I have been GF and DF, but while on meds how can you tell what foods bother you, by the daily changes in your stool? Certain foods I can tell like the typical, grease, spicy, or acidy foods. But regular, plain everyday foods I can't tell. I am sure if I didn't take any med or over the counter I would be able to tell better.
Do you think it would be ok to start out with Entocort 1 a day and increase it to 3 if needed?
I've read where antibiotics can cause MC, every spring I go on minocycline for about 2 1/2 months to help control rosacea; which I was still on when the D (MC) started. I have been off that for a long time now and no improvement. I don't think it is a strong antibiotic and you are suppose to be able to take it long term.
Gloria, I don't know how you find something to eat with all your intollerances!
Thank you,
Barb
Newly DX - much needed advice
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Actually, minocycline is a rather potent antibiotic. It's a broad-spectrum tetracycline antibiotic, and it will control a wider variety of bacteria than most other tetracycline antibiotics, and it can be used to treat such tough issues as Lyme disease, and certain types of MRSA. Also, in some cases, it has been shown to trigger autoimmune hepatitis and it has been known to make lupus symptoms worse, so I wouldn't consider it to be a "mild" antibiotic.
Other members here have found that if they stick with the GF diet, their rosacea tends to fade away. Hopefully, that will work for you, too.
Tex
Other members here have found that if they stick with the GF diet, their rosacea tends to fade away. Hopefully, that will work for you, too.
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.
I was hoping GF would clear it up too and it might be to early yet, because I just had a small flare up on my face. It's just about gone. I never liked taking minocycline or the like but it would get bad enough I did it anyway and took probiotics.
Thanks for enlightening me.
Barb
Thanks for enlightening me.
Barb
DX with MS, Hashimothyroiditis, Hypothyroid, Raynauds, Lymphocytic Colitis
I have been GF about 2 months, DF almost 3 weeks and avoiding soy, how long should I avoid soy before I introduce it back in my diet to see if it bothers me? I miss it, it sure helps with cooking. What about hard cheese?
I am sure I am lactose intolerant, what about the lactase pills?
I also have been medication free for 2 weeks, I just take Pepto or Imodium occasionally.
It will be 3 week before I get my enterolab tests back, I can't wait!
Thank you,
Barb
I am sure I am lactose intolerant, what about the lactase pills?
I also have been medication free for 2 weeks, I just take Pepto or Imodium occasionally.
It will be 3 week before I get my enterolab tests back, I can't wait!
Thank you,
Barb
DX with MS, Hashimothyroiditis, Hypothyroid, Raynauds, Lymphocytic Colitis
Hi Barb,
Well, if you are not having D, you can do a soy challenge anytime you wish. If you're still having D, though, how are you going to tell if you react to it? If you're just having minor, "soft-serve" type D, you might be able to tell the difference, but if you're still having watery D, it would be just about impossible to tell whether you were reacting to a soy challenge, or not.
You may be getting close to remission by now, or you may have a few more weeks or more to go, but one thing is sure - every day brings you closer to that goal, so perseverance becomes more important with each passing day. The purpose of the exclusion diet is to stop the symptoms. Once you are in remission, you can easily test foods, (one at a time, of course, so that you can pinpoint any reaction).
Yes, all of us are lactose intolerant, while we are reacting, but that will usually pass, once we are in remission. However, for those of us who are casein-sensitive, that sensitivity is virtually always permanent.
Hard cheese has very little lactose, but it's loaded with casein, as are all dairy products.
Experience shows that those who persevere, get their life back. Surely, getting control of this disease is more important to you than a few more weeks of doing without soy, or cheese. Isn't it?
That said, if eating soy or cheese while waiting for your Enterolab results doesn't seem to make your symptoms any worse, it probably won't do any serious harm, as long as you continue to avoid gluten. I wish you the best of luck with this. I realize it's never easy, but remember - this is the beginning of the rest of your life, so the outcome is extremely important.
Tex
Well, if you are not having D, you can do a soy challenge anytime you wish. If you're still having D, though, how are you going to tell if you react to it? If you're just having minor, "soft-serve" type D, you might be able to tell the difference, but if you're still having watery D, it would be just about impossible to tell whether you were reacting to a soy challenge, or not.
You may be getting close to remission by now, or you may have a few more weeks or more to go, but one thing is sure - every day brings you closer to that goal, so perseverance becomes more important with each passing day. The purpose of the exclusion diet is to stop the symptoms. Once you are in remission, you can easily test foods, (one at a time, of course, so that you can pinpoint any reaction).
Yes, all of us are lactose intolerant, while we are reacting, but that will usually pass, once we are in remission. However, for those of us who are casein-sensitive, that sensitivity is virtually always permanent.
Hard cheese has very little lactose, but it's loaded with casein, as are all dairy products.
Experience shows that those who persevere, get their life back. Surely, getting control of this disease is more important to you than a few more weeks of doing without soy, or cheese. Isn't it?
That said, if eating soy or cheese while waiting for your Enterolab results doesn't seem to make your symptoms any worse, it probably won't do any serious harm, as long as you continue to avoid gluten. I wish you the best of luck with this. I realize it's never easy, but remember - this is the beginning of the rest of your life, so the outcome is extremely important.
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.
Thanks Tex,
Yes it is important to get control of this disease, and I can wait, I guess I was getting anxious to test soy. I can't believe how much stuff it's in. It's a challenge to make food interesting!
It all must be working, no meds, an occasional watery D, mostly it's just urgency, but difinitely better.
Once you find out what foods (from enterolab), that you are intolerant to does that mean forever? Even after your gut heals?
Barb
Yes it is important to get control of this disease, and I can wait, I guess I was getting anxious to test soy. I can't believe how much stuff it's in. It's a challenge to make food interesting!
It all must be working, no meds, an occasional watery D, mostly it's just urgency, but difinitely better.
Once you find out what foods (from enterolab), that you are intolerant to does that mean forever? Even after your gut heals?
Barb
DX with MS, Hashimothyroiditis, Hypothyroid, Raynauds, Lymphocytic Colitis
Barb wrote:Once you find out what foods (from enterolab), that you are intolerant to does that mean forever? Even after your gut heals?
Unfortunately, it does for most foods, but yeast is an exception to that rule for virtually everyone, and some members have been able to eat eggs again, after a while.
It seems to me that we're sensitive to some foods because of cellular mimicry, (IOW, they may contain a peptide similar to one of the gliadin or glutenin peptides to which we react, and the immune system makes a mistakes and reacts to those peptides, also. If we avoid those foods for a long time, (such as a year, or preferably 2 or 3), and the gluten damage has plenty of time to heal, the immune system may no longer react to those peptides that were involved in molecular mimicry. If we continue to challenge the immune system with them regularly, though, the immune system will probably continue to react to them. That's just my theory, based on the experiences that I've had and read about on this board, so it's certainly not backed up by any scientific proof.
Remember, it takes at least a minimum of 2 or 3 years for the gut to completely heal, and for most people it takes more like 5 years, and that's true for celiac disease, as well. Most doctors aren't aware of that, but the research data are available, at least for celiac disease - no one has ever really studied MC histology in the same way.
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.
Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed when they shouldn't be, (such as for a cold), but sometimes they're necessary, and they can save lives when the chips are down. Depending on the type of infection, and where it's located, sometime we have a choice of antibiotics, and whenever we have a choice, Ciprofloxacin, (or one of the other fluoroquinolones), is almost always the safest choice, for most of us, and azithromycin, (Z-pak), is usually the second safest choice. In fact, most of us have found that if we are in the middle of a flare, Cipro will stop the D about 99% of the time. Unfortunately, though, a few days after the Cipro treatment is ended, the D will almost always return.
The "worst" antibiotic for someone with MC to take is amoxicillin, (or one of it's various forms), since this class of antibiotics is associated with the highest risk of leading to a C. diff infection.
Tex
The "worst" antibiotic for someone with MC to take is amoxicillin, (or one of it's various forms), since this class of antibiotics is associated with the highest risk of leading to a C. diff infection.
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.
Tex, thank you for the info, that will be helpful should I ever need one. I believe you need to be your own health advocate, the more information you have for your dr. the better.
Question, I have read that goat milk and cheese is ok to consume for us with MC, true?
Tex, you are so knowledgeable were you a teacher/professor?
Thanks,
Barb
Question, I have read that goat milk and cheese is ok to consume for us with MC, true?
Tex, you are so knowledgeable were you a teacher/professor?
Thanks,
Barb
DX with MS, Hashimothyroiditis, Hypothyroid, Raynauds, Lymphocytic Colitis
Barb,
I believe you're right - if we don't look out for our own health, no one else is going to.
Thank you for the kind words, but my education was in engineering and computer science. I did teach for a few years at the University of Texas at Austin, but I taught courses in mechanical engineering, not medicine. Just about everything I've learned about medicine, I've learned here on this board, and the one that preceded it. As one of my teachers says, "I believe you need to be your own health advocate, the more information you have for your dr. the better."
You're most welcome,
Tex
I believe you're right - if we don't look out for our own health, no one else is going to.
It depends on whether or not we're sensitive to casein - most of us are. It's true that a very small percentage of those who are sensitive to cow's milk can tolerate goat's milk, but among the members of this board, for example, that probably only applies to less than 1 % of us, so the odds are pretty slim.Barb wrote:Question, I have read that goat milk and cheese is ok to consume for us with MC, true?
Thank you for the kind words, but my education was in engineering and computer science. I did teach for a few years at the University of Texas at Austin, but I taught courses in mechanical engineering, not medicine. Just about everything I've learned about medicine, I've learned here on this board, and the one that preceded it. As one of my teachers says, "I believe you need to be your own health advocate, the more information you have for your dr. the better."
You're most welcome,
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.
Newly Diagnosed-Double Edged Sword
I was just diagnosed this afternoon with MC; CC specifically. I'm none too happy about it, though it is a relief to finally know what's going on. I guess I had a good GI doc as it took less than 60 days from the onset of acute D (10-15 times a day) to figure out it was MC. He's prescribed Entocort which I'm hoping will bring relief. In the testing process, he found my gallbladder was dead and it was removed three weeks ago. Previous to the surgery my D was subsiding and I even had several fully formed stools that I remember with great fondness. So we're not sure at this point if my D is just from MC or is bile salt D, or a combination of both. I guess we'll see. I'm eating a low fat diet since the surgery, but haven't tested a GF diet. I tested negative for celiac and was relieved I wouldn't have to make radical dietary changes, but reading the posts here about the connection between celiac and MC despite testing negative, gives me something to think about.
Welcome to our world, wjwb.
Most of us tested negative for celiac and you may indeed not be gluten sensitive either, but it's a journey to find the real causes behind illness. I know it's overwhelming at first and I'm sorry you lost your gallbladder. Lots to read here about how people have gotten better - and you can and will get better.
Connie
Most of us tested negative for celiac and you may indeed not be gluten sensitive either, but it's a journey to find the real causes behind illness. I know it's overwhelming at first and I'm sorry you lost your gallbladder. Lots to read here about how people have gotten better - and you can and will get better.
Connie
Resolved MC symptoms successfully w/L-Glutamine, Probiotics and Vitamins, GF since 8/'09. DX w/MC 10/'09.
Hi and welcome to the group,
I'm not sure if MC causes gallbladder issues, or if gallbladder issues contribute to the development of MC, but they certainly seem to go together, in many cases. If your D is due to the removal of your gallbladder, then hopefully, it should fade away, after a few months. Did your doc prescribe cholestyramine, or one of the other bile acid sequestrants? That would remove most of the bile salts, and resolve the D, if bile salts are the problem.
You will know whether or not you have any food sensitivities when your GI doc discontinues the Entocort, because your symptoms will relapse, if you have any food sensitivities.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
I'm not sure if MC causes gallbladder issues, or if gallbladder issues contribute to the development of MC, but they certainly seem to go together, in many cases. If your D is due to the removal of your gallbladder, then hopefully, it should fade away, after a few months. Did your doc prescribe cholestyramine, or one of the other bile acid sequestrants? That would remove most of the bile salts, and resolve the D, if bile salts are the problem.
You will know whether or not you have any food sensitivities when your GI doc discontinues the Entocort, because your symptoms will relapse, if you have any food sensitivities.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
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.
Thanks. Doc prescribed cholestyramine last week and it did reduce the number of episodes slightly, but did nothing for consistency. He said to cut it in favor of the Entocort. He said I should start seeing results in about a week and if not, to call him. The plan is to keep me on Entocort once a day for 30 days and see how I respond, then start to back me off and see what happens. His plan sounds reasonable to me. I'm hoping for a good response and remission as I was headed in that direction before the surgery.