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How I achieved Remission and found my source of Gut Inflammation

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Shan2013
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2012
Posts : 61
Posted 12/24/2019 6:57 PM (GMT -7)
How I achieved total remission was by two different ways a) stay away from local tap water and use naturally bottled spring water b) carnivore diet.

TLDR story below
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Before the diet started I was going to the washroom around 6-7 times a day, all with urgency. I was on 6 pills of asacol 800 mg and 6 pills of loperamide. I diet had a mix this time of proteins, fruits and vegetables. I was following a traditional bodybuilding diet of eating clean.

I started the carnivore diet around a year ago when I watched a Joe Rogan video on youtube. It took me around a month to fully get off the carbs and onto a meat only diet. My meals would consist of chicken thighs, breasts, wings, fish (different varieties). At this point I was using the washroom around 2-3 times a day. I started decreasing my asacol intake to around 2 pills a day and 5 pills of loperamide.

I ended up in Toronto for a conference for work and I had a flare up and probably went around 4-5 times that day. I was really confused since I was still doing the carnivore diet and nothing else. At that point I realized that tap water was the cause of inflammation of UC. The next day I ordered bottled water and literally all of the symptoms of UC disappeared.

At this point I was drinking bottled water bought from the store from a natural spring.
about a month later I walked into a random store to pick up some more water and I didn’t bother reading the label. Later that day I had a flare again. When I looked at the bottle of water it read “bottled and packaged by local municipal tap water”. I immediately switched back to the old brand I was using and the symptoms disappeared.

By drinking the bottled natural spring water I use the washroom once a day, sometimes even every 2 days now. I think the only reason my body isn’t completed normal is that I still wash my dishes with tap water. I still take 1 asacol and 5 loperimide just because I’m sacred of symptoms incase I accidentially eat something while out or because of anxiety from having UC symptoms and not finding a washroom.

My opinion
If you think about vegetables, fruits, and bread. Typically vegetables and fruit are washed with tap water and bread/wheat products use tap water in order to be made. My guess is this is why most people cannot get into remission ie because of the constant inflammation caused by tap water in your gut. Municpal tap water has chemicals added into it to remove chlorine in it which includes sodium thiosulphate and sodium sulfite which inhibit gut bacteria.

I remember back in 2012 someone had posted on here saying they had resolved their UC symptoms overseas and once they returned back to north america their symptoms returned. This makes sense because the water treatment in those countries is considered "bad" and doesn't go through the same chemical process that we have here.
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imagardener2
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Joined : Jan 2010
Posts : 5896
Posted 12/24/2019 7:12 PM (GMT -7)
If it works for you that's what matters.
I drink only spring water (make coffee and tea with it, etc), my gut does not like tap water, don't know if it's the chlorine or what but works for me. I wash dishes with tap water, bathe in it, etc.

"Meat only" diet would depress me (emotionally, mentally, probably physically) even though my gut likes meat protein and no issues. Meat does have a lot of vitamins but seriously I could not do it. Happy days came for me being able to finally eat and drink more things my gut previously could not handle. Insoluble fiber is my gut's enemy, small amounts only or days of constipation follow.

You may find out in the future that your gut can tolerate non-meat food, perhaps your diet allowed your gut to heal, I think that's what my gut did.
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LondonRed
Veteran Member
Joined : Oct 2007
Posts : 1258
Posted 12/24/2019 7:14 PM (GMT -7)
Meat only would be an interesting diet and sounds odd without bread or rice or potatoes. I agree about the tap water. I think it’s time I switched to only bottled water.
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Uniform Charlie
Veteran Member
Joined : Jul 2015
Posts : 1095
Posted 12/24/2019 8:37 PM (GMT -7)
This does not explain why those who drink well water still get UC. I'm glad you found a possible trigger for you. I am starting to think any elimination diet has the possibility of helping since it will change your microbiome in some way. Diets high in animal protein are linked to development of UC but meat also seems to be a safe food for most who have UC. Makes no sense.
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Shan2013
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2012
Posts : 61
Posted 12/24/2019 9:13 PM (GMT -7)
Well water with vegetables and fruits washed in tap water would probably be why it didn't work.

I can tell you from being on an all meat diet that I have 0 fatigue everyday something which did not happen when I ate carbs. I also lift weight regularly and do not get tired between sets unlike with carbs.
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poopydoop
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 916
Posted 12/25/2019 2:18 AM (GMT -7)
Using lots of bottled water is not very environmentally friendly....plus the chemicals from the plastic can leach into the water.
I find all the different diets on here very confusing and often contradictory. I tend to listen to my gut (ha ha!) in figuring out which foods work for me.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/25/2019 6:56 AM (GMT -7)

poopydoop said...
Using lots of bottled water is not very environmentally friendly....plus the chemicals from the plastic can leach into the water.
I find all the different diets on here very confusing and often contradictory. I tend to listen to my gut (ha ha!) in figuring out which foods work for me.

Neither is eating all meat! But I saw you post in another thread that you were sick of vegans pointing that out. Also, you mention chemicals from plastic water bottles... You do know about all the chemicals (antibiotics and hormones) in meat, right?

First, tap water has ZERO to do with UC. Second, an all-meat diet is horribly unhealthy and you are going to be deficient in a lot of vitamins and minerals, not to mention not getting enough fiber and getting too much animal protein which causes cancer, heart disease, diabetes and stroke. It's so strange that when someone posts about a vegan diet, people lose their minds but someone says they are only eating meat and everyone is very accepting of it.

Btw, I drank bottled water for months when I first got UC because I was worried something in my city water caused it. Nothing changed.
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poopydoop
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 916
Posted 12/25/2019 7:27 AM (GMT -7)
Sara I am not condoning eating all meat. I will never be vegan because I tried and it made my UC about 100 times worse. I know about chemicals and hormones which is why i only eat organic etc.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/25/2019 7:40 AM (GMT -7)
My point was it's ironic you made fun of environmental vegans in another thread and then said water bottles are bad for the environment here, especially when the impact of plastic water bottles and eating meat is not even comparable.
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notsosicklygirl
Forum Moderator
Joined : Dec 2008
Posts : 17750
Posted 12/25/2019 9:26 AM (GMT -7)
I have always drank mostly spring water and it didn't help my UC at all. I didn't drink it with the intent of helping my UC - we lived in a very old building with galvanized pipes and our water tasted bad. I would use spring water for everything...

This person says he was going 6x a day. That's way mild compared to what I was dealing with. I was going 20x a day, often more than 20. I was also getting up in the night and spending hours sitting on the toilet mostly unproductively.

I doubt the tactics described above were the solution to 6x a day, but I KNOW they wouldn't be a solution for 20x a day. I would think with mild UC, you're more likely to experience slight ups and downs, and going down from 6x to 3x, suddenly seems normal, but if the diagnosis is correct, 3x is still likely mildly inflamed.

You should continue your regular scopes and do regular stool tests to ensure you're properly treating the inflammation. Untreated or undertreated inflammation is not good for you.
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IamCurious
Veteran Member
Joined : Jan 2010
Posts : 3550
Posted 12/25/2019 9:32 AM (GMT -7)

imagardener2 said...

Welcome back ima! I haven't seen any new posts from you since October. I thought you were gone forever since like so many others who have (for the most part) achieved remission tend to disappear from the forum.

When I was first diagnosed I never heard of UC so it was important for me to hear from others that it is possible to manage symptoms with diet:

imagardener2 said...
In remission April 2010 after 10 years of UC after no remission ever
gluten-free =bleeding stopped, dairy-free (less IBS) started remission path+food diary
daily

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poopydoop
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 916
Posted 12/25/2019 10:12 AM (GMT -7)

Sara14 said...
My point was it's ironic you made fun of environmental vegans in another thread and then said water bottles are bad for the environment here, especially when the impact of plastic water bottles and eating meat is not even comparably.


I did not make fun of environmental vegans, I said I find them exhausting, because they don't listen if you tell them that being vegan does not work for you.....
You're right that plastic water bottles and eating meat are not comparable, so why are you comparing them?
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Oligodar
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 241
Posted 12/25/2019 11:10 AM (GMT -7)
That is great that you have found out solution. I developed UC while using well water for years. Then after two decades we switched to tap water and I did not observe any change. Regarding carnivore diet I think that ours bodies are not adapted to such extremes. In long term it can bring some problems. Be cautious.
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GodLevel
Regular Member
Joined : Jun 2019
Posts : 46
Posted 12/25/2019 11:42 AM (GMT -7)
Why dont you install an reverse osmosis water filter for the tap water , will it not work just like spring bottled water?
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Shan2013
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2012
Posts : 61
Posted 12/25/2019 12:41 PM (GMT -7)

Sara14 said...

Neither is eating all meat! But I saw you post in another thread that you were sick of vegans pointing that out. Also, you mention chemicals from plastic water bottles... You do know about all the chemicals (antibiotics and hormones) in meat, right?

First, tap water has ZERO to do with UC. Second, an all-meat diet is horribly unhealthy and you are going to be deficient in a lot of vitamins and minerals, not to mention not getting enough fiber and getting too much animal protein which causes cancer, heart disease, diabetes and stroke. It's so strange that when someone posts about a vegan diet, people lose their minds but someone says they are only eating meat and everyone is very accepting of it.

Btw, I drank bottled water for months when I first got UC because I was worried something in my city water caused it. Nothing changed.

If you don't agree with meat eating that's your choice. You can google fossils showing early human diets being meat going back 1.5 million years. Also, you can get the vitamins you need indirectly from the animals you consume.

Perhaps bottled water didn't work for you because a) you drank repackaged tap water b) you ate fruits, vegetables, or bread which used tap water to either clean it or was used in its creation.

Post Edited (Shan2013) : 12/25/2019 12:44:53 PM (GMT-7)

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quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 32548
Posted 12/25/2019 1:04 PM (GMT -7)
Let's not get into the insanity of the thoughts of this type of thread....again. Maybe it will die its own death quietly without being forced to be locked? Because we all know that tap water is the cause and fuel for our UC for f sakes.

q
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Shan2013
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2012
Posts : 61
Posted 12/25/2019 1:25 PM (GMT -7)

quincy said...
Let's not get into the insanity of the thoughts of this type of thread....again. Maybe it will die its own death quietly without being forced to be locked? Because we all know that tap water is the cause and fuel for our UC for f sakes.

q

Not sure if you're trolling.

I know the post may sound absurd. I woke up this morning at around 8 am with no urgency to use the washroom. I just came back in after smoking a cigarette downstairs and drinking coffee (using bottled water) and I still haven't use the washroom since yesterday at 11am.

Perhaps a few people can give it a try and let us know if it works for them as I stated in the topic it has worked for me.
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VanJordan
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2019
Posts : 97
Posted 12/25/2019 2:44 PM (GMT -7)
I avoid tap water during my flares because the chlorine irritates my gut. Chlorine is a known carcinogen. I usually boil or filter my water.

The meat vs. vegan thing is getting on my nerves. People need to stop speaking for others.
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poopydoop
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 916
Posted 12/25/2019 3:12 PM (GMT -7)
I live in a country where the water is not treated with chlorine and i still got UC here
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poopydoop
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 916
Posted 12/25/2019 3:14 PM (GMT -7)

VanJordan said...

The meat vs. vegan thing is getting on my nerves. People need to stop speaking for others.

You know what i think? If people want to be vegan, be vegan.. if they want to be carnivore, be carnivore...but don't attack others for their personal choices which may be due to circumstances beyond their control
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poopydoop
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 916
Posted 12/25/2019 3:29 PM (GMT -7)
Sara i don't get why you're being mean to me when I have tried to be supportive in many other threads especially in regards to osteoporosis. And it's Christmas....

Well that's me offline for a few more months.
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quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 32548
Posted 12/25/2019 4:48 PM (GMT -7)
Bottled water mostly just comes out of a tap, as per testing in the past...
q
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16180
Posted 12/26/2019 6:34 AM (GMT -7)
I'm glad you're feeling well. Flares suck, and we all celebrate your success.

I am very skeptical bottled water is the reason you are within a remission. This diet stuff is all over the map, some claim going vegan gave them a remission, some were already vegans and then got diagnosed with UC, now you claim going carnivore gave you a remission, and I've read so many other contradictory claims over the years.

Certainly continue doing what you think is working. However, UC is documented to have spontaneous-remissions, and I would guess this is what happened to the OP. Hind-sight is always 20/20 vision, we correlate the last thing we did with our remission, and correlation does not always equal causation. Often a treatment takes many, many months to have an affect on us... so just as likely something done before this last regiment was actually responsible for the remission. I and the OP have zero proof either of us is right or wrong though lol.
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TroubledTurds
Veteran Member
Joined : Jan 2004
Posts : 8592
Posted 12/26/2019 8:50 AM (GMT -7)
Shan2013 :

thanks for sharing - I've been off meds for many years - I contribute that to drinking clean water and eating mostly food (lots of meat) that comes from trusted sources - I.e., not wal - mart !
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Shan2013
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2012
Posts : 61
Posted 12/26/2019 3:28 PM (GMT -7)

iPoop said...
I'm glad you're feeling well. Flares suck, and we all celebrate your success.

I am very skeptical bottled water is the reason you are within a remission. This diet stuff is all over the map, some claim going vegan gave them a remission, some were already vegans and then got diagnosed with UC, now you claim going carnivore gave you a remission, and I've read so many other contradictory claims over the years.

Certainly continue doing what you think is working. However, UC is documented to have spontaneous-remissions, and I would guess this is what happened to the OP. Hind-sight is always 20/20 vision, we correlate the last thing we did with our remission, and correlation does not always equal causation. Often a treatment takes many, many months to have an affect on us... so just as likely something done before this last regiment was actually responsible for the remission. I and the OP have zero proof either of us is right or wrong though lol.

I disagree with your correlation concept. I think you may be confused. I did not state the tap water was the cause of ulcerative colitis, but the cause of inflammation in my gut.

I used a process of elimination to get to my conclusion. I have had UC for 16 years now and tried many things over the years with no success. It's now 3pm and right now no urgency to use the washroom whatsoever. Last BM was yesterday at 2pm.

My diet is simple:
7 am coffee - optional
12-1pm around 1lbs of meat
3-5 around 1lbs of meat
continously drinking bottled natural spring water through the day.

Post Edited (Shan2013) : 12/26/2019 3:31:43 PM (GMT-7)

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