Collagenous Colitis

Recently, a customer asked us about Collagenous Colitis and whether our digestive enzyme could help. It’s a great question, and one with a response we thought we should share with the community.

First, let’s talk about Collagenous Colitis.
Collagenous Colitis refers to an inflammation of the bowel, specifically affecting the colon. Onset is most prevalent in people over the age of 50, and more common in women than in men. No one is quite sure what causes Collagenous Colitis, but the symptoms aren’t pretty, and to be modest, they revolve largely around chronic diarrhea and constant trips to the bathroom. People suffering from Collagenous Colitis are also known to suffer from abdominal pain and, in some cases, weight loss.

So now let’s talk about treatment for Collagenous Colitis.
Treatments for Collagenous Colitis vary. For some (lucky) people, Collagenous Colitis can disappear without any active treatment—it just goes away on its own. For others, most treatments for Collagenous Colitis are symptomatic; that’s a fancy way of saying that treatments for Collagenous Colitis are more oriented towards helping to reduce pain, rather than “curing” the disease itself.
Common treatments for Collagenous Colitis include the following:

• Bismuth agents (like Pepto-Mismol)
• Budesonide (a  glucocorticoid steroid for the treatment of asthma and non-infectious rhinitis)
• Corticosteroids
• Immunosuppressants
• Mesalazine (also referred to as mesalamine or 5-aminosalicylic)

There is some speculation in the medical community that Collagenous Colitis is linked to Celiac Disease, and a large portion of people who suffer from Collagenous Colitis also suffer from an autoimmune disorder of some sort.

Now the big question: Can digestive enzymes help with Collagenous Colitis
That’s the million dollar question, right? Whether digestive enzymes can help with Collagenous Colitis is a bit of a tricky subject. On the one hand, there is not much to suggest that a digestive enzyme can provide direct benefit to the main symptom commonly associated with Collagenous Colitis. On the other hand, as noted earlier, many people who suffer from Collagenous Colitis also suffer from an autoimmune disorder, and there is a lot of evidence that suggests that digestive enzymes can help people who suffer from such disorders.
The final word.

At Sorbeo, we really do believe that digestive health (and all health, for that matter) is a function of what you know, what you do, and how you do it. There are no magic pills. We believe strongly that our clinically formulated digestive enzyme, Sorbeo Complete can play an important role in the daily lives of many people.

If you’re looking for symptomatic relief from the Collagenous Colitis (e.g. if you want to stop diarrhea), then digestive enzymes are probably not going to help very much.

On the other hand, if you also suffer from an autoimmune condition, a digestive issue, or feel chronic fatigue, then you might want to consider a digestive enzyme like Sorbeo Complete.

That said, none of the above should be taken as medical advice, and we strongly recommend that you speak with your healthcare provider before making an informed decision.

Hope all of this helps, and best of luck with anyone suffering from Collagenous Coliits.