Diet
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Diet
I am new to the site. I was diagnosed with MC in Feb. 2012 after months of D. Other than D and the urgency I had no other symptoms at all. I felt great except for this. I am on Entocort 9mg, simvastatin 20mg,synthroid and citalopram. Also take Align, multi vitamin, calcium and am going to start Vit D3. I have not tried any diet modifications as yet. Where do I start? I eat very little processed food but love my breakfast cereals. Can anyone help me?
Hi Elmo,
Welcome to the board. A relatively small percentage of us have only the urgent D as a symptom. Often that situation is connected with a drug sensitivity -- IOW, drug-induced microscopic colitis. In some cases, if the drug that triggered the syndrome is discontinued (and avoided in the future), the D will immediately (or at least within a few days) resolve, and no further intervention is necessary in order to remain symptom free. People in that situation sometimes find that the genes that predispose to food sensitivities have not yet been triggered, or at least food sensitivities have not yet fully developed. Others find that their food sensitivities eventually mature, and certain foods begin to cause reactions.
A couple of the drugs that you are taking have been shown to trigger MC for some people (though not everyone). The worst offender is the citalopram. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as a class of drugs have triggered MC for a number of members here. SNRIs have a shorter track record, so there aren't as many case studies available in the literature, but it appears that they have the same problem. For some people, statins can cause MC, but statistically, it appears to be less of a problem than others (IOW, statins carry a lower risk of triggering the disease). The worst offenders are NSAIDS and antibiotics, and PPIs have been shown to typically pose a larger risk than the antidepressants.
Probiotics are sometimes helpful with MC but many of us find that most probiotics either don't help, or they make our symptoms worse. Tolerance has to be determined on an individual basis, by trial and error. The dates on which you initially began to use those drugs and the probiotic may offer a clue as to whether or not either of them might be influencing your symptoms.
If a drug is the cause of your MC, it might not be necessary for you to modify your diet (at least, not at this point). If a drug is the primary cause of your D, then modifying your diet may not help -- avoiding that class of drugs would probably be necessary in order to achieve remission on a long-term basis. Entocort EC (budesonide) can suppress the symptoms, but they will return when it is discontinued, and in some cases, it cannot overcome the inflammation generated by the drug that's causing the inflammation. The only way to guarantee long-term remission is to avoid whatever is causing the inflammation (whether a drug or food), or take an anti-inflammatory drug or an immune system suppressant, possibly for the the rest of your life. MC can be controlled, but it can't be cured, unfortunately.
General Mills has converted at least 6 of it's Chex cereals to a gluten-free formulation, and Kellog's now makes a brown rice version of Rice Crispies that is GF. In addition, health food stores offer many other lesser-known brands of cereals that are safe for people who have food sensitivities.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything,
Tex
Welcome to the board. A relatively small percentage of us have only the urgent D as a symptom. Often that situation is connected with a drug sensitivity -- IOW, drug-induced microscopic colitis. In some cases, if the drug that triggered the syndrome is discontinued (and avoided in the future), the D will immediately (or at least within a few days) resolve, and no further intervention is necessary in order to remain symptom free. People in that situation sometimes find that the genes that predispose to food sensitivities have not yet been triggered, or at least food sensitivities have not yet fully developed. Others find that their food sensitivities eventually mature, and certain foods begin to cause reactions.
A couple of the drugs that you are taking have been shown to trigger MC for some people (though not everyone). The worst offender is the citalopram. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as a class of drugs have triggered MC for a number of members here. SNRIs have a shorter track record, so there aren't as many case studies available in the literature, but it appears that they have the same problem. For some people, statins can cause MC, but statistically, it appears to be less of a problem than others (IOW, statins carry a lower risk of triggering the disease). The worst offenders are NSAIDS and antibiotics, and PPIs have been shown to typically pose a larger risk than the antidepressants.
Probiotics are sometimes helpful with MC but many of us find that most probiotics either don't help, or they make our symptoms worse. Tolerance has to be determined on an individual basis, by trial and error. The dates on which you initially began to use those drugs and the probiotic may offer a clue as to whether or not either of them might be influencing your symptoms.
If a drug is the cause of your MC, it might not be necessary for you to modify your diet (at least, not at this point). If a drug is the primary cause of your D, then modifying your diet may not help -- avoiding that class of drugs would probably be necessary in order to achieve remission on a long-term basis. Entocort EC (budesonide) can suppress the symptoms, but they will return when it is discontinued, and in some cases, it cannot overcome the inflammation generated by the drug that's causing the inflammation. The only way to guarantee long-term remission is to avoid whatever is causing the inflammation (whether a drug or food), or take an anti-inflammatory drug or an immune system suppressant, possibly for the the rest of your life. MC can be controlled, but it can't be cured, unfortunately.
General Mills has converted at least 6 of it's Chex cereals to a gluten-free formulation, and Kellog's now makes a brown rice version of Rice Crispies that is GF. In addition, health food stores offer many other lesser-known brands of cereals that are safe for people who have 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.
Welcome to the Potty People group and there is a lot of information here and you will surely learn a lot. Be patient because it takes a while for dietary things to get figured out. Each of us is different and things need to be tweaked individually by trial and error sometimes.
CoryGut
Age 71
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis Sept. 2010
On and off Entocort(Currently Off)
Age 71
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis Sept. 2010
On and off Entocort(Currently Off)
Start with the info for newbies: http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=12
Then this:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=27
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and don't play one on TV.
LDN July 18, 2014
Joan
LDN July 18, 2014
Joan