Prolonged diarrhea can also be a sign of cancer, esp. colorectal. EVERYBODY IN RA-LAND: Make sure you get screened for colon cancer if this persists!!!!
Also, anybody who's taking Rx's for IS diseases and has side effects, I highly recommend James Balch's Prescription for Natural Healing (has a ton of med conditions & simple remedies & supplements), as well as Dr. Frederic Vagnini's Side Effects Bible.
I have done remarkably well over the years with vits/mins/herbs.
One of Balch's diarrhea remedies is carob powder. Another is drinking carrot juice, which makes stools less watery. Avoid apple juice. Try cooked potatoes, rice, bananas. (Rice helps form stools.) Dairy might aggravate d'hea as well as constip. D'hea causes temp loss of lactose, which helps digest dairy.
Limit fats & high fiber foods.
Take good probiotic formula to replace bowel flora lost by "runs."
Other supps:
B vitamins (MTX depletes them - might be why you have d'hea??) - try chewables or sublingual forms; Psyllium husk (to help form stools); fatty acids (fish oils, etc.); l-glutamine (helps create new gut cells; also boosts IS -- cd. be problematic for RA? Dunno); potassium;
Calcium/magnesium/D3 are really important for cancer prevention & regular bowel muscle contractions, etc. Calcium tends to constipate; magnesium makes looser -- they need each other for balance. Also great for arthritic/ostepor. bones.
Last, garlic (kills bacteria); vits C, E; zinc and digestive enzymes (Wobenzym is one brand).
Make sure you do a little research yourself (into potential interxns with your meds) and make sure your doctor is aware of and OK with any supps you try (after 17 yrs of RA, I've found many docs unaware of basic vits/mins, as well as supps, so maybe it's a good way for them to educate themselves).
Best of luck!
Thanks for sharing, I know how great the book is. I used to own a health food store and it was like the "store bible". I was DX with RA in April of this year and it is the first time I have ever taken meds... I started on all alternative and then realized I needed to make a mental and RX change. Dealing with the side effects naturally is a great idea, thanks again, Rain Spirit, I had diarrhea for an entire year. I went in to get a colonoscopy and he said it would be a good idea, for anyone my age, but I should try to change my meds first. I got off mtx, got way better but still had it, got off plaquenil and hooooooooray. No more diarrhea. I had it so bad I was afraid to leave the house. I want to get that book on side effects. Does it talk about interactions with prescription drugs?Rox,
It might have interactions listed.... I am ordering a copy myself. I've just read excerpts of it, and they had specific recs for ppl taking corticosteroids.
Rain,
I wish you all the best, and lots of healing!