26th March 2008
Thank you for your prompt (and thorough) reply CandyKiss! Truth be told... I thought I was quite young for my diagnosis... but you have me beat by 2 years!
Perhaps I wasn't clear in my initial post. I have in fact tried both oral and rectal medications, as well as varying combinations (Asacol, Lialda, Rowasa, Canasa and Cort-enemas) to no avail and certainly no remission. The only medication I haven't tried yet is Prednisone. Your testimony has made me second-guess my stubbornness, however.
It also seems like you have found a root-cause for your UC (drug abuse)... I am still scratching my head on that one. My dad and grandfather (dad's side) both had polyps and that same grandfather was just diagnosed with Colitis... so I guess there's my excuse. Thanks, Dad!
I wouldn't be so quick to say that foods cannot aggravate UC/UP symptoms, however, even if leading research does not support this. Prior to my diagnosis, I could eat anything and everything care-free. Don't be fooled: I am very slim, having the advantage of a fast metabolism, and have always been very health-conscious.
Now, post-diagnosis, all foods that I'm apparently "allergic" to cannot be consumed without a revolt from my bowels EVERY time. This simply cannot be a coincidence.
Think about it: we've covered that UC as well as UP are autoimmune disorders. Logically, this seems to give my theory some leverage as it is presumed that, in such scenarios, our immune systems are already dazed and confused. Mind you my food allergies seemed to appear concurrently with the onset of my UP. This too... simply cannot be a coincidence.
I know gluten seems to be the scapegoat for every disease under the Sun nowadays... but there seems to be compelling evidence out there that a strict gluten-free diet is paramount for healing in certain individuals. Some testimonies of this can even be found on these boards (see: [url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=588959[/url]).
Keeping track, I do not believe that my UP's location makes it immune, so to speak, from flare-ups triggered by food (if we can agree that it is capable of doing so) as an autoimmune response could very well be initiated the moment a "trigger food" enters the alimentary canal (mouth to anus). The response could then either single-out the already-compromised section of intestinal wall (the rectum, in my case) OR... the response could be far more generalized and widespread... it's just that the weakest link in the chain (i.e., my UP-infested rectum) succumbs because it cannot "defend" itself properly.
If I've made no sense thus far... then consider this: why do people who are VERY allergic to certain foods (say shellfish, for example) breakout in hives? Did the shell fish have to physically touch the skin... or is the reaction coming from within? Similarly... is it the actual contact of peanut butter with the esophagus that causes it to close in individuals who are severely allergic to it? Or... is the source of the reaction taking a more behind-the-scenes approach? The same scenarios could be applied to airborne allergies. My point is this... it makes perfect sense to me that a local reaction can be caused by a trigger (be it food or whatever) that is not. It also makes perfect sense to me that a food could be this very trigger in some individuals, especially when dealing with autoimmune disorders where the immune system is already compromised and assumed ill. Why couldn't the immune system, then, erroneously respond to something harmless and cause a domino-effect reaction? Why is food only allowed to be a trigger in Crohn's Disease? Aren't Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis closely-related in principle?
I also couldn't help but to notice a healthy dose of cynicism in your reply, in regards to curing my disease. While I'm well aware UP is currently "incurable" by every stretch of the definition, I would still hold out hope that some radical, back-alley Chinese medicine doctor may have to key to our digestive woes. Perhaps I'm not jaded by the disease just yet... but I refuse to believe that Prednisone and a couple tightly-crossed fingers are my only options left.
We always have to consider... what if prednisone just doesn't work? What if my UP is just too "far out of reach" (cause its RIGHT at the anus) for any oral medication to do any damage?
Perhaps it's the Anatomy & Physiology courses talking... but if there's one thing I've learned it's that the human body, and its inherent processes, are amazing, precise and (above all) smart. I want to believe that my body is constantly trying to heal itself, inside and out, and is "consciously" trying to resolve my digestive woes. Perhaps it needs a little help... and perhaps that help will be in the form of Prednisone... but that does not mean there's a better alternative out there, somewhere.
In addition to seeing two GI's, I've sought the advice from a local family practice who substitutes vitamins and herbs for conventional medicine. Their suggestions have far from cured me... but they've helped slightly. That's gotta stand for something.
Perhaps I wasn't clear in my initial post. I have in fact tried both oral and rectal medications, as well as varying combinations (Asacol, Lialda, Rowasa, Canasa and Cort-enemas) to no avail and certainly no remission. The only medication I haven't tried yet is Prednisone. Your testimony has made me second-guess my stubbornness, however.
It also seems like you have found a root-cause for your UC (drug abuse)... I am still scratching my head on that one. My dad and grandfather (dad's side) both had polyps and that same grandfather was just diagnosed with Colitis... so I guess there's my excuse. Thanks, Dad!
I wouldn't be so quick to say that foods cannot aggravate UC/UP symptoms, however, even if leading research does not support this. Prior to my diagnosis, I could eat anything and everything care-free. Don't be fooled: I am very slim, having the advantage of a fast metabolism, and have always been very health-conscious.
Now, post-diagnosis, all foods that I'm apparently "allergic" to cannot be consumed without a revolt from my bowels EVERY time. This simply cannot be a coincidence.
Think about it: we've covered that UC as well as UP are autoimmune disorders. Logically, this seems to give my theory some leverage as it is presumed that, in such scenarios, our immune systems are already dazed and confused. Mind you my food allergies seemed to appear concurrently with the onset of my UP. This too... simply cannot be a coincidence.
I know gluten seems to be the scapegoat for every disease under the Sun nowadays... but there seems to be compelling evidence out there that a strict gluten-free diet is paramount for healing in certain individuals. Some testimonies of this can even be found on these boards (see: [url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=588959[/url]).
Keeping track, I do not believe that my UP's location makes it immune, so to speak, from flare-ups triggered by food (if we can agree that it is capable of doing so) as an autoimmune response could very well be initiated the moment a "trigger food" enters the alimentary canal (mouth to anus). The response could then either single-out the already-compromised section of intestinal wall (the rectum, in my case) OR... the response could be far more generalized and widespread... it's just that the weakest link in the chain (i.e., my UP-infested rectum) succumbs because it cannot "defend" itself properly.
If I've made no sense thus far... then consider this: why do people who are VERY allergic to certain foods (say shellfish, for example) breakout in hives? Did the shell fish have to physically touch the skin... or is the reaction coming from within? Similarly... is it the actual contact of peanut butter with the esophagus that causes it to close in individuals who are severely allergic to it? Or... is the source of the reaction taking a more behind-the-scenes approach? The same scenarios could be applied to airborne allergies. My point is this... it makes perfect sense to me that a local reaction can be caused by a trigger (be it food or whatever) that is not. It also makes perfect sense to me that a food could be this very trigger in some individuals, especially when dealing with autoimmune disorders where the immune system is already compromised and assumed ill. Why couldn't the immune system, then, erroneously respond to something harmless and cause a domino-effect reaction? Why is food only allowed to be a trigger in Crohn's Disease? Aren't Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis closely-related in principle?
I also couldn't help but to notice a healthy dose of cynicism in your reply, in regards to curing my disease. While I'm well aware UP is currently "incurable" by every stretch of the definition, I would still hold out hope that some radical, back-alley Chinese medicine doctor may have to key to our digestive woes. Perhaps I'm not jaded by the disease just yet... but I refuse to believe that Prednisone and a couple tightly-crossed fingers are my only options left.
We always have to consider... what if prednisone just doesn't work? What if my UP is just too "far out of reach" (cause its RIGHT at the anus) for any oral medication to do any damage?
Perhaps it's the Anatomy & Physiology courses talking... but if there's one thing I've learned it's that the human body, and its inherent processes, are amazing, precise and (above all) smart. I want to believe that my body is constantly trying to heal itself, inside and out, and is "consciously" trying to resolve my digestive woes. Perhaps it needs a little help... and perhaps that help will be in the form of Prednisone... but that does not mean there's a better alternative out there, somewhere.
In addition to seeing two GI's, I've sought the advice from a local family practice who substitutes vitamins and herbs for conventional medicine. Their suggestions have far from cured me... but they've helped slightly. That's gotta stand for something.