Diet for type 2 and illiostomy

[Ravella]

Three years ago I had an illiostomy which in itself is difficult enough with food. No wholemeal, no vegetables only root vegetables, very low fibre. Now I have type 2 diabetes to contend with. The diet for this is totally the opposite to the other one. Nobody in the medical profession can help so I have been left to hang out to dry. I wondered if anybody on here has the same predicament. If I don’t get help soon I think I will starve to death.
Thank you

 

[Robin]

Hello, Ravella, and welcome to the forum. I'm not really well versed in diets for your situation, perhaps it might help if you were to list what you do eat, and we can take it from there. The problem with some diets held out as 'suitable for Type 2s' is that much of the advice given is outdated, telling you that you must eat slow release carbs, low fat, etc, ( which from what you've said is probably a non starter for you)
Many people with Type 2 thrive on a low carb diet, with protein, and good fats forming a larger part of their diets. Can you eat full fat dairy? avocados? Meat and Fish? Any nuts?
Don't despair, I'm sure our collective experiences can find something that suits both conditions.
Edit. It might be an idea to look at this thread where you can see what people on here are eating, in case it gives you inspiration.
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/what-did-you-eat-yesterday.30349/

 

[Ravella]

Hello Robin, thank you and thank you for taking the time to reply.

I eat corn flakes, white bread, cheese, eggs, bacon occasionally, chicken, fish, potatoes, root vegetables, avocado, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, low fat, low sugar yoghurt, white pasta, lactose free milk. I cannot tolerate butter or full fat milk as it makes me nauseous.

My illiostomy has been behaving and I was doing really well except for gaining weight but maybe not. I was wondering if the sugar loaded bread, potatoes and pasta have contributed to developing diabetes.

Out is wholemeal bread, rice, pasta, porridge, broccoli family, cabbage, pulses, lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, nuts. The list goes on.

I can see myself just eating protein.

I have only just been diagnosed, however I was diagnosed with pre diabetes a couple of years ago which is how I know there is no help which is probably why it has developed into full blown type 2.

I saw a dietician who was supposed to specialise in both my conditions but it was a wast of time and money.

Thank you once again.

 

[Robin]

Have any of your health care practitioners suggested that you test your own blood glucose with a meter? Many people who are trying to control their diabetes with diet and exercise alone, without medication, find it useful, even though GPs are increasingly resultant to prescribe them, on cost grounds. Have a look at the Newbie's section in this forum, there is a thread pinned to the top which will give you information on how to buy your own meter and how to test yourself and get useful information from the tests. Then you can work out what foods and food combinations are good to have because they don't send your blood sugars soaring, and which are best avoided. It may be that you can tolerate some refined carb, if you eat it in combination with some protein. I know a lot of people find that berries don't affect their blood sugar too badly, so good that you can eat blueberries and raspberries. But everyone is different in what they can tolerate, so it's a case of testing and seeing what you can cope with.

 

[Greymouser]

Welcome to the forum Ravella and I am very sorry to hear about your situation. My father had an illostomy, so I have seen what you are going through close up so to speak. I know he had to be careful what he ate, but his diet was not as restricted as you say you have been told. He certainly still had wholemeal; porridge and vegetables, as long as he was careful as to the quantity. Of course he wasn't diabetic, so he did not have that to worry about. I would imagine your high carbohydrate diet is what has caused you T2, same as for me.

I would suggest trying different things/foods, see what effect they have on both your diabetes and your illostomy. My experience with dieticians match yours, utterly useless. 😡 I am afraid the only way you will control your diabetes is with controlling your carbohydrate intake, not just sugar. You really must get it under control, because the consequences otherwise do not bear thinking about. It can be done, I have gone from a level HbA1c of 95 last July to one of 43 in November, which is only borderline diabetic, which is nice. It has not been easy, but it is doable.

I would also suggest getting a meter to test your blood sugar with at your home, I have found in invaluable. They should be available on the NHS for free, but very rarely are. You can buy a relatively cheap one on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-G...51&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=blood+sugar+tester
Not too bad a price and it seems to be the cheapest. There are a couple of helpful books too, but I forget the links, perhaps someone else could oblige. 🙂

Above all, do not despair, you should not have to survive on just protein, that would be very boring!😉🙂

 

[Ravella]

Have any of your health care practitioners suggested that you test your own blood glucose with a meter? Many people who are trying to control their diabetes with diet and exercise alone, without medication, find it useful, even though GPs are increasingly resultant to prescribe them, on cost grounds. Have a look at the Newbie's section in this forum, there is a thread pinned to the top which will give you information on how to buy your own meter and how to test yourself and get useful information from the tests. Then you can work out what foods and food combinations are good to have because they don't send your blood sugars soaring, and which are best avoided. It may be that you can tolerate some refined carb, if you eat it in combination with some protein. I know a lot of people find that berries don't affect their blood sugar too badly, so good that you can eat blueberries and raspberries. But everyone is different in what they can tolerate, so it's a case of testing and seeing what you can cope with.

Thank you Robin, I feel I have regained my will to live. What you are saying makes sense.
Nobody as yet has suggested anything but where I live that is not unusual. The doctors at the practice I am with have a habit of asking the patients what they think is wrong with them. I am seeing a different doctor tomorrow and will ask about the meters. I will probably buy my own anyway because it makes sense to be able to see where I am going with the blood sugars and work out what works and what doesn’t work for me.
Already I feel I am getting somewhere and beginning to feel more positive.
Thank you so much.

 

[Ravella]

Welcome to the forum Ravella and I am very sorry to hear about your situation. My father had an illostomy, so I have seen what you are going through close up so to speak. I know he had to be careful what he ate, but his diet was not as restricted as you say you have been told. He certainly still had wholemeal; porridge and vegetables, as long as he was careful as to the quantity. Of course he wasn't diabetic, so he did not have that to worry about. I would imagine your high carbohydrate diet is what has caused you T2, same as for me.

I would suggest trying different things/foods, see what effect they have on both your diabetes and your illostomy. My experience with dieticians match yours, utterly useless. 😡 I am afraid the only way you will control your diabetes is with controlling your carbohydrate intake, not just sugar. You really must get it under control, because the consequences otherwise do not bear thinking about. It can be done, I have gone from a level HbA1c of 95 last July to one of 43 in November, which is only borderline diabetic, which is nice. It has not been easy, but it is doable.

I would also suggest getting a meter to test your blood sugar with at your home, I have found in invaluable. They should be available on the NHS for free, but very rarely are. You can buy a relatively cheap one on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-G...51&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=blood+sugar+tester
Not too bad a price and it seems to be the cheapest. There are a couple of helpful books too, but I forget the links, perhaps someone else could oblige. 🙂

Above all, do not despair, you should not have to survive on just protein, that would be very boring!😉🙂

Hello Greymouser. Thank you and thank you for taking the trouble to reply.
I am sorry to hear your father had to have an illiostomy. It’s very difficult trying to keep it happy but I just think that without it I would have no quality of life at all.
I agree about the meters, it makes total sense and will look at buying one tomorrow. You are right about the carbs, I really have been overdoing it with not being able to have much of anything else.
I do have to watch the fibre because the consequences can be very unpleasant. However upwards and onwards, just finding this forum is helping me feel I am not alone and there are lovely people out there who understand.
Thank you so much for your ideas and advice.

 

[Greymouser]

I understand about the carbs, I was a vegan for ages, which leaves mostly carbs! ( and veg of course. 😉 ) I was without a doubt eating loads and an unhealthy diet!
I also understand the very unpleasant consequences, but for my father, ( perhaps he was just stubborn? ) he still ate pretty much what he wanted, but did stop drinking alcohol, which had almost nightmarish consequences, unless in tiny quantities. Have you tried very small quantities of the things you have been told to avoid, to see what happens? I know my father did change his diet a lot, to keep things under control as much as possible. I know with diabetes different foods affect different people, differently, so it could be worth an experiment or two, within the safety of your home that is!

If dairy is a problem, perhaps look to vegan food as an alternative, to see if that works for you, I mean dairy free food and milk substitute in particular, most supermarkets have a large range. 🙂

 

[Ravella]

I understand about the carbs, I was a vegan for ages, which leaves mostly carbs! ( and veg of course. 😉 ) I was without a doubt eating loads and an unhealthy diet!
I also understand the very unpleasant consequences, but for my father, ( perhaps he was just stubborn? ) he still ate pretty much what he wanted, but did stop drinking alcohol, which had almost nightmarish consequences, unless in tiny quantities. Have you tried very small quantities of the things you have been told to avoid, to see what happens? I know my father did change his diet a lot, to keep things under control as much as possible. I know with diabetes different foods affect different people, differently, so it could be worth an experiment or two, within the safety of your home that is!

If dairy is a problem, perhaps look to vegan food as an alternative, to see if that works for you, I mean dairy free food and milk substitute in particular, most supermarkets have a large range. 🙂

Oh why can it not be a perfect world where we can all eat what we want. I know where your father was coming from with the alcohol, I never drank alcohol very much so I just stopped altogether which wasn’t a big deal for me.
What a good idea, I would never have thought about vegan versions, I will certainly look into that. It’s the butter and milk that is a problem for me but I can tolerate lactose free milk and I have flora light pro active spread which I have been told is not good.
I have tried foods they say are not good for me for example cabbage and broccoli- disaster. Tomatoes I’m ok with as long as I take off the skin and take out the seeds.
Listening to what you are saying, it seems you have got it under control and reading what people on here are eating, perhaps it will be easier pulling it together than I have been imagining. It was just such a shock, I lost the will to live

 

[Wirrallass]

Hello Ravella and welcome to our friendly and supportive forum. Being dx (Diagnosed) does come as a shock ~ and ininitially it is both a daunting prospect and overwhelmimg isn't it. I fully understand how you feel about diabetes but please don't despair, there are many experienced and knowledgeable people here so if you have any more questions then please dont hesitate to ask. Before you know it, you will be giving advice to other newbies🙂

As well as the excellent advice you've already been given ~ I can recommend the book CARB & CALORIE COUNTER. It's a must have to keep in your kitchen. It contains over 1700 photos of a wide range of popular food and drink items. The carborhydrate ~ calorie ~ protein ~ fat ~ saturated fat ~ and fibre values are clearly displayed in coloured-coded circles below each photo.

This highly visual approach makes it incredibly quick and easy to see the nutrient content of the food and drink we consume. It is the perfect support tool for Carborhydrate counting in Diabetes ~ Weight management ~ Portion control ~ and general healthy eating. A healthy balanced diet is important for maintaining good health. The book which can be purchased from Amazon is £10.19 Paperback. There is a pocket size version too to take with you when dining out. £6.19. Hope this helps to give you more confidence in selecting food to suit your needs.

Here's the link:~
https://www.amazon.co.uk.

Just a wee note, when you order the Codefree meter kit ~ ensure you buy an extra tub of 50 test strips ~ only 10 strips are sent with your purchase and they won't last long Codefree test strips cost about £8 for 50. Other meter test strips can be in excess of £15+. Oh and don't forget to tick the box to say you're diabetic.

I'd suggest you have a look into the following link ~ there's more links within this link with much more info that will be beneficial to you.

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.10406

Take care and good luck. Please do stay in touch to update us as to how you are getting on.
WL

Edited

Dx Type2 April 2016
Diet control and exercise

 

[Ravella]

Hello Ravella and welcome to our friendly and supportive forum. Being dx (Diagnosed) does come as a shock ~ and ininitially it is both a daunting prospect and overwhelmimg isn't it. I fully understand how you feel about diabetes but please don't despair, there are many experienced and knowledgeable people here so if you have any more questions then please dont hesitate to ask. Before you know it, you will be giving advice to other newbies🙂

As well as the excellent advice you've already been given ~ I can recommend the book CARB & CALORIE COUNTER. It's a must have to keep in your kitchen. It contains over 1700 photos of a wide range of popular food and drink items. The carborhydrate ~ calorie ~ protein ~ fat ~ saturated fat ~ and fibre values are clearly displayed in coloured-coded circles below each photo.

This highly visual approach makes it incredibly quick and easy to see the nutrient content of the food and drink we consume. It is the perfect support tool for Carborhydrate counting in Diabetes ~ Weight management ~ Portion control ~ and general healthy eating. A healthy balanced diet is important for maintaining good health and reduces the risk of long term conditions in Diabetes. It can be purchased from Amazon for £10.19 Paperback. There is a pocket size version too to take with you for when dining out. £6.19. Hope this helps to give you more confidence in selecting food to suit your needs.
View attachment 6949
Here's the link:~
https://www.amazon.co.uk.

Just a wee note, when you order the Codefree meter kit ~ ensure you buy an extra tub of 50 test strips ~ only 10 strips are sent with your purchase and they won't last long Codefree test strips cost about £8 for 50. Other meter test strips can be in excess of £15+. Oh and don't forget to tick the box to say you're diabetic.

I'd suggest you have a look into the following link ~ there's more info that will be very useful to you.

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.10406

Take care and good luck. Please do stay in touch to update us as to how you are getting on.
WL

Dx Type2 April 2016
Diet control and exercise

Hello Wirralass, thank you and thank you for taking the trouble to reply. This is amazing, I have gone from being almost suicidal to getting back my will to live just by finding this forum. People were getting back to me almost as soon as I posted my dilemma.
Thank you so much for your advice. I will be ordering this book as soon as I have written this as it sounds like it could be invaluable and the meter which since I have Amazon prime I should receive them pretty quickly.
I will definitely be in touch with an update.
Have a peaceful night.

 

[mikeyB]

Hi, Ravella.

I can fully empathise with your situation. A few weeks after my GP treated me as a T2 I developed ulcerative colitis, the whole of the colon being involved. This is going to sound repulsive, but along with blood and gunk came partially digested food. It didn’t matter what I ate, but everything that came out of the ilium shot through on Route 1 to the wide world. I ended up fuelling up on chicken soup and boiled eggs. And definitely no sweetcorn, it’s hard to flush away. At one stage, I felt like just tipping my plate of food straight into the toilet to spare me the strife.

I came within an ace of losing the colon, but fortunately heavyweight medication and lovely steroid enemas, after a few weeks, and 2st lighter things came under control. So I got back to normal eating but couldn’t then ( and still can’t) tolerate a high fibre diet, or a high fat diet. The only bonus was that after that, my diabetes consultant told me I was Type 1. Whoopee!

I can’t offer any better advice than you’ve already been given. You’ve certainly lighted on the best place for advice and help, for sure. And I’m glad you’re cheering up a bit, now you know you’re among friends.

 

[Ljc]

Hello Ravella. I hope you find that you can eat far more foods than you think you can.
I won’t offer any dietary advise as I don’t know enough about what’s suitable for an illiostomy.
I trust they will provide you with a glucose meter and enough testing strips, if not the SD Codefree meter mentioned above is the cheapest one we know of to fund the ongoing cost of the test strips, around £8 for 50 where high street brands are £15 to £30, many on here use it.
It’s available directly from Homehealth.
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/

You are entitled to claim VAT relief . We use the mmoll measurement in the uk .
Or Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-G...fm-21&linkId=f39210144fdc26c27738e45b6d957003

Have a read of Test review adjust by Alan S
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html
You’ll find this and more in , Useful links for people new to diabetes, which is at the top (pinned section) of the Newbies say hello here forum.
Also have a read of Painless pricks by Alan S
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/painless-pricks.html

 

[Wirrallass]

Hello Wirralass, thank you and thank you for taking the trouble to reply. This is amazing, I have gone from being almost suicidal to getting back my will to live just by finding this forum. People were getting back to me almost as soon as I posted my dilemma.
Thank you so much for your advice. I will be ordering this book as soon as I have written this as it sounds like it could be invaluable and the meter which since I have Amazon prime I should receive them pretty quickly.
I will definitely be in touch with an update.
Have a peaceful night.

Thank you, you too Ravella. I'm Pleased that you feel a whole better now for being able to 'talk' to us and vice versa. You're not on your own now that you have our collective support.

BTW I hope you dont mind me asking but what medication ~ if any ~ are you taking for your diabetes? Or is this to be discussed during your consult with your GP tomorrow. Many type2 folk here are prescribed Metformin (We call it Metfartin!) but the side effects of diarrhoea can last for up to several weeks. I couldn't tolerate it, it left me housebound for weeks so I took my self off it. On the other hand, although some members were prescribed it, they 'stuck it out' for a few weeks and the side effects stopped. It's an individual thing & preference.

Also, your GP may not see any probs with supplying you with a meter and monthly prescriptions for testing strips, so thats a good thing. If he wont, then you could ask why not. In view of your other health issue, ask how can you manage your diabetes if you can't test your blood glucose. It is paramount that you test to control your diabetes ~ otherwise your diabetes will control you. Diabetes is a perfectly manageable condition provided you follow the correct diet and exercise regimes. Take care, we'll be thinking of you tomorrow. x

 

[scottishlass]

Hi Ravella and welcome. I've no advice regarding diet for someone in your difficult situation, can only repeat what the others have said - you're not alone now that you have joined the forum. Look forward to getting to know you.

 

[Ravella]

Thank you, you too Ravella. I'm Pleased that you feel a whole better now for being able to 'talk' to us and vice versa. You're not on your own now that you have our collective support.

BTW I hope you dont mind me asking but what medication ~ if any ~ are you taking for your diabetes? Or is this to be discussed during your consult with your GP tomorrow. Many type2 folk here are prescribed Metformin (We call it Metfartin!) but the side effects of diarrhoea can last for up to several weeks. I couldn't tolerate it, it left me housebound for weeks so I took my self off it. On the other hand, although some members were prescribed it, they 'stuck it out' for a few weeks and the side effects stopped. It's an individual thing & preference.

Also, your GP may not see any probs with supplying you with a meter and monthly prescriptions for testing strips, so thats a good thing. If he wont, then you could ask why not. In view of your other health issue, ask how can you manage your diabetes if you can't test your blood glucose. It is paramount that you test to control your diabetes ~ otherwise your diabetes will control you. Diabetes is a perfectly manageable condition provided you follow the correct diet and exercise regimes. Take care, we'll be thinking of you tomorrow. x

Hi Wirralas,
Sorry I am just getting back to you, it’s been a busy day. I am not on any medication as I have only been diagnosed in the last few days but as I said, I was visiting the GP this morning and as expected he was no help at all. My count is 47 and because it is not drastically high he told me that if I lose one stone in weight it should come down but no advice on diet and he “doesn’t have the facility to provide a meter”. I should just get my blood tested in six months.
Now that I have got my head around this, I know that I have to devise a diet that is low in sugar and low in fibre, however, since I need to lose weight, high fat is not an option. One lovely member on here suggested I try a small amount of the foods I have been told not to eat re my illiostomy and see what happens. I think this is a good idea and I am going to try it.
The meter and the books have been ordered so I should have them tomorrow.
Thank you so much for all your help. x

 

[Ravella]

Hi Ravella and welcome. I've no advice regarding diet for someone in your difficult situation, can only repeat what the others have said - you're not alone now that you have joined the forum. Look forward to getting to know you.

Hi Scottishlass, Thank you and thank you for replying. Just knowing someone who understands is there listening has helped me no end this past twenty-four hours. Over the weekend I was dimented worrying about how I was going to get around this diet dilemma but these amazingly knowledgeable people collectively put it all in perspective. Yes I do have a difficult situation but everyone’s situation is difficult in one way or another and I realise I am not alone. I have also realised now that with a bit of imagination I will be able to pull together a fairly interesting diet.

Hi, Ravella.

I can fully empathise with your situation. A few weeks after my GP treated me as a T2 I developed ulcerative colitis, the whole of the colon being involved. This is going to sound repulsive, but along with blood and gunk came partially digested food. It didn’t matter what I ate, but everything that came out of the ilium shot through on Route 1 to the wide world. I ended up fuelling up on chicken soup and boiled eggs. And definitely no sweetcorn, it’s hard to flush away. At one stage, I felt like just tipping my plate of food straight into the toilet to spare me the strife.

I came within an ace of losing the colon, but fortunately heavyweight medication and lovely steroid enemas, after a few weeks, and 2st lighter things came under control. So I got back to normal eating but couldn’t then ( and still can’t) tolerate a high fibre diet, or a high fat diet. The only bonus was that after that, my diabetes consultant told me I was Type 1. Whoopee!

I can’t offer any better advice than you’ve already been given. You’ve certainly lighted on the best place for advice and help, for sure. And I’m glad you’re cheering up a bit, now you know you’re among friends.

Hi Mikey, Thank you for replying. I not only empathise with you but I very much sympathise with you. I know exactly what you are going through as I have been there myself. I was treated with steroids one way and another including injecting myself with the most powerful for thirty years for ulcerative colitis until they were having no effect whatsoever, hence the illiostomy. I am sure the steroids have contributed to my developing this T2. I was never able to tolerate high fibre throughout my UC time nor can I now but I never lost weight just gained it. It’s great that you didn’t have your colon removed and have the UC under control, may I ask what medication you are taking? I love your attitude, yes well if you are going to do it, do it properly, why not go all the way
This forum has been a lifesaver for me, just being able to talk with people who understand really does help. Thank you for listening.

Hi Wirralas,
Sorry I am just getting back to you, it’s been a busy day. I am not on any medication as I have only been diagnosed in the last few days but as I said, I was visiting the GP this morning and as expected he was no help at all. My count is 47 and because it is not drastically high he told me that if I lose one stone in weight it should come down but no advice on diet and he “doesn’t have the facility to provide a meter”. I should just get my blood tested in six months.
Now that I have got my head around this, I know that I have to devise a diet that is low in sugar and low in fibre, however, since I need to lose weight, high fat is not an option. One lovely member on here suggested I try a small amount of the foods I have been told not to eat re my illiostomy and see what happens. I think this is a good idea and I am going to try it.
The meter and the books have been ordered so I should have them tomorrow.
Thank you so much for all your help. x

Hi Ravella and welcome. I've no advice regarding diet for someone in your difficult situation, can only repeat what the others have said - you're not alone now that you have joined the forum. Look forward to getting to know you.

Hi Ravella and welcome. I've no advice regarding diet for someone in your difficult situation, can only repeat what the others have said - you're not alone now that you have joined the forum. Look forward to getting to know you.

Hi Ravella and welcome. I've no advice regarding diet for someone in your difficult situation, can only repeat what the others have said - you're not alone now that you have joined the forum. Look forward to getting to know you.

Hello Ravella. I hope you find that you can eat far more foods than you think you can.
I won’t offer any dietary advise as I don’t know enough about what’s suitable for an illiostomy.
I trust they will provide you with a glucose meter and enough testing strips, if not the SD Codefree meter mentioned above is the cheapest one we know of to fund the ongoing cost of the test strips, around £8 for 50 where high street brands are £15 to £30, many on here use it.
It’s available directly from Homehealth.
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/

You are entitled to claim VAT relief . We use the mmoll measurement in the uk .
Or Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-G...fm-21&linkId=f39210144fdc26c27738e45b6d957003

Have a read of Test review adjust by Alan S
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html
You’ll find this and more in , Useful links for people new to diabetes, which is at the top (pinned section) of the Newbies say hello here forum.
Also have a read of Painless pricks by Alan S
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/painless-pricks.html

Hi Ljc
Thank you so much for your invaluable advice and recommendations. I will certainly be navigating around these links. I will let you know how I get on.

 

[mikeyB]

Just for info, Ravella, the UC only bothers me every couple of years. I now know if it kicks off, a blast of steroids does the job. I take Asacol twice daily.

Like a lot of folk with UC, I used to smoke (a pipe). The flare ups coincided in time with stopping smoking, and that’s why I vape now. It’s one of the very few conditions that, in smokers, gets worse if you give up. The reverse doesn’t work - if you’re a non smoker, smoking or vaping doesn’t help.

 

[Ravella]

Hi Mike, This is interesting because my doctor told me some 20+ yrs ago that there was a link between nicotine and UC and they were researching the best way to include it into medication but whether it came to anything I don’t know. I do know that when I smoked, like you my flare ups were infrequent and controlled with Asocol and Prednisolone. My big problems started after I gave up smoking ten years ago so I don’t think it’s a coincidence. Thanks for the info.

 

[mikeyB]

Aye, they did try nicotine in a various trials, mainly using nicotine patches and gum, which were just coming in when I kicked off 21 years ago. It made no significant difference in non smokers, so we nicotine addicts ploughed on regardless saying yah boo to doctors until vaping appeared