Since August 2009, I had one more hospitalization (March 2010). I had a third attack in December 2010. The third time wasn't as bad as the other two: I didn't get past the ER, thankfully and only had to take a course of strong antibiotics at home. (When I say "third," I mean since the surgery. I had something like 6 attacks in the decade before the surgery.)
I no longer see a specialist for the problem. The GI guy I saw was one of the best in the area and he (and others in his group) admitted they had no idea why I was having the recurrent attacks and had no treatment to recommend. I then did some medical research on my own using my uni's on-line medical databases and saw that, indeed, the medical knowledge is just not there yet.
Since last December, I have not had another attack. Yay!
To ward off the attacks, I:
a) Take a top-of-the-line pro-biotic everyday (Ultimate Flora Critical Care 50 billions/10 strands). When I travel, I take the pro-biotics along and keep them refrigerated.
b) Eat some plain non-fat yoghurt everyday (typically for lunch).
c) Eat small, healthy meals (lots of whole grains, fruit, veggies, no desserts) and keep track of what I eat (food journal).
d) Drink at least 3-4 glasses of water a day
e)
Quit my jobf) Reduced stress in my life (see e.)
g) Get enough sleep every night (see e.)
Like I said, I haven't had an attack in almost a year. That is the best I've done since 2007, so it looks like this action plan has been more effective than the surgery.
I haven't heard about the anti-inflammatory + antibiotic + probiotic. Maybe this is something really new.
Would there be a problem with taking the antibiotic on a regular basis?
