Some mc basics and essentials.....
- most people have D (diarrhea) and some have C (constipation) dominate MC, other symptoms like pain / bloating /gas are all signs of inflammation. Inflammation damages the gut, long term inflammation leads to leaky gut (search for leaky gut on the archives or on google) it also means that the ability to absorb nutrients is compromised ( either from food or supplements)
There is no magic quick fix for inflammation caused by MC. we need the right nutrients/minerals, low inflammation gut healing eating plan to heal. You have to eliminate/minimise any and all triggers to have a chance at healing.
- MC makes our bodies super sensitive and reactive (and sometimes to the weirdest things)
- there is no right way or wrong way to manage /live with mc. There is your way.
What works for one may not work for another.
ie - a medication that works great for one person, can cause total chaos for another.
Listen to your body, keep a journal, with observation the clues will reveal themselves.
- there is no quick fix or guaranteed solution. for medication support it can be a bit of trial and error as to which will work best for you.
-if you want to heal and optimise wellness, it is highly recommended to follow a lifestyle and eating plan that minimises inflammation
As we age, and the longer one has chronic symptoms, the bodies ability to heal gets harder.
It takes time for the body to heal..... Be patient
-If you are have symptoms, you are having contact with a trigger. You won't get better until you eliminate/minimise that trigger....
- mast cell /histamine is very common. When you have some spare brain cells, do the reading about this topic.
- yes gluten is a very common irritant approx 90%. Dairy, soy is an irritant for ?70%. Eggs, nitrates, sulphides are an irritant for ?50%.
If you are having symptoms, bang for you buck, remove these ingredients and within weeks you are likely to confirm if it is an issue or not.
Your doctor may have done a caeliac blood test, you tested negative and they told you to eat gluten. ALmost everyone here that has major MC reactions to Gluten, tested negative on the caeliac blood test. In MC world it is not a reliable indicator of gluten sensitivity.
- not all triggers relate to food/ingredients. It can be stress (physical, mental, emotional), it can be environmental; season changes, pollens, chemicals, mould. Things like hormone changes, thyroid etc can also be a trigger. One of the reasons we recommend the eating plan of avoiding triggers is so that we can cope better with the external type triggers and minimise inflammation reactions
- finding a good doctor /gi is rare. It is mostly an outcome of the health systems within our countries, not necessarily that doctors are bad. The published info on things like mc is outdated and incorrect.
Research, ask questions, and make your own decisions. Listen to your body, don't reject your doctor, we still need them, just have realistic expectations of what they and the health system can do to help you.
- living with mc can be crap! If what you are reading on this site is making you scared, hesitant about all the changes, that is understandable. As you read the posts of peoples MC journey you will see the sacrifices, changes suggested by these wonderful people are worth it.
We also have to do some mental/emotional reading/work on transition, change, acceptance.
- It may take months if not a year or so to sort out your mc management plan.
There will be progress, set backs (which are learnings)
It may take every ounce of courage, patience, tenacity that you have...
All of which is definitely worth it!!!!
- highly recommend to check your vit d levels, If money is tight, this is the must have supplement. You need good levels of vit d in the cells of your body to absorb nutrients. inflammation depletes Vit D3. If you don't have good vit d3 levels, you are not absorbing nutrients from foods or supplements. Search the archives for vit d3, the articles and reading on this topic is worthy of your time.
NB, going outside in the sun for an extra 20mins per day won't solve this issue....
-Linked to my saying, there is no right way or wrong way.... What each individual does or doesn't do is governed by many factors..... Money, family, work, beliefs, etc all have influence. There is no shame if you do or don't do something that other MC'ers are doing.
I have never done the enterlab testing. Yes it has helped a lot of people, for some it didn't reveal anything new. I figured out my major triggers within 6mths.
- in line with the point above about stress being a trigger, for some there is some limitations on physical, emotional mental energies. Push the limits on one and/or all of these and you may have symptoms or major flare. Learn what your limits are, plan your day, plan your week to align with what you can handle physically, mentally and emotionally.
- MC is for life. you can 'get rid of it' or 'cure it' with the right management plan you can have long periods of remission.
part of the process is acceptance of this, and that you dont always get to 'control' MC.
You can get your life back!! Albeit it may not be the exact same as what it was before the MC diagnosis,
When you have time, read some of the posts in the success stories, this will give an indicator of how easy it was for some, and where it may have been challenging for others. And the time it took.
What you will see from reading the posts and discussions, the people that gave it 100%, listened to their bodies, and followed the advice of these generous supportive people; climbed mountains!!!!!
All the supportive, knowledgeable people who will help you through the MC maze, are doing it because they want you to be well, symptom free. They sincerely want you to get your life back.
This is not a typical forum, it is a family!!! Distance and time difference doesn't seem to matter. Some of my closest friends are potty people members that I met due to MC. I consider those friendships the beautiful gift that MC brought to my life.
Take some deep breaths!!! Feel safe and relaxed that you have found a place that can help you. The success of living with MC, symptom free is up to you and how you approach this..... Only you can take all the info from this site and make it work!!! It's free!!!! No conditions or payment required!!!!
Most of all, healing hugs for your mc journey.
with you Martha.
