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It seems that every time I go to the naturopath she loads me up with another set of supplements and this is very hard on my pocketbook. If I really need them, fine, but if not...
She seems to think that dysbiosis is the main problem with my gut. I have looked around a little and it *seems* that there may be some basis in fact for this. For example:
The worldwide incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing. Abundant literature has suggested that an imbalance between harmful and protective bacteria, or dysbiosis, of the intestine is largely responsible for the rising incidence of IBD.
Alterations in the bowel flora and its activities are now believed to be contributing factors to many chronic and degenerative diseases. Irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis have all been linked to alterations in the intestinal microflora.
Obviously, I know the problem in my gut is CC, and that's not going to go away. But perhaps dysbiosis plays a more active role than I think in the symptoms? I didn't see anything in the book about it, not that I looked very hard, though I did see the part about L-glutamine. That's one of the supplements, and I know Stanz swears by it.
My flare is finally winding down. It took six weeks for the results of my unintentional soy challenge (yes, I am an idiot) to resolve, and in the meantime, I was reacting to everything else because my gut was so insulted. I have obviously undone a lot of healing. So that also plays into my question. I'd like to get back to where I was as quickly as possible.
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
I am so leary and distrustful of "experts" who insist on clients buying hundreds of dollars of supplements in order to be well. I have come to the conclusion that the KISS principle is the most sensible. This applies to food, vitamins, supplements etc.
I think we all get tired of constant food preparation and the monotony of such a limited diet and "fall off the wagon" periodically. Lately I've been eating Vans waffles and I know I probably should stop. I'm just so sick and tired of the same old breakfast.
I have a cabinet crammed with vitamins, supplements and all kinds of crap, bought for reasons that I no longer remember. It is so hard to trust doctors, naturopaths etc with my hard earned relative good health. I take a basic multivitamin, Bs, saccromyces boulardii, fish oil and cranberry, and 3 mg entocort every 3 days. Diet is basic, simple and mostly homemade, except for those waffles. ;-) which will probably make me sick eventually.
Are you sure your naturopath is necessary? Why is she/he continually adding things to your regimen? Do these supplements make you feel better?
I guess I sound kind of crabby but I have lost trust with "health professionals".
Sheila W
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.
A person who never made a mistake never tried something new. Einstein
I agree with Sheila. When treating MC, less is more, and that's the only rule that seems to be true in every case.
If you're referring to my book, bacterial overgrowth was briefly mentioned (on page 18) as one of many suspected causes of MC, but I didn't discuss it extensively, because no one has ever come up with any data that actually supports it as a cause of IBD. IMO, dysbiosis occurs in response to the poor digestion associated with MC (bacteria are always opportunistic, and never fail to take advantage of a windfall, if one is available). IOW, I believe that it's a symptom, rather than a cause of MC.
If dysbiosis were the problem, rifaximin (which for a while was heavily promoted for treating MC) should work. It doesn't — not for MC or other IBDs, anyway. And probiotics should work. They don't. In fact, probiotics seem to aggravate the situation for most patients. And antibiotics pose a relatively high risk for a C. diff infection, without providing any long-term benefits for controlling MC. For those reasons, I have serious doubts about dysbiosis playing a role in the etiology of MC. That said, it's certainly not impossible that it may contribute to some cases. But so far, I have seen no evidence that treating dysbiosis is an effective way to control MC. YMMV.
Treating dysbiosis is the naturopathic way, isn't it? It's sort of the bread and butter of the trade.
I'm glad that you're finally doing better. Interestingly, it took 6 weeks for the results of my oat challenge (about 5 years ago) to resolve, also.
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 think I have been through every supplement there is and have stopped all but Vitamin D3, B12 and folic acid. Just too expensive and they accomplished nothing in my opinion.
Maggie
Maggie Scarpone
___________________
Resident Birder - I live to bird and enjoy life!
Marliss, I've spent literally thousands of dollars on all sorts of supplements from my Acupunturist, naturopathic doc, and functional medicine doc. Nothing gave me an ah-ha moment, sadly. I'm now very critical of anyone offering the cure. Like Sheila, I sound crabby towards it all but I've spent so much money that would sure come in handy right now......
I find very few actually get the whole connection of what is going on with us. Although, if it seems like it may be right for you it can't hurt to try. But then again, it could aggravate your MC.......
Not too much help but I know how you feel. I'd just like to find something that works too!
Deb
"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead, where there is no path, and leave a trail.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
2007 CC
2013 thyroid cancer- total thyroidectomy
2013 Hashimoto's - numbers always "normal"
2017 Lyme's Disease
I agree. I did use L-Glutimine for the first 6 months of my healing, but after a while, I found it made me feel kind of nauseous . I do take B, Flaxseed oil ( can't tolerate fish), D, and a combo of ginger and turmeric.
Well, y'all are pretty much telling me what I already suspected. The light bulb really came on when Tex said that dysbiosis is sort of the bread-and-butter of naturopaths. I know so many people who talk about having or who are being treated for yeast overgrowth.
I keep thinking about how Polly, a doctor, only takes a multivitamin. There are some supplements I want to continue--adrenal support, and thyroid, mainly. A huge benefit of going to the naturopath is that she put me on a supplement to take down my blood pressure. I was skeptical, but after a few weeks, my blood pressure, which was pretty high, became normal for someone my age. I read in the amazon reviews of the product that someone took it to his allopath and she said that one of the ingredients was used by doctors for high blood pressure before beta blockers, etc. Another person said it was recommended by his cardiologist.
Thanks, y'all...
Oh, and Tex--yes, the book is your book, of course! I remember you saying the result of your oatmeal challenge was a six-week flare. Wow... I will think long and hard before I trust my body not reacting to something again the first time I eat it. Sort of like fool me twice...
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Marliss, what was the supplement you took for high blood pressure? Mine is better after treating my thyroid but there is room for improvement. I have tried Hawthorn with variable results. Deb
Marliss,
Did you see my post about water kefir? I completely transformed my entire digestive system in a matter of days, and I'm now enjoying total absence of MC symptoms. No gurgles, no indigestion, not a hint of D for weeks. I am also on the autoimmune paleo diet, but I still have starches and sweets in my diet. The few times I've "cheated" have not resulted in any GI symptoms.
I truly believe my MC and DM are caused by dysbiosis, which started by taking oral contraceptives for many years, then culminated in multiple post-partum infections after my first baby requiring antibiotics. Being on prednisone this year didn't help matters either.
Probiotic pills have either done nothing or given me horrid D, so I imagine kefir is a much greater dose of probiotics my body likes. The greatest proof of this gut bacteria transformation is that everything changed - my scent, by BO is gone, my skin is less dry, no more malodorous gas or BMs. I don't recognize my digestive processes anymore. And I'm never hungry, which suggests my levels of candida have gone down.
The best part is that water kefir is practically free and you don't need a medical provider.
Zizzle wrote:The best part is that water kefir is practically free and you don't need a medical provider.
Hey! Hey! We can't have that! Doctors have bills to pay too, you know. Every time your doctor buys a new luxury car, or another vacation home, it helps the economy.
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.
she had seen a change in her lab animals when they were moved to a lab in a different town. Instead of spontaneously developing a mouse version of arthritis, they remained healthy. Littman and Mathis collaborated to find out why and tracked down the difference to a particular type of bacterium that, when present in the intestines, trains the immune system to produce Th17 cells, which in turn release molecules that cause inflammation and bone damage in arthritis.
Hi Zizzle. I know that you already posted the information on where to get the grains from and what the process is, but could you give it to us one more time please? Does it taste bad?
I remember you saying the result of your oatmeal challenge was a six-week flare. Wow... I will think long and hard before I trust my body not reacting to something again the first time I eat it. Sort of like fool me twice...
