Just wondering if anybody has considered or tried natural or alternative therapies?

It just seems that all medication targets symptoms rather than the underlying cause, and some times I wish I looked into this when I had UC before all the surgery.

Now that I'm recovering from a bad bout of pouchitis, I'm looking into how I can prevent the inflammation without relying on western medicine, which is very toxic.

Probiotics are one obvious possible solution. Am going to see my Japanese naturopath on Thursday to see if he knows of anything. I suspect that I have a touch of IPS also, as I responded well to Buscopan for painful spasms.

Interested to hear other views?

I recall seeing at least two folks here (one has a very recent post in this forum) that have had success with a product available in the States called Csndigone. I believe it is largely herbal based. Perhaps your naturopath knows of something similar available in the UK you can try or can recommend something similar. I think these might be most effective when combined with some dietary changes, but don't that is mandatory.

I too wish I had tried something "alternative" before being forced into surgery.

I have had good response with a yeast free, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free diet. I always seemed to get a grumpy pouch and antibiotics helped some but I found out my bacteria levels were more bad than good. The diet I follow has helped with gas, bloating, and no more butt burn. I take probiotics daily and had done peptide shots for Chrons and recently switched the peptide shot to UC as i get inflammation at the anastamosis site which has remnants of my large gut and that has helped tremendously. I just dont want to have a pouch re-do which is my option at this point but am managing well doing the above. The shots come out of Spain so maybe they are available where u r. Good luck

i am very interested in natural remedies/therapies as well. would you please update as to what your naturopath advised? thank you!

I've been using L-Glutamine and N-acetyl glucosamine for about 1/2 year now, and I do believe they've been beneficial. As usual, it's difficult to determine what's helping, as I'm on other supplements, including milk thistle and VSL#3DS, as well as tindamax (fistula/abscess) and canasa.

L-glutamine helps repair and maintain a healthy small intestinal lining, and NAG is "essential for the secretion of the mucus that creates a protective lining on top of the cells of the gut." Others on these boards use pepto bismol (which I use also, when not on antibiotics), slippery elm bark, and others, with varying degrees of success.

I'd also be very interested in what your naturopath has to say!

See my post about my pouchitis regime.

What are peptide shots?