Everyone Has an Answer

I've seen quite a few gastroenterologist, done lots of my own research, and talked to many people in person as well as online.  If you take it all in... everything works and nothing works.  There are no straight, definitive, answers.  Many times what you hear or read directly conflicts with something else.  In fact you'll find cases where someone will contradict themselves!  You even get that from your doctors.  They will tell you diet doesn't matter, there's no science there, and nothing is proven.  Then in the same breath they will say to avoid "trigger foods" and offer up some vague dietary advice.  When you ask what are trigger foods and how to find them you'll get some answer like "it's different for everyone", "you just have to figure it out", or they list off a few like dairy, caffeine, and junk food. 

I'm not sure which is worse; having no answers or everyone having a different answer.  I'll break it down into a few main categories but within each are any number of variations or even blending of several categories. 

Pharmaceutical:  Prescription drugs employed via pills, intravenous, suppository, or enema.  From what I gather the progression is anti inflammatory drugs (ex. sulfasalazine), immune suppressants (ex. prednisone or 6MP), "biologicals" (ex. Remicade or Humira), and finally surgery. 

Nutraceutical:   High quality supplements in the form of pills and powders.  Examples would be Ultra InflamX 360 which is a meal replacement powder you mix up with water and Wellness Essentials which are packs of pills with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. 

Dietary:  There's lots of diets out there.  These are focused around health, healing, and neutralizing symptoms.  Has nothing to do with loosing weight; not that kind of diet =P  Some examples are Autoimmune Paleo, Specific Carbohydrate (SCD), GAPS, Low FODMAP, and various offshoots or blending of these concepts.  I'm not listing Elimination Diet here as that's a technique not an actual diet. 

Health & Wellness:  Things like exercise, meditation, medical cannabis, etc. 

The only definitive thing I've figured out thus far is that the solution is different for everyone.  I haven't figured it out yet for myself. 


References:
Biological Therapy Drugs:  http://www.ccfa.org/resources/biologic-therapies.html
Drug Classifications:  http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ulcerative-colitis/basics/treatment/con-20043763
Nutraceuticals:  https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&biw=1280&bih=625&q=nutraceutical&oq=Nutricutical&gs_l=serp.1.0.0i10l10.418327.418327.0.420076.1.1.0.0.0.0.243.243.2-1.1.0....0...1c.1.55.serp..0.1.240.FU73eZN9M9w