ULCERATIVE COLITIS : an inside view

First things first, Im not selling anything, makes a nice change!

Secondly Im not going to go in to details about what where how and why Ulcerative colitis happens theres plenty of that on the web already.

Heres my story :-
Ive was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2005, and if it werent for modern medicine i'd be dead at 22 years old, thats a bit scary for me. I have moderate / severe colitis and Ive tried everything I can think of to get rid of this problem.
After spending 4 weeks bleeding at home I was finally admitted to hospital where I had to take large doses of steroids which did have side effects but eventually got things under control. 3 weeks later I was back home, using predfoam enemas (which work very well and have few side effects). After a few flare ups over the next few months and more steroids, I had to resort to immunosuppresive drugs and antiinflammatories which seem to be working very well so far.
Im now taking Balsalazide and azathioprine, and as of yet I have had no bad reactions or side effects.


A few things I have discovered are :-
Drinking large amounts of alcohol especially beer set off my colitis very badly

Getting stressed i.e. looking for new job, taking exams, also sets it off

I cannot tolerate drinking milk or icecream anymore, it passes straight through me and gives me stomach cramps. I have switched to sweetened soya milk - supermarkets own brands are a cheap alternative to milk. But a little milk in tea or coffee is ok, and eating yoghurt occasionally.


A few tips you may find useful :-
When you have a flare up stay on a soft bland diet untill things settle down again as anything that comes out the other end will irritate the lining of your bowel and cause a bleed.
Try - porridge, bananas, white bread without crusts, soup, mashed potatoes, fish, chicken.
Red meats , refined sugar and fatty foods can irritate the bowels and everyone should cut down on eating them as they are part of the 'western diet' which is not particularly healthy.
A useful tip I found on the net is fruit and vegetable juices, get yourself a juicer and try a few. I'd recommend apple, carrot, cabbage, tomato, mango, cucumber, or a combination of any (cabbage juice is actually ok and very good for you).

Be wary of 'miracle' cures and people who claim they can cure colitis through diet alone, they are either trying to get money off you or involve a drastic lifestyle change, one of the more popular ones is just eating raw fruit + veg for the rest of your life!

And finally, be patient and dont loose heart, it takes time for your body to heal, try and relax and be happy.