any thoughts on MC being caused by bacteria overgrowth??

[barbiem]

thanks Tex ! I have been gluten free /sugar free since January. I guess now it is time to say good bye to yogurt. I am literally in tears writing this because the thought alone depresses the heck out of me. I will have to live off chicken, beef, bison, carrots and green beans and water. oh joy. I also just watched an amazing radio show on leaky gut and apparently yeast plays a big role which is one of my main issues which I have had forever!! When I did my IgG food intolerant test with Alletess through my Naturopath here it showed brewers yeast and bakers yeast as high. This dr. on the blog mentioned if those items were listed then very very high chance you have yeast gut issues which lead to leaky gut which lead to almost every autoimmune disease out there. He mentioned s.boulardii - which is a yeast but can I take that if my IgG shows yeast on the list?? He says this is a very good probiotic to heal the gut but removing the candida naturally without pharmaceuticals which are more damaging to the liver etc.

I love your explanation though of the healing process and how it gets stuck. I also learned from the radio show that the tcells will keep multiplying if you keep eating the wrong foods. He also mentioned that genetics load the gun but environment pulls the trigger. so true eh?

He also states that the more memory cells you have the more antibodies get released and a lot of antibodies = inflammation which increase the upregulation of the immune system and after a while immune disregulation occurs where the body doesn't know anymore who to attack which is the trigger being pulled and out comes autoimmune disease that you are genetically predisposed to.

and exactly as you state - we must remove foods that inflame the gut and he mentions VIT c and animal fats as the main source for healing. If severe damage intravenous VIT C most important especially if malabosorption issues like myself. He does mention s.boulardii as it pulls the candida off the walls and carries it out. No mention of l-glutamine here is the link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/drjessarmi ... gi-tract-1

barb

[tex]

I've seen posts here describing yogurt made from coconut milk and almond milk, both commercially produced products and homemade, I believe. You might find that it makes a good substitute for yogurt made from cow's milk. There are some posts about them in the thread at this link, for example:

yogurt?

He mentioned s.boulardii - which is a yeast but can I take that if my IgG shows yeast on the list?

A sensitivity to brewers/bakers yeast wouldn't necessarily mean that you would be sensitive to a probiotic based on S. boulardii.

He also mentioned that genetics load the gun but environment pulls the trigger. so true eh?

Yes, that's the way it works. Our genes determine which autoimmune type diseases we are vulnerable to, and our lifestyle determines whether or not we will actually develop those diseases.

He also states that the more memory cells you have the more antibodies get released and a lot of antibodies = inflammation which increase the upregulation of the immune system and after a while immune disregulation occurs where the body doesn't know anymore who to attack which is the trigger being pulled and out comes autoimmune disease that you are genetically predisposed to.

That's a widely held theory, but it's only a theory — no one has ever provided any proof that the theory is correct. I disagree with the part of that theory that says that the sequence of events actually leads to an autoimmune disease, and if you read the last chapter in my book, you will understand why. Yes, it causes a reaction that appears to be an autoimmune reaction, but the reaction stops when you remove the trigger foods from your diet, so how could it be an autoimmune disease. To be a true autoimmune disease, the reaction would have to be triggered by the body's own cells, and that never happens.

I disagree with the last paragraph in your post, also. Vitamin D is much more important than vitamin C for anyone who has an IBD (because IBDs deplete vitamin D, which weakens the immune system). And there is no evidence that S.boulardii actually pulls candida off the walls and carries it out. The roots of Candida albicans actually penetrate through the epithelia of the intestines, so removing it is not just a simple matter of "pulling it off the walls". It has to be killed, before it can be removed.

Tex

[barbiem]

If we have weakened immune systems from lack of vit d or just because we have an IBD why is it that in the last year of my illness I have not gotten sick once with a cold etc. Even though others in my household have gotten ill, I have never come down with anything. I feel my glands swell and feel something coming but it's as if my body is in overdrive and kicks in and kills the virus right away. correct me if I am wrong (which I usually am LOL) Isn't that what is happening with autoimmune - the body is attacking itself because it cannot decipher between an invader and yourself and can't seem to shut off??
And if that is the case wouldn't I want to try and calm down the immune system instead of jumpstart it?? Or is a weakened immune system something I am going to experience the longer I have IBD and thus I should be taking the VIT D now to prevent it??
thx tex! gotta get off the computer and stop researching and finish your book !! I usually only read at bedtime but as soon as I get there I am too tired. tonight I am going to clear for the book.

Also, one more question, so my belly is quite upset tonight and my itchiness is back because I have decided not to keep going with the ketotifen due to the side effects and not feeling myself. I have severe smelly gas. On all the scd literature this is a bad thing!! but I remember when I started my digestive enzymes from the dr. I had severe gas for a few weeks. I know it may be just getting used to some new foods but I think I ate too many cashew nut flour cookies LOLOL! Plus I have been sooo nauseas since stopping the ketotifen!

I will try the yogurt with coconut milk but I am allergic to almonds so not sure if almond milk would be the same?? thanks again!

Also, just wondering if you have snacks Tex and if so what? any cookies or goodies in your diet?? I see you can't have nuts like me or cheese etc. Would love ideas if anyone has any. I also can't have oats and had no idea why - oatmeal even before I got sick would make me sooo ill!!

barb

[barbiem]

one more question Tex: If I take an antihistamine to help control symptoms thus enabling me to eat more foods, I still need to stay away from those foods anyways that bothered me right? Just trying to figure out what the point of the antihistamine is before I decide to stay on or go off. I just don't like the way I feel - no energy, drugged etc. but could eat foods without the heart issues or bump on gum. But then aren't those signals signs I should be listening to in order to heal my gut?? If I take an antihistamine and no longer have symptoms but still eat the foods that once caused a reaction, are those foods then still causing inflammation or does the antihistamine stop the inflammation from occurring thus allowing healing to occur?

sorry tex for buggin you with all this but appreciate it more than you know!!
barb

[tex]

If we have weakened immune systems from lack of vit d or just because we have an IBD why is it that in the last year of my illness I have not gotten sick once with a cold etc. Even though others in my household have gotten ill, I have never come down with anything.

Remember that most of what I am posting here is strictly my opinion, and may differ from the opinion of your doctor and/or anyone else.

The problem is not that our immune system is overly-active, or weakened. The fact of the matter is that our immune system is pretty much normal (with a single exception). The problem is that it is in a state of high-alert, because it recognizes food sensitivities that it is obligated to try to eradicate from our body. Since it is in a state of high alert, yes, our resistance against colds and flu viruses is much better than average (unless we allow ourselves to become low on vitamin D, because vitamin D deficiency weakens the immune system).

No human can digest gluten. Period. That's a medical fact. The difference between our immune system and the immune system of people who are arbitrarily classified as "normal" (that single exception that I mentioned), is that our immune system correctly recognizes gluten as a foreign invader in our body, and tries to destroy it, while the immune systems of so-called "normal" people just ignore the gluten. Therefore, our immune system is not over-active or under-active — it is just doing the job it was designed to do.

Isn't that what is happening with autoimmune - the body is attacking itself because it cannot decipher between an invader and yourself and can't seem to shut off?

No, as I've pointed out previously, the body does not actually attack itself. It attacks foreign invaders, and in the process, the body's own tissues are sometimes damaged, and this is incorrectly referred to as an autoimmune attack. It's not an autoimmune attack, because all we have to do to stop the attack is to stop eating the food that is causing the reaction, and the symptoms will go away. If it were a true autoimmune issue, the attack would continue, regardless of what we ate or drank, because the attack would be triggered by the body's own cells. All the medical "experts" are wrong on this issue, because they are making assumptions that are not justified. Again, see the last chapter in my book for more discussion on this issue.

And if that is the case wouldn't I want to try and calm down the immune system instead of jumpstart it??

Not unless you want to lower your resistance to make you more vulnerable to infections, viruses, and even cancer. Again, this is just my opinion, and the opinion of your doctor will probably differ.

Or is a weakened immune system something I am going to experience the longer I have IBD and thus I should be taking the VIT D now to prevent it??

IBDs deplete our vitamin D level, but our immune system will only be weakened if we allow our vitamin D level to become deficient. That's why most of us here take a vitamin D supplement.

Also, one more question, so my belly is quite upset tonight and my itchiness is back because I have decided not to keep going with the ketotifen due to the side effects and not feeling myself. I have severe smelly gas. On all the scd literature this is a bad thing!! but I remember when I started my digestive enzymes from the dr. I had severe gas for a few weeks. I know it may be just getting used to some new foods but I think I ate too many cashew nut flour cookies LOLOL! Plus I have been sooo nauseas since stopping the ketotifen!

The severe gas is merely a symptom of poor digestion that leaves a lot of partially-digested food available to attract bacteria (which ferment the food residues). That symptom will disappear when your inflammation subsides, so that your digestive system can begin to function normally again. It won't happen overnight.

Itching and nausea are typical symptoms of excessive mast cell activity and/or too much histamine in the system. Cashews are high-histamine foods. You probably just overdosed on histamine.

I will try the yogurt with coconut milk but I am allergic to almonds so not sure if almond milk would be the same?? thanks again!

If you are actually allergic to almonds (IOW, if almonds cause you to have the symptoms of anaphylaxis), you should totally avoid all traces of them. If you are just intolerant of them, like many of us here, then almond milk should be safe for you. I can't eat any type of nuts, nor any type of nut butter without getting sick, but almond milk causes no problems, and I use it regularly.

I rarely snack, but if I do, it's usually potato or corn chips.

I also can't have oats and had no idea why - oatmeal even before I got sick would make me sooo ill!!

Many of us here react to the avenin in oats. Avenin is the prolamin protein equivalent of gluten in wheat. So for us, it causes basically the same reaction that gluten would cause.

Your symptom of feeling fatigued is due to your body using most of your available energy to try to heal your gut. Healing the gut takes all the energy our body can muster. The drugged feeling may be due to brain fog caused by gluten crossing the blood/brain barrier, and/or by chemicals and enzymes caused by poor digestion.

We don't take antihistamines so that we can eat more foods. We take antihistamines so that we can stop/prevent symptoms, and reach remission. Taking antihistamines may allow us to eat additional foods (primarily foods that contain histamine), but if we push that too far, we will just undo the good derived from the antihistamines.

Antihistamines will prevent some of the short-term inflammation (symptoms caused by histamine release), but they will not prevent longer-term damage, such as the release of cytokines and other pro-inflammatory mediators that lead to an increase in T cell presence. IOW, they may allow you to better tolerate foods that contain histamines, but they will not allow you to eat foods that cause the production of antibodies, such as gluten, casein, soy, eggs, etc.

IOW, taking antihistamines may allow you to eat more foods that contain histamines without reacting, but they will not allow you to eat an unlimited variety of high-histamine foods. To do that would require that you take a very high dose of antihistamines, and there is a limit to the amount that can be safely taken. For most people, that practical limit is approximately 4 times the labeled dosage. How do I know? Because that's the maximum amount prescribed by dermatologists when treating severe cases of chronic urticaria. Doses up in the range of 10 times the labeled dose are typically toxic, for most people.

You should try to stop looking at your symptoms as if recovery is an hour-by-hour or day-to-day process. It is indeed a day-by-day process, but you can't look at it that way, because what you see will almost always be confusing and misleading. This is because much of the time, especially early in the healing process, symptoms are sometimes going to be erratic. Instead, look at the progress you've made each month. That will give you a much better idea of how far you've come in your recovery.

You're very welcome,
Tex

[JFR]

Try not to overthink things Barb. Just keep it simple. Most people who have been successful here have limited themselves to a few safe foods, not adding anything in for a few months. If you do this you don't need to have it all figured out.

Jean

[brandy]

Hi Babs,

Early on I was in huge denial about yogurt. It seemed so "healthy." I was on Entocort a total of 4.5 months. At the end of month 1 I went GF after finding this forum.
I continued eating yogurt and continued having a lot of issues with gas and minor cramping. At the end of month 4 on Entocort I went yogurt free. (i'd been other dairy free for awhile.) I knew I was getting ready to get off of Entocort so I finally went yogurt free as an insurance policy. The major gas issues and cramping disappeared.
In retrospect I wished I'd gone yogurt/ dairy free months sooner as I needlessly suffered.

A very large number of us test positive for dairy intolerance on the Enterolab testing. Tex, I think, has the accurate percentages but if I recall I think it is about 80 or 90% of us test with positive dairy (casein) intolerance on Enterolab.

Two years is a realistic feeling better figure. After about 22 months I finally felt about how I felt pre-MC but I totally get that I have another couple of years of healing--more on a microscopic level if that makes sense. Fatigue was the last thing to disappear.

Brandy

[brandy]

Hi Babs,

I couldn't remember if you presently taking Entocort or not or if I'm thinking of someone else. Anyways, I didn't need antihistamine while on Entocort but off of Entocort I take it occasionally and it helps.

Brandy

[barbiem]

thxs Brandy - its funny because I am the opposite with the fatigue issue - I have more energy than I have had in years LOL - I am thinking it's due to not having sugar or starches etc. since march!! I am on entocort - started in feb for a month with no change in fact I got worse. so they stopped it and I hit rock bottom. Started the SCD and went back on entocort and saw results and started gaining weight etc. so they weaned me down to 6 mg of entocort and I tried eggs one weekend - bad!! back to a major flare I couldn't get out of. that was in august and then finally in October (just within last 3 weeks actually) I have been pretty normal BM wise. I do eat the yogurt 3 x a day - I don't get any diarrhea after it mid day or evening - only when I eat it for breaky. Hence the reason I am still eating it. I can't digest fats so this is my only source that for some reason I can tolerate ok.

I dont' get gas from it or cramping - but again, the morning it makes me go right away after eating it. If in a flare I won't eat it as it will be worse for sure.

I am staying on entocort until i can eat more foods to put weight on. Ketotifen now on day 5 and it seems to be making things better. I am tired now which is new but at least I can get 8 hours of sleep in since it knocks me out LOL. I hear it has a half life of 12 hours so I do take a little bit in the morning or mid day.

[tex]

Barb,

The Entocort is the reason why you have energy (it boosts your cortisol level). Some people have trouble sleeping when they take it, because it tends to make them hyperactive.

The Entocort is also the reason why you are able to tolerate the yogurt without major symptoms. If your doctor ever weans you off the Entocort, you will see what I mean.

Tex

[barbiem]

oh dear! I had no idea - scary - so all this energy is from the entocort!!! Iso do you really think the yogurt is hindering my healing?? even though it doesn't effect me like rice does or butter on some veggies? With those I get immediate results in my belly but nothing in my mouth (no bump on gum) yet the yogurt gives me the bump on gum. Man this stuff is confusing and I know we are all different. I will give up yogurt for a week and see what happens - although I did have to give it up when getting ready for the hydrogen breath test. It was torture being unable to eat it. But I didn't notice much difference in my symptoms. I went back to eating it after and when I added it back in, it was a little touchy to say the least - my stomach didn't like it but after a few days I got used to it again and was fine. But, I guess I wont ever be able to get off the entocort without getting off dairy. :(

What do you eat for fats then? can't have nuts, no avacados, no chips, and I cook with olive oil which seems to be the only thing I can tolerate. no butter no coconut oil (although I haven't tried it in a while so may give that a go again - but being allergic to nuts and things that grows on trees I am leary).

barb

[tex]

I went back to eating it after and when I added it back in, it was a little touchy to say the least - my stomach didn't like it but after a few days I got used to it again and was fine.

That's proof that you are sensitive to it. That's a well-established test for confirming food sensitivities. When we eat a food every day (even though we are sensitive to it), it's possible for some of us to build up a tolerance to a food, even though we produce antibodies to it.

If we avoid that food for a few days (or longer), our immune system is able to relax slightly, and our intestines begin to heal. But if we start eating the food again, our immune system will respond strongly, because the sudden spike in antibodies will trigger a reaction that will cause obvious symptoms. That's how we confirm a food sensitivity when we appear to have developed a tolerance for it.

This is how the immune system works. When there are no changes in the diet, then there are no changes in the immune system response. But when an inflammatory food is suddenly added back into the diet, that triggers a renewed production of antibodies, and that change quickly results in a sequence of immune system responses that results in obvious symptoms.

I get most of my fat from pork. For example, I eat a lot of bacon for breakfast (at least 4 big, double to triple-thick slices), and I sort of toast a couple of tortillas in the bacon grease, while frying a couple of eggs (also in the bacon grease), and then I plop an egg on each tortilla, and add a couple of slices of the bacon to each one to make a couple of wraparounds. Yep, they're greasy, but they're incredibly tasty, and very healthy, despite the contrary claims of confused and/or ignorant doctors who don't realize that animal fat is one of the healthiest forms of fat for humans (we are carnivores, after all).

I usually eat pork sausage with some corn or potato chips at noon, and a slice of pork steak wrapped in a tortilla for supper. Or I might fry a pork chop or 2, with hashbrowns, if I feel like cooking. Yep, I'm pretty lazy when it comes to cooking, so the sausage and pork steak is grilled on weekends, and frozen in individual size servings, so that all I have to do at mealtime is take it out of the freezer, and thaw and reheat it in a microwave oven. Sometimes I'll eat a bowl of Chex Cinnamon or Chex Vanilla cereal, mixed 50-50 with Corn Chex (to cut the sweetness), with almond milk, after supper. IOW, the only meal that I actually cook every day, is breakfast, so I do breakfast right. Almost everything else is nuked as needed.

Tex

[barbiem]

I wish I could eat eggs and bacon then I would be more willing to give up the yogurt LOLOL!! I just can't tolerate the fat even with the prescription enzymes. it is sooo weird!!!

If I could eggs I would be much happier as well UGH!

But, you have put it in black and white print for me Tex and I appreciate that. After this last batch is gone I will be done with yogurt.

Have no idea how I will get some substance from but maybe if I stop eating for a while, maybe just maybe I will heal somewhat to eat eggs again. I would die for some bacon LOL!!

I am allergic to almonds whereby my throat becomes extremely itchy but will give almond milk a go and see although it will be difficult to find one pure enough without sugar or other crap because of my yeast issues.

Do you make your tortilla's yourself or buy rice flour ones (which are disgusting and hard if you ask me - can't eat rice anyway LOL).

barb

[lorimoose]

carol.
LC jan 2013
entocort 9mg since may 2013
tried to wean off aug but relapsed
pancreas MT4
desscicated thyroid 25mg
_________________
Babs
Canada
Feb 2013 diagnosed Lymphocytic colitis
SCD diet since March 2013
Mezavant April 30 to present still no success
entocort from feb 1 to 28 no success


Hi Babs,

Before I respond to any more of your questions, I would like to know why you are signing as 2 different people with 2 different medical histories, as shown above. Are we being played.

Lori

[barbiem]

LOLOL - no sorry - on facebook I go by carol for privacy reasons and due to my brain fog issues I sometimes forget where I am. I am also terrible with dates and this is my info:

Colonscopy Jan 2013
Diagnosed Feb 2013
started entocort Feb 2013 with no success
Started SCD march 2013
mezavant April but heart racing so stopped in May
Back on entocort May 2013
tried weaning in aug with no success so back on 9mg since then until now
pancreas MTR
dessicated thyroid

sorry - literally brain is mush and am not good with dates or names LOL - but my real name is Barb. Sorry :(