Since we have some new club members, I thought I’d post some useful tips and tricks to help out. First off, learn to understand your body and how you feel. Early on a journal can help. Track how you feel, what you eat, and what that eating caused. Second, listen to your doctor…but never forget they are human and make mistakes. Never forget that medical schools are often funded by the pharmaceutical industry. So their education and perspective is medical/drug first, preventative health second. Always keep that in mind when discussing overall health and suppliments. Most doctors think that because there isn’t a double-blind plaecebo study that the product automatically sucks. That’s not accurate. Millions of people have great success with suppliments…but don’t forget that millions of people see no improvement as well. There will always be a certain amount of trial and error on your part…that’s why a journal can be useful. I’ve heard horror stories about asshole doctors who think they are gods gift. If you have one, find another. Always make sure your doctor is informed about what you are doing. While many may disagree with what you are doing, they can still help you get through it. I got lucky and my doctor is great. He knows I do Tri’s, he knows the nutritional products I take (he also saw what they did for me), and I’m open with him. If you are not comfortable with your doctor…get another one. Find one that you can work with and talk to. You will be with your Gastro more than you will be with your general practicioner. YOU are the customer. All doctors are not created equal. Be honest with your doctor with regards to how you feel. There is no cure for Crohns, so the best we can do medically is mask/suppress the symptoms. If your current medical plan isn’t doing that, discuss a potential change with your doctor. DO NOT TAKE IBUPROFEN OR OTHER NSAIDS. Proper digestion requires inflamation. Nsaids can impare this. They created a whole line of drugs (Celebrex) Cox-2 inhibitors that don’t do this. They come with risks as some were recalled by the FDA. (despite a double blind placebo study). Be very wary of anything OTC…natural or medication.
Symptoms I’ve noticed that can be warning signs. These are things I’ve had/seen that I would have never thought to worry about. These can be early warning signs prior to cramping/bleeding:
-canker sores in mouth.
-yellow eyes.
-putrid smelling gas. (When you are bleeding slowly and essentially digesting blood, your farts are NASTY. Once you’ve smelled it, you’ll remember it for the future. In college I cleared an entire dorm floor. And it was a BIG dorm. I am not exaggerating at all…it was that horrible. People were coming out of their rooms with closed doors and asking WTF? everyone had to open their doors and windows in winter to clear it. So when I say you’ll know…trust me, you’ll know. And if you dont’ recognize it the first time, you will the second time.
- Black stool. Many people don’t realize that black stool actually indicates blood in the stool. If you are on iron this may happen too.
- Persistent exhaustion. - could be a sign of blood loss or anemia. Learn your body and energy levels. Unfortunately this can be a tough one because it the bleed is slow, you get tired over a period of time. happened to me in college. I had no clue. My 500 time went from a mid-season 4:55 to a 5:30 over two months…I had no explanation.
Suppliments I’ve had success with. It took me a LONG time to find out what works for me. Suppliments, like drugs, can be trial by error. But I’ll put these in order of importance (FOR ME). It may be different for you. Medications never helped me all the way except for the arthritis…it was when I combined suppliments with medications that I had success gaining remission from the crohns. Now my doctor and I discuss both.
Isotonix OPC-3 (Antioxidant) (liquid)
Natures way Primacediphilious with Reuteri (I spelled that WAY wrong…it is a probiotic with an enteric coating)
Isotonix digestive enzymes and probiotic (liquid)
Ultimate Aloe Juice
Multi mineral/vitamin (liquid)
Those are my top 5.
Beyond that I take:
Glucosamine
Complete Greens - a vegetable replacement. I have some trouble eating a lot fo raw veggies…so this helps a bit.
Omega 3 fish oils.
I’ve tried multiple brands and products. For me the products that work come from a network marketing company. they are more expensive…but the bottom shelf at walmart never worked. You’re better off starting at a high quality health food store like health hut.