New to Microscpoic Colitis (doctor has no information for me except i have it, and to take Bismall pills) I have two main quesitons
I was just recently diagnosed with MC (I more or less norm bowel habits, excluding my episodes)
I was pretty much fine this time last year as far as I know. Now I get flare ups once a month (but have bloating and minor cramping every other day), I have not really changed my diet although I more or less cut out dairy, and soda.
Are the symptoms going to get worse over time (I am 47) or is it a situation where once you have it the symptoms remain somewhat the same.
I was not diagnosed with Celiac disease, it seems though I maybe gluten sensitive, thus getting the cramps and bloating feeling. Is it the food we eat that has the most direct effect on us. ie. If we did not have to eat at all (crazy hypothesis I know) would we have no symptoms at all?
I plan on cutting down Gluten also and see if that helps with the bloating.
Thanks for your help
Gluten Sensitivity vs Celiac disease
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Hi Doug and welcome from North Florida,
Suggest go 100% GF for several weeks and see how you do. Replace your bread with Udi's GF bread in freezer section at Publix. You may have to ask to find it. Replace your pasta with GF pasta. Tinkayada is the best GF one at Publix. My little Publix does not carry it but the larger ones in my area carry the Tinkyada GF pasta. Again you may have to ask to find it. Replace your cereals with the GF chex. It is in the regular cereal aisle. Make sure it says GF on the box. Stick to boars head deli meats at the Publix deli. All are GF. Stay clear of the Publix brand deli meats. I've also been enjoying the uncured bacon from Publix. I like the Applewood Farms "Sunday Bacon" brand the best and it is half the price of the maverick ranch brand. I've never bought GF beer but I think you can get it at an ABC or a specialty wine store.
Hope this helps and keep us posted, Brandy
My symptoms are better over time as long as I stay gluten free. It's taken awhile however.Are the symptoms going to get worse over time (I am 47) or is it a situation where once you have it the symptoms remain somewhat the same.
I think for me if I did not eat I would have no symptoms.If we did not have to eat at all (crazy hypothesis I know) would we have no symptoms at all?
Suggest go 100% GF for several weeks and see how you do. Replace your bread with Udi's GF bread in freezer section at Publix. You may have to ask to find it. Replace your pasta with GF pasta. Tinkayada is the best GF one at Publix. My little Publix does not carry it but the larger ones in my area carry the Tinkyada GF pasta. Again you may have to ask to find it. Replace your cereals with the GF chex. It is in the regular cereal aisle. Make sure it says GF on the box. Stick to boars head deli meats at the Publix deli. All are GF. Stay clear of the Publix brand deli meats. I've also been enjoying the uncured bacon from Publix. I like the Applewood Farms "Sunday Bacon" brand the best and it is half the price of the maverick ranch brand. I've never bought GF beer but I think you can get it at an ABC or a specialty wine store.
Hope this helps and keep us posted, Brandy
Hi Doug,
Regarding your title for your post: The differences between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are pretty simple, (though most GI specialists don't understand them). Celiac disease is associated with one of two celiac genes, namely DQ2 and DQ8, while gluten sensitivity can be associated with any of the DQ1, DQ3, DQ2 or DQ8 genes. Only those who have double DQ4 genes are exempt from the syndrome.
Additionally, an official diagnosis of celiac disease requires positive serology and at least a Marsh 3 level of small intestinal damage. Everything else is gluten sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity can only be detected by the stool tests offered by EnteroLab, in Dallas, or by resolution of symptoms on a gluten-free diet. The blood tests are worthless for detecting non-celiac gluten sensitivity. They simply aren't sensitive enough.
The clinical symptoms of non-celiac gluten sensitivity are just as bad (and in some cases worse) as the symptoms of celiac disease, and like celiac disease, they will resolve on a GF diet. If other food sensitivities are present, however (as they often are with MC), then those other foods must also be avoided in order to achieve remission from symptoms. Reducing the intake of such foods is not likely to help. We have to avoid them 100%, because many of us will react to an amount as small as a tiny crumb.
For some of us, certain drugs are triggers (and for most of us, stress is a trigger), so in those cases, not eating would not necessarily resolve the symptoms. NSAIDS, antibiotics, PPIs, SSRIs, SNRIs, bisphosphonates, statins, and a number of other drugs have been shown to trigger MC, for example.
Tex
Regarding your title for your post: The differences between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are pretty simple, (though most GI specialists don't understand them). Celiac disease is associated with one of two celiac genes, namely DQ2 and DQ8, while gluten sensitivity can be associated with any of the DQ1, DQ3, DQ2 or DQ8 genes. Only those who have double DQ4 genes are exempt from the syndrome.
Additionally, an official diagnosis of celiac disease requires positive serology and at least a Marsh 3 level of small intestinal damage. Everything else is gluten sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity can only be detected by the stool tests offered by EnteroLab, in Dallas, or by resolution of symptoms on a gluten-free diet. The blood tests are worthless for detecting non-celiac gluten sensitivity. They simply aren't sensitive enough.
The clinical symptoms of non-celiac gluten sensitivity are just as bad (and in some cases worse) as the symptoms of celiac disease, and like celiac disease, they will resolve on a GF diet. If other food sensitivities are present, however (as they often are with MC), then those other foods must also be avoided in order to achieve remission from symptoms. Reducing the intake of such foods is not likely to help. We have to avoid them 100%, because many of us will react to an amount as small as a tiny crumb.
For some of us, certain drugs are triggers (and for most of us, stress is a trigger), so in those cases, not eating would not necessarily resolve the symptoms. NSAIDS, antibiotics, PPIs, SSRIs, SNRIs, bisphosphonates, statins, and a number of other drugs have been shown to trigger MC, for example.
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 Doug. Welcome. Your question is interesting. "will the symptoms get worse?" That is anybody's guess, but I would think that if you continue to eat things that are causing the inflammation and also eating foods that irritate, things could get worse.
The four major INFLAMMATION PRODUCERS are: Gluten, Dairy, Soy, and Eggs.
The common IRRITANT FOODS are : raw fruits and veggies including salad, tomatoes, beans and fiber foods, citrus or acid foods, spicy foods, coffee, tea... etc
It sounds like your symptoms are more mild than some of us, but you are obviously still reacting, so it's your job to figure it out. A food journal helps many of us. If you have the means,you can check out ENTEROLAB's website and order up some tests that will give you a good idea of what you should stay away from. Otherwise, you have to do an elimination diet.
Read as much as you can from this forum. We are all different and all have had varying levels of success trying and omitting different things.
I am currently prescription drug free. DF, GF, and SF. Still have trouble with fruits, but have been able to add many things back in over the past year. This process is long, but you can feel better and get your life back.
Keep us posted and Happy New Year
Leah
The four major INFLAMMATION PRODUCERS are: Gluten, Dairy, Soy, and Eggs.
The common IRRITANT FOODS are : raw fruits and veggies including salad, tomatoes, beans and fiber foods, citrus or acid foods, spicy foods, coffee, tea... etc
It sounds like your symptoms are more mild than some of us, but you are obviously still reacting, so it's your job to figure it out. A food journal helps many of us. If you have the means,you can check out ENTEROLAB's website and order up some tests that will give you a good idea of what you should stay away from. Otherwise, you have to do an elimination diet.
Read as much as you can from this forum. We are all different and all have had varying levels of success trying and omitting different things.
I am currently prescription drug free. DF, GF, and SF. Still have trouble with fruits, but have been able to add many things back in over the past year. This process is long, but you can feel better and get your life back.
Keep us posted and Happy New Year
Leah