New here, and my kids aren't around to help.
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
-
Superpetnanny
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 8:33 pm
New here, and my kids aren't around to help.
Hello, I will try making an extremely long story short! I have had stomach issues for 22 years. I was diagnosed with lymphocytic colitis 6 years ago. I am now 44. Because I was so excited to put a name to my problems. I took all the meds my GI doc suggested. The only thing the meds did was give me C dif. After several more meds and a year later the symptoms subsided for a while. Having no faith in even the best docs, I went on my own. I am now gluten free, experimented with elimination diets and natural remedies. My problems are getting worse and more unpredictable. When I found this support group I felt a great sence of relief. I am welcome to any and all suggestions. Thanks Daina
Thanks daina
Hi Daina,
Welcome to our internet family. Failure to find relief from the symptoms of this disease in the treatments offered by mainstream medicine is the reason why most of us are here, so you are in good company. You have made a good start by eliminating gluten. It turns out that most of us are also sensitive to casein (the primary protein in all dairy products), and at least half of us are also sensitive to soy, and all legumes. Some of us have additional food sensitivities, but by avoiding the top three problem foods, most of us are able to see enough improvement in our symptoms after a while, that if there are additional food sensitivities, we can track them down, also.
While we are healing, our gut is supersensitive, so we have to avoid as much fiber as possible, all artificial sweeteners, and most added sugar. Avoiding virtually all fruits (bananas are an exception), and peeling and over-cooking vegetables (in moderate amounts), also helps to heal our intestinal damage. It takes time for the gut to heal, but after healing takes place, then most foods (except for the ones to which we produce antibodies, such as gluten, dairy, and soy), can be slowly added back into the diet.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex (Wayne)
Welcome to our internet family. Failure to find relief from the symptoms of this disease in the treatments offered by mainstream medicine is the reason why most of us are here, so you are in good company. You have made a good start by eliminating gluten. It turns out that most of us are also sensitive to casein (the primary protein in all dairy products), and at least half of us are also sensitive to soy, and all legumes. Some of us have additional food sensitivities, but by avoiding the top three problem foods, most of us are able to see enough improvement in our symptoms after a while, that if there are additional food sensitivities, we can track them down, also.
While we are healing, our gut is supersensitive, so we have to avoid as much fiber as possible, all artificial sweeteners, and most added sugar. Avoiding virtually all fruits (bananas are an exception), and peeling and over-cooking vegetables (in moderate amounts), also helps to heal our intestinal damage. It takes time for the gut to heal, but after healing takes place, then most foods (except for the ones to which we produce antibodies, such as gluten, dairy, and soy), can be slowly added back into the diet.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex (Wayne)
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.
-
Superpetnanny
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 8:33 pm
Welcome Daina! Doctor's are frustrating when it comes to this disease. We all know that story.
Tex is out resident expert and has written a book you may want to order from Amazon. It's the one featured in the upper right side of this forum.
Since it has been 6 years for you, you probably have a significant amount of healing to do, so be patient with the diet changes. It takes a while ( especially gluten) for it to be rid of your body. I had to give up dairy... and a few months later, soy. It seems that when MC is triggered, so are food sensitivities. Like Tex said, raw fruits and veggies along with beans are not good right now either.
If you can afford it, look up the website to Enterolab. It's a lab that does stool testing for food intolerances. It will save you a lot of time figuring out what you can and can not eat. If not, the only other way ( as I did) is to do an elimination diet. I ate mostly meats, eggs, rice and it's products, apple sauce, almond butter, and Chex rice or corn cereals with almond milk. I also stayed away from coffee, black tea, and nightshades ( tomato, potato,peppers, eggplant). Seems drastic, I know, but I wanted to heal as fast as possible. I have since added much of this back in though :)
Another big help was that I went on a drug called Entocort ( budesonide) which worked wonders at controlling the D while I changed my diet. It's not a cure though and one should not stay on it for too long ( it's a sterid that mostly stays in your gut). Others have done the Pepto Bismul treatment instead. It's taking up to 8 chewables a day. I think the length of time is three months time. With both of these, you slowly wean off. But a relapse will most likely happen if you don't do the diet thing also.
There are other more complicated issues with getting this thing under control, but I won't throw it all at you at once. The most important thing now is to know that diet makes all the difference in the world and we are all slightly different with what works. Know that if you take the bull by the horns, you can control this nasty disease. You will mourn the loss of some foods, but feeling better is the best reward! I went from having 8-9 WD a day to going once a day ( pretty normal) in a year's time. It's a process, but one that can be done.
Read as much as you can on this board, and ask as many questions as you need to.
Take care
Leah
Tex is out resident expert and has written a book you may want to order from Amazon. It's the one featured in the upper right side of this forum.
Since it has been 6 years for you, you probably have a significant amount of healing to do, so be patient with the diet changes. It takes a while ( especially gluten) for it to be rid of your body. I had to give up dairy... and a few months later, soy. It seems that when MC is triggered, so are food sensitivities. Like Tex said, raw fruits and veggies along with beans are not good right now either.
If you can afford it, look up the website to Enterolab. It's a lab that does stool testing for food intolerances. It will save you a lot of time figuring out what you can and can not eat. If not, the only other way ( as I did) is to do an elimination diet. I ate mostly meats, eggs, rice and it's products, apple sauce, almond butter, and Chex rice or corn cereals with almond milk. I also stayed away from coffee, black tea, and nightshades ( tomato, potato,peppers, eggplant). Seems drastic, I know, but I wanted to heal as fast as possible. I have since added much of this back in though :)
Another big help was that I went on a drug called Entocort ( budesonide) which worked wonders at controlling the D while I changed my diet. It's not a cure though and one should not stay on it for too long ( it's a sterid that mostly stays in your gut). Others have done the Pepto Bismul treatment instead. It's taking up to 8 chewables a day. I think the length of time is three months time. With both of these, you slowly wean off. But a relapse will most likely happen if you don't do the diet thing also.
There are other more complicated issues with getting this thing under control, but I won't throw it all at you at once. The most important thing now is to know that diet makes all the difference in the world and we are all slightly different with what works. Know that if you take the bull by the horns, you can control this nasty disease. You will mourn the loss of some foods, but feeling better is the best reward! I went from having 8-9 WD a day to going once a day ( pretty normal) in a year's time. It's a process, but one that can be done.
Read as much as you can on this board, and ask as many questions as you need to.
Take care
Leah
-
Superpetnanny
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 8:33 pm
Thank you for your reply!
I appreciate all the help I can get! I'm sorry to pull the pitty card, but the only thing I can see right now is....all the things I can't eat, I am now afraid of eating anything! Iam so tired of being sick. I dont want to take medicine and get c dif again, that was horrible! I will definitely look into getting food allergy testing.
I appreciate all the help I can get! I'm sorry to pull the pitty card, but the only thing I can see right now is....all the things I can't eat, I am now afraid of eating anything! Iam so tired of being sick. I dont want to take medicine and get c dif again, that was horrible! I will definitely look into getting food allergy testing.
Thanks daina
Daina,
These are the tests that Leah mentioned:
https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/TestInfo.aspx
They are by far the most accurate and reliable tests for food sensitivities available anywhere in the world.
Tex
These are the tests that Leah mentioned:
https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/TestInfo.aspx
They are by far the most accurate and reliable tests for food sensitivities available anywhere 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.
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Daina
gday - albeit i am sorry that you did have to find us.
I am similar age to you and have had digestion issues my whole life.
reading this forum, the reality of the MC Dx can be a bit overwhelming, that there is no quick fix or guaranteed solution for wellness.
and as you read some of the posts you will hear (read) things that you have never heard of (mast cells etc)
take a few breaths, take your time. so far as what to eat, find a few basic things that settle well with minimal symptoms and stick with them for a while.
it will take time for the gut to heal.
in about 6 months, via elmination diet i figured out my main triggers, and had an affordable MC management plan in place. (i work full time)
within 2 years i had the MC in remission (via diet management, lifestyle changes, natural therapy treatments etc)
this forum is a wonderful group of supportive people - there is a wealth of info here that can help you to get your life back!
take care
gday - albeit i am sorry that you did have to find us.
I am similar age to you and have had digestion issues my whole life.
reading this forum, the reality of the MC Dx can be a bit overwhelming, that there is no quick fix or guaranteed solution for wellness.
and as you read some of the posts you will hear (read) things that you have never heard of (mast cells etc)
take a few breaths, take your time. so far as what to eat, find a few basic things that settle well with minimal symptoms and stick with them for a while.
it will take time for the gut to heal.
in about 6 months, via elmination diet i figured out my main triggers, and had an affordable MC management plan in place. (i work full time)
within 2 years i had the MC in remission (via diet management, lifestyle changes, natural therapy treatments etc)
this forum is a wonderful group of supportive people - there is a wealth of info here that can help you to get your life back!
take care
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
-
Superpetnanny
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 8:33 pm
Diana, I'm a newcomer here too, having been diagnosed a month ago. This site is a godsend. I spend so much time researching the thousands of pages here, and am learning all the time. Tex's book is so helpful too.
I have been GF, DF, SF and egg free for three weeks. I spent the first week mourning all the wonderful foods I loved. And this after I finally perfected the art of making a killer sourdough loaf lol. But I am learning to cook what my tummy likes now, chicken and turkey soup with soft vegetables, a grass-fed beef patty or little steak or some fish with baked squash and well-cooked beets or carrots, puréed soups with a little almond milk, etc. For snacks I have some GF crackers with almond butter, a half avocado or banana. I feel so much better and already see encouraging signs, fewer bathroom trips and not as much WD. One of the big things is checking ingredients on everything. It seems easier to me to just get veggies and meat and keep prepared mixes with many ingredients to a minimum.
I just today sent my "specimen" to Enterolab. I think that was not a very pleasant experience--really grossed me out! But I am looking forward to getting my report back.
I know you will feel better about this as time goes on. Life is all about changes and how we deal with them. Might not have been the change we wanted, but we have hope for sunnier days ahead! All best wishes.
Jean
I have been GF, DF, SF and egg free for three weeks. I spent the first week mourning all the wonderful foods I loved. And this after I finally perfected the art of making a killer sourdough loaf lol. But I am learning to cook what my tummy likes now, chicken and turkey soup with soft vegetables, a grass-fed beef patty or little steak or some fish with baked squash and well-cooked beets or carrots, puréed soups with a little almond milk, etc. For snacks I have some GF crackers with almond butter, a half avocado or banana. I feel so much better and already see encouraging signs, fewer bathroom trips and not as much WD. One of the big things is checking ingredients on everything. It seems easier to me to just get veggies and meat and keep prepared mixes with many ingredients to a minimum.
I just today sent my "specimen" to Enterolab. I think that was not a very pleasant experience--really grossed me out! But I am looking forward to getting my report back.
I know you will feel better about this as time goes on. Life is all about changes and how we deal with them. Might not have been the change we wanted, but we have hope for sunnier days ahead! All best wishes.
Jean
-
Superpetnanny
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 8:33 pm
I am happy to have found this sight, yet sad to know there are so many people dealing with this problem! I have spent the last twenty years going to doctors that couldn't help, guessing what I can and can not eat. I honestly believe this sight is going to be what may actually get me on the right track. I hope your test give you some answers!
Tanks for sharing
Tanks for sharing
Thanks daina
-
Superpetnanny
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 8:33 pm
Hello again! Iam so thankful for all of the info here, but at this point iam so overwhelmed! I am in a full blown episode of my mc. I have been following many of your suggestions to no avail. This may sound a little childish, but could any one tell me what to eat for a couple days to get this under control? I am working with 15 dogs at a job I absolutely love today, it is very difficult to get away for a potty break every 15 mins. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks daina
Few foods work better than homemade chicken soup, or chicken and rice soup, or turkey soup, etc., when we're in a flare. Hopefully someone more creative will have some better suggestions for meals.
In the meantime, though, if you are going to try to work during a flare, the reason why I posted here is to suggest that you try Imodium, to cut down on the number and urgency of trips to the bathroom.
Tex
In the meantime, though, if you are going to try to work during a flare, the reason why I posted here is to suggest that you try Imodium, to cut down on the number and urgency of trips to the bathroom.
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 hope that you start to do better soon. I found that this site was very helpful when I was trying to think about what I could eat. http://nourishedkitchen.com/bone-broth/
You will find that initially, it takes longer to prepare food for yourself, but it is worth it because you know what you are getting.
You will find that initially, it takes longer to prepare food for yourself, but it is worth it because you know what you are getting.
Jane
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
-
Superpetnanny
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 8:33 pm