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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/4/2007 10:46 AM (GMT -8)
Hi. My best friend has UC and has been suffering from intermittent flareups since a very severe flare up in January of 07. He will get better for a while and then go back to low energy levels and some blood in the stool. He is absolutely convinced that he is sick due to his environment currently. Allergies/poor air quality. I don 't totally agree. I was wondering if others have symptoms of peel above their eye lids and a lot excessive swelling in their stomachs. I also wonder how sugar play into this if at all? He likes sugar in excessive amounts. Anyone have any connect symptoms due to allergies or mold exposure? He refuses to go on prednisone due to the side effects such as face swelling and weight gain that he experiences although last Jan he finally did have to go on a high dose for about two weeks, which got him slowly back on his feet. Sorry for all the questions just trying to understand this disease better since he will not talk with others about it. thanks
Posted 11/4/2007 12:03 PM (GMT -8)
Hello - welcome to HealingWell! I must say that you are a great friend to be researching this disease on your own :) Cheers to you!

Some bloating in the stomach area is "normal" when the guts are inflammed. That's why many of us have pants in at least two different sizes!

I've never heard of skin peeling above the eyelids from UC. Sounds like more of an allergic thing to me.

There are several on this forum who believe that their UC is caused by fungal issues. They have had sucess with anti-fungal diets which cut out sugar because it feeds the fungus.

Many of us find that we'll have some sort of flare up when seasons change and allergies get worse.

Prednisone is a drug that has some nasty side effects - moon face, the pred munchies, and water weight gain are just a few of them. It is a patients right to refuse prednisone.

Now, it's my turn for a few questions! Is your friend on any oral or rectal meds? (I understand that you may not have discussed rectal meds.) Does he see his GI regularly? Do you know where in his colon his UC is?

For more general information on UC you can explore this site (specifically the "sticky" threads at the top of the page) and the CCFA's website.

Once again - you're friend is lucky to have you! Too often we find that friends and family don't understand and don't want to take the time to learn. An informed support system is key!
Posted 11/4/2007 12:57 PM (GMT -8)

I'm definitely a believer that changing your diet can help you get well again. I eliminated grains and sugar for a period of time and got better. It was hard to do at the beginning, but when I started feeling so much better, it wasn't a sacrifice for me any more. For me, there was definitely a fungus link. I had to starve the fungus. And a big YES, that environment can play a factor in your health. Mold can cause serious problems. If your friend does believe there is a fungal etiology to his problems, (whether via the food or environment)there is only one way to find out....experiment with an antifungal program which includes eliminating the fungus feeding and fungus containing foods. Cheers........

Kim

Posted 11/4/2007 1:45 PM (GMT -8)
When you say skin peeling above the eye lids... do you mean near the eyebrows? That could likely just be a separate dermatological issue.

about sugar -- artificial sugars are definitely a trigger for me and a lot of other people. The problem about sugary foods in general is that I think they usually contain a lot of other stuff that could be bad for us too. (Like, say the dairy ingredients in cake or cookies...)
There's a book "The Specific Carbohydrate Diet" that advocates honey instead of refined sugar. I'm not a big fan of the diet, but you could just encourage your friend to eat healthier in general. You could also mention that people with UC can have difficulty absorbing vitamins from food. So a vitamin supplement is a good idea too.
Posted 11/6/2007 4:48 AM (GMT -8)
He is on oral meds, but nothing rectal. UC first 18inches. He eats way too much sugar,(I mean a lot!) but he claims that this is the only thing at times he can eat because so many foods make him ill and sugar gives quick energy. I dont' even mean sugary foods necessarily, but dumping a ton of white sugar on things~ yikes! I often wonder if the sugar helps to increase the bloating/inflammation he complains about. I personally do not think all the bloating is due to inflammation because I know even for me, if I eat too much sugar I can get bloated! He will not eat artificial sugars at all. He's found products such as cereals that contain a preservative called BHT tend to bother his gut. (rice crispies has it, and a lot of other dry goods) He stays away from toothpastes and mouthwashes as well. He will use minimal amounts of natural toothpastes and swishes with peroxide instead of mouthwash.

It is frustrating because he does not follow with a Dr. too closely he has one, but is very stubborn. He wants to completely blame the environment he is in and not look at much else. How much does stress wear on a person with UC?

His skin peel is just under his eye brows and does seem to coincide with a flare, which is weird.
Posted 11/6/2007 9:35 AM (GMT -8)
He's causing himself more misery by eating sugar...sugar promotes bacteria, bad bacteria...and IBDers are prone to bacterial over-growth, which in turn exacerbates IBD symptoms....he has an inflammatory disease and he's filling up on inflammatory junk like sugar is why he's in such misery, it's definitely not helping that's for sure.

:)
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