Thanks Tex,
I don't think they are trying to scare me, they just don't know about LC.
What amount of vit D is wise to take? I also read that it is also advisable to take calcium and other supplements when you are on entocort:
Entocort EC
side effects, nutrient depletions, herbal interactions and health notes:
Data provided by Applied Health
• This medication has been clinically proven to impair calcium absorption and bone formation. Therefore, supplementation with calcium and vitamin D is strongly encouraged. Inform your pharmacist or physician if you have osteoporosis.1
• Corticosteroids may compromise the immune system and deplete several important nutrients. Supplementation with vitamin C , selenium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6 and zinc is considered beneficial with long term use of this medication.2
• Ask your doctor about restricting your salt intake or eating potassium-rich foods. With prolonged use of this medication, a high protein diet may be helpful.3
• A study found N-acetyl cysteine to be of added benefit in treating certain respiratory illnesses when combined with a corticosteroid.4
• Ephedra (Ma huang) may increase the clearance of this medication and decrease its effectiveness.5
• Licorice may decrease the clearance of this medication and may possibly intensify the duration of its activity and side effects.6
I already get B12 shots, now I found out about the vit D, what do you advise me to take apart from that?
The GF and lactose/casein free diet started off badly, but the last week things started to calm down a little (maybe also due to the b12 kicking in) I will go through with it that's for sure!
HI from Holland!
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
I can certainly understand that - even our doctors don't seem to know much about it.I don't think they are trying to scare me, they just don't know about LC.
I think that most of us may be able to get enough calcium from our diet, especially if we take enough vitamin D. I've never taken a calcium supplement, so I don't have any personal experience with that. Maybe someone else can give you some guidelines on calcium supplementation. I know that some members like Caltrate 600+D.
http://www.caltrate.com/OurProducts/caltrate-600d
At your latitude, sunlight is pretty weak, so during the fall, winter, and spring months, you may need to take at least around 5,000 or 6,000 IU daily, and for a couple of months, you might be ahead to take 7,000 to 8,000 IU daily, in order to get your levels up to a better position. In the summer, if you get a lot of sun exposure, you might be able to lower your dosage to about half that. It's difficult to say, because we all have different routines, as far as sun exposure is concerned.
Many members here, take roughly 5,000 IU daily, except in the summer, and you live much farther north, than most of us. Your latitude is roughly 52. Mine is about 30, so the sunlight is much stronger here. I take 4,500 to 5,500 IU during the fall, winter, and spring, and 2500 IU during the summer.
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.
Yep. That's what we like about it.Henry wrote:I've been to Houston last 'winter'... what you experience as winter is like summer time over here
(Of course, the summers tend to be a bit unpleasant, sometimes). 
About 5,000 IU daily is usually sufficient for most people, when conversion from sunlight is unavailable, so once you get north of approximately a latitude of about 40, the recommended dose stays about the same.
If you know that your diet is short of certain vitamins or minerals, or you've had a blood test that shows you to be deficient, then it certainly doesn't hurt to take supplements. However, be careful to read the labels, because many members here have found that their reactions were being caused by additives in their vitamins, or their medications.
According to research, most people in the world are low on magnesium. I don't believe that a majority are low on calcium, however, (but I admit that I've never specifically researched that particular statistic). The illusion of a calcium deficiency exists mostly because doctors, and governments, constantly recommend ingesting more calcium, (in order to maintain health bones). The truth is, most of us already get plenty of calcium in our normal diet, and ingesting more is not going to generate stronger bones, and prevent osteoporosis - that's just an illusion created by the dairy lobby. Countries with the lowest consumption rates of dairy products, consistently have the lowest osteoporosis rates, and in countries where the highest consumption rates of dairy products exist, (such as the U. S), osteoporosis rates are among the highest in the world.
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.
Actually, the opposite result is most often connected with MC, (anemia), due to low B-12 levels. I suppose it's possible that those results were a lab mistake, or just a transient situation. I kind of suspect, though, that your elevated serum iron may be connected with your B-12 injections.
I don't understand why your doctor is injecting B-12, if you don't have anemia. IOW, are you absolutely sure that you were that low on B-12? Hopefully, the next test will be normal, because a high serum iron result is usually caused by things such as mutiple blood transfusions, (more than was needed), iron injections into muscle, lead poisoning, liver or kidney disease, or a genetic disease, known as hemochromatosis.
Your saturation will naturally be high, if the serum iron level was high, because the saturation is determined by dividing the serum iron by the total iron-binding capacity, (TIBC).
Tex
I don't understand why your doctor is injecting B-12, if you don't have anemia. IOW, are you absolutely sure that you were that low on B-12? Hopefully, the next test will be normal, because a high serum iron result is usually caused by things such as mutiple blood transfusions, (more than was needed), iron injections into muscle, lead poisoning, liver or kidney disease, or a genetic disease, known as hemochromatosis.
Your saturation will naturally be high, if the serum iron level was high, because the saturation is determined by dividing the serum iron by the total iron-binding capacity, (TIBC).
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 am absolutely sure that I am low on B12.
I had some blood tests done 2 months ago because I wasn't feeling good for a long time already. I started the entocort medication in march 2011, that helped with my D but apart from that I was feeling pretty miserable.
Anyway, they tested my B12 and it turned out to be 80!
Over here reference levels are: 150-800. (pmol/l)
Then I remembered I had some blood tests done in dec 2010. When I asked if they also tested my B12 back then I discovered that my B12 level was 119.
Apparently the doctor in the hospital didn't think it was necessary to inform me about it a year ago...
So in a year time the B12 level dropped from 119 to 80, and 119 is already kinda low...
When I was tested for iron in dec 2011 I had just started the B12 injections, I think I just had 2 of them by then. I didn't know that could change the serum iron level? I thought maybe it had to do something with the LC or the entocort..
I haven't used any supplements that had Iron in them, that's why I am surprised that my serum iron is high. I suspected it to be low when i tested for it (because of the low b12).
Anyway I guess I have to wait and see in 2 months if it is normal again...
I had some blood tests done 2 months ago because I wasn't feeling good for a long time already. I started the entocort medication in march 2011, that helped with my D but apart from that I was feeling pretty miserable.
Anyway, they tested my B12 and it turned out to be 80!
Over here reference levels are: 150-800. (pmol/l)
Then I remembered I had some blood tests done in dec 2010. When I asked if they also tested my B12 back then I discovered that my B12 level was 119.
Apparently the doctor in the hospital didn't think it was necessary to inform me about it a year ago...
So in a year time the B12 level dropped from 119 to 80, and 119 is already kinda low...
When I was tested for iron in dec 2011 I had just started the B12 injections, I think I just had 2 of them by then. I didn't know that could change the serum iron level? I thought maybe it had to do something with the LC or the entocort..
I haven't used any supplements that had Iron in them, that's why I am surprised that my serum iron is high. I suspected it to be low when i tested for it (because of the low b12).
Anyway I guess I have to wait and see in 2 months if it is normal again...
Henry wrote:So in a year time the B12 level dropped from 119 to 80, and 119 is already kinda low...
That's pretty much typical for someone with MC, IMO.
Well, logically, it shouldn't, really, and that's what bothers me. I'm just trying to search for a simple reason why your iron level might be high, because eventually, that can lead to a toxic situation. Your doctor really needs to figure out what's causing the elevated iron level, but I suppose a 2-month wait may not be unreasonable.Henry wrote:I didn't know that could change the serum iron level?
Did you by any chance have a test for ferritin, or transferrin? Was your TIBC low, or normal? (I assume it wasn't high, if your saturation was high).
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.
Good luck with your diet!
I also believe diet has a big role in this.
I think i have been b12 deficient for many years already.. I've been having these symptoms for a long time already. I know it is also related to LC although I only got my LC problems in 2009/2010.
In 2009 things changed a lot for me: got into a new relation, moved to another country, also the way I ate changed. I started to eat a lot of salads, raw fruit/vegetable shakes, spicy stuff, pasta's, and last but not least a LOT of homemade apple pies ;)
I also believe diet has a big role in this.
I think i have been b12 deficient for many years already.. I've been having these symptoms for a long time already. I know it is also related to LC although I only got my LC problems in 2009/2010.
In 2009 things changed a lot for me: got into a new relation, moved to another country, also the way I ate changed. I started to eat a lot of salads, raw fruit/vegetable shakes, spicy stuff, pasta's, and last but not least a LOT of homemade apple pies ;)
They checked for all of those, I will give you the results, although I don't know if they use the same units as in the US...tex wrote:Well, logically, it shouldn't, really, and that's what bothers me. I'm just trying to search for a simple reason why your iron level might be high, because eventually, that can lead to a toxic situation. Your doctor really needs to figure out what's causing the elevated iron level, but I suppose a 2-month wait may not be unreasonable.Henry wrote:I didn't know that could change the serum iron level?
Did you by any chance have a test for ferritin, or transferrin? Was your TIBC low, or normal? (I assume it wasn't high, if your saturation was high).
Tex
zinc: 14,38 (8 – 15 µmol/l)
TIBC: 65 (27-54 μmol/l)
ferritin: 175 (16 – 165 µg/l)
transferritin: 32 (2,0-4,1 g/l), probably was 3.2 but it states 32...
iron saturation: 48 (20 - 50 %)
LIBC: 34 (20 – 62 µmol/l)
iron: 33 (12 – 31 µmol/l)
BTW I found these reference numbers online, I don't have the numbers from the lab I went to, they could differ...
Hmmmmmmm. Well, of course, we shouldn't be trying to second guess your doctor, but the general pattern of your results, together with the fact that you haven't been taking any supplemental iron, and the fact that you don't have anemia, suggests that you might have hemochromatosis.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding ... /hemochrom
The chart toward the bottom of the page at the link below, illustrates what I'm referring to:
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding ... n/tab/test
Obviously, that's not chiseled in stone, and your doctor would need to verify that, but the evidence looks very suspicious. If this is the case, though, your iron retention is probably increasing very slowly, so there's probably no real urgency about determining the reason, unless the liver is involved, and if that were the case, your liver enzymes should have been elevated. IOW, waiting a couple of months for the next series of tests, as your doctor suggested, should be a reasonable course of action.
Tex
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding ... /hemochrom
The chart toward the bottom of the page at the link below, illustrates what I'm referring to:
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding ... n/tab/test
Obviously, that's not chiseled in stone, and your doctor would need to verify that, but the evidence looks very suspicious. If this is the case, though, your iron retention is probably increasing very slowly, so there's probably no real urgency about determining the reason, unless the liver is involved, and if that were the case, your liver enzymes should have been elevated. IOW, waiting a couple of months for the next series of tests, as your doctor suggested, should be a reasonable course of action.
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.
My doctor in the hospital hadn't even noticed these results until I pointed it out to him. He also didn't inform me about my low b12 in dec 2010 so I don't have that much trust in him anymore... He wants to do the test 2 months from now. That is 4 months from these figures..tex wrote:Hmmmmmmm. Well, of course, we shouldn't be trying to second guess your doctor,
Tex
These results are already from dec 5th 2011, would it be fair to say that if I did the test the 5th of February enough time has passed to be able to say something about the results?
I am leaving to Germany half of February and I rather have the tests done before I go and get some clarity... but I guess I can also wait.
I just want to know why...
Many doctors are apparently bad about overlooking out-of-range test results. When my platelet count showed up way out of range on a test, the lab flagged the result, and required my doctor to call the lab, and read that particular result back to them, to guarantee that he understood what it said, and what the risks were, (stroke). Needless to say, he called me at 8 o'clock the next morning, to ask me to go to the lab, that same day, for another blood draw.
I agree with you that there's probably nothing to be gained by waiting that long. I don't know how your health care system is set up, but it probably has certain recommended intervals for tests such as that, (to save money), so that may be why your doctor scheduled it that way, but whenever test results indicate the possibility of a problem, surely followup tests can be done as needed.
It appears that you may not be metabolizing iron properly, and rather than using it, (and/or eliminating it), your body is storing more of it than it should. Ferritin is a measure of the amount of iron your body has stored, and your ferritin level is only slightly elevated, so I don't believe you're at any significant risk, at the moment, so a retest probably isn't urgent. Still, as you say, it's usually better to check those things out, and have the facts in hand, rather than to simply postpone it, unless there's a good reason to wait.
The kicker here is whether your transferrin result was actually 32, or if there was a decimal error in the result. If it's actually that high, it could be due to an inflammation response, and in that case, both ferritin and transferrin would be high, because an infection, or other inflammatory event, tends to cause the body to make more of the stored ferritin available to help fight the problem. If your ferritin was elevated in response to an infection or inflammation, though, your C-reactive protein level should also have been elevated. If your C-reactive protein was normal, then your ferritin level shouldn't have been elevated.
Normally, even a severe MC flare doesn't tend to cause much of an elevation in C-reactive protein level for most of us. And if you weren't in a severe MC flare when that test sample was drawn, then your C-reactive protein level shouldn't have been elevated, (not due to MC, anyway). Still, if your C-reactive protein level was checked, and it was high, that could explain why your iron markers were elevated.
On the other hand, if your C-reactive protein level was normal, then there doesn't appear to be a legitimate reason for your iron markers to have been elevated.
Tex
I agree with you that there's probably nothing to be gained by waiting that long. I don't know how your health care system is set up, but it probably has certain recommended intervals for tests such as that, (to save money), so that may be why your doctor scheduled it that way, but whenever test results indicate the possibility of a problem, surely followup tests can be done as needed.
It appears that you may not be metabolizing iron properly, and rather than using it, (and/or eliminating it), your body is storing more of it than it should. Ferritin is a measure of the amount of iron your body has stored, and your ferritin level is only slightly elevated, so I don't believe you're at any significant risk, at the moment, so a retest probably isn't urgent. Still, as you say, it's usually better to check those things out, and have the facts in hand, rather than to simply postpone it, unless there's a good reason to wait.
The kicker here is whether your transferrin result was actually 32, or if there was a decimal error in the result. If it's actually that high, it could be due to an inflammation response, and in that case, both ferritin and transferrin would be high, because an infection, or other inflammatory event, tends to cause the body to make more of the stored ferritin available to help fight the problem. If your ferritin was elevated in response to an infection or inflammation, though, your C-reactive protein level should also have been elevated. If your C-reactive protein was normal, then your ferritin level shouldn't have been elevated.
Normally, even a severe MC flare doesn't tend to cause much of an elevation in C-reactive protein level for most of us. And if you weren't in a severe MC flare when that test sample was drawn, then your C-reactive protein level shouldn't have been elevated, (not due to MC, anyway). Still, if your C-reactive protein level was checked, and it was high, that could explain why your iron markers were elevated.
On the other hand, if your C-reactive protein level was normal, then there doesn't appear to be a legitimate reason for your iron markers to have been elevated.
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.