Can you answer Slick 50’s question about IBS?:

Why is it that cabbage juice is such benifit to digestive problems such as colitis and heartburn?

I have been juicing it myself and it’s definitly making a difference.

I tried looking stuff up on my own and I didnt find much cept they kind of mentioned that the fermentation and the bacteria have something to do with it maybe?

Severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Can you answer brandilicious’s question about IBS?:

I have been taking clindamycin for 6 days now, i take 4 times a day and its the 300mg strength. The past 3 days I ahve been having very loose and watery stool, i have been nauseous and feeling very weak and light headed. I have taken clindaymicin about 4 other times in the past 6 months. Could I have colitis? When should I see a doctor. Is there a good chance of getting colitis whilte taking the drug?

Ibs Trigger Foods

Colitis is a chronic digestive disease and characterized by inflammation of the colon. Colitis also called ulcerative colitis. Colitis commonly affects only the innermost lining of your big intestine (colon) and rectum. It happens only through continuous stretches of your colon, unlike crohn’s disease, which occurs in patches anywhere in the digestive tract and often spreads deep into the layers of affected tissues. Colitis is closely related to another condition of inflammation of the intestines called Crohn’s disease. Ulcerative colitis can affect people of any age, but most people who have it are diagnosed before the age of 30.

About 1 in 1000 people in the UK develop UC. It can develop at any age but most commonly first develops between the ages of 15 and 40. It affects both men and women equally and tends to run in families. The main symptoms of colitis are cramps, bloody diarrhea or an immediate want to have a bowel movement, bleeding from the rectum and fever. Colitis can also cause extra problems, such as joint pain, eye problems, or liver disease. Colitis sometimes leads to more serious problems. It can cause scarring of the bile duct. This can lead to liver damage. In rare cases, severe disease causes the colon to swell to many times its normal size.

Treatment for ulcerative colitis relys on the severity of the disease. Each person experiences colitis differently, so treatment is arranged for each individual. Treatment of colitis may include the administration of antibiotics and general non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) medications. There are three main types of medicines that are used to manage active ulcerative colitis aminosalicylates, steroids and immunosuppressants. 5-sminosalicylate medicines include sulfasalazine, mesalazine, ofsalazine, and balsalazide. They are an alternative to steroids, and often work well for mild or moderate flare-ups.

Corticosteroids can assist decrease inflammation, but they have many side effects, involving a puffy face, extreme facial hair, night sweats, insomnia and hyperactivity. Anti-inflammatory drugs are frequently the first step in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Immunosuppressives (drugs that suppress the immune system) treat ulcerative colitis by blocking inflammation. The most commonly prescribed are 6-mercaptopurine (Purinethol) and azathioprine (Imuran). Surgery for ulcerative colitis may become essential for a number of reasons. Surgery may also be recommended for cancer or extreme risk of cancer.



Thanks to Juliet Cohen for contributing this article to our IBS blog:

Herbal Remedy For Ibs

Following a specific crohns diet is one of the best self healing remedies you can implement in your lifestyle. The reason is because without proper nutrition a crohn’s sufferer puts themselves at greater risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition is a problem for many people with crohn’s, as it is estimated that as many as 80 percent of people with the disease experience considerable weight loss.

There are many factors that may cause malnutrition in a crohn’s sufferer. Malnutrition may occur from -

- Excessive diarrhea

- Difficulty eating due to gastrointestinal discomfort, pain, nausea and diarrhea

- Badly damaged bowel

- Bowel shortened by surgery can prevent the absorption and digestion of sufficient nutrients.

- Certain medications may reduce the body’s stores of some vitamins and nutrients.

Thus, it is imperative that adequate nutrition is absorbed through the right crohns diet to prevent malabsorption.

What is malabsorption? Malabsorption is when the body does not effectively absorb nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, fat, sugar, etc.) from ingested food. In order for the body to absorb the nutrients from food, the pancreas, liver, bile ducts, and the lining of the small intestine need to be functioning properly. It is through the small intestine that nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream. That is why in most cases, the impairment of food digestion primarily occurs in the small intestine.

The symptoms of malabsorption include: diarrhea, weight loss, dehydration, fatigue, bloating, abdominal pain, skin changes, oily stool and undigested food in stool.

Malabsorption can result in malnutrition, if the body does not receive the sufficient amount of nutrients it requires. Malnutrition is a serious condition that can lead to total parenteral nutrition (nutrition provided intravenously) if not taken care of by a crohns diet.

To ensure their diet contains adequate nutrients, a crohn’s suffer needs to make certain that their diet consist of -

- Lots of hydrating fluids (approximately 10 glasses per day), especially water. Certain herbal teas (I.E. mint, ginger, etc.) may also be added. These fluids help to prevent constipation.

- Eat fiber - When you are not suffering symptoms, make sure your crohns diet is rich in insoluble fiber such as bran, apple, raw vegetables, brown rice, wholegrain bread, etc. However, if you are experiencing crohn’s symptoms or you are prone to diarrhea, focus your diet more on soluble fiber such as the flesh of fruit, oatmeal, soda crackers, cooked vegetables, etc.

- Avoid dairy if you are lactose intolerant. If you suffer from lactose intolerance, your body can not properly absorb milk sugar which can lead to symptoms such as gas, bloating and diarrhea.

- Eat a crohns diet rich in protein - Fish, eggs, beans, nuts, lean meats, etc.

- Lower your intake of caffeine, alcohol, fats and sugars (especially sorbitol - a type of sweetener) as these foods are known to trigger diarrhea.

Essentially, the key to avoiding malnutrition is to eliminate foods in your diet that trigger or worsen symptoms (particularly severe diarrhea), and introduce other “safe” foods that contain the nutrients your body needs that it cannot obtain from the foods that have been eliminated from your crohn’s diet.



Thanks to Sharon Dobson for contributing this article to our IBS blog:

IBS Tips

Crohn’s Disease is an inflammatory bowel disease for which the cause is not known. It can affect any part of the gastro-intestinal tract but usually manifests in the lowest part of the small intestine. There is a familial link so often someone else in the immediate family will also be affected.

Crohn’s Disease causes inflammation which extends into the lining of the intestinal wall, causing crampy pain, inhibited absorption of nutrients, rectal bleeding, loss of appetitie and weight loss. Diarrhea is also a common symptom of Crohn’s due to the poor absorptive ability of the inflamed lining.

For definitive diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease it is essential to get tests run from a doctor and/or medical center. It is often difficult to determine between Crohn’s and other Inflammatory Bowel Disorders such as Ulcerative colitis or Irritable Bowel.

Medical treatment for Crohn’s usually involves corticosteroid therapy to deal with the inflammation, immune modulating therapy and surgery for recurrent intestinal obstructions (due to inflammation).

Naturopathic treatment for Crohn’s is also aimed at reducing inflammation. We also look at relieving symptoms of Crohn’s and correcting nutritional deficiencies, all of which help to keep Crohn’s Disease in remission.

A naturopath may recommend Fish oils to aid in reducing inflammation from Crohn’s, and also extraintestinal manifestations such as arthritic inflammation. A study undertaken in Italy showed that people who took fish oils were less likely to have outbreaks from their Crohn’s then those who didn’t. After a year over half who took the fish oil remained symptom free from Crohn’s Disease.

Following an Acid-Alkaline diet is excellent for good health and for inflammation reduction. Chemicals produced in the blood from inflammation can cause damage to joints and provide a feeling of dullness and ill-health. To aid in staying in remission from Crohn’s avoiding alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, dairy and other mucus forming foods can aid in lessening the inflammation. These are all acidic and inflammation causing foods. Include loads of non-acidic fresh or cooked vegetables, drink plenty of fresh, filtered water and herbal teas.

Avoiding or minimizing stress is an essential step to maintaining remission from Crohn’s Disease. Our digestive system is intrinsically linked to our nervous system, and any stress will be felt throughout the GI tract. Meditation is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety caused by and contributing to Crohn’s outbreaks.

Other ways of minimizing stress, and Crohn’s outbreaks are getting regular exercise, getting sufficient sleep, lots of laughter, and identifying sources stress and avoiding them!!! Any type of change - whether good or bad can cause stress, and make Crohn’s susceptible to flaring up. Getting support from others affected with Crohn’s can be a great stress release and give some now ideas as to how to make lifestyle adjustments that make Crohn’s stay in remission.

There are many treatment options, including diet options, herbal therapy and lifestyle choices that can make living with Crohn’s easy and comfortable. For more information consult your Naturopath or Medical Herbalist.



Thanks to Stephanie Young for contributing this article to our IBS blog:

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