It seems only a few days ago that I said with confidence that I would not do the elimination diet because it would take too long. I would trust in getting the results from Enterolab in July. My how things change when one has been up with D off and on all night for several nights in a row and am now fighting D during the day. I could handle the D a few times a night and in the a.m. as long as the immodium allowed me to get about my daily business, I was pretty content. Things are going to Hell in a hand basket pretty quickly. I've been GF for about 1 1/2 weeks and things have gone down hill since then.
My doc (I'm thinking of him as Damned Doc right now) won't take me off asacol until I try taking 6 a day for two weeks. I started that a day and a half ago and have had stomach pains, gas and D worsening. I won't take 6 asacol regardless after experiencing the immediate problem with gas pains and increasing D.
Okay, now the question. I will start with the chicken, rice, apple sauce, banana meals. Yesterday I made a loaf of GF buttermilk bread in the breadmaker that is EXCELLENT. Is it okay to eat that along with the basic chicken/rice etc diet? Is there a website that would have all the necessary info on starting this type of diet and how you deal with adding foods? Following Sarah's suggestion, I'm going to make a pot of chicken soup and make my husband separate meals while I try to calm my colon. Is it okay to put rice and/or GF noodles in the soup? How about cooked celery?
Thank you for your help.
Sheila
Giving up Food
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
About websites and stuff sheila I don't know, although there is thread here about the elimination diet (I am sure some else, tex for example knows where to find it). I understand your frustration, if it was only a little D in morning, but when it keeps you awake during night.....
I am doing the most extreme form of an elimination (more a desperate frustation diet), I live on rice, chicken and fish baked in olive oil and I drink tea, this is my whole menu, doing it now for two weeks and doing excellent on it, it's a difference of a flare or no flare. Also I had to go sometimes during night and quite often woke up with pain. I hope this will be only temporary this diet, but it works for me very well.
I am doing the most extreme form of an elimination (more a desperate frustation diet), I live on rice, chicken and fish baked in olive oil and I drink tea, this is my whole menu, doing it now for two weeks and doing excellent on it, it's a difference of a flare or no flare. Also I had to go sometimes during night and quite often woke up with pain. I hope this will be only temporary this diet, but it works for me very well.
"As the sense of identity shifts from the imaginary person to your real being as presence awareness, the life of suffering dissolves like mist before the rising sun"
Hi Sheila,
If you're going to do an elimination diet, I believe it's best to keep it simpler than your selections. Have you read the suggested elimination diet program described here? Jean suggests chicken, potatoes, bananas and tea, because a few of us seem to react to rice. For most of us, rice would probably work OK, but Jean's diet is the safest, because it is grain-free, and almost any of the grains can cause some degree of problems, even if they do not cause a full reaction. Most of us here are sensitive to all dairy products, (buttermilk), so the bread that you are considering might be a problem. Some of us have problems with celery, but it is safe for most of us. Of course, it's a significant source of fiber. Be careful with GF noodles, unless you make them yourself, because once you add processed foods into your diet, you no longer have complete control over what you're eating, (labels are not always accurate). Once you are in remission, then you can afford to experiment.
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=732
Be sure to carefully select chicken that is not injected with anything.
Good luck.
Tex
If you're going to do an elimination diet, I believe it's best to keep it simpler than your selections. Have you read the suggested elimination diet program described here? Jean suggests chicken, potatoes, bananas and tea, because a few of us seem to react to rice. For most of us, rice would probably work OK, but Jean's diet is the safest, because it is grain-free, and almost any of the grains can cause some degree of problems, even if they do not cause a full reaction. Most of us here are sensitive to all dairy products, (buttermilk), so the bread that you are considering might be a problem. Some of us have problems with celery, but it is safe for most of us. Of course, it's a significant source of fiber. Be careful with GF noodles, unless you make them yourself, because once you add processed foods into your diet, you no longer have complete control over what you're eating, (labels are not always accurate). Once you are in remission, then you can afford to experiment.
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=732
Be sure to carefully select chicken that is not injected with anything.
Good luck.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Sheila
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elimination diet
Thank you, both. I tried finding the elimination diet by following threads but did not find the excellent post by Jean. I'm not looking in the right places, I guess. Reading the posts here has become addictive and I don't feel quite so alone with this gross and disgusting disease.
I thought that by starting the GF diet, the D would settle down and symptoms improve. Every once in a while I had a day that was really good and I felt like my old self. Unfortunately, those days have not lasted. My guess would be that the intolerances are piling up and that can happen any time and right out of the blue. With this condition, nothing seems to stay the same.
Thanks for the prompt reply and the info I needed. I was feeling pretty rotten when I had to leave my volunteer job this a.m. because the "gurgles" had started again. If it weren't a volunteer position, I'd be fired by now.
Sheila
I thought that by starting the GF diet, the D would settle down and symptoms improve. Every once in a while I had a day that was really good and I felt like my old self. Unfortunately, those days have not lasted. My guess would be that the intolerances are piling up and that can happen any time and right out of the blue. With this condition, nothing seems to stay the same.
Thanks for the prompt reply and the info I needed. I was feeling pretty rotten when I had to leave my volunteer job this a.m. because the "gurgles" had started again. If it weren't a volunteer position, I'd be fired by now.
Sheila
Hi Sheila and welcome. I'm sorry that you are having such a tough time of it. Has your doctor suggested Entercort? It sure has helped me get my life back. Although I know I can't be on it long term it is helping for now. Rice doesn't work for me and I had a hard time with bananas. I ate lots of potatoes, mashed and baked. I used my own almond milk and Earth Balance DF, SF milk in the mashed potatoes. I ate lots of chicken, chicken broth and that was about it for a while. Even though I'm on Entercort I will still have problems when I eat something I shouldn't. I still eat a pretty limited diet. You could try replacing the buttermilk in your GF bread with almond milk and add lemon juice or vinegar to make it buttermilk.
I am certainly not an expert and there are a lot more people on this website with far more experience.
Nancy
I am certainly not an expert and there are a lot more people on this website with far more experience.
Nancy
If you are experiencing difficulty despite being on asacol, it's very likely that you are intolerant to the lactose in it. I would steer clear of all dairy, including the buttermilk in your bread.
The good news is that you were feeling better initially after going GF. That's a great sign of progress. I never noticed any difference in my symptoms after giving up gluten, but I have continued to remain GF to this day. It sounds like other intolerances are showing up, likely casein (dairy).
It's really unfortunate that your GI refuses to consider Entocort until you've done his prescribed course with Asacol. My GI initially told me to do the Pepto Bismol routine, but I reacted very quickly to it. He was surprised, but then changed my medication to Entocort. Your GI sounds like he's going by the book, not by what his patients can tolerate. Some of these GIs should eat prunes every day for a while so they can have some empathy.
Gloria
The good news is that you were feeling better initially after going GF. That's a great sign of progress. I never noticed any difference in my symptoms after giving up gluten, but I have continued to remain GF to this day. It sounds like other intolerances are showing up, likely casein (dairy).
It's really unfortunate that your GI refuses to consider Entocort until you've done his prescribed course with Asacol. My GI initially told me to do the Pepto Bismol routine, but I reacted very quickly to it. He was surprised, but then changed my medication to Entocort. Your GI sounds like he's going by the book, not by what his patients can tolerate. Some of these GIs should eat prunes every day for a while so they can have some empathy.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
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Sheila
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- Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 5:10 am
- Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Fl
prunes
I'll give my doc that suggestion. ;=)) Actually, I like the man but he is so busy, aren't they all, that I end up speaking to his PA or nurse most of the time. I did the pepto "cure" last summer before I knew I had CC and I was "cured" for about a month before D started again. It didn't get out of control until after Christmas last year. I intend to make sure my doc sees the Entero lab results and knows that I'm changing my diet. He never mentioned diet to me and after reading this site, that is unforgivable. I'm also going to give him this web address and suggest he familiarize himself with what you have discovered on your own. I think he is pretty open minded, but who knows?
I have a feeling that casseine is a culprit. I know I'm lactose intolerant so it isn't a stretch to add the casseine. Each day and night is so different. On Monday night I can be up and down ALL night but the D stops right after breakfast. On Tuesday night I'll have to get up may once or twice with D and very little problem in the a.m. The next night it's back to up and down all night. It is really crazy. That is what made me bite the bullet and decide to do the elimination diet. Oh boy, I DON'T want to do it but I'd be crazy not to. Thanks again.
Sheila
I have a feeling that casseine is a culprit. I know I'm lactose intolerant so it isn't a stretch to add the casseine. Each day and night is so different. On Monday night I can be up and down ALL night but the D stops right after breakfast. On Tuesday night I'll have to get up may once or twice with D and very little problem in the a.m. The next night it's back to up and down all night. It is really crazy. That is what made me bite the bullet and decide to do the elimination diet. Oh boy, I DON'T want to do it but I'd be crazy not to. Thanks again.
Sheila
Sheila, when I was first diagnosed my dr put me on Asacol and acted like it was gong to cure me. Instead I got worse and worse. I struggled with the drug for several months thinking it was me doing something wrong. I found out from this board about the problems with Asacol and quit taking it, went gf (later df, ef, and sf after enterolab tests). I requested the Entocort and he agreed. That was about 2 1/2 years ago. I've been off entocort for a year now, but keep some on hand "just in case". I get it through my pcp now,not the gi. What is happening to you sounds like me in the beginning of all this. You might want to stop the Asacol and keep doing the diet and see how things go. Good luck, JoAnn
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. John Wayne
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Sheila
- Rockhopper Penguin
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- Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 5:10 am
- Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Fl
giving up food
Thanks, Gloria. I'm beginning to think I should be listening more to all of you and not at all to my GI. I've been on an elimination diet for 2 1/2 days and there is no change in the whole scenario. It is still erratic D and I still feel lousy. I will call my GI again and complain again that the D is not getting any better and it's wearing me out.
I don't know if it's worthwhile going on this elimination diet right now if I'm being made sicker by the asacol. I don't feel any better. Perhaps the thing to do is wait until I have my info from Entero Lab and then work on my intolerances.
Thanks again and it's encouraging to know that it is possible to feel better.
Sheila
I don't know if it's worthwhile going on this elimination diet right now if I'm being made sicker by the asacol. I don't feel any better. Perhaps the thing to do is wait until I have my info from Entero Lab and then work on my intolerances.
Thanks again and it's encouraging to know that it is possible to feel better.
Sheila