Tex, I am not sure I have leaky gut now, or if I did have it. The doc just gave it to me with out testing. (If there is a test for that). I do not have migraines, but my joints ache occasionally and I occasionally have brain fog. The Sustain I mentioned is from Metagenics
http://www.metagenics.com/faqs/medical- ... -foods-faq
a medical food that helps leaky guts.
Mandy
TALK ABOUT CONFUSED!!
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Mandy,
That product appears to be a huge blend of vitamins and a few other ingredients, but the problem is that it appears to contain extremely small amounts of the vitamins that we need the most. For example, it contains only 50 IU of vitamin D, (most of us probably need 5,000 IU, and anything less than 500 is pretty much insignificant), and it contains only 2 mcg of vitamin B-12, (many of us take 2,000 mcg of B-12 - 2 mcg is totally insignificant). Some of the other ingredients are more reasonable.
The biggest problem I would have with it is the "Blend of: Fructooligosaccharides and Inulin". Many medical "experts" claim that FOS is beneficial for people who have an IBD, (it's supposed to support the growth of "good" bacteria, so that they can out-compete the "bad" bacteria), but recent research shows that it simply does not work - it promotes the growth of "bad" bacteria just as much as it promotes the growth of "good" bacteria. Most people with an IBD have a bad balance of gut bacteria, so that means that FOS products are likely to make the situation worse, rather than better. Of course, for those who don't have a bacterial imbalance, such products shouldn't cause any problems. They probably won't help those lucky few, though, either, according to the research report.
The only way to heal a leaky gut is to stop feeding it the things that are causing the problem. If we do that, we don't need any special medical foods - it will heal on it's own. Here's a reference on the FOS research, if you want to see it:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21262918
If you have aching joints and brain fog, you are clearly sensitive to gluten. You're just like most of us here, in that respect, but your GI symptoms seem to be much less pronounced. Dr. Hadjivassiliou, (probably the world's leading researcher on the neurological effects of gluten-sensitivity), has shown that many patients present with neurological symptoms years before they develop gastrointestinal symptoms, and some of them never develop GI symptoms, but suffer significant neurological damage, due to gluten crossing the blood/brain barrier.
http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/72/5/560.full
You'll probably have to register to read that full text article, but it's free. Not many medical journal articles are free, these days, (except for abstracts).
Tex
That product appears to be a huge blend of vitamins and a few other ingredients, but the problem is that it appears to contain extremely small amounts of the vitamins that we need the most. For example, it contains only 50 IU of vitamin D, (most of us probably need 5,000 IU, and anything less than 500 is pretty much insignificant), and it contains only 2 mcg of vitamin B-12, (many of us take 2,000 mcg of B-12 - 2 mcg is totally insignificant). Some of the other ingredients are more reasonable.
The biggest problem I would have with it is the "Blend of: Fructooligosaccharides and Inulin". Many medical "experts" claim that FOS is beneficial for people who have an IBD, (it's supposed to support the growth of "good" bacteria, so that they can out-compete the "bad" bacteria), but recent research shows that it simply does not work - it promotes the growth of "bad" bacteria just as much as it promotes the growth of "good" bacteria. Most people with an IBD have a bad balance of gut bacteria, so that means that FOS products are likely to make the situation worse, rather than better. Of course, for those who don't have a bacterial imbalance, such products shouldn't cause any problems. They probably won't help those lucky few, though, either, according to the research report.
The only way to heal a leaky gut is to stop feeding it the things that are causing the problem. If we do that, we don't need any special medical foods - it will heal on it's own. Here's a reference on the FOS research, if you want to see it:
CONCLUSION: An adequately powered placebo-controlled trial of FOS showed no clinical benefit in patients with active Crohn's disease, despite impacting on DC function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21262918
If you have aching joints and brain fog, you are clearly sensitive to gluten. You're just like most of us here, in that respect, but your GI symptoms seem to be much less pronounced. Dr. Hadjivassiliou, (probably the world's leading researcher on the neurological effects of gluten-sensitivity), has shown that many patients present with neurological symptoms years before they develop gastrointestinal symptoms, and some of them never develop GI symptoms, but suffer significant neurological damage, due to gluten crossing the blood/brain barrier.
http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/72/5/560.full
You'll probably have to register to read that full text article, but it's free. Not many medical journal articles are free, these days, (except for abstracts).
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.
Hi Mandy 
I agree with Sara and Tex. If you are already seeing an improvement after slightly changing your diet, wait a while before starting Entocort. I am a big supporter of Entocort, but only if dietary changes are not making any difference.
The problem with Entocort is that it gives a false sense of improvement, so much so that many of us who take it think that our MC is "cured," and we will be fine once we stop taking it. Our GIs contribute to this illusion by telling us that we will be fine, just as yours did. We won't, without concurrent dietary changes.
I have a saying "Never underestimate the power of Entocort." It is an effective drug for most, and can allow us to live a normal life, but it will only help as long as we are taking it. Diet, on the other hand, can stop the inflammation and heal the colon.
Gloria
I agree with Sara and Tex. If you are already seeing an improvement after slightly changing your diet, wait a while before starting Entocort. I am a big supporter of Entocort, but only if dietary changes are not making any difference.
The problem with Entocort is that it gives a false sense of improvement, so much so that many of us who take it think that our MC is "cured," and we will be fine once we stop taking it. Our GIs contribute to this illusion by telling us that we will be fine, just as yours did. We won't, without concurrent dietary changes.
I have a saying "Never underestimate the power of Entocort." It is an effective drug for most, and can allow us to live a normal life, but it will only help as long as we are taking it. Diet, on the other hand, can stop the inflammation and heal the colon.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.