Why am I feeling worse?
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Why am I feeling worse?
Today I feel like a truck ran over me--three times. And I'm exhausted. I feel worse than before I was diagnosed. Is it normal to feel worse before feeling better? I work at home but am really struggling being productive and each day, I'm getting further behind.
Hi Jennifer,
Being hit or run over by a truck is how many of us describe how we feel when we get out of bed in the morning, while we are reacting. It's a clinical marker of MC. The symptoms wax and wane, and as we begin to heal, there will be fewer bad days as time passes. At first, there will be more bad days than good days, and then there will be more good days than bad days, and eventually, bad days will become a rare event. Many describe the recovery process as two steps forward, and one step backward, which is repeated over and over, in the early stages of recovery.
Every time we slip up on our diet, or become accidentally "glutened" we will have a setback. These setbacks last longer early on in the healing process, but as healing progresses, the setbacks will not last as long, nor will they be as severe (unless we slip up too often). But even with perfect adherence to our diet, we will still have frequent (early on), to occasional (later) setbacks as we slowly work our way toward remission.
Many a day, when I dragged my sorry carcass out of bed in the morning, I was so fatigued that I had to practically twist my arm to convince me to get dressed and go to work. The only thing that didn't require any (imaginary) arm twisting was going to the bathroom. There was always plenty of incentive to do that, without hesitation.
I hear you about getting further behind in your work, also. I was/am self-employed, and it eventually became clear that I had no choice but to downsize my business, because some days I was unable to work at all (due to migraines, nausea, and/or severe vertigo), and on many days when I was able to work, the brain fog kept me from thinking clearly, so I couldn't make good business decisions.
Tex
Being hit or run over by a truck is how many of us describe how we feel when we get out of bed in the morning, while we are reacting. It's a clinical marker of MC. The symptoms wax and wane, and as we begin to heal, there will be fewer bad days as time passes. At first, there will be more bad days than good days, and then there will be more good days than bad days, and eventually, bad days will become a rare event. Many describe the recovery process as two steps forward, and one step backward, which is repeated over and over, in the early stages of recovery.
Every time we slip up on our diet, or become accidentally "glutened" we will have a setback. These setbacks last longer early on in the healing process, but as healing progresses, the setbacks will not last as long, nor will they be as severe (unless we slip up too often). But even with perfect adherence to our diet, we will still have frequent (early on), to occasional (later) setbacks as we slowly work our way toward remission.
Many a day, when I dragged my sorry carcass out of bed in the morning, I was so fatigued that I had to practically twist my arm to convince me to get dressed and go to work. The only thing that didn't require any (imaginary) arm twisting was going to the bathroom. There was always plenty of incentive to do that, without hesitation.
I hear you about getting further behind in your work, also. I was/am self-employed, and it eventually became clear that I had no choice but to downsize my business, because some days I was unable to work at all (due to migraines, nausea, and/or severe vertigo), and on many days when I was able to work, the brain fog kept me from thinking clearly, so I couldn't make good business decisions.
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 sums it up so well as always. We've all learned so much from him.
Just hoping you feel better soon. It takes a while. Hang in there. You are lucky you get to work from home. This nasty disease keeps us home most of the time anyway until we get a lot of healing done.
Wishing you the best.
Terri
Just hoping you feel better soon. It takes a while. Hang in there. You are lucky you get to work from home. This nasty disease keeps us home most of the time anyway until we get a lot of healing done.
Wishing you the best.
Terri
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis in July, 2012 then with Celiac in November, 2012.
Re: Why am I feeling worse?
Feeling extremely fatigued definitely goes along with this disease. I have good and bad days too and it is a struggle to get out of bed some mornings and get anything accomplished! I also find that my body really benefits from a good nights sleep and a good 30-40 minute powernap also seems to help me get through my day. Are you on any meds at this time Jennifer?JenniferS wrote:Today I feel like a truck ran over me--three times. And I'm exhausted. I feel worse than before I was diagnosed. Is it normal to feel worse before feeling better? I work at home but am really struggling being productive and each day, I'm getting further behind.
Thanks, Terri, and I agree, I do feel very lucky I am able to be at home.
Cathy, I have just recently been diagnosed, and so far, am only taking Pepto and watching what I eat. Because I really, really, really want to get better fast, I went ahead and eliminated soy, gluten, and lactose from my diet right away and have been trying to cook rice and veggies to a pulp. However, I went to check some ingredients on a new brand of almonds recently bought and ate and found they have soy oil. And I drank kefir this morning, which caused a fairly rapid reaction. So, I'm hoping my feeling worse than usual was caused by those two things. There is so much too learn! Which is why I'm camped out on this forum lately. ;) Hoping to make a rapid, amazing recovery.
Cathy, I have just recently been diagnosed, and so far, am only taking Pepto and watching what I eat. Because I really, really, really want to get better fast, I went ahead and eliminated soy, gluten, and lactose from my diet right away and have been trying to cook rice and veggies to a pulp. However, I went to check some ingredients on a new brand of almonds recently bought and ate and found they have soy oil. And I drank kefir this morning, which caused a fairly rapid reaction. So, I'm hoping my feeling worse than usual was caused by those two things. There is so much too learn! Which is why I'm camped out on this forum lately. ;) Hoping to make a rapid, amazing recovery.
Be careful with nuts. They tend to be irritants. Maybe try a nut butter instead. From what I hear, soy, is in a lot of foods. I have cut down on soy but have not eliminated it completely. You could be reacting to the Casein in the kefir. I really miss my yogurt more than anything I think. You are doing the right thing giving 3 of the Big 4. Some are intolerant to eggs......hoping that's not my case.
You are the second one today that's on the Pepto treatment. I love my bright pink tablets but getting ready to part ways with it and I'm totally freaking out about it. I need to stay calm as stress only aggravates this disease.
Are you eating lots of meat? We need lots of protein while we are healing....don't remember if anyone told you that or not.
I hope you have a rapid recovery as well. My doctor just told me today that for people who tolerate Pepto it can sometimes help heal the gut. So that with the combination of diet changes, hopefully you can go into remission.
Oh and if you scroll down in the forum you will find a list of all ingredients that contain soy, diary and gluten. It's quite an overwhelming list!
Take care,
Terri
You are the second one today that's on the Pepto treatment. I love my bright pink tablets but getting ready to part ways with it and I'm totally freaking out about it. I need to stay calm as stress only aggravates this disease.
Are you eating lots of meat? We need lots of protein while we are healing....don't remember if anyone told you that or not.
I hope you have a rapid recovery as well. My doctor just told me today that for people who tolerate Pepto it can sometimes help heal the gut. So that with the combination of diet changes, hopefully you can go into remission.
Oh and if you scroll down in the forum you will find a list of all ingredients that contain soy, diary and gluten. It's quite an overwhelming list!
Take care,
Terri
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis in July, 2012 then with Celiac in November, 2012.
Lactose is the primary sugar in milk. While we are all sensitive to lactose while we are reacting (due to a secondary effect that causes the brush border regions of the small intestine to stop producing lactase enzyme). Without lactase, we can't digest lactose. However, lactose does not cause the autoimmune-type reaction that causes the inflammation that results in MC. Poor digestion of lactose results in gas, bloating, cramps, D, etc., but that's just a temporary effect due to fermentation of the sugar in the colon. As we begin to get our MC under control, and the enteritis (intestinal inflammation) diminishes, our lactase production will usually return to normal, and we will once again be able to digest lactose.Jennifer wrote:I went ahead and eliminated soy, gluten, and lactose from my diet right away
The problem that we have is with the primary protein in milk (and all dairy products), namely the casein. Casein causes the same type of autoimmune reaction that is caused by gluten and soy (for those who are sensitive to soy). IOW, while lactose causes a minor digestive problem, casein causes a serious autoimmune-type reaction, that produces major inflammation. That's why you reacted to the kefir.
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.
Jennifer,
Thanks. If nothing else, the book should serve as a good reference for what you learn here on this board, but it does contain a fair amount of additional information that isn't available here.
Tex
Thanks. If nothing else, the book should serve as a good reference for what you learn here on this board, but it does contain a fair amount of additional information that isn't available here.
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 Jennifer,
Welcome!
I went through cycles in which I got worse b/f I felt better. The fatigue comes with the disease. I had to let a lot of things go and work out short cuts on my job. I'm a cybercommuter and work for a company in the rustbelt from my home. Pre CC my office was always dusted, everything filed etc. My office now is kind of disgusting....6" piles of stuff everywhere, dust, etc. I prioritize the important stuff and let the rest go.
Nuts are generally not good for us until you are significantly healed. They act like little shards of glass going thru the digestive tract.
Brandy
Welcome!
I went through cycles in which I got worse b/f I felt better. The fatigue comes with the disease. I had to let a lot of things go and work out short cuts on my job. I'm a cybercommuter and work for a company in the rustbelt from my home. Pre CC my office was always dusted, everything filed etc. My office now is kind of disgusting....6" piles of stuff everywhere, dust, etc. I prioritize the important stuff and let the rest go.
Nuts are generally not good for us until you are significantly healed. They act like little shards of glass going thru the digestive tract.
Brandy