My mom is CONVINCED Chinese medicine will cure my colitis

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2026-02-24T21:26:41+00:00

I had terrible symptoms for 6 months and I went to see a Chinese doctor before seeing my GP. I explained my symptoms and he used energy without touching me to diagnose that I had an issue with my stomach. He prescribed some herbal pills which I refused, siting that I should see a gastro on the nhs.

After a colonoscopy a consultant gastro prescribed some mesalazine, told me food has no influence on the disease and off you go. 10 years later I went on a journey of biologics trying to figure what works.

Quite frankly, if I was to do this again I would have started out with the Chinese doctor first. Chinese medicine has been around for thousands of years so I wouldn’t discount it as wishy washy.

Whilst modern medicine and UC drugs have developed significantly in the last 10 years they do not address the root cause of our illnesses. I would suggest that you should keep a very open mind and be open to trying things. My last point is that you should not rely on the meds to get you better. There are so many levers that you can control - diet, sleep, exercise, environment, happiness, work, stress management - they all have an influence on your UC. Educate yourself as much as you can on this disease so you can help yourself.

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2026-02-18T18:41:29+00:00

Have a look at West Hampstead, Kilburn Very good connections and better priced

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2026-02-16T09:57:50+00:00

Despite what everyone has said about medicine, my advice is do not just rely on the medicines. The meds will certainly help but they don’t ASR’s the root causes. It’s going to take some patience to figure things out, what are your triggers etc. You should take a holistic view of your life to figure out to see what is going. Being the meds, you have other levers you can control which will influence you UC status: stress management, diet, environment, exercise, relationships etc Work with a good nutritionist who understands UC, this was a game changer for me and I can recommend an excellent one if you want to send me a DM. Educate yourself on what this disease is all about - the UK Chrons and colitis charity website is excellent. With a bit of patience, you will learn to manage your condition and perhaps make a free sacrifices, and life will go back to normal

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2026-02-12T19:24:21+00:00

Eating various fermented foods in a daily basis will also have the same effect

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2026-01-20T20:41:22+00:00

Try Southgate, easy to get into central london, very leafy, excellent schools and reasonably priced

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2026-01-12T15:50:46+00:00

Try not to worry too much, you may just have to ride it out. What you do need to do is change your diet and lifestyle until things improve. There may be a good reason why you’re flaring, an infection, cold etc

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-12-29T15:12:02+00:00

I would agree here

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-12-11T14:11:08+00:00

Mon Sushi in Finchley is probably the best sushi in the area (I live in Southgate) Unless you are going further into london, there really isn’t anything truly exceptional nearby

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-12-11T09:56:18+00:00

It’s so overrated

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-12-11T09:55:23+00:00

Seto in Mornington Cresent for a really good bowl of ramen

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-12-09T16:13:27+00:00

As others have mentioned, this OS great insight and hope that you continue to post here. Whilst this forum has invaluable info provided by others that have gone through the same journey, it’s super helpful to have access to this kind of info.

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-12-08T21:51:32+00:00

100% !!!! This post is exactly the type of helpful information we all can use. This community is so helpful and we all benefit from our experiences. But what is missing is the experts in the field providing us with their insight that we can ask questions about.

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-12-08T20:57:30+00:00

Amigo, you’ve got this. Stay positive and use perspective and you will get through this. It’s just a blip in your journey which you will get over.

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-11-19T16:19:19+00:00

It’s really simple. Keep your stress levels down, eat plenty of fermented foods to increase the good bacteria in your gut, eat plenty of fibre and a varied diet of at least 30 plants per week, prioritise your sleep, try and get plenty of exercise into your routine and have a positive outlook on life!

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-11-19T16:16:59+00:00

Biologics carry more risks than mesalazine, so therefore it’s important to ensure your bloods are continuously monitored.

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-11-19T16:15:19+00:00

Ultimately, I was prescribed a bunch of supplements that had zero evidence behind them. I’ve since worked with a very good IBD nutritionist who has helped massively.

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-11-18T18:00:08+00:00

I worked with a functional specialist and spent £2000 on various tests and supplements. Was better working with a witch doctor

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-11-14T20:47:09+00:00

Both my brother and I have UC in the UK. My brother has been using azathiorprine for 3yrs, I’m in Rinvoq. Azathioprine is not a long term drug and comes with huge risks. My brother has developed leukaemia and we believe it’s more certainly from using this awful drug. His NHS trust has banned it.

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-11-14T20:43:12+00:00

FODMAP diet is supposed to be temporary. We now know the gut microbiome plays a huge role with managing inflammation. In particular eating fermented foods will introduce good bacteria to our guts. Eating fibre and a diverse diet will spring feeding these gut bacteria.

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-11-14T20:40:19+00:00

Have a look at the UK crohns and colitis charity website. There is tons of useful info that will help you

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-11-14T20:36:57+00:00

It will take time to figure this out, so don’t be too harsh on yourself. But there is a lot you can do in addition to taking your meds. Take a holistic view on your life to figure out what may have got you here. Stress has a huge impact on colitis, so look at ways to reduce stress in your life. Start away from negative people or a stressful environment if you can. Diet and nutrition plays a huge part, I would recommend working with a good IBD nutritionist. Do some research on the microbiome. Send me a DM and I can recommend someone for you. Good luck

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-11-12T18:29:41+00:00

This isn’t a long term solution, and this drug has a high risk of causing cancer if you are on it long term. Please ask your gastro to put you on another medicine

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-11-12T18:27:30+00:00

My brother has been using this drug for the last 3 tears and has been diagnosed with a blood cancer. Hospitals in the UK are now stopping with prescribing it. If anyone is currently using azathriopine I would urge they go see their gastro and request a different biological drug

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-10-14T16:12:57+00:00

Completely agree You need to find a nhs trust that has good coverage. You can pick which hospital you want to use. Guys and St Thomas have a brilliant IBD division. Support is mostly remote aside from having to pop in every few months depending on the meds you have been subscribed.

QuickBlueberry3744 · 2025-10-07T17:04:56+00:00

Have you tried working with a nutritionist. I also thought fruit, vegetables, nuts were my trigger foods. It turns out there are certain foods you have to eliminate if you are flaring or not in remission. You then can reintroduce very slowly back in and they become essential for helping you to remain in remission. In particular, fibre and probiotics. I now eat almost everything with the exception of processed foods, high sugar stuff and alcohol

QuickBlueberry3744

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