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Is there a cure for ulcerative colitis?

Is ulcerative colitis incurable?  Has anyone on this site overcome ulcerative colitis?  My sister has just been diagnosed with the condition.  I am hoping that since it is in the early stages, there is an early remedy or cure for the condition.  
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483733 tn?1326798446
I had ulcerative colitis for 10 years and then 16 years ago my bowel perforated and I had my entire colon removed.  A year later I had the J-Pouch surgery mentioned above.  This is the only cure.  However, if you do follow your doctor's and nutritionist's orders well and if you eat a healthy diet and exercise you can go into long term remission.  It is also very, very important that as soon as you feel yourself starting to flare that you get to the doctor ASAP to catch it before it gets bad.  My son now has UC and thank God he has learned from my mistakes, has a wonderful doctor (I didn't), and has access to much better treatments than I did long ago.  He has been on Imuran and is enjoying a long term remission.
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Avatar universal
Hi - I do beg to differ with stella5349....in some respects. Ulcerative Colitis cannot be ameliorated by dietary changes, nor cured  - it is a serious, sometimes life threatening auto-immune inflammatory bowel disease. Your sister should be guided by her gastroenterologist and a qualified IBD nutritionist before she changes her diet. If she has been diagnosed with UC, I would hope thyroid problems have been ruled out.

In the early stages of UC, various steroids, immuno-suppressant or the newer biologic  drugs are used to keep the disease in remission, and one would pray that her disease is non-remitting. However, if it causes serious diarrhea, bleeding or weight loss, surgery may be needed to resect the damaged parts of the colon.  There is a new surgical procedure "J-pouch" that in the event of a colostomy, can bring tremendous relief from the UC problems.  I just wish this was available for Crohn's, but it isn't, as Crohn's also affects the small intestine, whereas UC only affects the inner lining of the colonic mucosa - Crohn's goes right through the 3 layers of the intestinal mucosa and cause serious complications, as I have.

If your sister has a good gastroenterologist, with experience of inflammatory bowel diseases, she could have a normal life.  Dietary changes (and I have seen many hospital dieticians in the 40 yrs of having Crohn's) do not  "bring a remedy or cure the disease". I have always been advised to eat a high protein, high carb meal, with low fibre and fat. This does help, but not always.

I am perplexed at stella's comments about hormone related conditions - in my experience, the thyroid does not cause an IBD disease, but just may be coincidental, as perhaps she has. It is not a given. Bottom line is: UC is an auto-immune disease, and needs to be treated appropriately with proper prescribed medications, not quack theories or remedies.

Liz.  
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393685 tn?1425812522
usually this is an upset of digestive flora and gut issues... You can catch it early and get the body running right if you follow proper diet eliminating gluten,sugar and flour and taking acidophillus to encourage digestion.

There's a reason for the gut flora to become toxic or unblanaced. Celiac disease is common along with hormonal inbalances.

On hormone related conditions - thyroid is very common in producing potent acid that is low and the digestive track does not process food very well when it is slowed. You may consider requesting FT3 and FT4 tests along with TSH to see if her thyroid is working properly.

It would be helpful too to check the PH levels in her urine to see if she is producing the high potent range of acid. Strip are inexpensive and restoring your PH levels is pretty easy of they are off.
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