With and Without UC

Hi, I’m Jo..
I live on the coast in New Zealand, in a beautifully scenic town. My husband and I have three children, the youngest being 10 years old. I was diagnosed with UC 26 years ago. I am grateful for finding this site and being able to read other people’s stories, as well as share my own. I’m a believer that sharing information is especially helpful for UC and it is healing to be able to share with those that understand, given the ‘hidden’ nature of UC!

Some more about me:

I adore travelling to new places, having spent four years previously living in Germany and Japan. I love spending time with my family and going for walks on the beach:) I love painting portraits and have a rabbit called ‘Lavender’

Symptoms:

bloating, constipation, blood in stools, mucous

With and Without UC

Hi! I’m Jo and I was diagnosed with UC when I was 18, (26 years ago). I can remember that I always suffered bloated stomachs as a child and I began to look into food as a cause, in the early days. In the early years I was given steriods (colifoam) to treat it. During many years I had periods of remission and flaring, usual for ulcerative colitis. I also tried and was given study drugs by my (then) specialist and was rung and told to go off them immediately by him ,and suffered a worse flare. In my last pregnancy with my son, 10 years ago I flared in which I was told it was borderline Crohn’s. I then began seriously changing my diet. Luckily at this time I gained a new specialist who introduced me to the FODMAP diet. This helped me tremendously and I was almost drug free for a few years, until just recently.

Are there many people out there that are currently using the FODMAP diet?

I am also diary free, and limit soy products, and try to keep sugar to a minimum, although I love dark chocolate.. I eat beef, chicken and fish, and on the fodmap diet I keep away from honey, apples and stoned fruit, as well as wheat, onions, sauces, processed meat etc amongst other ‘high fodmap’ foods. As I was unwell when I began this diet, I stuck to very rigid low fodmap foods. Over time I have probably relaxed this and perhaps this has contributed to a flare.

I am now in a flare, and was surprised this time, as it appeared to come out of ‘nowhere’. In other words I was unprepared for it. I’ve been flaring for about 2 months now and I have been taking pentasa, and an antibiotic. Today I found this site :) and I have began taking the herb Boswellia! We’ll see how it goes for me. Thank-you for reading…

current meds.. Pentasa tablets
Amoxycillian/Potassium Clavulanate Antibiotic
Olive Leaf
Boswellia

Ask Adam:

“I’m interested in the herb Boswellia. I wondered how many grams a days did you begin with, Adam? Do you still take it regularly?”

written by Jo in NZ

Hi Jo,

I myself have never given boswellia a real chance, and infact, I’m not sure if I have or haven’t tried it in the past.  If I did, it was for too short a time to have a clear personal opinion on it.  That said…there are many many  people from the site who have used it, and many of those who feel it has helped their UC symptoms.

Here are some stories from others regarding boswellia:

• From Uma (who’s stories is among the most viewed stories of all time on the site: Uma’s story link
• Last year’s 10 most Popular Amazon items from iHaveUC readers (a boswellia product made the list)
• Another story titled “Alternative Remedies Worked for Me” that mentions it

I hope this gives you some ideas Jo, and thank you so much again for sharing:)

 

-Adam