Are beeswax capsules safe with pouchitis?

I'm curious about your question so I am posting here to get notifications if/when you get answers. I would guess that beeswax would not cause a blockage unless you ate a lot at once. Or maybe it could build up over time if it stuck to the intestinal wall...?  It's also supposed to be anti-inflammatory.  So???  I have seen a lot of information on this site about Manuka honey but nothing about beeswax, however I did not do a search of the site.

Yes, I had read about those positive properties online as well, but also encountered a few articles (in the minority) that mentioned the possibility of the material leading to intestinal obstructions -- which seemed to be rare, being quantity deterministic, but (then again) those with a j-pouch are atypical, and even more so when there are active complications such as inflammation and pouchitis. At the moment we can only guess as to the possibilities. Maybe someone on this message board has had some direct or tangential experiences with this and might share their knowledge. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. It's difficult to learn from even anecdotal shared experiences with something so rare (although IBD seems to be increasingly common).

Agreed.  I did a search for beeswax on this site and only ran across mentions of using it topically.  Glad you brought this up!

We consume all sorts of things that are not digested (like the roughage in our vegetables), so I would not be concerned about a little bit of wax in your diet. I would focus more on the efficacy or lack of it in regard to the active ingredients. From what I have read, most of these sorts of supplements are not useful for active diseases. Turmeric seems to be the main supplement with some evidence behind it. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6928475/

But, they are mostly harmless, so no reason not to try to use them (other than the risk of delaying effective treatment). I believe they are best used to prevent inflammation than treating it.

Jan

Thank you for the additional information and perspective. It sounds like there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

Exactly. It is easy to get too focused on minutiae, when we need to look at the big picture. Good luck with your venture.

Jan

I'm questioning the effectiveness of the current oil of oregano product (mentioned above) that I've been using for the past week, at least in my situation of probable pouchitis. I've also recently been taking turmeric capsules (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BMDAVIY/) in hopes of decreasing inflammation.

Unfortunately my gut pains (left and right sides) continue, along with bathroom output challenges. These symptoms started three weeks ago. I'm thinking about trying a different oil of oregano product (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KS5B9C1/). Does anyone know if this other product might show more promise? Maybe I should continue as I have with these supplements for longer than a week to see if maybe it just needs more time?

I might also go on a fast for a few days or try a low residue mostly liquid diet. If all else fails then I'll start on antibiotics.

When I used oregano oil for other types of infections, I got this kind: https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...CTH67GJMT3&psc=1

It seemed to work to ward off viral stuff but I wondered if that paved the way for yeast.

Thank you. That was second product that I was considering as a potential replacement.

I'm not certain that I'm entirely through this probable (unconfirmed) case of pouchitis, but my symptoms have been somewhere between lower and gone (varying) over the past few days. If this pattern holds and this issue fully resolves, then this would be the first time that I've made it through this and not had to go on antibiotics. Here's what I've been consuming and doing: oil of oregano, twice daily with food; turmeric capsules about every two hours, about five to six per day; monitoring water intake, sometimes adding salt and magnesium (plus iodine drops once a day); during the pain, not eating or eating low residue; mostly (though not perfectly) avoiding sugars and breads; and trying to get sufficient sleep. I'll be stopping the oil of oregano after four weeks conclude. I'm not sure if any or a combination of the preceding have made a difference, or maybe none of it, and maybe my improvements are a coincidence and would have happened eventually anyway. However, if this ends up working out, then I'll probably repeat the same process the next time (if/when) these symptoms start in the future.