new member - looking for advice
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newyorkmom
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:58 pm
new member - looking for advice
I'm 33 and was diagnosed with CC earlier this year. My doctor sent me down the pepto bismol path but it didn't seem to help so I stopped taking it. I do not want to go on prescription medication as I feel my symptoms are relatively mild and I'm able to live with them. However, recently I've realized that running to the bathroom 10 times a day is not really so great so I came to this message board for help. I'm GF for 3 weeks and coffee free for 1 week. I'm definitely running to the bathroom less but the consistency has not changed. How long does it take to know if GF has made a difference? Any advice from experts as to what I should try next? Thanks in advance for any advice!
You are in the right place! Were you diagnosed with a colonoscopy with biopsies?
I'm a newbie too. From what I'm seeing, many of us need to eliminate some foods completely. This site has helped me to identify where I have fallen a bit short of complete elimination of my "offenders".
Prior to diagnosis, I had lots of gut problems and I received advice to avoid various things such as coffee and tomatoes. The short story is that they are not a problem for me at all.
People with MC have a great deal of commonality in the foods that don't work out. If you want to avoid medications you could begin with a strict elimination diet to figure out which foods are a problem for you. You may have more than one "offender".
NSAIDS like aspirin and ibuprofen, PPIs like omeprazole, and antidepressants can make matters worse.
I'm a newbie too. From what I'm seeing, many of us need to eliminate some foods completely. This site has helped me to identify where I have fallen a bit short of complete elimination of my "offenders".
Prior to diagnosis, I had lots of gut problems and I received advice to avoid various things such as coffee and tomatoes. The short story is that they are not a problem for me at all.
People with MC have a great deal of commonality in the foods that don't work out. If you want to avoid medications you could begin with a strict elimination diet to figure out which foods are a problem for you. You may have more than one "offender".
NSAIDS like aspirin and ibuprofen, PPIs like omeprazole, and antidepressants can make matters worse.
YOU ARE VERY YOUNG. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. BECAUSE ITS NOT RIGHT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOU....ITS ALSO VERY EMBARRASING FOR YOU.
WE ALL HAVE STRESS IN OUR LIVES. DO YOU HAVE MORE THAN MOST?
STRESS MAKES ME ANXIOUS, THEREFORE I NEED THE BATHROOM.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR.
SEE WHAT HE SAYS.
ASK US ALL ANY QUESTION YOU LIKE. NO NEED TO BE SHY WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE.
KIND REGARDS MARIE
WE ALL HAVE STRESS IN OUR LIVES. DO YOU HAVE MORE THAN MOST?
STRESS MAKES ME ANXIOUS, THEREFORE I NEED THE BATHROOM.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR.
SEE WHAT HE SAYS.
ASK US ALL ANY QUESTION YOU LIKE. NO NEED TO BE SHY WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE.
KIND REGARDS MARIE
jmg
Hi NYMom,
Welcome aboard. It usually takes the diet changes anywhere from a few weeks to 6 months or longer to provide dramatic improvements. The gut heals relatively slowly, and we are all different in our response time to diet changes. Medications will not heal the gut any faster, but they can mask the symptoms to make life more pleasant while the diet is helping to promote healing.
It will do little good to talk to your doctor, because all he or she can do would be to prescribe medications, and medications will only provide temporary relief. It is the diet changes that heal the gut, and it is careful attention to your diet that will allow you to get your life back, and free you from the bathroom.
When the genes that predispose to CC are triggered, the genes that predispose to certain food sensitivities are also triggered. In addition to gluten, most of us are sensitive to all dairy products (not just lactose, but the casein as well) and soy. Some of us are also sensitive to eggs, and some have additional food sensitivities.
If you cut out more foods than necessary, you can always experiment with adding them back later, after you are in remission, but the main thing is to find a safe, simple diet that will get you to remission, and then you can fine tune it later. If I were in your shoes, I would try eliminating at least gluten and all dairy products, and if that didn't yield any significant improvement by 2 or 3 months, I would add soy to the list of avoided foods, to see if that helped.
Most of us do not have to avoid coffee, unless it caused us to have to run to the bathroom before we developed MC. It's the things that are added to coffee that are usually the problem (such as milk or Coffeemate). Please be aware that we have to avoid all traces of gluten and other problem foods in order for the diet to be effective, just avoiding the primary sources will not be much help. We also have to minimize fiber and sugar (especially fructose) and avoid all artificial sweeteners. After we have been in remission for a while, we can slowly increase our fiber intake again, and we will be able to handle more sugar. All vegetables should be peeled and overcooked, to reduce the fiber and make them easier to digest. And most fruits should be peeled and overcooked, or better yet avoided completely, until after your gut has healed.
Again, welcome to the board, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome aboard. It usually takes the diet changes anywhere from a few weeks to 6 months or longer to provide dramatic improvements. The gut heals relatively slowly, and we are all different in our response time to diet changes. Medications will not heal the gut any faster, but they can mask the symptoms to make life more pleasant while the diet is helping to promote healing.
It will do little good to talk to your doctor, because all he or she can do would be to prescribe medications, and medications will only provide temporary relief. It is the diet changes that heal the gut, and it is careful attention to your diet that will allow you to get your life back, and free you from the bathroom.
When the genes that predispose to CC are triggered, the genes that predispose to certain food sensitivities are also triggered. In addition to gluten, most of us are sensitive to all dairy products (not just lactose, but the casein as well) and soy. Some of us are also sensitive to eggs, and some have additional food sensitivities.
If you cut out more foods than necessary, you can always experiment with adding them back later, after you are in remission, but the main thing is to find a safe, simple diet that will get you to remission, and then you can fine tune it later. If I were in your shoes, I would try eliminating at least gluten and all dairy products, and if that didn't yield any significant improvement by 2 or 3 months, I would add soy to the list of avoided foods, to see if that helped.
Most of us do not have to avoid coffee, unless it caused us to have to run to the bathroom before we developed MC. It's the things that are added to coffee that are usually the problem (such as milk or Coffeemate). Please be aware that we have to avoid all traces of gluten and other problem foods in order for the diet to be effective, just avoiding the primary sources will not be much help. We also have to minimize fiber and sugar (especially fructose) and avoid all artificial sweeteners. After we have been in remission for a while, we can slowly increase our fiber intake again, and we will be able to handle more sugar. All vegetables should be peeled and overcooked, to reduce the fiber and make them easier to digest. And most fruits should be peeled and overcooked, or better yet avoided completely, until after your gut has healed.
Again, welcome to the board, and please feel free to ask anything.
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 NYmom. Welcome.
Since you don't want to take prescription drugs, then a diet that eliminates more then just gluten is probably a good idea until you feel better. As Tex has said, gluten, dairy, and soy are the main ones. These are also the foods that will probably have to stay out of your diet to stay in remission ( if they are the culprits). To know for sure, you can send a stool sample to a lab called Enterolab ( look them up) that tests for antibody levels. It's costly, but if you can afford it, the results will save you a lot of time and guesswork.
While our guts are inflamed, it makes a huge difference if we stop eating fruit , raw veggies, and beans/legumes. After 6 or more months, I was able to test some of these things back into my diet with success, but you need to heal right now.
Tex has written a book on Microscopic Colitis that has a wealth of information. just click on the picture of it in the upper right hand corner of this page to take you to Amazon.
10 times a day is not okay. You are probably not absorbing too many nutrients right now. The good news is that if you take the necessary steps, you can feel better. I am down to once a day and pretty normal ( except for my diet) PS.... I had to give up both coffee and caffeinated tea :( Oh well.
Take Care
Leah
Since you don't want to take prescription drugs, then a diet that eliminates more then just gluten is probably a good idea until you feel better. As Tex has said, gluten, dairy, and soy are the main ones. These are also the foods that will probably have to stay out of your diet to stay in remission ( if they are the culprits). To know for sure, you can send a stool sample to a lab called Enterolab ( look them up) that tests for antibody levels. It's costly, but if you can afford it, the results will save you a lot of time and guesswork.
While our guts are inflamed, it makes a huge difference if we stop eating fruit , raw veggies, and beans/legumes. After 6 or more months, I was able to test some of these things back into my diet with success, but you need to heal right now.
Tex has written a book on Microscopic Colitis that has a wealth of information. just click on the picture of it in the upper right hand corner of this page to take you to Amazon.
10 times a day is not okay. You are probably not absorbing too many nutrients right now. The good news is that if you take the necessary steps, you can feel better. I am down to once a day and pretty normal ( except for my diet) PS.... I had to give up both coffee and caffeinated tea :( Oh well.
Take Care
Leah
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newyorkmom
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:58 pm
Thank you everyone for all of the advice. I decided to go GF and DF as per your suggestions and have been going to the bathroom less frequently, maybe cut in half. I also don't have the frequent cramping/bloating that I used to get. I'm looking forward to sticking with this and seeing what the next few weeks have in store.
And yes, I was diagnosed via colonoscopy/biopsy. And for the comment about embarassment - I have a wonderful group family and friends who know all about this problem and there is no shame on my part. Everyone just wants me to feel better.
Thanks again for all the advice!
And yes, I was diagnosed via colonoscopy/biopsy. And for the comment about embarassment - I have a wonderful group family and friends who know all about this problem and there is no shame on my part. Everyone just wants me to feel better.
Thanks again for all the advice!
That's encouraging that you're already seeing improvement. I hope that your progress continues until you're eventually as good as new.
Please keep us posted on your progress.
Tex
Please keep us posted on your progress.
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.