Ulcerative Colitis Healing with Herbal Therapy

Herbal remedies may seem like a welcome change from prescription medications when you are suffering from Ulcerative Colitis. I have to say that I advise anyone who wants to try herbal therapy to use extreme caution.

In some cases, herbal remedies can be deadly for people with Ulcerative Colitis. You have to be very careful that you do not use any herbs that may cause you to bleed excessively. The ulcers that are caused by your Ulcerative Colitis can begin to bleed profusely without you knowing. This can make you lose so much blood that you pass out or even die.

Some herbs may cause stomach cramps. This a very bad thing if you have Ulcerative Colitis. Intense stomach cramps caused by herbs can make your episodes of diarrhea even more unmanageable than normal.

Keep in mind that all herbs will affect people differently. It is also important to remember that herbal supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Because of this, you should only buy herbal supplements from a reputable and knowledgeable supplier.

Before you make the decision to use any herb to control or treat your Ulcerative Colitis, you need to talk to your doctor. Some herbs can interfere with prescription medications causing very serious problems.

Ginger root, licorice and rhubarb are all said to help control Ulcerative Colitis. Sometimes, these are combined with other herbs in a pill that is said to help people with ulcerative colitis. These pills can be pricey. I have seen them as high as $300 for a one-month supply. I have personally never taken these pills so I cannot tell you if they work or not. A word of advice here: most of these pills are sold by companies that produce them overseas. I do not recommend purchasing herbs or herbal supplements from any overseas company.

Now, I must say that I do use essential oils to help me cope with the symptoms of my Ulcerative Colitis. I use these mostly for aromatherapy. For example, lavender is a scent that has a calming effect. When I cannot sleep because I am stressed out about a flare up, I use lavender to help me relax and fall asleep.

Because the oils used in aromatherapy are not ingested, they pose less of a risk. They are not totally risk proof. Just as with other herbal supplements, you should exercise extreme caution when using aromatherapy.