I've been afraid to even hope that I might be getting a hold on this thing, but this week is looking pretty good! I'm not sure what I should attribute this to--I have been very careful with my diet, not only avoiding gluten and dairy (which I had been doing) but also watching fiber content, cruciferous veggies, and fat. I also have been completely off my Zoloft for about a week now. I have my doubts as to whether that could make a difference that quickly, though, since I've been taking it for about 6 years. Today is the first day I haven't been dizzy (a side effect I have always had if I missed a couple of doses).
BTW, I am not on any other medication, other than Immodium when I need it. Unlike some of you, I hadn't yet reached that secretory D stage and could still control the D this way (though it was taking more Immodium lately to do the trick). Haven't had to take Immodium for a week.
Four days of Normans, HIP HIP HOORAY!
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draperygoddess
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Four days of Normans, HIP HIP HOORAY!
Cynthia
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
Go, Cynthia! You have clearly seized the reins of this runaway MC monster.
Congratulations - even if you hit a bump along the road at some point (and here's hoping you won't!), you know now what a huge difference your efforts can make in your health.
Have you already started the Enterolab process, or are you still pondering? (I find them endlessly fascinating, can you tell?)
Really happy for you,
Sara
Congratulations - even if you hit a bump along the road at some point (and here's hoping you won't!), you know now what a huge difference your efforts can make in your health.
Have you already started the Enterolab process, or are you still pondering? (I find them endlessly fascinating, can you tell?)
Really happy for you,
Sara
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draperygoddess
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Gee, thanks! 
Y'all are sweet!
Sara, I definitely want to do the Enterolab testing, probably the "big 4" and genetics (as much for my kids' sake as mine), but it's going to have to wait a bit--I just got the bills from my colonoscopy, and they're over $2000.
I wonder if I could ask for the test for Christmas...
Lesley, in answer to your question: I have been GF/DF for about 8 weeks now, with the exception of a little hard cheese and butter now and then. I was still having symptoms and figured out I wasn't ready for greasy foods like chips or a lot of fiber, so I backed off those as well. I also had a few experiences with "GF" products that still affected me, so I adopted Tex's rule: "if it has more than 5 ingredients on the package, don't buy it." Ate lots of rice and chicken! Then about 2 weeks ago I started tapering off Zoloft. I figured that since there's some documentation linking Zoloft to MC, it wouldn't hurt to try going off it and see if it helped. I had been in a cycle of D, take Immodium, then C for a few days, then back to D. I think I was overdoing it with what I was eating while I was on the Immodium, since I knew it would make me constipated, not realizing I was just delaying the inevitable reaction from what I was eating. I've also noticed that I don't do well with large meals, so I try to stick to smaller portions.
Y'all are sweet!Sara, I definitely want to do the Enterolab testing, probably the "big 4" and genetics (as much for my kids' sake as mine), but it's going to have to wait a bit--I just got the bills from my colonoscopy, and they're over $2000.
I wonder if I could ask for the test for Christmas...Lesley, in answer to your question: I have been GF/DF for about 8 weeks now, with the exception of a little hard cheese and butter now and then. I was still having symptoms and figured out I wasn't ready for greasy foods like chips or a lot of fiber, so I backed off those as well. I also had a few experiences with "GF" products that still affected me, so I adopted Tex's rule: "if it has more than 5 ingredients on the package, don't buy it." Ate lots of rice and chicken! Then about 2 weeks ago I started tapering off Zoloft. I figured that since there's some documentation linking Zoloft to MC, it wouldn't hurt to try going off it and see if it helped. I had been in a cycle of D, take Immodium, then C for a few days, then back to D. I think I was overdoing it with what I was eating while I was on the Immodium, since I knew it would make me constipated, not realizing I was just delaying the inevitable reaction from what I was eating. I've also noticed that I don't do well with large meals, so I try to stick to smaller portions.
Cynthia
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
Thanks. Sounds like it was the zoloft. I am glad you found the cause, and the catalyst.
I have been GF for about the same time, and completely DF for about a week. Yesterday I started an elimination diet.
I remember you said you were D + C. With me the D doesn't hit on it's own. I can go for a long time without at BM and getting more and more uncomfortable. When it does come it's an explosion. I am now trying a different way. I hope it helps.
I need to get off all my meds. WAY too many, prescribed over years for a variety of dx and misdx. The constipating one is Norco. That one I cannot do without some of it. I try to keep it to the minimum, but even one has it's effect. I am afraid that one is going to stay around for a while.
I just want to have Norman for a while.
I have been GF for about the same time, and completely DF for about a week. Yesterday I started an elimination diet.
I remember you said you were D + C. With me the D doesn't hit on it's own. I can go for a long time without at BM and getting more and more uncomfortable. When it does come it's an explosion. I am now trying a different way. I hope it helps.
I need to get off all my meds. WAY too many, prescribed over years for a variety of dx and misdx. The constipating one is Norco. That one I cannot do without some of it. I try to keep it to the minimum, but even one has it's effect. I am afraid that one is going to stay around for a while.
I just want to have Norman for a while.
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karenswans
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draperygoddess
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Lesley,
Your symptoms sound similar to mine, even before Zoloft. It's like your body is saving up, then BOOM!
Give the diet some time. I have tried eliminating a food off and on for years, but I never gave it enough time. If I avoided something for a week and then had D, I'd assume that food was safe. I did feel better after going GF/DF, but the D didn't stop right away.
Good luck with the elimination diet--hopefully you'll figure some things out that way.
Your symptoms sound similar to mine, even before Zoloft. It's like your body is saving up, then BOOM!
Give the diet some time. I have tried eliminating a food off and on for years, but I never gave it enough time. If I avoided something for a week and then had D, I'd assume that food was safe. I did feel better after going GF/DF, but the D didn't stop right away.
Good luck with the elimination diet--hopefully you'll figure some things out that way.
Cynthia
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
Yeah, and I posted my correspondence with my doc. He says he thinks alternating D&C = IBS, not MC, in spite of the positive dx. I am SO discouraged by him. There is no doc in my plan who thinks any differently.
Right now I am doing an egg, Udi bread toast, some apple sauce, home made chicken soup with rice, some chicken breast and and half a banana. Nothing else. I am hoping to get to ONE norman! In 2 weeks I will add ONE food and see what happens.
I have so much stuff I can't eat in my fridge. Pity.
Right now I am doing an egg, Udi bread toast, some apple sauce, home made chicken soup with rice, some chicken breast and and half a banana. Nothing else. I am hoping to get to ONE norman! In 2 weeks I will add ONE food and see what happens.
I have so much stuff I can't eat in my fridge. Pity.
Lesley,
I know what you mean about the sad foods in the fridge... Your diet does sound very similar to mine back in March, except that I wasn't eating the Udi's bread. While none of us are the same, there aren't very many likely suspects on your list. Some folks skip fruit altogether for a while (and some for longer) - of your two fruits, you could take some days off from bananas if your personal research into mast cells persuades you that you need to look into this further. (Another way to address histamines is with an enzyme called Histame, but it's expensive and I think you may still be at that stage when you're just reacting because your body is in freakout mode... maybe in a few weeks, you'll be able to give that a try and form a conclusion about whether it makes a difference. And if so, even if you don't have an excessive *number* of mast cells - which hopefully you'll get that doc to request the stain to determine - you may still have what I like to think of as "trigger-happy" mast cells contributing to your discomfort.
Wishing you well,
Sara
I know what you mean about the sad foods in the fridge... Your diet does sound very similar to mine back in March, except that I wasn't eating the Udi's bread. While none of us are the same, there aren't very many likely suspects on your list. Some folks skip fruit altogether for a while (and some for longer) - of your two fruits, you could take some days off from bananas if your personal research into mast cells persuades you that you need to look into this further. (Another way to address histamines is with an enzyme called Histame, but it's expensive and I think you may still be at that stage when you're just reacting because your body is in freakout mode... maybe in a few weeks, you'll be able to give that a try and form a conclusion about whether it makes a difference. And if so, even if you don't have an excessive *number* of mast cells - which hopefully you'll get that doc to request the stain to determine - you may still have what I like to think of as "trigger-happy" mast cells contributing to your discomfort.
Wishing you well,
Sara
I can do without bananas. 1/2 makes me feel fuller, and helps my sweet craving.
I tried some natural bottled pears last night for the same reason. I didn't get more heartburn. So far so good.
I find the egg on the toast also makes me feel fuller for longer. I really want to do this and find out what is making it all worse.
I don't want to mess with histamine until I have a handle on the major problems. I will work on that later. It's really discouraging that my doc, whom I thought was marginally forward thinking when he dx'd MC, falls back on IBS at the least deviation from what he learned in med school.
I tried some natural bottled pears last night for the same reason. I didn't get more heartburn. So far so good.
I find the egg on the toast also makes me feel fuller for longer. I really want to do this and find out what is making it all worse.
I don't want to mess with histamine until I have a handle on the major problems. I will work on that later. It's really discouraging that my doc, whom I thought was marginally forward thinking when he dx'd MC, falls back on IBS at the least deviation from what he learned in med school.
Maybe there's hope for your doc, if you throw a little "wow, I was impressed that you figured out the MC" into the mix (I would be hard-pressed to refrain from - "DUDE, who do you think told me I have MC in the first place?? and how is what was seen under the microscope suddenly irrelevant?" - but you probably are more gracious than I am).
Good news about the pears. I think your priorities and approach are seem sound and sensible, and hope you start to get some relief as a reward for your efforts.
Good news about the pears. I think your priorities and approach are seem sound and sensible, and hope you start to get some relief as a reward for your efforts.
I have thanked him repeatedly for finding the MC. I wasn't so gracious when I said he was the one who dx'd MC in the first place. I had never heard of it.
Why he thinks the D is painless is beyond me. He thinks it is rare, so was extremely pleased with himself when he dx'd it. So was his young colleague to whom he referred me for a 2nd opinion, though it was really an extension of the original.
Oh well, we know the difference between God and a doctor. God does not think he is a doctor.
I wish mine would be a bit more open minded.
Why he thinks the D is painless is beyond me. He thinks it is rare, so was extremely pleased with himself when he dx'd it. So was his young colleague to whom he referred me for a 2nd opinion, though it was really an extension of the original.
Oh well, we know the difference between God and a doctor. God does not think he is a doctor.
I wish mine would be a bit more open minded.