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Please Read: Ginger Was My Answer

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David1991
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2012
Posts : 263
Posted 4/8/2018 1:13 PM (GMT -7)

marcell said...

David1991 said...

countess18 said...
Are you still on the SCD diet? Also why stop something that works esp. before a cruise?

I am not on the SCD, and have not been for quite some time aside from a random month or so last fall (my full run of it was 4 months in the summer of 2016).

I see your point, which is why I'm back and forth about it. I was thinking of coming off of it to see if I notice a difference. I of course don't want to get worse but I figured if I did get worse I could conclude the ginger helped, whereas if I stayed just as good (minimal gas and cramping with formed stools) then perhaps it did not help much if at all.

So what are the results?


I can't say I noticed much of a difference when coming off of it. I thought maybe I was getting worse but it was a false alarm and even stuffing myself with junk food on the cruise I didn't notice any worsening of GI symptoms until the very end of the cruise. I've more or less had good solid stools since coming off the ginger.


I did just start getting red blood again these last 2 days but it's been something like 6 weeks I've been off the ginger now so I don't think it's related at all and if you recall I actually had a little blood when I started ginger last time. So unfortunately I can't say ginger made much of a difference but if I get another crampy/gassy flare I will try it again and see if there is a benefit.

Strangely enough the last few times I've had blood it's been bright red with no cramping or pain at all. Really no symptoms. So Idk what that's about. If it goes for another 1-2 days I'll start taking Rowasa again.

I switched from Pentasa to Lialda about 2 weeks ago but I had blood like this on Pentasa too occasionally.
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simplys
Regular Member
Joined : Nov 2014
Posts : 24
Posted 4/30/2018 6:59 PM (GMT -7)
Hello all. Just another update. Been going strong with 100ml every three or four days. Any longer and my stool gets loose. The BMs are consistent at 1 per 2 days. Sometimes I have a little alcohol or spicy food and it still disagrees with me. Stool is always a perfect 4 after drinking the ginger tea. I have been using almond cashew milk to cut out dairy completely. Still not on any medication. Doctor saw high liver enzymes, so I'm cutting back on vaping and stopping my methylphenidate (ADHD meds) to see if that's the cause. No flare even though my nicotine is a tenth the usual.

I had an endoscopy a few months ago and it showed signs of improvement in my colon. First time I've ever shown improvement. Not sure if I mentioned that here yet.

To answer a couple questions, I clean the ginger with a potato brush. Ginger always has mud caked in it, so I clean it off like you'd clean a potato. Then I just juice it with the skin on. I tried blending before jucing it, but the yield was not as good.

I would not out too much confidence in tinctures since I don't know the effect of alcohol on ginger. I may start jucing some tumeric to see if it has any effect.

I cut myself shaving, cut my hands work on the cars, exercise frequently, and get checked by the doctor often. No signs of thin blood as a result of the ginger I take in.

Post Edited (simplys) : 4/30/2018 8:02:19 PM (GMT-6)

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David1991
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2012
Posts : 263
Posted 5/1/2018 4:55 AM (GMT -7)

simplys said...
Hello all. Just another update. Been going strong with 100ml every three or four days. Any longer and my stool gets loose. The BMs are consistent at 1 per 2 days. Sometimes I have a little alcohol or spicy food and it still disagrees with me. Stool is always a perfect 4 after drinking the ginger tea. I have been using almond cashew milk to cut out dairy completely. Still not on any medication. Doctor saw high liver enzymes, so I'm cutting back on vaping and stopping my methylphenidate (ADHD meds) to see if that's the cause. No flare even though my nicotine is a tenth the usual.

I had an endoscopy a few months ago and it showed signs of improvement in my colon. First time I've ever shown improvement. Not sure if I mentioned that here yet.

To answer a couple questions, I clean the ginger with a potato brush. Ginger always has mud caked in it, so I clean it off like you'd clean a potato. Then I just juice it with the skin on. I tried blending before jucing it, but the yield was not as good.

I would not out too much confidence in tinctures since I don't know the effect of alcohol on ginger. I may start jucing some tumeric to see if it has any effect.

I cut myself shaving, cut my hands work on the cars, exercise frequently, and get checked by the doctor often. No signs of thin blood as a result of the ginger I take in.

Thank you for the continued updates. Great to hear your endoscopy results have improved. My next colonoscopy is July 6th...I could take ginger for a few weeks prior to that but it wouldn't really be a comparison to anything as I haven't had a colonoscopy in 2 years.

Symptomatically, I'd love to have seen some of the great benefits you saw but if I'm being objective I can't say I saw a huge difference. However, in the last year or so my symptoms have mostly been blood related (even with stools being a formed 3-4), not loose stools. Perhaps if I was getting diarrhea and intense cramping then the ginger would have more of an effect on that, I'm not sure.

As of now I'm about 90% controlled with oral mesalamine (Lialda) and mesalamine enema (Rowasa)



Only going to the bathroom once every 2 days seems low. Are you eating much in general? And did they still find significant disease in your endoscopy even though it was improved? If so, I would wonder if you should still take medications to get your disease even more under control.
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David1991
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2012
Posts : 263
Posted 5/3/2018 7:15 AM (GMT -7)
Now that I'm eating more (~3500 calories per day) I seem to have gone from 2-4s on the bristol stool chart to 4-5s. Still "fine" but a noticeable change.

Going to start incorporating the ginger extract again at 50ml (or 50g) per day for a few weeks and see if I notice any difference.
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David1991
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2012
Posts : 263
Posted 6/12/2018 10:55 AM (GMT -7)
Not specifically related to ginger but I made a post you all might find interesting/relevant here:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=4023421&g=4023421#m4023421
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SL2
New Member
Joined : Mar 2019
Posts : 7
Posted 3/27/2019 10:18 PM (GMT -7)
Many thanks to the OP for sharing! I just wanted to share my experience, and also give this thread a bump.

I have had UC for 18 years. Mesalazine works pretty well for me, but I decided to try out ginger instead after reading this thread since I want to avoid the side effects of the former. I read this thread a couple of years ago, but it was only recently that I bought a centrifuge juicer and stopped using Mesalazine.

I don't see the point of drinking hot drinks with ginger for this purpose, if the heat might reduce its effectiveness.
Every Thursday and Sunday I drink 10 cl ginger juice together with about 30 cl fruit juice, usually from apples, carrots or oranges, just to make it easier to drink, still quite spicy though. This quite high concentration is an acquired taste of course, but I got used to it in a few weeks. I DO NOT drink it on an empty stomach, I usually drink it after dinner.

Ginger works better for me than Mesalazine, the latter was slowly starting to have less effect on me so I had to increase the dose. It costs me less than a third; even though I never have to pay more than 240 USD/year for drugs in my country, ginger will only cost me about 70 USD/year.
I avoid the side effects of Mesalazine, and as a bonus I get much more vitamins etc than I ever did before.
It feels good not having to take any drugs after all these years.

The big question is how long it will last. I've only been using ginger for 5 weeks. I will report back in the future, no matter what happens.

Post Edited (SL2) : 3/27/2019 11:22:50 PM (GMT-6)

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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16194
Posted 3/28/2019 5:26 AM (GMT -7)
What side effects were you experiencing with Mesalazine? I would not claim success after only 5-weeks, we can flare often within 6-months of stopping a medication. If it were me, I wouldn't stop Mesalazine, rather use both ginger and Mesalazine together.
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SL2
New Member
Joined : Mar 2019
Posts : 7
Posted 3/28/2019 6:59 AM (GMT -7)

iPoop said...
What side effects were you experiencing with Mesalazine?


Initially it was all about itch, I couldn't sleep at night and it drove me crazy. Yes, I know, itch could come from several things, but in order to rule out my medication I had to stop it, even if only temporarily. By doing so I've realized that it comes from something else. I don't know if this makes sense, but I had to start somewhere.

Right now I'm continuing with ginger, not because I experienced side effects before, but to avoid them alltogether.

iPoop said...
I would not claim success after only 5-weeks, we can flare often within 6-months of stopping a medication.


Maybe you missed the last part of my text, I do question how long it will last. I've stopped using Mesalazine before, and I know what to expect. I also know that my UC is quite managable, compared to many others.

Post Edited (SL2) : 3/28/2019 8:08:27 AM (GMT-6)

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iPoop
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Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16194
Posted 3/28/2019 8:17 AM (GMT -7)
Glad you know the risk, and are okay with it. I wish you success but worry you'll flare up in a few months time. Didn't miss anything.
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SL2
New Member
Joined : Mar 2019
Posts : 7
Posted 5/20/2020 2:13 PM (GMT -7)
I'm still on ginger juice since February last year. My hospital concluded in March this year that the analyzed samples from me showed no bad signs, and that I were in fact in a tad better shape than when I was on Mesalazine. My alternative medication wasn't something they'd heard of, although I only talked to one person.

I have lots of Mesalazine at home since before I stopped taking it regularly, I think it will last for many years. During the last year, I've used it a couple of times when I didn't have a chance to make ginger juice, but that's it.

No more acute bronchitis for me it seems, no coughing for months that keeps me awake at night, which is even a bigger win given that I used to have it at least three times a year before, although most likely unrelated to UC.
Because of that, even if ginger would stop working on my UC I'd still keep on drinking it because I get much less sick now (cold, coughing, acute bronchitis).

I'm not saying that ginger kills this or that, I know nothing about that. All I know is that I'm healthier overall.
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Colie09
New Member
Joined : Nov 2019
Posts : 18
Posted 5/25/2020 3:22 PM (GMT -7)
Glad ginger has been helping you heal, SL2!

It works for me too. So well, that it's one of my go-tos when I feel the beginnings of a flare. I make tea from fresh ginger root (I pour boiled water over 2-3 inches of peeled & sliced root, add honey to taste). I realize tea may not be as potent as juicing, but I tolerate it so strong I think I still get a lot of the effects.

Aloe juice (I drink Alo brand) has the same effect for me. It calms my flares within days, and I'm convinced it helped put me into remission a few years back (My GI was shocked at how clear my colonoscopy was, compared to how bad it had been).

I don't know why I never ate ginger or aloe on a daily basis, long-term, but I've recently decided to do this to see if I can achieve remission again -- YEARS-LONG remission this time! Alo now makes a ginger & lemon flavored juice (it has real ginger puree, not powder) and I'm hooked.
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JR-UCmom
New Member
Joined : Jan 2018
Posts : 1
Posted 6/15/2020 2:13 PM (GMT -7)
I’d love some specifics from those who are using ginger. My son is about to begin a round of FMT, and finding this thread today - I’m thinking ginger may be a good addition to his new approach. Currently, he’s been flaring for the past year. Prior to last summer, He had been off all meds and controlled UC through diet- but got lazy and cheated on diet which threw him into this flare last year. He’s been on prednisone and Apriso. Was okay for a month and once he started working out again and taking protein supplements- back into a flare. Now on Apriso and Budesonide- and a slew of natural supplements. Nothing has helped - so going to try the FMT (with dr support). Questions: Who is still taking ginger, how long, and what else do you take with it (supplement and/or med wise) that has helped stay in remission? Thanks so much- He’s desperately trying to go away to college in the fall.
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David1991
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2012
Posts : 263
Posted 6/17/2020 10:25 AM (GMT -7)

SL2 said...
I'm still on ginger juice since February last year. My hospital concluded in March this year that the analyzed samples from me showed no bad signs, and that I were in fact in a tad better shape than when I was on Mesalazine. My alternative medication wasn't something they'd heard of, although I only talked to one person.

I have lots of Mesalazine at home since before I stopped taking it regularly, I think it will last for many years. During the last year, I've used it a couple of times when I didn't have a chance to make ginger juice, but that's it.

No more acute bronchitis for me it seems, no coughing for months that keeps me awake at night, which is even a bigger win given that I used to have it at least three times a year before, although most likely unrelated to UC.
Because of that, even if ginger would stop working on my UC I'd still keep on drinking it because I get much less sick now (cold, coughing, acute bronchitis).

I'm not saying that ginger kills this or that, I know nothing about that. All I know is that I'm healthier overall.

Do you modify your diet in any other way or eat whatever you want? Shame I didn't seem to benefit much from it, seems like it helps a lot of people on here
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VanJordan
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2019
Posts : 98
Posted 6/18/2020 2:56 AM (GMT -7)
Ginger is a novel anti-inflammatory and analgesic. This has been known for a long time. It also has a very narrow antiviral property, mostly for respiratory viruses. I researched ginger a lot in my early UC days and tried it in many forms. The juicing method was best but it didn't fix my UC, it just suppressed some inflammation and pain. Great if you need to tackle that, but it does nothing for the underlying dysbiosis.

Curcumin has been mentioned a lot in this thread. Curcumin has a very short half life so you have to take doses twice a day at the very least. The best kind of curcumin is Meriva (not a brand, but a type of curcumin particle), which is curcumin encapsulated in a phospholipid layer that makes it 10,000 times more absorbable by the gut. If you're not taking Meriva then you're not getting the full benefit of curcumin.

The microbiome is the key to really resolving UC once the inflammation is under control. UCers usually have very high proteobacterial counts as well as hydrogen sulfide producers, but low counts of butyric acid producers. The sulfides cause reeking gas and weaken the gut barrier, causing immune sensitization. This causes inflammation, which then causes bleeding ulcers, and then the proteobacteria feed on the blood and the cycle continues.

The real way to heal UC is to shift the gut population from the sulfide producers to the butyrate producers. You do this through a scientific based diet, while taking anti-inflammatories (natural or pharmaceutical, whatever works). UCers usually have a colon that is too alkaline but once the butyrate producers grow to higher numbers, they will produce more short chain fatty acids from the foods you eat and the environment will become more acidic.

This is basically how you fix UC, assuming there are no actual pathogens in one's gut that make the picture more complicated.

Sorry for any typos, posting from my phone.
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David1991
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2012
Posts : 263
Posted 6/23/2020 7:03 AM (GMT -7)

VanJordan said...
Ginger is a novel anti-inflammatory and analgesic. This has been known for a long time. It also has a very narrow antiviral property, mostly for respiratory viruses. I researched ginger a lot in my early UC days and tried it in many forms. The juicing method was best but it didn't fix my UC, it just suppressed some inflammation and pain. Great if you need to tackle that, but it does nothing for the underlying dysbiosis.

Curcumin has been mentioned a lot in this thread. Curcumin has a very short half life so you have to take doses twice a day at the very least. The best kind of curcumin is Meriva (not a brand, but a type of curcumin particle), which is curcumin encapsulated in a phospholipid layer that makes it 10,000 times more absorbable by the gut. If you're not taking Meriva then you're not getting the full benefit of curcumin.

The microbiome is the key to really resolving UC once the inflammation is under control. UCers usually have very high proteobacterial counts as well as hydrogen sulfide producers, but low counts of butyric acid producers. The sulfides cause reeking gas and weaken the gut barrier, causing immune sensitization. This causes inflammation, which then causes bleeding ulcers, and then the proteobacteria feed on the blood and the cycle continues.

The real way to heal UC is to shift the gut population from the sulfide producers to the butyrate producers. You do this through a scientific based diet, while taking anti-inflammatories (natural or pharmaceutical, whatever works). UCers usually have a colon that is too alkaline but once the butyrate producers grow to higher numbers, they will produce more short chain fatty acids from the foods you eat and the environment will become more acidic.

This is basically how you fix UC, assuming there are no actual pathogens in one's gut that make the picture more complicated.

Sorry for any typos, posting from my phone.

I am skeptical of the theory that it is JUST due to a gut dysbiosis (I believe that is part of it). I don't agree with what a lot of "naturopathic doctors" suggest, but out of curiosity what sort of dietary changes are you suggesting in terms of the actual food you consume?

I take BCM-95 version of Curcumin. I believe it is up there with Meriva in terms of quality.
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quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 32560
Posted 6/23/2020 11:08 AM (GMT -7)
It's not all about gut dysbiosis... or it could be cured. My colon on a microscopic level is now normal as per biopsies...31 years after diagnosis. I still have UC. I still flare, but Ive learned to use my meds effectively. I eat what I want...try for balanced 🤔
q
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poopydoop
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 922
Posted 6/23/2020 2:07 PM (GMT -7)

quincy said...
It's not all about gut dysbiosis... or it could be cured. My colon on a microscopic level is now normal as per biopsies...31 years after diagnosis. I still have UC. I still flare, but Ive learned to use my meds effectively. I eat what I want...try for balanced 🤔
q


It's a good point - now that I'm in remission i can eat all sorts of healthy, nutritious, even high fibre foods that were impossible to tolerate when I was flaring. For me SCD was a starvation diet, and it was such a headache to eat with friends with my long list of restrictions. It took so much mental energy to follow that diet, and it didn't stop me from flaring. I know gut bacteria play a role, especially as I have a history of long term antibiotics, but it was the greatest relief to let the meds do their job and be free to eat what Iike without shame or anxiety
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quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 32560
Posted 6/23/2020 9:56 PM (GMT -7)
A mental freedom...priceless.

q
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David1991
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2012
Posts : 263
Posted 6/25/2020 4:36 PM (GMT -7)

quincy said...
It's not all about gut dysbiosis... or it could be cured. My colon on a microscopic level is now normal as per biopsies...31 years after diagnosis. I still have UC. I still flare, but Ive learned to use my meds effectively. I eat what I want...try for balanced 🤔
q

poopydoop said...

It's a good point - now that I'm in remission i can eat all sorts of healthy, nutritious, even high fibre foods that were impossible to tolerate when I was flaring. For me SCD was a starvation diet, and it was such a headache to eat with friends with my long list of restrictions. It took so much mental energy to follow that diet, and it didn't stop me from flaring. I know gut bacteria play a role, especially as I have a history of long term antibiotics, but it was the greatest relief to let the meds do their job and be free to eat what Iike without shame or anxiety


So are you guys just using meds to get you out of flares, then eating whatever you want?

I don't agree SCD is a starvation diet at all. "Healthy, nutritious, even high fiber foods" are available on SCD so I'm not sure why you say that. I agree it's a tough diet to follow and sucks socially.

I'd hardly call taking harsh medication mental freedom though. Especially if you're like me and have been screwed over by medications/drugs before.

Took accutane....may have led to my UC. Took drugs that led to heart issues. Took valsartan to help with the heart issues....turned out the valsartan (and other ARBs like your telmisartan) were contaminated with carcinogens from china. Wonderful. I wish I could never take another drug in my life.

Post Edited (David1991) : 6/26/2020 5:06:38 AM (GMT-6)

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poopydoop
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Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 922
Posted 6/26/2020 3:03 AM (GMT -7)
David, I could not tolerate any high fibre foods while flaring, not even scd legal ones.
I could not tolerate yoghurt which is one of the mainstays of the SCD.
I do not like some of the legal foods (even the smell makes me want to vomit) such as mackerel.
SCD for me was so restrictive that it was a starvation diet. I was emaciated and exhausted. I need carbohydrates to have energy to move and to concentrate.
I have literally had to skip meals when having lunches or dinners with friends and colleagues because I was afraid of making myself sick by eating something scd illegal. It's also humiliating to be judged by others for doing this, and tiring to have to explain myself when I would rather keep my illness private.
I found that I could tolerate sweet potatoes, normal potatoes, oats and rice while flaring, all of which are SCD illegal. So I decided to let my body choose what it wanted and not a book that is heavily based around a north American diet from the 1990s. Some of those products aren't even available in Europe....
As my gut healed i added more and more foods back in.
These days I eat health conscious and largely gluten and dairy free in remission (I've always been dairy intolerant and gluten might be fine but I'm still afraid to eat it more than occasionally) I enjoy e.g. lentils beans chickpeas every day, which was impossible for years while flaring.
I have no problem with harsh meds as you call them because i suffered so much trying alternatives that I might as well have been dead. The meds gave me the freedom to eat healthily!
It is a huge mental burden that has been lifted that I can eat anything and not have to feel guilty or anxious about the possible consequences. That i can go out for business or socially and noone knows I have ibd.
That is my personal experience and feelings. I know others can make diet work and more power to them. I couldn't and it wasn't for a lack of willpower or mental strength. Try not to judge others who chose a different path or who had a different type of UC than you.
Re meds. I tried all of them. None of them worked until i went on xeljanz.


David1991 said...

quincy said...
It's not all about gut dysbiosis... or it could be cured. My colon on a microscopic level is now normal as per biopsies...31 years after diagnosis. I still have UC. I still flare, but Ive learned to use my meds effectively. I eat what I want...try for balanced 🤔
q

poopydoop said...

quincy said...
It's not all about gut dysbiosis... or it could be cured. My colon on a microscopic level is now normal as per biopsies...31 years after diagnosis. I still have UC. I still flare, but Ive learned to use my meds effectively. I eat what I want...try for balanced 🤔
q


It's a good point - now that I'm in remission i can eat all sorts of healthy, nutritious, even high fibre foods that were impossible to tolerate when I was flaring. For me SCD was a starvation diet, and it was such a headache to eat with friends with my long list of restrictions. It took so much mental energy to follow that diet, and it didn't stop me from flaring. I know gut bacteria play a role, especially as I have a history of long term antibiotics, but it was the greatest relief to let the meds do their job and be free to eat what Iike without shame or anxiety


So are you guys just using meds to get you out of flares, then eating whatever you want?

I don't agree SCD is a starvation diet at all. "Healthy, nutritious, even high fiber foods" are available on SCD so I'm not sure why you say that. I agree it's a tough diet to follow and sucks socially.

I'd hardly call taking harsh medication mental freedom though. Especially if you're like me and have been screwed over by medications/drugs before.

Took accutane....may have led to my UC. Took drugs that led to heart issues. Took valsartan to help with the heart issues....turned out the valsartan (and other ARBs like your telmisartan) were contaminated with carcinogens from china. Wonderful. I wish I could never take another drug in my life.

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David1991
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2012
Posts : 263
Posted 6/26/2020 5:07 AM (GMT -7)

poopydoop said...
David, I could not tolerate any high fibre foods while flaring, not even scd legal ones.
I could not tolerate yoghurt which is one of the mainstays of the SCD.
I do not like some of the legal foods (even the smell makes me want to vomit) such as mackerel.
SCD for me was so restrictive that it was a starvation diet. I was emaciated and exhausted. I need carbohydrates to have energy to move and to concentrate.
I have literally had to skip meals when having lunches or dinners with friends and colleagues because I was afraid of making myself sick by eating something scd illegal. It's also humiliating to be judged by others for doing this, and tiring to have to explain myself when I would rather keep my illness private.
I found that I could tolerate sweet potatoes, normal potatoes, oats and rice while flaring, all of which are SCD illegal. So I decided to let my body choose what it wanted and not a book that is heavily based around a north American diet from the 1990s. Some of those products aren't even available in Europe....
As my gut healed i added more and more foods back in.
These days I eat health conscious and largely gluten and dairy free in remission (I've always been dairy intolerant and gluten might be fine but I'm still afraid to eat it more than occasionally) I enjoy e.g. lentils beans chickpeas every day, which was impossible for years while flaring.
I have no problem with harsh meds as you call them because i suffered so much trying alternatives that I might as well have been dead. The meds gave me the freedom to eat healthily!
It is a huge mental burden that has been lifted that I can eat anything and not have to feel guilty or anxious about the possible consequences. That i can go out for business or socially and noone knows I have ibd.
That is my personal experience and feelings. I know others can make diet work and more power to them. I couldn't and it wasn't for a lack of willpower or mental strength. Try not to judge others who chose a different path or who had a different type of UC than you.
Re meds. I tried all of them. None of them worked until i went on xeljanz.

I hope I wasn't coming across as judgmental, if anything I was trying to avoid judgment being passed on those who do well with the diet. SCD and other similar diets (I don't think SCD is anything magic) has helped many many people. Diet makes a dramatic difference for me. For many people, they can eat a healthier and fully nutritious diet on SCD. As far as the business/social side, yea that sucks but it's also somewhat of an excuse. No judgment on anyone who can't handle that pressure but it is what it is. I love social eating, so that is the worse part of SCD and other strict diets to me, so I totally get where you're coming from. But frankly you can almost always get something SCD legal at most restaurants....some plain meat (steak, burger, chicken, etc) is almost always available.

Glad Xeljanz is working for you. How long have you been on it? One concern I have with biologics is that for many they only work for a short amount of time and then you're back to square 1. I imagine at some point I will have to go on them though. Entyvio would probably be my first choice.
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IamCurious
Veteran Member
Joined : Jan 2010
Posts : 3555
Posted 6/26/2020 5:59 AM (GMT -7)
Diet makes a dramatic difference for me

Same here. Diet is the mainstay of my remission. Supplements taken as needed mostly if I eat something bad.
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HealingSarah123
Regular Member
Joined : Feb 2020
Posts : 54
Posted 6/26/2020 11:03 PM (GMT -7)
Hi would ginger still be affective if I add it to a smoothie in the nutribullet instead of juicing it
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TroubledTurds
Veteran Member
Joined : Jan 2004
Posts : 8593
Posted 6/27/2020 8:14 AM (GMT -7)
"Glad Xeljanz is working for you. How long have you been on it? One concern I have with biologics is that for many they only work for a short amount of time and then you're back to square 1. I imagine at some point I will have to go on them though. Entyvio would probably be my first choice."

but there are also lots of folks who do well on them for many years - why not start now - and if going back to square one is in your future, wouldn't it be better sooner than later ?

just my loony thoughts speaking -
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poopydoop
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 922
Posted 6/27/2020 3:41 PM (GMT -7)
Hi David
Xeljanz is not a biologic so there is no risk of developing antibodies. The main risk (as far as I can see it) is if your UC progresses beyond what the drug can handle....at a safe dose....especially because there might be some risks of thrombosis on higher doses, although that has not been confirmed for UC yet but has for RA patients.
I was very opposed to immunomodulatory therapy in the beginning but after having too many accidents crapping my pants, including on the beach far from a toilet...I decided I don't want to live my life like this any more....
Sometimes I have been to cafes/restaurants where there was literally nothing on the menu i could eat...especially at lunchtime, here (Netherlands) it is based mostly around sandwiches. Or maybe there's a soup but they put gluten in it. Or a salad but I couldn't handle raw vegetables. Etc etc.. My comment was however more about when a friend cooks dinner or at catered events, when there isn't any choice.
Yes I could make myself do it and I did for years....now that I don't have to any more, it is very liberating and I enjoy it.
Oh and I tried ginger at some point...I found it aggravated my system (more cramps).
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