Meet Ben:
I don’t use Facebook or Twitter, my life was hell. I hope some people get relief trying what I am doing. I hope this helps.
Some more about Ben:
Raising a family, weight lifting, going to the beach. I live in Melbourne Beach Florida. I am a workaholic that is just now figuring out how to live. Recently I learned about laws of attraction and am applying it to all aspects of life.
Symptoms:
None, from what I have read even in remission your colon should be inflamed, mine is not.
Ben’s Story:
I believe my ulcerative colitis is cured.
I was diagnosed over 10 years ago. I have been on every medicine from prednisone (lots of prednisone) to remicade. For the last 4 years I have been on Asacol hd.
About 3 years ago I started taking 2 imodium ad pills with my Asacol in the morning. This immediately brought me a huge relief. Life changing huge relief. I still had occasional blood in my stool But I was regular without urgency to go to the bathroom, just healthy morning bowel movements. I actually gained weight. I have worked out with different degrees of consistency since I was a teenager (I am 42 now). 4 months ago my wife made a comment about how cute my “kitty cat belly” was. I immediately realized that I had let myself go more so than ever.
The next day while tying my shoes I was bothered by my newly acquired gut. I immediately started eating healthy I cut out all sugars, breads, dairy and replaced fruit with vegetables with the exception of bananas I reduced red meat and eat a high protein diet with lots of chicken. I had a colonoscopy today and had absolutely no inflammation. I did have 4 polyps removed, I believe they were formed by my previous diet. I am not sure how long I am going to stay on medication. Ever since I changed my diet I have had zero issues.
About the same time i cleaned up my diet a friend explained law of attraction to me. I don’t think this is related to my relief but I would hate to leave that part out. I am a twenty year industrial worker, please don’t dismiss law of attraction to some hippy stuff, I am far from that. Please share this so others can try adding imodium and a clean diet so they can enjoy living a normal life.
Medications Ben Tried:
Too many to list, Lialda, Prednisone, Remicade, enamas, to name a few.
written by Ben
submitted in the colitis venting area
I’m raising a family, weight lifting, going to the beach. I live in melbourne beach fl. I am a workaholic that is just now figuring out how to live. Recently I learned about laws of attraction and am applying it to all aspects of life.
Way to Go Ben!!!
Sweet, and huge congrats to you for feeling better and proving it with a clear colonoscopy. That is great news. Enjoy yourself now, and thanks for sharing,
-Adam
Ben, one more thing…I wrote an email to the 9400 people on the email list for the site, I’m pretty sure this is the type of story they want to be reading on a holiday weekend:) Thx again, and cheers to you and your fam
Sorry … but your UC is NOT cured. I have had UC since 1991 and have gone in REMISSION hundreds of times. The longest was 7 years … The disease is CRONIC. You will always have it, unfortunately it will come and go throughout your life. I recently had a colonoscopy like you – NO inflammation or indication of UC.. I reduce my meds during remission but NEVER eliminate completely. Thought you’d want the TRUTH. Good Luck !
The sad truth….I hate to hear it!
I have been in remission for over 5 years….with NO meds….but I do know that UC never goes away for good.
It sucks…
That’s why we need a COMPLETE CURE for this….somehow, some way…could be that stem cell stuff??
Even remissions have degrees, some are strong, some are weak and I’ve had them both. One way of prolonging remission or lessening the effects of a possible future catastrophe is taking probiotics and gut wall builders like l-glutamine and colostrum.
Fantastic story Ben! Thanks for sharing. I believe we should all be aware that “hippy” stuff was not just for hippies. I don’t think most of them got it. I think that being aware of how things work at an energetic level is key to our survival.
Awesome stuff, Ben!
Our stories are very similar- same age, have had UC for 10 yrs AND I, too have found great results through lifestyle change… namely diet! No meds since last summer/fall and no flares as of yet! Started eating strict SCD/Paleo diet a year ago and truly believe that this has allowed my body to not only heal, but function more strongly than ever. It’s not always easy… But is soooo worth it! :)
Ben, I’m happy for you and your success! It’s amazing how at times we wish to gain weight and once we do it’s like “woah woah… Wait a minute! Not that much!” I’m the same way once it comes back it doesn’t know when to quit!
Are you still taking the asacol hd? Do you take the Imodium every day still now that you are feeling better?
~Sher
Ben,
Thanks so much for sharing. I have been suffering with UC for the past two years (to the wk!).
I’m on anti-inflammatories and enemas-but still experiencing difficulties (bloody stools and urgency to go).
I always thought about using imodium-but I was worried that it might complicte the situation even more.
I’m headed to the drug store to give it a shot right away!.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Fantastic news…congratulations Ben! A high protein diet seems to help a lot of people, including myself, recover and heal deeply. Also id love to know more about how your using the law of attraction to help improve the quality of your life? All the best, Dan
Hi everyone,
Its great that Ben had had such success, however I just looked into imodium-ad and one of the first things I found is that if you have bowel problems of any kind including blood or mucus that you should use this drug with caution and under medical supervision.
I’m going to ask my doc about it.
Good luck,
Aidan
I let my doctor know when I started taking it and he was ok with it. He even told me about a prescription that was like it but stronger. All I know is from the time I started taking it I no longer had the problems associated with ulcerative colitis, other than occasional blood. Once I cleaned my diet up the occasional blood stopped. Now my colon doesn’t have any signs that I have ulcerative colitis. I wish someone would have told me what I posted. life is so much better now, it is no different than before I had ulcerative colitis, except I appreciate my health.
ben do you have an email where I can write you?
I would like to know what happens after you stop remicade and why you do not eat bananas.
Thanks for sharing your story.
you are not cured. you are in remission. when you’re in remission, your colonoscopy won’t have inflammation. i’d definitely stay on your medication so you don’t flare again!! also, immodium should not be used regularly if you have UC. this can increase your chances of toxic megacolon.
Everyone is different. That’s why it’s so important to check with your GI before taking any anti-diarrhea meds, such as Imodium. I was advised, reluctantly, that it would be okay to take once in awhile if I really, really needed it. And I really, really needed it. The first time was great. I felt normal again! I tried it again two weeks later, and I got very sick — abdominal pain, fever, and increased bleeding. I was lucky it did not worsen, and I was only down for five days. So now I must stay completely away from Imodium and the like. The risk of toxic megacolon is nothing to be taken lightly and can be very serious. The UC is bad enough without putting yourself in a worse and possibly more dire situation.
Congratulations that is wonderful news and hope remission continues for you. I just wanted to know do you still take Imodium every day? and other medications. thank you for your story and stay in good health.
I still take asacol and imodium daily however I can skip asacol without any noticeable difference and have reduced from 2 pills 3 x a day to 2 pills twice a day, I skip taking the night dose frequently though. I don’t think asacol is doing anything to help but it isn’t hurting anything . On the few occasions that I don’t have a bowel movement when I get up in the morning I skip the Imodium for a day. It is amazing to not have any symptoms of uc and have a normal colon, if that is not cured I guess I will have to settle for permanent remission. Doctor’s never told me about imodium or diet, I wish they would have. I posted this in hope that other people would find relief and go back to living a normal life.
Thanks To Tim & Joanna for posting truth in their comments.
i agree, tom. it’s better to get the facts straight, so if a recently diagnosed UCer sees this that they don’t get misled.
I always thought that you shouldn’t take Imodium continously good luck and stay in good health
hi , very occasionally uc can burn out . anyone had that happen ?
Please all be very carefull and do not take Imodium continiously without proper advise and control from GI site.
I understand some of your concerns about taking Imodium continuously, however after stumbling on this myself without and taking it completely changed my life. I have taken it continuously for years now and have not had any symptoms for a long time. As stated before I communicated this with my doctor after taking it and have always shared this with every doctor that I have seen in the years since I have started taking it. Of course every person needs to listen to their body and act accordingly. I am not a doctor nor am I giving medical advise, what I am, is someone who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and found relief and would like to share that with someone else out there who is suffering like I was in hopes that they can enjoy a normal healthy life. One thing to also consider is a clean diet, I still have iced tea I just use stevia instead of sugar, other than that I eat very healthy with a good mix of meats and vegetables 5-6 small meals every 3 hours rather than 3 large meals. It is truly wonderful to have beat this disease, I hope you do as well.
Hi Ben I’m really intrigue by your story. I’ve been diagnose now for 4 years and like you I’ve been through every med going and now on that new drug that I inject myself with called Humira. The drug is last shot saloon and the doc’s want to talk about operation which I really don’t want. Anyway whilst I was on my holiday my diet became a little rich and consume move alcohol than I should of and my bowels starting playing up quiet bad. Someone had Imodium and I had one which gave me instant relief but notice it only last about 5 hours. I’ve taken more and had good result like you’ve described but still only last a few hours. How long does the double dose last for you? What is your reason behind taking 2 and do you have to take any more later on in the day?
Thanks Rich
I only have to take 2 a day, sometimes I only take one if I don’t have a bowel movement in the morning. I take this daily and can’t remember the last time I had a problem.
I was diagnosed with this horrible disease in the late 1990’s. I have been on every drug imaginable and nothing worked. So, reluctantly, I gave into my gastro doctor’s request to try 6 mercaptopurine, an old chemo drug from the 1950s.
It worked.
I have been in complete remission for 10 years until a couple of weeks ago when I developed severe stomach cramps and other symptoms. My GP put me on antibiotics thinking it might be a bacterial infection. They didn’t work.
My worst fears developed because my father died of colon cancer. So the GP ordered a Cat Scan. It was mostly clear showing no tumors but some Ulcerative Colitis. He ordered me to my gastro guy.
The gastro guy ordered a colonoscopy for this past Wednesday. I did have a massive flare-up but fortunately no polyps for the first time and no evidence of cancer.
I now am on an 8-week program of prednisone hoping I can get it to calm down and that the mercaptopurine will get it back into remission. I had two bad days this week, both times I didn’t make it to the toilet. My venture outside is very limited at this time.
I had approached the doctor a few years ago about cutting back or stopping the mercaptopurine because of the long time in complete remission. He said absolutely not, the UC is not curable and I will take it to my grave.
Still cured, I had to switch to lialda because of my insurance and job change. I am tempted to stop taking Imodium and Lialda but having beat this disease I am just sticking with what worked for me
Ben,
I too feel I have cured myself. I take 1 Imodium a day and had a colonoscopy and I was told by my doctor that everything looked good and that I didn’t have to have another for 10 years. This after I tried steroid enemas, Asacol, and Prednisone. I’m not saying it will work for everyone. But, for now my UC is managed by slowing down my colon. I have no bleeding and use the bathroom as a regular person now. I stumbled onto this management through trial and error. I really hope our stories help others.
Heather
Hi Ben. So glad to hear that Imodium has worked for you. I also found relief when I was having a bad flare a couple of years ago but I was afraid to continue with it over a long duration due to the chances of toxic colon. I have been in another flare for the past several months – stress seems to be a huge trigger for me so I think I am going to give it another try.
For me taking Imodium just makes sense. I got a promotion last November and changed companies which caused me to change insurance companies. Had to go back to lialda, no problem though. I take 2 in the morning with one or two Imodium and I am good to go. Please learn to manage your stress, I believe that this was also a contributing factor in my success.
Hey Ben,
I am from Britain.
I used to take Imodium last year when I first had symptoms of UC and didnt know what it was my blood stopped with the first dose ! I was unaware it was UC and was taking no medicines for 5 months and my diet was utter garbage. I had an odd experience with Imodium because I only needed one tablet every 2-3 days! never more than 1 per day it just lasted longer in my body I suppose I was never constipated but now since I am taking mesalazine (asacol in USA) once I was diagnosed last year Novemeber I think I may try taking one or two tablets per week as my symptoms are getting messed. What helps me allot is L-glutamine powder but sadly I get insomnia with it so cannot use it often Colostrum helped a bit also. I was wondering if it was normal to only need upto 3 tablets of Imodium per week ? does it work extremely well in some people?
Wish me luck I really hope I only need one or two tablets a week like last time.
Hi Ben
Just wondered if you were still doing great? I’m on delzicol which I think increases bleeding for me, but we couldn’t get the diarrhea under control, so my dr just gave me the ok to take immodium 2 times a day. Yesterday was the first day and it was a great day! He did however have me add a second dose of delzicol in the day and I feel like that is making me nauseous. When you say you noticed results immediately, when did you get to healthy bowel movements?
Also forgot to add I have total colitis involving the whole colon which may explain why their is a risk. Some people with little involvement may get away with it so I possibly need to be careful?
I’m really glad about this discussion here, and really glad you’re in remission, Ben. I’ve been wondering about using Imodium myself – particularly what it is that makes makes it potentially dangerous for us with UC. If it works by slowing motility, in theory, that should hold stool longer in the colon and more water should be absorbed which should make for a more formed stool. It seems like this is safer than suppressing our immune systems.
I wonder if there is a place to learn the actual statistics (in order to make a more informed choice) about how many cases of toxic mega colon are associated with taking Imodium and how many come on while using immuno-suppressants.
Hm.. This is interesting. I can’t take Lialda or Asacol because of Mesalamine intolerance I have developed but after starting the original brand of Imodium, my flare seems to be subsiding. I still have to wait and see how it’s going to resolve. Still no appetite and feeling fatigued all the time. I’ll update on my status soon.
Hi Ben.
Really interested to know how you re doing? It’s September 2017 now, quite a while since you first posted. I’m hoping the imodium and diet are still working gor you.
It’s so frustrating that we can’t say for certain what is working – as the typical relapse and remission gives us a false belief that something is working.
Hi Ben, I too have Colitis, and been suffering from it for 3 years. Had a colonoscopy 18 months ago and it was clean and good.. I also have been using Imodium and find relief in it almost immediately, But didnt know you could use it daily. My PA said it was fine to use Imodium, so I have shared it with my doc..My colitis developed from #1 Stress, and sugar…so diet as Ben says is utmost important..and exercise. I am still working on the sugar part, and now I know I can take the imodium more often than just when I need it to help it slow down.Thank you Ben for sharing your story. I hope to find remission in my Colitis issue. Its stressful which doesnt help in slowing it down.