Does soda make it worse?
How common is the fatigue?
Is there a psychological component?[/code]
Newly diagnosed questions
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
BuggityBoo,
Welcome. Sorry to hear you've been diagnosed - but you couldn't have found a better place to get some answers as you figure out your way through the MC maze.
To answer your questions:
Artificial sweeteners in diet soda are definitely problematic for most of us. As far as nondiet sodas go, I think it varies... for me, when I was first sick, any sweetener at all (sugar, honey, maple syrup) was problematic. There are a lot of other ingredients in soda, of course. I have read that the high-fructose corn syrup in most regular sodas can contribute to "leaky gut." Strangely, the caffeine is something many of us do tolerate (but by no means everyone).
WOW, the fatigue. You are not alone. Once you figure out the foods that trigger your MC, and eliminate them, it does get better. It takes time to heal, but even during the process, things improve. If you are suffering full-on symptoms at the moment, be encouraged that it won't always be this way... and be patient with yourself if you just need to take it easy more than is normal for you.
I do not believe that psychological factors *cause* MC - but stress can make us more vulnerable to a flare-up of symptoms (sometimes quite dramatically). AND of course, having MC is stressful in itself. When it's not under control, it's debilitating, and affects our lives on every level. Anything we can do to reduce stress is GOOD - first and foremost for me was getting my symptoms under control.
You'll find ideas here on a huge variety of topics - recipes, vacation planning tips, eating out safely, etc.
I am working toward remission with diet alone (and happy to have the example of others here who've done so successfully). Many use a combination of diet and medications. There are a couple of types of testing available to help figure out which foods are problematic. I figured out gluten and dairy the hard way, and confirmed via Enterolab.
I hope this helps - by now perhaps you've had a look around and gotten the "lay of the land" here, but feel free to ask any questions that will help you get the MC beast under control.
All my best,
Sara
Welcome. Sorry to hear you've been diagnosed - but you couldn't have found a better place to get some answers as you figure out your way through the MC maze.
To answer your questions:
Artificial sweeteners in diet soda are definitely problematic for most of us. As far as nondiet sodas go, I think it varies... for me, when I was first sick, any sweetener at all (sugar, honey, maple syrup) was problematic. There are a lot of other ingredients in soda, of course. I have read that the high-fructose corn syrup in most regular sodas can contribute to "leaky gut." Strangely, the caffeine is something many of us do tolerate (but by no means everyone).
WOW, the fatigue. You are not alone. Once you figure out the foods that trigger your MC, and eliminate them, it does get better. It takes time to heal, but even during the process, things improve. If you are suffering full-on symptoms at the moment, be encouraged that it won't always be this way... and be patient with yourself if you just need to take it easy more than is normal for you.
I do not believe that psychological factors *cause* MC - but stress can make us more vulnerable to a flare-up of symptoms (sometimes quite dramatically). AND of course, having MC is stressful in itself. When it's not under control, it's debilitating, and affects our lives on every level. Anything we can do to reduce stress is GOOD - first and foremost for me was getting my symptoms under control.
You'll find ideas here on a huge variety of topics - recipes, vacation planning tips, eating out safely, etc.
I am working toward remission with diet alone (and happy to have the example of others here who've done so successfully). Many use a combination of diet and medications. There are a couple of types of testing available to help figure out which foods are problematic. I figured out gluten and dairy the hard way, and confirmed via Enterolab.
I hope this helps - by now perhaps you've had a look around and gotten the "lay of the land" here, but feel free to ask any questions that will help you get the MC beast under control.
All my best,
Sara
-
Joefnh
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 2478
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:25 pm
- Location: Southern New Hampshire
Hi BuggityBoo and welcome from New Hampshire
As Sara mentioned the artificial sweeteners can be a problem with MC, early on I was able to sip on a little ginger ale but I did not have too much of it. After about 12 months I am able to drink sodas more often, but I probably do not have much more than once a month if that.
As this is an autoimmune condition, fatigue is quite common but will get better after you can get you diet adjusted to eliminate the foods that are causing the reactions. For myself I cannot have gluten, soy and have to really limit dairy.
Each of us is different and have to figure this out through testing through places like enterolab or MRT testing through signet diagnostics. The other way is slower and involves an elimination diet where you start with a very basic set of safe foods and then add one back at a time while judging your reaction to it.
Emotional stress does affect mc like any other illness, but I do feel that GI diseases are more prone to effects from emotional stresses than other conditions.
Since your diagnosis, what guidance and or medications have you received from your doctor?
Joe
As Sara mentioned the artificial sweeteners can be a problem with MC, early on I was able to sip on a little ginger ale but I did not have too much of it. After about 12 months I am able to drink sodas more often, but I probably do not have much more than once a month if that.
As this is an autoimmune condition, fatigue is quite common but will get better after you can get you diet adjusted to eliminate the foods that are causing the reactions. For myself I cannot have gluten, soy and have to really limit dairy.
Each of us is different and have to figure this out through testing through places like enterolab or MRT testing through signet diagnostics. The other way is slower and involves an elimination diet where you start with a very basic set of safe foods and then add one back at a time while judging your reaction to it.
Emotional stress does affect mc like any other illness, but I do feel that GI diseases are more prone to effects from emotional stresses than other conditions.
Since your diagnosis, what guidance and or medications have you received from your doctor?
Joe
Joe
Welcome Buggityboo,
Trust the others comments about the soda. I only drink plain unflavoured soda water - in fairly large quantities.
Fatigue is common. Amongst other things, you are likely to be dehydrated and not have absorbed enough nutrients to properly fuel your body. Our bodies have evolved to make us seek rest when they need to heal.
Stress can make the MC worse - definitely. MC also causes stress. MC can also cause a lack of vitamins and minerals (over the longer period) and some of these can be associated with depressive symptoms. For example, Vitamin B group can have a big impact, as can magnesium and various others. Nearly all of us have issues with gluten intolerance, and gluten causes a condition called 'brain fog' where you just don't think all that clearly. This can have unfortunate consequences, such as causing you to make poorer decisions, which makes life harder, which causes stress, which makes the MC worse, which all gets a bit circular. Getting the gluten out of your system may well help reduce your current stress levels, even though starting the GF diet is a challenge.
Lyn
Trust the others comments about the soda. I only drink plain unflavoured soda water - in fairly large quantities.
Fatigue is common. Amongst other things, you are likely to be dehydrated and not have absorbed enough nutrients to properly fuel your body. Our bodies have evolved to make us seek rest when they need to heal.
Stress can make the MC worse - definitely. MC also causes stress. MC can also cause a lack of vitamins and minerals (over the longer period) and some of these can be associated with depressive symptoms. For example, Vitamin B group can have a big impact, as can magnesium and various others. Nearly all of us have issues with gluten intolerance, and gluten causes a condition called 'brain fog' where you just don't think all that clearly. This can have unfortunate consequences, such as causing you to make poorer decisions, which makes life harder, which causes stress, which makes the MC worse, which all gets a bit circular. Getting the gluten out of your system may well help reduce your current stress levels, even though starting the GF diet is a challenge.
Lyn