survival mechanism. They're manipulative little

buggers.

The gut and brain are attached by more neural pathways than

any other parts of the body - and IME, our little friends have learned to take

advantage of that.

Mara

[Guest guest]

> Hi Kat>> Sorry to say but that is just plain wrong naturopath said about > prednisone. Prednisone does not affect thyroid. Yes, it does/can. Even my GP told me that. All steroids can affect the thyroid. Prolonged use shuts down your adrenal glands, which in turn effects your thyroid.Please read this: >When there isn't enough thyroid hormone, the body reacts in many different ways. Higher TSH levels and hair loss are some of the signs of a low thyroid hormone. TSH is the signal for the thyroid >to release the thyroid hormone. In hypothyroidism there is only a small amount thyroid hormone to release. The body wants more thyroid hormone, so it releases lots of TSH in an effort to get >enough thyroid hormone. >>Prednisone or other corticosteroids can sometimes cause hypothyroidism or make it worse. There are a couple different ways that prednisone does this. First, normal doses of prednisone can stop >TSH secretion, leading to less thyroid hormone in the body. Second, the thyroid hormone comes in two forms. The less active form is released from the thyroid. It is then converted in the body to >the more active form. High doses of prednisone can slow the conversion of the hormone to the more active form. Both of these could result in hair loss or other symptoms that look like >hypothyroidism. >The hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism can also affect prednisone. People with hyperthyroidism may need to increase the dose of prednisone, while people with hypothyroidism may not need as >big of a dose. >>There are several medications that are normally used to treat people with hypothyroidism. Any questions about supplementing the thyroid hormone should be addressed with a doctor or >pharmacist. Endocrinologists specialize in problems with the thyroid, but many primary care physicians can help with this problem as well. >>Submitted by Kathleen , PharmD Candidate>The Ohio State University College of PharmacyAnd this from a study with dogs: >The short-term effects of prednisone and phenobarbital on serum total thyroxine (tT4), free thyroxine (fT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were evaluated in euthyroid dogs. Twenty-six >beagles were randomly divided into 3 groups receiving, respectively, a placebo, prednisone (1.2 to 2 mg/kg body weight, per os, every 12 hours for 3 weeks), or phenobarbital (1.8 to 3 mg/kg body >weight for 1 week, then 2.7 to 4.5 mg/kg body weight, per os, every 12 hours for 2 weeks). Blood samples taken over a 6-week period were assayed for serum tT4, fT4, and TSH. Phenobarbital >therapy in our study did not affect serum tT4, fT4, or TSH concentrations. Prednisone therapy, however, significantly decreased serum tT4 and fT4, but did not affect serum TSH concentrations.n-- Now available. A fine gift for cat lovers:Confessions of a Cataholic: My Life With the 10 Cats Who Caused My Addictionby n Van Tilwww.wordpowerpublishing.com ; signed copies; free shipping in U.S., reduced shipping elsewhere

[Guest guest]

Kat -

Asacol is just a brand name for Mesalamine so you'd be allergic to it too. I

think people who have problems with Asacol(mesalamine) often turn to asulfadine

to help with their UC/CD. I think most people say that they have better luck on

that drug. I didn't; it worked for a while and then I got worse.

With the prednisone, I almost always had to start out at 60 mgs if I got sick

because anything less and my body...oh, I don't know...it just kind of adjusted

to that dose so that I would get the side effects but not the healing benefits.

I was on all sorts of varying doses for 11 years. I think a fair amount of that

time I was just kept on 2.5 mgs which is a really small dose and I didn't have

any of the side effects at that level. Unfortunately every time they tried to

get me off, I'd just flare again....and I'd flare if I was being dropped too

quickly. I think there's a balance that everyone needs to find in terms of how

long you're on the steroid. Obviously it's best to get off it as quick as

possible but you have to be really careful that you're not coming off too

quickly and then flaring right back up again.

I completely understand wanting to be off it and wanting your life back. I

started on it when I was 16 and my body changed so dramatically in such a short

period of time that I'm still very self conscious. No one was particularly

unkind to me about it but I was stared at all the time and there were so many

other issues with UC that I've never really completely overcome. It's part of

why I like groups like this because people outside of the experience just don't

get it (not that I would want anyone else to have to go through this!).

I'm glad to hear that you're learning how to accept help. I'm constantly having

to relearn that lesson. I push myself, whether it's UC related or injury

related. I push my body occasionally too much and being able to sit back and

say " okay. I need to slow down and rest because that's what will help me get

better in the long run " is a really important lesson to learn.

Stacey

> > > I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when

starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint

pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability

to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent

thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple

years without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I

just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by

starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

> Sorry to say but that is just plain wrong naturopath said about prednisone.

Prednisone does not affect thyroid.

I can't find the original post from what the naturopath said... but maybe s/he

was thinking of the adrenal/thyroid connection? Prednisone does affect the

adrenal glands... when you taper down to 5mg of prednisone, you have to be sure

that your adrenal glands are producing natural cortisol because the prednisone

is no longer are providing enough corticosteroid to keep your body functioning

properly. Just a thought.

-Joanna

SCD 9/2009, Crohn's 1992

[Guest guest]

Thanks everyone for sharing your symptom lists. It makes me feel okay!

I experienced more of these when I was on high doses as opposed to coming off,

but yeah, same things. Good to know about the stomach muscle relaxing thing! I

was sooo hungry and of course I had lost 20 lbs in a few months because of not

being able to eat/absorb food, so I thought the appetite was a good thing!

Except that instead of eating the mostly veggie diet I had been, I started

eating tons of carbs, grains, milk products, rich sauces etc....very very poor

impulse control! I think I was in better shape gut-ecology-wise before rather

than after the prednisone. Oh well. It helped stop the flair probably.

My docs are keeping me on 5mg for now to see if my flair stops again and taking

me off iron for a couple days, since people keep saying that iron suppliments

are NOT good for people with UC. We will see if this helps!

Kat

>

> > Kat,

> > I can answer some prednisone questions . When you're on, and coming off

of prednisone, there's a huge slew of symptoms that you can potentially

experience. How intense the side effects often depends on how much you were

taking at any one time. I found that if I weened more slowly off of the drug,

the side effects weren't as bad....but then again, I was on it for 11 years so I

got pretty used to the symptoms. At the higher doses I experienced pretty much

everything you listed:

> >

> > joint pain and head aches - because your body is retaining water in the

joints and cheeks. It also lowers your bone density so be sure to have that

checked and that you're getting enough calcium.

> > anger/violent thoughts - I nearly stabbed someone with a pencil, I kid you

not.

> > depression - I was never going to kill myself but there were some thoughts

in that general area.

> > fatigue - though I think it was more related to how sick I'd been. I did

have trouble getting upstairs (which was inconvenient as my room was upstairs)

but I think that was less fatigue and more related to the steroid's effect on my

joints.

> > Insomnia - like you wouldn't believe!

>

> nightly benadryls - otherwise impossible to sleep.

>

> > Feverish/night sweats - seriously...it sucks to wake up drenched in sweat,

doesn't it?

>

> I had that, too.

>

> > Weight gain/Moon Face/Buffalo Hump - from the water retention...who comes UP

with these horrible names?

>

> yep to weight gain - and that was only in 3 weeks. And beginning of puffy,

scary face.

>

> > Constantly hungry - because clearly my body wants to gain MORE weight

/sarcasm

>

> Also, my muscles all over were more pliant - which meant that my stomach was

too, which

> meant, not only constant hunger, but I could eat way more, too, because normal

limits

> of feeling full did not apply - lovely!

>

> > Inability to concentrate - it made high school extraordinarily difficult. I

even had the added issue of falling asleep when trying to do homework.

>

> yep - and sometimes I felt like I was sitting in the middle of a whirlwind -

trying to be the still center.

> But it is all this swirling energy that is not really useful for anything

(except eating, heh!) because

> it is so hard to direct or channel.

>

>

> > Diluted sense of taste - everything was so bland until I started weening off

it.

>

> yeah - everything tasted wrong until I started on the lower dose. That was

another

> reason you wanted to eat, to see if anything could taste right.

>

> Also, balance was all wrong, which made doing things like inversions in yoga

rather

> an adventure. Although doing yoga was probably the thing that kept me sanest.

>

> Very poor impulse control.

>

> Mara

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks lin - yeah I am hearing from others not to take the iron suppliments

as well. I got worse these last few days, so I am off the iron suppliments for

now and back on prednisone 5mg/daily. I will check into bromelain. I have been

eating red meat every day - no liver yet, but that will come next! There is a

fair amount of C in the multivitamins I'm taking too, so I have that covered.

Kat

>

> Iron supplements can be bad news when one has gut

> issues -- it feeds the bad bacteria. Some people

> go with infusions to by-pass the gut, others

> manage with cooking in cast iron, with liver (bleh!), and with green

smoothies.

>

> Interestingly, added C, is tolerated, can help tissues heal.

>

> I use quercetin, myself, for allergies and other

> inflammation issues. Bromelain, derived from

> pineapple, is a digestive aid when taken with

> food, and an anti-inflammatory when taken on an empty stomach.

>

>

> — Marilyn

> New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

> Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

> Darn Good SCD Cook

> No Human Children

> Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kat - I'm very behind on reading all the updates…if it makes you feel any

better, I've been wondering the same thing. Diagnosed w/ UC end of Sept. '09,

discovered I'm allergic to all Tier 1 drugs, next step is Prednisone which I am

refusing to take. I've been trying SCD since end of Nov. '09 and while it has

definitely made life manageable I am still struggling and can not get beyond

certain foods. Beef seems to work best for me too, but I try to limit the

amount I eat. I'm also taking VSL3 (which is SCD illegal) but that seems to

have helped here & there. It seems like one wrong step with food for me and I

get set way back with lots of bleeding. Can't seem to get beyond protein (beef,

poultry, eggs), butternut squash, bananas & carrots. I eat a bunch of chicken

broth and seem to be making it every 2-3 days. Can't do the yogurt for a while,

trying to see what effects dairy has on me. I go between 3-5 a day, first few

are always very bloody. I can not speak to the erratic emotions, as I have not

experienced those (could be the drugs). I am working with a hollistic nurse and

if she were geographically closer I would be in her office more frequently.

So I know this doesn't help, but at least you know there is someone else out

there struggling.

-

>

> Hello,

>

> This is my first post here, so sorry if this is too much detail, but I feel a

little lost about what is happening and I dont' know how much information is

helpful for anwering my questions. Thank to everyone who reads this!!

>

> Here is a brief paragraph about my history. I had painful bloating/distention

from 6 rounds of antibiotics in 8 months, then started bleeding after the last

round in June 09, at which time I was diagnosed with UC. I tried various dietary

changes and avoided medicine until December 09 when I had a blood transfusion

and started prednazone and mesalamine. The prednazone didnt' seem to help that

much and has caused lots of painful side effects, but mesalamine stopped the

bleeding (at that point it was 8-12/day most with blood) and I was very anemic.

Turns out I am allergic to mesalamine, so I went off of that in mid-January

right after starting to eat only SCD legal foods. I was on allegra for the drug

rash, but when I stopped that the bleeding returned in much smaller quantities.

I continued to only go 3ish times/day, less urgency, minimal pain by comparison,

and less bloating/gas.

>

> (I had also been experiencing schizophrenic symptoms that increased gradually

since the first round of antibiotics, which I had to mentally turn off, and

which have subsided since the transfusion and introduction of the diet.)

>

> I just restarted with the actual beginner's diet last week and did that for 5

days (turns out the DCCC I bought for it was not legal and contained sugar). I

ate a bunch of bananas for a day, because I was getting really fatigued and

headachy from almost no carbs for so long. Then I ate only legal cheese/chicken

soup for most of the day to restart the diet and then added in squash and

spinach, which seemed to settle with me okay.

>

> I realized bananas are not so good for me in large quantities - they cause

burning. And cheese might not be good at all (gassy, bloating), so I stopped

both, and seem to be doing better today. Mostly formed stools! But still

bleeding since mid-January.

>

> I was wondering how long it takes people to get better from the bleeding? My

gastroenterologist had not heard of the diet - but said I could give her info

about it! - and wanted me start another drug, which would take a long time to

work and has many side effects. I would like to avoid medications if possible. I

am just now finishing my taper with prednazone, and it is literally hell coming

off of it.

>

> I guess another question I have for people is, what do you experience when

starting the diet and/or coming down from prednisone? I have had aches, joint

pain, headaches, anger, fits of crying that last up to half-an-hour, inability

to concentrate, fatigue (hard to walk up stairs), difficulty sleeping, violent

thoughts, feeling feverish, and my planterfaciitis has come back after a couple

years without it (thanks to yoga!). If all this is normal, then that's great. I

just feel at a loss about what is happening to me. (I read that detoxing by

starving out bacteria can cause some of this....but it feels very extreme!)

>

> I guess one more question is, in your experience, is eating a lot of red meat

(particularly beef) okay for a while in the beginning? That seems to settle best

with me, and the fat in it satisfies really really bad fat cravings I've been

having. Tried peanut butter once but I think that is too harsh.

>

> Thanks to anyone who has any input on one (or all!) of my questions. I have a

great naturopathic doctor, but I feel feedback from people going through this

would be really helpful.

>

> Kat

>

> 27 years old

>

> Diagnosed UC June '09

>

> Meds: end of taper with prednazone

>

> SCD foods only: Jan '10

> Restart at beginning of diet Feb. '10

>

[Guest guest]

I am on SCD since July 2009, and for IBS, not US. I don't ever have

bleeding (except the rare hemmorhoid). Even so, I didn't really

start being able to add foods until about three weeks ago. I had

chicken/turkey, salad, most fruits, broth, almond butter. But

rather suddenly a few weeks ago I have been able to add more veggies

(hurrah, I love veggies!), I THINK egg is OK, ghee/butter. Maybe some

beef. I wouldn't dare try yoghurt yet. Anyhow, mucho sympathy

for continued bleeding but I don't think it's indicative that nothing

will work just because you can't add more foods for quite awhile.

Some people can from what I read, some of us just take longer.

Hi Kat - I'm very behind on reading all the updates…if it makes you

feel any better, I've been wondering the same thing. Diagnosed w/ UC end

of Sept. '09, discovered I'm allergic to all Tier 1 drugs, next step is

Prednisone which I am refusing to take. I've been trying SCD since end of

Nov. '09 and while it has definitely made life manageable I am still

struggling and can not get beyond certain foods. Beef seems to work best

for me too, but I try to limit the amount I eat. I'm also taking VSL3

(which is SCD illegal) but that seems to have helped here & there. It

seems like one wrong step with food for me and I get set way back with

lots of bleeding. Can't seem to get beyond protein (beef, poultry, eggs),

butternut squash, bananas & carrots. I eat a bunch of chicken broth

and seem to be making it every 2-3 days. Can't do the yogurt for a while,

trying to see what effects dairy has on me. I go between 3-5 a day, first

few are always very bloody. I can not speak to the erratic emotions, as I

have not experienced those (could be the drugs). I am working with a

hollistic nurse and if she were geographically closer I would be in her

office more frequently.

So I know this doesn't help, but at least you know there is someone

else out there struggling.

-