Whilst there is always an ongoing search to try and stop colitis symptoms some sufferers appear keen to go to some very extreme lengths to try and reduce or even eradicate the amount of symptoms that they are enduring.

Would you happily ingest worms? Now, the intestines alteady have worms and there job is to contirubute to the health of the gut. but it has recently been reported that a 35-year-old man with severe colitis who tried worm (or “helminthic”) therapy to avoid surgical removal of his entire colon. he researched the therapy, flew to a doctor in Thailand who had agreed to give him the eggs, and swallowed 1,500 of them.

The man contacted an intestinal consultant after his self-treatment and “was essentially symptom-free,” it was reported. Intrigued, the consultant and his colleagues decided to follow the man’s condition.

The study analysed slides and samples of the man’s blood and colon tissue from 2003, before he swallowed the eggs, to 2009, a few years after ingestion. During this period, he was virtually symptom-free for almost three years. when his colitis flared in 2008, he swallowed another 2,000 eggs and got better again.

Tissue taken during active colitis showed a large number of CD4+ T-cells, which are immune cells that produce the inflammatory protein interleukin-17, the team found. However, tissue taken after worm therapy, when his colitis was in remission, contained lots of T-cells that make interleukin-22 (IL-22), a protein that promotes wound healing.

Further, after worm therapy, the man’s colon produced significantly more mucus, said Loke, who noted that a lack of mucus in the colon is linked with severe symptoms. “we think the worms increase or restore mucus production in the colon,” he said. “Basically, the gut is trying to expel the worms. this increase in mucus may play a role in relieving the symptoms.”

Who would undertake such means to try and reduce the impact colitis symptoms have on their life? or are you content with taking anti inflammatories and steriods when the condition flares up? maybe at some point in the future you could well have a choice!

Tags: colitis, colitis symtpoms, coping with colitis, coping with colitis symptoms, living with colitis symptoms, ulcerative colitis

this entry was posted on Friday, December 3rd, 2010 at 9:48 am and is filed under Colitis Symptoms Articles, The Colitis Experience Posts. you can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. you can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.