http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/Main.asp?SectionID=76&SubSectionID=621&ArticleID=91771 From the Nashua Telgraph
Nashua, New Hampshire
By ED BLONZ
DR. BLONZ: I have been trying numerous herbal remedies for the past six years to deal with my ulcerative colitis. Are there any herbal supplements or dietary recommendations you can offer? I have tried to find a holistic practitioner anywhere near where I live, but have not had any success. I am constantly reading new books and doing as much research as I can to better my condition and lead a relatively normal life.
Do you have any suggestions for me? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
– L.S., no city or state given
DEAR L.S.: I am not a medical doctor, so I refrain from providing specific medical advice. As a general rule, however, it is essential you have some feel for what might be going on before seeking a remedy. A holistic approach sounds great, but you still need the right information before you head in that direction.
One of the difficulties with ulcerative colitis is that it is sometimes difficult to know what’s causing what. Once you are armed with knowledge, you can begin the detective work to discover what might be going on in your particular case. For some, the condition can have a simple connection to a specific type of food, such as sensitivity to gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley and rye; in that case, the remedy is to avoid all foods that contain gluten. For others, it can require the skill of a Sherlock Holmes to weed out factors such as bacterial or viral infections in conjunction with food allergies compounded by stress.
For example, a food might have no effect when things are going well, but toss in a life stressor and the whole system seems to go haywire. An important element to any hunt for a cause is timely data, and that means keeping a diary of when symptoms occur and what factors preceded the attack. There are medications that can help with symptoms, and I encourage you to find a health professional expert in digestive diseases and keep that person apprised of what you have tried and what seems to work.
Ulcerative colitis is a condition in which you have to assume the lead as you strive to seek answers. Helpful background information about your condition can be found at the National Institutes of Health’s Web site at www.nih.gov; go to the section on health information, then search for “ulcerative colitis.” For those without access to the Internet, call the NIH toll-free at 1-800-891-5389. More information is available at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, located online at www.ccfa.org or via phone at 1-800-932-2423. For information on specific herbal supplements for ulcerative colitis – or any other condition – consult the Memorial Sloan-Kettering database at www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm.