Question

[Jeanemcl]

I have started the elimination diet....some recommend potatoes. Some rice. I have been doing white and sweet potatoes and no rice...is that ok? I read where someone found out chicken was the culprit and I jumped up and down with frustration. Anyway, I had to bump my Endocort up to 3x day as I am not getting very far with 2. I am losing weight and afraid to eat....so the elimination diet is ok as food isn't all that attractive right now. I am working still but my energy level is not great. My big question is will Endocort mask food sensitivities?

[tex]

My big question is will Endocort mask food sensitivities?

Usually it will mask at least the minor ones, and for many people, it will mask all food sensitivities. We all respond somewhat differently to medications, so it's difficult to predict what anyone's response will be. In combination with diet changes, it's usually effective.

Tex

[JLH]

I thought it was helping me but it is not. I started it on August 23rd.

[Gloria]

Joan,
Add Imodium. It helped me and I was able to reduce to two pills a day within a few days.

Gloria

[JLH]

I do use Imodium when I'm going to leave the house..........

I certainly don't want an intolerance to it.

Weird that when I took a little vacation from my diet, I was OK. But now, after going back on it, the D has returned.

[DJ]

Hi. I'm a Newbie. Reading your post brings back recent memories of constant D, fear of eating, weight loss, and trying to fly under the radar at work. Exhausting, isn't it? Hang in there!!! I don't know your food history or how long you've been diagnosed but if you are looking for a starting point just look at the list of food sensitivities the the members of this group have. The most common ones might be good to stay away from completely for the time being. "Completely" is the hard part. I was shocked to learn that the foods I discovered (through an elimination diet) were causing my GI problems in the past are the foods that most people with MC can't eat. Entocort and a strict diet help a lot. I am still limiting my veggies and eating only well cooked veggies. I eat melon, berries and bananas but have not tried raw apples or pears with skins. I feel hopeful now and I'm ok with taking one step at a time. Taking 3 Entocort seems ok to me. My thinking is that it will help you to get the diet under control because you will feel well enough to eat and think! Good luck and thank you for sharing!!!

[tex]

Weird that when I took a little vacation from my diet, I was OK. But now, after going back on it, the D has returned.

"Weird" is putting it mildly. I don't know exactly what to make of that, but I wonder if it's possible that something in your diet might be causing an adverse interaction with budesonide.

Tex

[Zizzle]

Weird that when I took a little vacation from my diet, I was OK. But now, after going back on it, the D has returned.

I'm becoming a big beleiver in the importance of rotation diets when you have a leaky gut. I'm guessing after relying on certain "safe foods" for a long time, and with the gut not fully healed, you eventually risk developing intolerances to the foods you eat most often. If you can, I would consider developing a new list of safe foods, with few or none from your previous safe food diet, to see what happens, then re-introduce the others one at a time.

Frustrating for sure, and I think I'm in the same boat. With a leaky gut, you have no idea when a new sensitivity will develop, so you have to be open to them chaging over time.

[Leah]

I also think that we can become intolerant to almost everything if we only eat the same few foods all the time. I have added many things back in and I try to make them Nutritious ones. I rotate all my foods. I sometimes eat an egg for breakfast and sometimes I have GF cereal with almond milk, sometimes GF pancakes. For lunch, I rotate all meats... and for dinner I do the same. I now know what DEFINITELY gives me problems and I stay away from gluten, soy, and dairy, but everything else is tested in small amounts all the time. I now can have tomato based sauces with no problem. Yay!

I guess what I am trying to say is that while you are on Budesonide, definitely take out the obvious things ( G, D S) along with raw fruits and veggies., and beans. If you seem to be healing with that kind of diet, then just stick with that for months. Try not to figure out what else you may be intolerant to because the drug will mask your reaction anyway. When you finally get down to a very low dose of Budesonide, THEN test one thing at a time and see if you can figure out what else might be giving you problems. By then, you may surprised at how much you can tolerate in small quantities because your gut will have healed.

Take a deep breath and try not to stress too much about figuring out the food right now ( unless the food is OBVIOUSLY making things WORSE). Stress is the worst thing for healing. This all takes time.

Leah

[JFR]

I also think that we can become intolerant to almost everything if we only eat the same few foods all the time. I have added many things back in and I try to make them Nutritious ones. I rotate all my foods. I sometimes eat an egg for breakfast and sometimes I have GF cereal with almond milk, sometimes GF pancakes. For lunch, I rotate all meats... and for dinner I do the same. I now know what DEFINITELY gives me problems and I stay away from gluten, soy, and dairy, but everything else is tested in small amounts all the time. I now can have tomato based sauces with no problem. Yay!


Leah

And on the other hand I have done very well with sticking to a small handful of foods for about 18 months now. I have expanded the number of foods I eat but I still only eat about 12 different foods. My safe foods have remained my safe foods. I am also perfectly satisfied with my limited diet so that helps too. In the end we each have to figure out for ourselves what works best both physically and emotionally.

Jean

[Jeanemcl]

Leah I just posted that I am doing better....2days and asked when I could try more foods. Just reread this post by you. Forgive my impatience!!!

[tex]

Like Jean, I've been eating the same basic foods for over 11 years now. I can eat other foods, but I prefer to keep it simple.

Tex

[carolm]

Entocort did mask eggs for me. Otherwise foods that I reacted strongly to were not masked, such as gluten, soy and dairy. Like someone above said, go ahead and take out the obvious problem foods and as you decrease your Entocort you may have to tweak your diet again as other things show up. But in my experience it was just that one food.

good luck,
Carol