If you suffer from ulcerative colitis, you may respond well to prescription drugs designed to ease pain, but unfortunately, some people do not respond well, or they cannot continue medication due to adverse side effects. Sadly, if you can no longer tolerate medication, your options may come down to experimenting with alternative herbal supplements or surgical removal of part of the colon.
What is Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease of the bowel, usually the large intestine, and is characterized by open sores inside the colon. It falls under the heading of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome and has some of the symptoms of Crohn's disease. Yet UC, unlike Crohn's, is oftentimes intermittent, including periods during which you are relatively symptom free.
Conventional Treatment
Medical doctors offer a variety of approaches to treating the symptoms of UC, from a proper diet to prescription medicines. But individual cases vary in severity and the type of treatment should also be tailored to best suit the patient. Medications prescribed for treating UC include sulfasalazine, cortisone, prednisone and dipentum
Many patients, whether due to inability to take these prescription drugs or the low cost alternative, decide to try alternatives in the form of herbal supplements.
Herbal Supplements
Herbs used to treat UC symptoms are generally have anti-inflammatory properties. Some of the more popular herbs are:
--Psyllium seeds (Plantaginis ovatae)
--Boswellia (Boswellia serrata)
--Curcumin or turmeric (Curcuma longa)
--Slippery elm (Ulmus fulva)
--Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)
--Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Not a lot is known about herbal supplements used to treat UC, but considering the seriousness of leaving the condition untreated, you may feel experimenting with alternative methods is worth the slight risk of side effects.
Commercial Supplements
Most patients wishing to try alternative supplements want the simplicity of ordering tablets containing the herbs. Almost all of the popular colon cleansing supplements are also recommended for treating UC and are readily available.
If you want to try these supplements, be cautioned, however, as even these herbal companies warn about the possible adverse reaction to mixing supplements.
Herbal Supplement Risk
The Food and Drug Administration has neither tested nor approves any herbal supplement, making quality as well as purity an unknown.
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