Saturday 31 December 2016
How to stop the Cause of IBS, Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis
I found this fascinating. I was on various medical treatments for about 4 years trying to get my UC under long term control. I wish this had been around to help me understand what was going on then and before my colectomy/reversal.
Tuesday 20 December 2016
I found this article interesting:
Majid Ali M.D.
Majid Ali M.D.The Human Bowel - Seed, Feed, and Occasionally Weed Your Way Back to Health
What does your bowel have to do with arthritis, chronic disease, immune disorders, and other maladies? In my view, the most remarkable phenomenon in the entire field of human biology is this: A vast number of clinical problems that are seemingly unrelated to the bowel spontaneously resolve when the focus of clinical management turns to managing the bowel back to health!
In my experience I have found problems of extreme fatigue, mood swings, arthralgia (pain and stiffness in joints with or without joint swelling) resolve when the bowel issues are addressed? How often do we successfully prevent chronic headache; anxiety; palpitations; incapacitating PMS; recurrent attacks of vaginitis; asthma and skin lesions by correcting the abnormalities in the internal environment of the bowel?
Physicians who have learned to respect the bowel - as the ancients did - and care for their patients with a sharp focus on bowel issues will readily validate my personal (and fairly extensive) clinical experience.
The Bowel and the Immune System
Our immune defenses exist as plants in the soil of the bowel contents. The ancients seemed to have known this intuitively. I remember that the hakim (folk-doctor) in my village always prescribed laxatives for a headache. He prescribed remedies that seemed to work on the bowel for problems of the skin, joints, liver and other organs. Of course, I, then a medical school student, found it very amusing. It never occurred to me then why these folk-doctors would prescribe year after year remedies that couldn't work.
More important, from my present perspective, I never wondered why people accepted those remedies year after year if they afforded no relief. I was into the science of medicine then. I wasn't into finding out what worked and what didn't. Nor did I ever doubt the science of my professors who doled out prescriptions for drugs by the dozens for sheer symptom suppression.
That was then. And that was poor Pakistan.
Now I question the science of an average American family practitioner when he prescribes drugs for chronic bowel symptoms. How scientific is his use of antacids for symptoms of burning or pain in the pit of the stomach? How scientific is his use of antispasmodic drugs for abdominal cramps?
How scientific is his use of antidiarrheal drugs for diarrhea? How scientific is his use of steroids for inflammatory bowel disorders? Steroids suppress the immune system.
How scientific is it to further suppress the immune system for problems caused by an errant immune system in the first place?
How scientific is the use of anti-inflammatory agents, anxiolytic drugs, antidepressants, antispastic agents, antihistamines, and, of course, broad-spectrum antibiotics for treating various types of bowel disorders that we - by our own admission - do not understand the causes of?
The Universe of the Bowel
For many years I have studied a host of clinical syndromes in which the symptom- complexes can be related to events occurring in the bowel. As a hospital pathologist, I have had the opportunity to examine more than 11,000 bowel biopsies.
Every time I peered at a bit of bowel through a microscope and saw inflammation - colitis in common jargon - I wondered where and how it might have started. We pathologists know quite a bit about how a damaged bowel looks, but we know little, if anything, about the initial energetic-molecular events that set the stage for tissue damage. What is the cause of ulcerative colitis? Pathologists will tell you it is not known. What is the cause of Crohn's colitis? The answer: unknown. What is the cause of irritable bowel syndrome and spastic colitis? Unknown. What is the cause of microscopic colitis and collagenous colitis? The answer is the same.
Why is it that we do not know the cause of any of these types of colitis? The reason is we search for answers in the damaged structure after the fact rather than in the events preceding the damage. None of these "diseases" can be understood except with ecologic thinking - a Bowel Ecosystem - Bowel Ecology.
LAPs AND TAPs: THE GOOD AND BAD GUYS OF THE BOWEL
LAPs and TAPs are my abbreviations for lactic acid-producing and toxic agents- producing microbes in the bowel. LAPs preserve the normal bowel ecosystem, TAPs disrupt it.
LAPs confer many important host defenses upon the bowel. TAPs are equally versatile in their functions and produce a very large number of noxious substances in the bowel. Not unexpectedly, LAPs-TAPs dynamics are profoundly influenced by food choices.
Bacteria are living beings capable of executing an enormous number of biochemical reactions. Farmers used bacteria and fungi to turn compost into fertilizer long before biologists understood the metabolism of these single-celled bodies. A partial list of such reactions brought about by the normal bowel flora includes production of ammonia, conversion of amino acids into amines and phenols, inactivation of digestive enzymes such as trypsin and chymotrypsin and other enzymes located on the surface of cells lining the gut, deconjugation of hormones such as estrogen and bile acids, denaturation of bile steroids, breakdown of food flavonoids, hydrogenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in food, utilization of certain amino acids such as B12, conversion of some compounds into carcinogens, and many other enzymatic reactions.
LAPs:
First and foremost, LAPs keep TAPs out. It appears that this essential role is played through different mechanisms that include simple physical crowding out of the potential pathogens as well as production of antimicrobial substances. L. acidophilus produces acidophilin, acidolin and bacterlocin; L. plantartium produces lactolin; L. bulgaricus produces bulgarican; and L. brevis secretes lactobacillin.
Second, they produce many life span molecules. Notable among them are members of the vitamin B complex, especially folic acid and biotin and vitamin K. Lactobacillic acid is an important fatty acid that is produced by some lactic-acid producers and is then converted into essential fatty acids.
Another notable molecule in this context is tryptophan - this is likely to be one of the mechanisms by which yogurt has been reported to be beneficial in cases of chronic anxiety and other conditions.
Third, they play a pivotal role in digestion. Lactose intolerance is a very common clinical problem. It is often not fully appreciated that a major portion of lactose ingested in dairy products is actually broken down to simpler sugar by lactase enzymes produced by lactic acid producers. Lactic acid and lactase producers also play important roles in protein digestion. This is one of the primary reasons protein intolerance is so common among individuals with altered states of bowel ecology.
Fourth, LAPs actively break down some toxins produced during metabolism such as ammonia, free phenols and polypeptides.
Fifth, LAPs normalize bowel transit time and are effective in controlling infant and adult diarrhea.
Sixth, the antiviral and antifungal roles played by LAPs, having long been empirically suspected by nutritionists and holistic physicians, have recently been documented with research studies.
Seventh, the cholesterol-lowering effects of fermented milk have been attributed, among other mechanisms, to orotic acid, which facilitates fat metabolism in the liver.
RESTORATION OF BOWEL ECOLOGY
Disruptions of bowel ecology can be arrested and reversed only with a gardener's sense of tending to the soil, nurturing the plants, and respect for the sunshine. That, of course, is the theme of this chapter. The sun-related factors - chronic anger, hostility, conflict, and a sense of being a victim - both slow down the bowel transit time and significantly reduce perfusion in different parts of the alimentary tract. Those anatomically-mediated responses, of course, form the core of the so-called stress response
The Seed-Feed-and-Occasionally-Weed Approach to Restoration of Bowel Ecology
Seeding is the repopulation of the gut with microflora that have been destroyed by indiscriminate use of antibiotics or crowded out by the unrestrained proliferation of yeast and bacterial organisms such as the Proteus and Pseudomonas species.
The "guardian angel bacteria" for bowel ecology belong to the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species. Some other species also play protective roles. In health, these organisms provide the necessary counterbalance to the growth of yeast and pathogenic bacterial organisms. Beyond this, these organisms produce several molecules that play critical roles in our molecular defense systems.
Feeding is the use of some growth factors that the normal bowel flora require to flourish. These include biotin, pantetheine, Vitamin B12 and others. We clinicians have used Vitamin B12 for decades with good clinical results. One of the principal mechanisms by which vitamin B12 exerts its myriad beneficial effects is by serving as a "growth hormone" for health-preserving bowel flora
Occasional weeding is the use of several natural substances that are known to suppress the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and yeasts. During initial treatment, I frequently use oral nystatin or fluoconazole (Diflucan) for short periods of two to three weeks, partly for diagnostic and partly for therapeutic reasons (how a person with one of the ABE states responds to these agents is useful in assessing the degree of damage to bowel ecology). Extensive clinical experience has convinced me that long-term clinical results are far superior when the use of drugs is kept to a minimum.
Simple-minded efforts to "get rid of the yeast" with nystatin and "yeast- free diets" usually yield poor long-term results. Cold hands are associated with "cold bowel." Cold hands and cold bowel are the result of oxidatively-damaged thyroid enzymes (underactive thyroid gland), oxidatively-damaged autonomic nerve cells and fibers (dysautonomia) or an oxidatively-overdriven adrenalin gland. None of these problems can be effectively managed with yeast-free diets and Nystatin. Of course, there are other essential issues of nutrition, environment, food and mold allergy, and fitness. In the management of battered bowel ecosystems, it is essential to consider the biologic individuality of the patient. It is necessary to adopt an integrated, long-term approach that addresses all relevant issues of bowel flora and parasites, bowel transit time, bowel ischemic patterns, IgE-mediated disorders related to candida and other yeast antigens, malabsorptive dysfunctions, and secondary systemic consequences.
Physicians who are not familiar with natural therapies for managing chronic bowel and gastric disorders are in for a pleasant surprise. A very large number of effective natural agents are available to them. Extensive clinical experience has convinced me that for nonlife-threatening, chronic disorders, natural therapies are far superior to the huge array of drugs that are foisted upon us.
Following are important consideration in integrative management of chronic gastric and bowel disorders:
First, all patients should be offered standard drug therapies for acute disorders when any question exists about impending clinical crises or risk of serious complications.
Second, all patients managed with natural agents should be prepared for slow and sustained recovery over weeks and months. It is my practice not to wean my patients off drugs prescribed by other physicians. Rather, my clinical strategy is to go for gentle restoration of bowel and gastric ecologies. The patients sense clinical improvement within several days or some weeks. It is at this time that they ask me if they should begin to reduce the dose of drugs they are taking, and I am only too happy to provide guidance on how to do so gradually.
Third, all patients are required to attend a full-day workshop in which I give detailed information about the devastating impact of internal and external environments on our biology. In addition, nutrition and exercise classes are given by the nursing staff at the institute.
Fourth, all patients must be managed with an overarching philosophy of holistic molecular relatedness in human biology. I repeat this essential point several times at the risk of offending the reader because it is the very essence of the new medicine that the problems of the 21st century call for.
Fifth, and this is of critical importance for the general reader, a self-help approach to health requires guidance from a knowledgeable professional. Safety first. This is the first principle of molecular medicine as it must be for all other types of medicine.
In my experience I have found problems of extreme fatigue, mood swings, arthralgia (pain and stiffness in joints with or without joint swelling) resolve when the bowel issues are addressed? How often do we successfully prevent chronic headache; anxiety; palpitations; incapacitating PMS; recurrent attacks of vaginitis; asthma and skin lesions by correcting the abnormalities in the internal environment of the bowel?
Physicians who have learned to respect the bowel - as the ancients did - and care for their patients with a sharp focus on bowel issues will readily validate my personal (and fairly extensive) clinical experience.
The Bowel and the Immune System
Our immune defenses exist as plants in the soil of the bowel contents. The ancients seemed to have known this intuitively. I remember that the hakim (folk-doctor) in my village always prescribed laxatives for a headache. He prescribed remedies that seemed to work on the bowel for problems of the skin, joints, liver and other organs. Of course, I, then a medical school student, found it very amusing. It never occurred to me then why these folk-doctors would prescribe year after year remedies that couldn't work.
More important, from my present perspective, I never wondered why people accepted those remedies year after year if they afforded no relief. I was into the science of medicine then. I wasn't into finding out what worked and what didn't. Nor did I ever doubt the science of my professors who doled out prescriptions for drugs by the dozens for sheer symptom suppression.
That was then. And that was poor Pakistan.
Now I question the science of an average American family practitioner when he prescribes drugs for chronic bowel symptoms. How scientific is his use of antacids for symptoms of burning or pain in the pit of the stomach? How scientific is his use of antispasmodic drugs for abdominal cramps?
How scientific is his use of antidiarrheal drugs for diarrhea? How scientific is his use of steroids for inflammatory bowel disorders? Steroids suppress the immune system.
How scientific is it to further suppress the immune system for problems caused by an errant immune system in the first place?
How scientific is the use of anti-inflammatory agents, anxiolytic drugs, antidepressants, antispastic agents, antihistamines, and, of course, broad-spectrum antibiotics for treating various types of bowel disorders that we - by our own admission - do not understand the causes of?
The Universe of the Bowel
For many years I have studied a host of clinical syndromes in which the symptom- complexes can be related to events occurring in the bowel. As a hospital pathologist, I have had the opportunity to examine more than 11,000 bowel biopsies.
Every time I peered at a bit of bowel through a microscope and saw inflammation - colitis in common jargon - I wondered where and how it might have started. We pathologists know quite a bit about how a damaged bowel looks, but we know little, if anything, about the initial energetic-molecular events that set the stage for tissue damage. What is the cause of ulcerative colitis? Pathologists will tell you it is not known. What is the cause of Crohn's colitis? The answer: unknown. What is the cause of irritable bowel syndrome and spastic colitis? Unknown. What is the cause of microscopic colitis and collagenous colitis? The answer is the same.
Why is it that we do not know the cause of any of these types of colitis? The reason is we search for answers in the damaged structure after the fact rather than in the events preceding the damage. None of these "diseases" can be understood except with ecologic thinking - a Bowel Ecosystem - Bowel Ecology.
LAPs AND TAPs: THE GOOD AND BAD GUYS OF THE BOWEL
LAPs and TAPs are my abbreviations for lactic acid-producing and toxic agents- producing microbes in the bowel. LAPs preserve the normal bowel ecosystem, TAPs disrupt it.
LAPs confer many important host defenses upon the bowel. TAPs are equally versatile in their functions and produce a very large number of noxious substances in the bowel. Not unexpectedly, LAPs-TAPs dynamics are profoundly influenced by food choices.
Bacteria are living beings capable of executing an enormous number of biochemical reactions. Farmers used bacteria and fungi to turn compost into fertilizer long before biologists understood the metabolism of these single-celled bodies. A partial list of such reactions brought about by the normal bowel flora includes production of ammonia, conversion of amino acids into amines and phenols, inactivation of digestive enzymes such as trypsin and chymotrypsin and other enzymes located on the surface of cells lining the gut, deconjugation of hormones such as estrogen and bile acids, denaturation of bile steroids, breakdown of food flavonoids, hydrogenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in food, utilization of certain amino acids such as B12, conversion of some compounds into carcinogens, and many other enzymatic reactions.
LAPs:
First and foremost, LAPs keep TAPs out. It appears that this essential role is played through different mechanisms that include simple physical crowding out of the potential pathogens as well as production of antimicrobial substances. L. acidophilus produces acidophilin, acidolin and bacterlocin; L. plantartium produces lactolin; L. bulgaricus produces bulgarican; and L. brevis secretes lactobacillin.
Second, they produce many life span molecules. Notable among them are members of the vitamin B complex, especially folic acid and biotin and vitamin K. Lactobacillic acid is an important fatty acid that is produced by some lactic-acid producers and is then converted into essential fatty acids.
Another notable molecule in this context is tryptophan - this is likely to be one of the mechanisms by which yogurt has been reported to be beneficial in cases of chronic anxiety and other conditions.
Third, they play a pivotal role in digestion. Lactose intolerance is a very common clinical problem. It is often not fully appreciated that a major portion of lactose ingested in dairy products is actually broken down to simpler sugar by lactase enzymes produced by lactic acid producers. Lactic acid and lactase producers also play important roles in protein digestion. This is one of the primary reasons protein intolerance is so common among individuals with altered states of bowel ecology.
Fourth, LAPs actively break down some toxins produced during metabolism such as ammonia, free phenols and polypeptides.
Fifth, LAPs normalize bowel transit time and are effective in controlling infant and adult diarrhea.
Sixth, the antiviral and antifungal roles played by LAPs, having long been empirically suspected by nutritionists and holistic physicians, have recently been documented with research studies.
Seventh, the cholesterol-lowering effects of fermented milk have been attributed, among other mechanisms, to orotic acid, which facilitates fat metabolism in the liver.
RESTORATION OF BOWEL ECOLOGY
Disruptions of bowel ecology can be arrested and reversed only with a gardener's sense of tending to the soil, nurturing the plants, and respect for the sunshine. That, of course, is the theme of this chapter. The sun-related factors - chronic anger, hostility, conflict, and a sense of being a victim - both slow down the bowel transit time and significantly reduce perfusion in different parts of the alimentary tract. Those anatomically-mediated responses, of course, form the core of the so-called stress response
The Seed-Feed-and-Occasionally-Weed Approach to Restoration of Bowel Ecology
Seeding is the repopulation of the gut with microflora that have been destroyed by indiscriminate use of antibiotics or crowded out by the unrestrained proliferation of yeast and bacterial organisms such as the Proteus and Pseudomonas species.
The "guardian angel bacteria" for bowel ecology belong to the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species. Some other species also play protective roles. In health, these organisms provide the necessary counterbalance to the growth of yeast and pathogenic bacterial organisms. Beyond this, these organisms produce several molecules that play critical roles in our molecular defense systems.
Feeding is the use of some growth factors that the normal bowel flora require to flourish. These include biotin, pantetheine, Vitamin B12 and others. We clinicians have used Vitamin B12 for decades with good clinical results. One of the principal mechanisms by which vitamin B12 exerts its myriad beneficial effects is by serving as a "growth hormone" for health-preserving bowel flora
Occasional weeding is the use of several natural substances that are known to suppress the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and yeasts. During initial treatment, I frequently use oral nystatin or fluoconazole (Diflucan) for short periods of two to three weeks, partly for diagnostic and partly for therapeutic reasons (how a person with one of the ABE states responds to these agents is useful in assessing the degree of damage to bowel ecology). Extensive clinical experience has convinced me that long-term clinical results are far superior when the use of drugs is kept to a minimum.
Simple-minded efforts to "get rid of the yeast" with nystatin and "yeast- free diets" usually yield poor long-term results. Cold hands are associated with "cold bowel." Cold hands and cold bowel are the result of oxidatively-damaged thyroid enzymes (underactive thyroid gland), oxidatively-damaged autonomic nerve cells and fibers (dysautonomia) or an oxidatively-overdriven adrenalin gland. None of these problems can be effectively managed with yeast-free diets and Nystatin. Of course, there are other essential issues of nutrition, environment, food and mold allergy, and fitness. In the management of battered bowel ecosystems, it is essential to consider the biologic individuality of the patient. It is necessary to adopt an integrated, long-term approach that addresses all relevant issues of bowel flora and parasites, bowel transit time, bowel ischemic patterns, IgE-mediated disorders related to candida and other yeast antigens, malabsorptive dysfunctions, and secondary systemic consequences.
Physicians who are not familiar with natural therapies for managing chronic bowel and gastric disorders are in for a pleasant surprise. A very large number of effective natural agents are available to them. Extensive clinical experience has convinced me that for nonlife-threatening, chronic disorders, natural therapies are far superior to the huge array of drugs that are foisted upon us.
Following are important consideration in integrative management of chronic gastric and bowel disorders:
First, all patients should be offered standard drug therapies for acute disorders when any question exists about impending clinical crises or risk of serious complications.
Second, all patients managed with natural agents should be prepared for slow and sustained recovery over weeks and months. It is my practice not to wean my patients off drugs prescribed by other physicians. Rather, my clinical strategy is to go for gentle restoration of bowel and gastric ecologies. The patients sense clinical improvement within several days or some weeks. It is at this time that they ask me if they should begin to reduce the dose of drugs they are taking, and I am only too happy to provide guidance on how to do so gradually.
Third, all patients are required to attend a full-day workshop in which I give detailed information about the devastating impact of internal and external environments on our biology. In addition, nutrition and exercise classes are given by the nursing staff at the institute.
Fourth, all patients must be managed with an overarching philosophy of holistic molecular relatedness in human biology. I repeat this essential point several times at the risk of offending the reader because it is the very essence of the new medicine that the problems of the 21st century call for.
Fifth, and this is of critical importance for the general reader, a self-help approach to health requires guidance from a knowledgeable professional. Safety first. This is the first principle of molecular medicine as it must be for all other types of medicine.
Majid Ali, M.D., has been long recognized as a leading researcher and clinician in the field of integrative medicine. He is the author of many scientific works, health books, and the 12 volume exhaustive and comprehensive Principles and Practices of Integrative Medicine at http://www.majidali.com and http://www.ethicsinmedicine.us
Article SourceSt Marks Hospital - Mission Possible
St. Mark's Hospital Foundation supports the work of St. Mark's Hospital in Harrow which is the world's first specialist bowel disease hospital. Set up to fund what the NHS can’t, the money we raise from the general public goes to ensure vital research, education and training goes ahead each year, keeping St. Mark’s at the very pinnacle of success.
Monday 19 December 2016
St. Mark's: Best for Bowels
St Mark's is where I was treated for my ulcerative colitis and where my colectomy and reversal were performed. That was in 2002 and I am still fitter and stronger than I ever imagined I could be.
Incredible place with incredible doctors and nurses. If you have been treated there, what was your experience?
Wednesday 14 December 2016
Living with Ulcerative Colitis
Living with ulcerative colitis
There are a few things you can do to help keep symptoms of ulcerative colitis under control and reduce your risk of complications.
Dietary advice
Although a specific diet isn't thought to play a role in causing ulcerative colitis, some changes to your diet can help control the condition.
For example, you may find it useful to:
- eat small meals – eating five or six smaller meals a day, rather than three main meals, may help control your symptoms
- drink plenty of fluids – it's easy to become dehydrated when you have ulcerative colitis, as you can lose a lot of fluid through diarrhoea. Water is the best source of fluids. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as these will make your diarrhoea worse – and fizzy drinks, which can cause flatulence (gas)
- take food supplements – ask your GP or gastroenterologist if you need food supplements, as you might not be getting enough vitamins and minerals in your diet
Keep a food diary
Keeping a food diary that documents what you eat can also be helpful. You may find you can tolerate some foods while others make your symptoms worse. By keeping a record of what and when you eat, you should be able to identify problem foods and eliminate them from your diet.
However, you shouldn't eliminate entire food groups (such as dairy products) from your diet without speaking to your care team, because you may not get enough of certain vitamins and minerals.
If you want to try a new food, it's best to only try one type a day, as it's then easier to spot foods that cause problems.
Low-residue diet
Temporarily eating a low-residue or low-fibre diet can sometimes help improve symptoms of ulcerative colitis during a flare-up. These diets are designed to reduce the amount and frequency of the stools you pass.
Examples of foods that can be eaten as part of a low-residue diet include:
- white bread
- refined (non-wholegrain) breakfast cereals, such as cornflakes
- white rice, refined pasta and noodles
- cooked vegetables (but not the peel, seeds or stalks)
- lean meat and fish
- eggs
If you're considering trying a low-residue diet, make sure you talk to your care team first.
Stress relief
Although stress doesn't cause ulcerative colitis, successfully managing stress levels may reduce the frequency of symptoms. The following advice may help:
Although stress doesn't cause ulcerative colitis, successfully managing stress levels may reduce the frequency of symptoms. The following advice may help:
- exercise – this has been proven to reduce stress and boost your mood; your GP or care team can advise on a suitable exercise plan
- relaxation techniques – breathing exercises, meditation and yoga are good ways of teaching yourself to relax
- communication – living with ulcerative colitis can be frustrating and isolating; talking to others with the condition can help (see below)
For more information and advice, see:
Emotional impact
Living with a long-term condition that is as unpredictable and potentially debilitating as ulcerative colitis can have a significant emotional impact.
In some cases, anxiety and stress caused by ulcerative colitis can lead to depression. Signs of depression include feeling very down, hopeless and no longer taking pleasure in activities you used to enjoy. If you think you might be depressed, contact your GP for advice.
You may also find it useful to talk to others affected by ulcerative colitis, either face-to-face or via the internet. Crohn's and Colitis UK is a good resource, with details of local support groups and a large range of useful information on ulcerative colitis and related issues.
Fertility
The chances of a woman with ulcerative colitis becoming pregnant aren't usually affected by the condition. However, infertility can be a complication of surgery carried out to create an ileo-anal pouch.
This risk is much lower if you have surgery to divert the small intestine through an opening in your abdomen (an ileostomy).
Pregnancy
The majority of women with ulcerative colitis who decide to have children will have a normal pregnancy and a healthy baby.
However, if you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy you should discuss it with your care team. If you become pregnant during a flare-up, or have a flare-up while pregnant, there's a risk you could give birth early (premature birth) or have a baby with a low birthweight.
For this reason, doctors usually recommend trying to get ulcerative colitis under control before getting pregnant.
Most ulcerative colitis medications can be taken during pregnancy, including corticosteroids, most 5-ASAs and some types of immunosuppressant medication.
However, there are certain medications (such as some types of immunosuppressant) that may need to be avoided as they're associated with an increased risk of birth defects.
In some cases, your doctors may advise you to take a medicine that isn't normally recommended during pregnancy. This might happen if they think the risks of having a flare-up outweigh the risks associated with the medicine.
What You Need to Know About Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Introduction
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common, long-term condition of the digestive system. It can cause bouts of stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common, long-term condition of the digestive system. It can cause bouts of stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation.
The symptoms vary between individuals and affect some people more severely than others. They tend to come and go in periods lasting a few days to a few months at a time, often during times of stress or after eating certain foods.
You may find some of the symptoms of IBS ease after going to the toilet and opening your bowels.
IBS is thought to affect up to one in five people at some point in their life, and it usually first develops when a person is between 20 and 30 years of age. Around twice as many women are affected as men.
The condition is often lifelong, although it may improve over several years.
Read more about the symptoms of IBS.
When to see your GP
See your GP if you think you have IBS symptoms, so they can try to determine the cause.
Your GP may be able to identify IBS based on your symptoms, although blood tests may be needed to rule out other conditions.
Read more about diagnosing IBS.
What causes IBS?
The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but most experts think that it's related to increased sensitivity of the gut and problems digesting food.
These problems may mean that you are more sensitive to pain coming from your gut, and you may become constipated or have diarrhoea because your food passes through your gut either too slowly or too quickly.
Psychological factors such as stress may also play a part in IBS.
Read more about the causes of IBS.
How IBS is treated
There is no cure for IBS, but the symptoms can often be managed by making changes to your diet and lifestyle.
For example, it may help to:
- identify and avoid foods or drinks that trigger your symptoms
- alter the amount of fibre in your diet
- exercise regularly
- reduce your stress levels
- Medication is sometimes prescribed for people with IBS to treat the individual symptoms they experience.
Read more about treating IBS.
Living with IBS
IBS is unpredictable. You may go for many months without any symptoms, then have a sudden flare-up.
IBS is unpredictable. You may go for many months without any symptoms, then have a sudden flare-up.
The condition can also be painful and debilitating, which can have a negative impact on your quality of life and emotional state. Many people with IBS will experience feelings of depression and anxiety, at some point.
Speak to your GP if you have feelings of depression or anxiety that are affecting your daily life. These problems rarely improve without treatment and your GP can recommend treatments such as antidepressants or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which can help you cope with IBS, as well as directly treating the condition.
With appropriate medical and psychological treatment, you should be able to live a normal, full and active life with IBS.
IBS does not pose a serious threat to your physical health and does not increase your chances of developing cancer or other bowel-related conditions.
Tuesday 13 December 2016
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