What is Ulcerative Colitis?

I am not a doctor nor am I planning to get technical. Ulcerative colitis is the inflammation of the large intestine. The large intestine is also known as the colon. People with ulcerative colitis experience frequent diarrhea, abdominal bloating and discomfort, as well as rectal bleeding. The cause is not known. There is no known western cure.

How is Ulcerative Colitis Controlled?

From a western medical perspective, ulcerative colitis is controlled with steroid use and some form of immunosuppressant. An example common steroid is prednisone. There are a few different immunosuppressants on the market. An example of a systemic immunosuppressant is azathioprine. An example of a targeted immunosuppressant is vedolizumab.

Are there natural remedies for ulcerative colitis?

If you ask a gastroenterologist, the answer is ‘No’. If you ask a naturopath, the answer is ‘Yes’. Western ‘pill type’ solutions don’t solve the underlying issue, but they will likely help you alleviate your symptoms. Naturopathic solutions may be able to help you alleviate or even reverse your symptoms, however they take a lot of will power and time.

Can I become a pilot if I have ulcerative colitis?

Short answer, ‘Yes’. However, you cannot be taking any steroids. Although small doses (real small) may be permitted by Transport Canada or the FAA. Immunosuppressants are often allowed provided you can prove you are stable on the drug.

What medications I took

As you may have read, I was diagnosed with UC in 2004. I was couldn’t go anywhere and didn’t know what the hell was wrong. I used prednisone quite often for the first 5-6 years. I spent 18 years on varying doses of azathioprine taking about 75-100mg per day for the last 10 years. My colitis seemed to settle down after about the first 5 or 6 years and I was able to control it with azathioprine alone. However, the azathioprine likely (says my doctor) led to testicular cancer as it is a known carcinogen.

Testicular cancer diagnosis

In February of 2022 I was diagnosed stage 3 testicular cancer. The signs and symptoms were there for a few years but I had no idea what they were. You can read more about my battle with testicular cancer here. Since I was on large amounts of steroids during chemotherapy, I did not need to take any medication to manage my colitis during that time. During chemo I decided to go and see a naturopath. He set me up with a program to help my battle with cancer, but also a program to restore the micro-biome in my gut.

Naturopathic ulcerative colitis remedies

The naturopath I have been seeing since April 2022 has given me a program to follow that has kept me off any prescribed medication for the last 18 months. This is long enough to suggest that it is not a fluke. It took me 18 years to finally find a solution to my ulcerative colitis. Here is the program I have been on for the last 18 months.

Food sensitivity test

The first thing I did was have a food sensitivity test completed on over 200 foods. The test was ordered from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and actually completed in British Columbia, Canada. It was a blood test. It came back color coded in red, yellow, and green. Red were foods to which I had an abnormally high reaction, yellow above normal, and green within the normal range. I eliminated all foods to which I didn’t have a normal reaction for 14 months. After which I started adding small qualities of foods to which I had an above average reaction (yellow).

Natural supplements for ulcerative colitis

I take several natural supplements each day. They are: theracurmin, active green tea extract, 50+ billion probiotic, L-glutamine, high DHA/EPA liquid omega-3, and 2500 IU vitamin D in droplet form.

Supplements and dosages I take for ulcerative colitis management

1 double strength capsule 3 times daily 15 mins before meals

1 capsule 3 times daily 15 mins after meals

3 scoops daily with water

1 capsule daily before bed

2500 -5000 IU daily

1 tablespoon daily at lunch with food

Conclusion

After 18 years I finally found something that worked for me that wasn’t a prescribed medication. It takes a lot of will power and dedication to follow a diet. If you decide you want to give it a try you likely won’t be able to eat at restaurants for a while. You need to know exactly what is in your food.

I hope this information has educated a few people on what is ulcerative colitis and I also hope it helps someone who is dealing with UC, at any stage.

If you have any questions send me a message and I’ll do what I can to pass on any knowledge I have on the subject.