Need advice
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Need advice
I wont bore any of you with the details. I have had LC for 6 years without relief from D. I have tried all of the drugs most of you have taken. I saw my GI doctor yesterday because my family a I are traveling to London this summer. So I discussed with him the anxiety that is starting to be a big problem when I travel. He prescribed Celexa 20 mg and Donnatal before meals. Has anyone ever taken either of these drugs? If so what was your experience? I haven't ever changed my diet. I have had many test to rule out Celiac disease. Thanks everyone.
I haven't taken those drugs, so I can't speak to them in particular. But if it were me, I'd change my diet before I'd take drugs for anxiety. (I presume, because of the way you worded it, that the anxiety is related to the constant D and the difficulties of travel because of it).
I suggest you eliminate all gluten, dairy and soy from your diet right away. You have a few months before your trip, and you might see improvement with a change in diet. You've have LC for 6 years, so it may take a while before you see results, but many people see some improvement within a couple of months.
Others with more experience will weigh in here, but that's my suggestion.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip to London. Are you going for the Olympics?
Martha
I suggest you eliminate all gluten, dairy and soy from your diet right away. You have a few months before your trip, and you might see improvement with a change in diet. You've have LC for 6 years, so it may take a while before you see results, but many people see some improvement within a couple of months.
Others with more experience will weigh in here, but that's my suggestion.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip to London. Are you going for the Olympics?
Martha
Martha
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draperygoddess
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Hi there!
I will second Martha on this: if you've taken medication for your symptoms and it hasn't helped, you have nothing to lose by trying a GF diet. Another word of caution: many antidepressants can actually make the symptoms of MC worse. I would avoid them if you can. My anxiety got much better after changing my diet--I was actually able to stop taking Zoloft a few months ago (and FWIW, I think the Zoloft was instrumental in stirring up the MC in the first place!)
Best of luck with your trip--sounds exciting!
I will second Martha on this: if you've taken medication for your symptoms and it hasn't helped, you have nothing to lose by trying a GF diet. Another word of caution: many antidepressants can actually make the symptoms of MC worse. I would avoid them if you can. My anxiety got much better after changing my diet--I was actually able to stop taking Zoloft a few months ago (and FWIW, I think the Zoloft was instrumental in stirring up the MC in the first place!)
Best of luck with your trip--sounds exciting!
Cynthia
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
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humbird753
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I agree with everyone else in that you will see improvement from a diet change. I have had extreme D since Aug., 2009, and was diagnosed with LC in June, 2010. I started on a gluten free, dairy free, and soy free diet 12/5/2011, and I started noticing improvements within a couple of weeks. I already don't need to "map out bathrooms" everywhere I go. I can understand why going on a trip to London would cause anxiety, but I believe if you started making diet changes now, you will have noticeable improvements before your trip. Wishing you the best.
Paula
Paula
Paula
"You'll never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's learning to dance in the rain."
"You'll never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's learning to dance in the rain."
Hi bhm2wfd,
The reason why you received negative results on all your celiac tests is simple - you don't have celiac disease - you have microscopic colitis, instead. Virtually all of us here are just as sensitive to gluten as any celiac, and yet we will always test negative to the classic celiac tests, (except for those of us who also have celiac disease, in addition to MC). Those tests are worthless for detecting the type of non-celiac gluten-sensitivity that we, (and millions of others in the world), have - they will only detect fully-developed celiac disease. Only the stool tests at EnteroLab will reliably detect non-celiac gluten-sensitivity.
The diet can allow you to get off the drug merry-go-round, and get your life back - but only if you give it a fair trial, and I don't mean just cutting down on gluten intake for a few weeks. You have to absolutely avoid all gluten and all dairy products in your diet, for at least several months, to give it a fair chance of helping you. If you can see any significant improvement in that amount of time, you will know that you are on the right track.
Cynthia is correct, many members here blame their MC on SSRIs, (Celexia is an SSRI). That doesn't mean that it will make your symptoms worse, or that you will even be sensitive to it, but there is a good chance that it might.
Donnatal is a combination of phenobarbital, (a barbiturate, which slows the activity of your brain and nervous system), and toxic alkaloids from the Belladonna plant. Belladonna alkaloids tend to cause many effects in the body, including reduced muscle spasms in the digestive or urinary tract, and reduced fluid secretions from certain glands or organs. Historically, Italian women used Belladonna to dilate the pupils of their eyes, because they thought it made them more attractive. Of course, they couldn't see worth a hoot, then, but presumably they treasured looks over vision.
It can be dangerous to take for anyone who has liver or kidney disease, glaucoma, thyroid issues, heart disease, high blood pressure, or congestive heart failure, a heart rhythm disorder, or, most notably, ulcerative colitis. If it's contraindicated for UC, then it is almost certainly contraindicated for MC. Before agreeing to take it, I would question my doctor very closely about that risk, because it implies the risk of toxic magacolon, and/or impaction, due to interfering with normal motility.
Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do.
The reason why you received negative results on all your celiac tests is simple - you don't have celiac disease - you have microscopic colitis, instead. Virtually all of us here are just as sensitive to gluten as any celiac, and yet we will always test negative to the classic celiac tests, (except for those of us who also have celiac disease, in addition to MC). Those tests are worthless for detecting the type of non-celiac gluten-sensitivity that we, (and millions of others in the world), have - they will only detect fully-developed celiac disease. Only the stool tests at EnteroLab will reliably detect non-celiac gluten-sensitivity.
The diet can allow you to get off the drug merry-go-round, and get your life back - but only if you give it a fair trial, and I don't mean just cutting down on gluten intake for a few weeks. You have to absolutely avoid all gluten and all dairy products in your diet, for at least several months, to give it a fair chance of helping you. If you can see any significant improvement in that amount of time, you will know that you are on the right track.
Cynthia is correct, many members here blame their MC on SSRIs, (Celexia is an SSRI). That doesn't mean that it will make your symptoms worse, or that you will even be sensitive to it, but there is a good chance that it might.
Donnatal is a combination of phenobarbital, (a barbiturate, which slows the activity of your brain and nervous system), and toxic alkaloids from the Belladonna plant. Belladonna alkaloids tend to cause many effects in the body, including reduced muscle spasms in the digestive or urinary tract, and reduced fluid secretions from certain glands or organs. Historically, Italian women used Belladonna to dilate the pupils of their eyes, because they thought it made them more attractive. Of course, they couldn't see worth a hoot, then, but presumably they treasured looks over vision.
It can be dangerous to take for anyone who has liver or kidney disease, glaucoma, thyroid issues, heart disease, high blood pressure, or congestive heart failure, a heart rhythm disorder, or, most notably, ulcerative colitis. If it's contraindicated for UC, then it is almost certainly contraindicated for MC. Before agreeing to take it, I would question my doctor very closely about that risk, because it implies the risk of toxic magacolon, and/or impaction, due to interfering with normal motility.Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do.
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 there!
Tex is pretty good regarding drug interactions if you have interest in discussing further. For me I was doing extensive business travel before being diagnosed so I know it can be rough. I had no previous prescription drug usage prior to being diagnosed. Went on Entocort and GF, DF, SF as recommended by this board. Withing 8 weeks had significant improvement. I believe from comments on this board Entocort without going GF has an iffy long term outcome. I believe from other comments on this board that there can also be issues with Entocourt working if concurrently taken with some types of drugs.
Have fun on you trip! Brandy
Tex is pretty good regarding drug interactions if you have interest in discussing further. For me I was doing extensive business travel before being diagnosed so I know it can be rough. I had no previous prescription drug usage prior to being diagnosed. Went on Entocort and GF, DF, SF as recommended by this board. Withing 8 weeks had significant improvement. I believe from comments on this board Entocort without going GF has an iffy long term outcome. I believe from other comments on this board that there can also be issues with Entocourt working if concurrently taken with some types of drugs.
Have fun on you trip! Brandy
Hi Bhm2wfd,
It's Brandy again, I say go GF, DF SF tomorrow and by April 1 you should see improvement...pretty much in eight weeks. Just think, you'll be that much further along and a lot less stress. It was tough for me to wrap my brain around particularly since the GI doc said in answer to my diet questions that there was no recommended diet for MC but I had side effects while on Entocourt so knew that Entocourt could not be a long term or even 2nd time option for me so concurrently while on Entocourt I went GF, DF and SF. Also I'm not sure of your age but I'm 50 and for about 6 months prior to MC I had increasing anxiety which I thought had something to do with menopause. I never took meds for anxiety but thought I would have to take something. Since being GF I have no anxiety. My mother has been GF for around 20 years and nowadays it is not that big of a deal. Also, while in London you should have no problems being GF. My mother traveled in Italy and had no problem being GF and is just getting ready to travel to Peru and will be GF there.
Bon Voyage on your trip and have fun! Brandy
It's Brandy again, I say go GF, DF SF tomorrow and by April 1 you should see improvement...pretty much in eight weeks. Just think, you'll be that much further along and a lot less stress. It was tough for me to wrap my brain around particularly since the GI doc said in answer to my diet questions that there was no recommended diet for MC but I had side effects while on Entocourt so knew that Entocourt could not be a long term or even 2nd time option for me so concurrently while on Entocourt I went GF, DF and SF. Also I'm not sure of your age but I'm 50 and for about 6 months prior to MC I had increasing anxiety which I thought had something to do with menopause. I never took meds for anxiety but thought I would have to take something. Since being GF I have no anxiety. My mother has been GF for around 20 years and nowadays it is not that big of a deal. Also, while in London you should have no problems being GF. My mother traveled in Italy and had no problem being GF and is just getting ready to travel to Peru and will be GF there.
Bon Voyage on your trip and have fun! Brandy
Hi,
I concur with everybody here. I would go to an extremely limited diet and see what happens. Then add and subtract foods as you see how they affect you. I say this because I cut down to, basically, chicken and rice. I then found out that I am sensitive to both those foods, and to poultry in general
I then moved to beef, lamb and potatoes. I was OK with those, but when I tried a sweet potato - straight to the potty.
Some people can manage lettuce. I can't.
I tried entocort, but because I suffer from C I got worse. And cortico steroids have a devastating effect on the body, so I won't do THAT anymore.
I am traveling to England and to Israel in the spring. Because of a death in the family I thought I was going to have to go this week, and was extremely anxious about it. I really understand your anxiety.
We decided I should not go now, but postpone till spring, as previously arranged.
You have time to figure out what food affects you, and how. By the time you leave you should have a reasonable idea of your food idiosyncrasies.
I concur with everybody here. I would go to an extremely limited diet and see what happens. Then add and subtract foods as you see how they affect you. I say this because I cut down to, basically, chicken and rice. I then found out that I am sensitive to both those foods, and to poultry in general
I then moved to beef, lamb and potatoes. I was OK with those, but when I tried a sweet potato - straight to the potty.
Some people can manage lettuce. I can't.
I tried entocort, but because I suffer from C I got worse. And cortico steroids have a devastating effect on the body, so I won't do THAT anymore.
I am traveling to England and to Israel in the spring. Because of a death in the family I thought I was going to have to go this week, and was extremely anxious about it. I really understand your anxiety.
We decided I should not go now, but postpone till spring, as previously arranged.
You have time to figure out what food affects you, and how. By the time you leave you should have a reasonable idea of your food idiosyncrasies.
Wow. Thanks for all the great feed back. I will start working on my diet. You all are always so helpful. I am not taking any of the new meds my doc prescribed. Although I was tempted this weekend. My family is not very supportive. I feel like I am in this by myself. Thanks again for your support and great advice!!
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draperygoddess
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No one gets this disease like we do!Hi Bhm,
I"m not sure what part of Alabama you are in but if you go to "Diet Info" at the top of this forum and select "Tips for Starting a GF diet" by Zizzle there is a helpful list that Zizzle made. I'm still somewhat of a newbie but the boyfriend and I took the list to Publix this weekend and found it to be pretty helpful. Short term think a lot of cooked protein and a lot of cooked veggies.
Hang in there with the family pressures as I know that can be tough. Right around my diagnosis my friends wanted me to fly out to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN etc, etc, etc. The stress that my friends put me through was unbelievable. I did a United Healthcare search of approved GI docs within 20 miles of my house and there were over 200 GI docs that practice within 20 miles of my house that are approved by United Healthcare so it seemed ridiculous that there wasn't someone at least with average competency locally.
I think friends and family care and love you but think there is some magic bullet out there that will "fix the problem".
My Mom has been GF for over 20 years as she is diagnosed celiac. She has her GF bread and regular bread for my Dad. GF cookies for her and regular snacks for my Dad. The only thing she cooks "separate" is regular pasta for my Dad and GF pasta for herself.
Hopefully this helps and again short term think a lot of cooked protein and cooked veggies for you. Brandy
I"m not sure what part of Alabama you are in but if you go to "Diet Info" at the top of this forum and select "Tips for Starting a GF diet" by Zizzle there is a helpful list that Zizzle made. I'm still somewhat of a newbie but the boyfriend and I took the list to Publix this weekend and found it to be pretty helpful. Short term think a lot of cooked protein and a lot of cooked veggies.
Hang in there with the family pressures as I know that can be tough. Right around my diagnosis my friends wanted me to fly out to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN etc, etc, etc. The stress that my friends put me through was unbelievable. I did a United Healthcare search of approved GI docs within 20 miles of my house and there were over 200 GI docs that practice within 20 miles of my house that are approved by United Healthcare so it seemed ridiculous that there wasn't someone at least with average competency locally.
I think friends and family care and love you but think there is some magic bullet out there that will "fix the problem".
My Mom has been GF for over 20 years as she is diagnosed celiac. She has her GF bread and regular bread for my Dad. GF cookies for her and regular snacks for my Dad. The only thing she cooks "separate" is regular pasta for my Dad and GF pasta for herself.
Hopefully this helps and again short term think a lot of cooked protein and cooked veggies for you. Brandy
Thanks! I started modifying my diet this week. I made taco soup that was gluten free! I can tell my gut doesn't swell if I stick to centain foods. Milk doesn't seem to be a problem, but I am going to by coconut milk to use for breakfast. My plan is to pick specific foods that I know are gluten free and stick with them for the next 3 months. I should know for sure by then. I know I cant just do this a few weeks and give up. So, I am committed! Brandy I live in South Alabama. Only a 45 minutes to the Gulf Coast. It's a long way to London so I have to give this my best shot! Thanks for letting me complain and grumble everyone.
Your Off to a good start just for coming on this forum and asking the questions! I have been on both of those medications at different times! I was given Donnatal years ago because doctors kept telling me I had a nervous stomach and IBS! Well it did make the pains in my stomach go away but thats about it! I still had D, nausea, bloating and gas! It also for some strange reason (which the doctors said was in my head) made me very irritable and angry at the world. A couple of years ago, my Gyno thought I was going through menopause, I was depressed, had very bad mood swings, couldn't sleep, I was irritable, bloated, headaches and the good old hot flashes, etc.! So she put me on Celexa none of those symptoms went away except for the depression! So the mighty doctor put me hormones and I am not going to tell you what that did, after a month I had to stop them. Through all of this I was still getting my periods regularly, every month. Last year when I was dx with MC I started a GF, SF, DF and corn free diet. I cant even start to tell you how much better I feel. All of my symptoms have magically disappeared! Last year was a very hard year for me with having MC. My younger son had graduated in May and I had to go to his graduation wearing a diaper. Being on this forum and having my question answer as turned my life around. In November my husband and I had planned a trip to Hawaii, I was so scared to go. I didn't want to repeat the trip that I had in May. But I stuck with A very strick diet, I did go on Entocort (right before I left for my trip) and just talked with everyone here! I have to say if it wasn't for the people on this forum I probably would never had made on that trip, but I did! I had the most amazing time in Hawaii all because I followed the advise of the people here. So don't be afraid! The people here are your family we are ALL in this together!
So my advise to you is don't start the Donnatal nor the Celexa. Give the diet a good shot for a couple of weeks and then see where you are. If all else fails (which i know it wont) maybe ask your doctor for an prescriptionn for Entocort. But please give the diet a chance.
Hang in there!
Robin
So my advise to you is don't start the Donnatal nor the Celexa. Give the diet a good shot for a couple of weeks and then see where you are. If all else fails (which i know it wont) maybe ask your doctor for an prescriptionn for Entocort. But please give the diet a chance.
Hang in there!
Robin
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MaggieRedwings
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