I need some advice from you all! On my enterolab results Almonds were a 1+ for me on the reactivity test. My question is then, can I use almond milk? I have stayed away from almonds entirely since the results came back, but I'm wondering what the collective wisdom is on this.
Does anyone make mashed potatoes without diary, soy, egg, glutin, rice, etc, and if so, what do you use?
I understand that healing takes a long time and I think I only get that in stages. Each day as I read through postings on this forum, I learn something. But with the issue of histamine, would one expect to see results more quickly? I have really cut back on histamine foods for a couple weeks but see no change. Am I just expecting a difference too soon? I am tapering my prednisone, and because of my age, and already have some bone issues, I do not want to take any more steroids. As I taper, it seems that the d is more random and unpredictable, making life more difficult. But the watery d never left either on budesonide or prednisone. If I call my GI, I'm sure she will offer Imuran or some such drug which I am not anxious to try. Any advice?
Thank you to each of you. This forum keeps me going.
Question on lab results
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darlagroat
- Little Blue Penguin
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- Location: California
Darla,
Those of us who cannot tolerate almonds seem to be able to use almond milk without any problems, but that's no proof that it will work for everyone.
Regarding your EnteroLab test scores, the most important number is the overall score for all 11 of those antigenic foods. If that numbers was relatively high, say 30 or 40 or more, then a 1+ food may be a problem in some cases. At the other extreme, if the overall score was below 10, then it's very unlikely that any of the 1+ foods would ever be a problem.
Your score was 10, (a minimum positive result). If that were my test result I would test almonds to see if they actually bother me before adding them back into my diet, but the odds are very good that they may not be a problem. And since most of us don't have a problem with almond milk, even when we react to almonds, I would assume that almond milk would be safe (unless I had a severe reaction to almonds).
Some members here use chicken broth for making mashed potatoes, with or without certain spices, depending on their tastes and tolerances. I've never tried it, but I would think that something like olive oil, or coconut oil. or palm oil could be used to add fluidity, also. If I'm wrong about that, someone who actually knows how to cook, please correct me.
Regarding histamines. If your diamine oxidase level is low (which is somewhat common with IBDs), then free (unattached) histamines tend to remain in the body for a relatively long time, and they can accumulate to high levels (without an adequate supply of diamine oxidase (DAO) to purge them from the body). IOW, if that's the problem, then you don't have to eat any additional foods that contain histamine in order to have too much histamine in circulation. That condition can remain for a long time.
To see if that's the problem, I would try taking an antihistamine. If histamines are the problem, then you should see an improvement in a single day (provided that you use an antihistamine that works OK for you). You may be surprised at how well it works, for such a simple med. Histame can be used to supplement DAO, to help purge excess histamine from the body.
I hope this is helpful.
Tex
Those of us who cannot tolerate almonds seem to be able to use almond milk without any problems, but that's no proof that it will work for everyone.
Regarding your EnteroLab test scores, the most important number is the overall score for all 11 of those antigenic foods. If that numbers was relatively high, say 30 or 40 or more, then a 1+ food may be a problem in some cases. At the other extreme, if the overall score was below 10, then it's very unlikely that any of the 1+ foods would ever be a problem.
Your score was 10, (a minimum positive result). If that were my test result I would test almonds to see if they actually bother me before adding them back into my diet, but the odds are very good that they may not be a problem. And since most of us don't have a problem with almond milk, even when we react to almonds, I would assume that almond milk would be safe (unless I had a severe reaction to almonds).
Some members here use chicken broth for making mashed potatoes, with or without certain spices, depending on their tastes and tolerances. I've never tried it, but I would think that something like olive oil, or coconut oil. or palm oil could be used to add fluidity, also. If I'm wrong about that, someone who actually knows how to cook, please correct me.
Regarding histamines. If your diamine oxidase level is low (which is somewhat common with IBDs), then free (unattached) histamines tend to remain in the body for a relatively long time, and they can accumulate to high levels (without an adequate supply of diamine oxidase (DAO) to purge them from the body). IOW, if that's the problem, then you don't have to eat any additional foods that contain histamine in order to have too much histamine in circulation. That condition can remain for a long time.
To see if that's the problem, I would try taking an antihistamine. If histamines are the problem, then you should see an improvement in a single day (provided that you use an antihistamine that works OK for you). You may be surprised at how well it works, for such a simple med. Histame can be used to supplement DAO, to help purge excess histamine from the body.
I hope this is helpful.
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 never really understood the 11 antigenic food score. Mine was 10 units. My most immunologic reactivity was rice, corn, oat and almond. Intermediate reactivity was chicken, and no significant reactivity tuna, white potato, beef, cashew, pork and walnut. Of the grains most was rice, intermediate was corn and least was oat. Of meats was chicken and most on nuts was almond. Of the main 4 offenders gluten was 34 units, casein was 12, chicken egg was 33 and soy was 12. I am on 3 entocort a day now and doing so much better. I have cut out all the foods listed that are reactive. I still have a few loose stools from time to time but no watery diarrhea. I've been on Entocort since Nov. 8. Wondering if perhaps when the Entocort is stopped which the Doctor says will be after a 60 day course is run, I could perhaps try some of those foods?
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darlagroat
- Little Blue Penguin
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 5:04 pm
- Location: California
Thanks
Thank you to you all for your reply. I will try Almond Milk!
If I were in that situation, I would wait at least 8 weeks after the Entocort is discontinued, before I tried adding any "new" foods to my diet. The reason for this is due to the fact that it takes a while for all the budesonide to clear the body. And if there are any remaining food sensitivities in the diet, they could cause a relapse at any time. So you might need to remove 1 or 2 foods from your diet during the tapering process, or during the 8 weeks after the treatment is ended. IOW, this is a somewhat risky period of time during which our remission may be fragile.Nancy wrote:Wondering if perhaps when the Entocort is stopped which the Doctor says will be after a 60 day course is run, I could perhaps try some of those foods?
In addition, especially if the dose of Entocort is tapered too quickly, there tends to be a rebound effect (overshoot) after the budesonide is stopped, which results in above average mast cell activation as the suppressed mast cell count rebuilds to normal levels. This causes many MC patients to relapse, and experimenting with foods during this period can increase the odds of a relapse. The slower the taper, the lower the risk of a relapse.
That's just my opinion, based on the experiences of many, many members here. Your doctor would certainly deny this possibility if you were to ask him or her, because none of this is based on random, blinded medical trials, or studies published in prestigious medical journals. It's based on our own experiences, posted here on the board by members.
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.
Darla,
I generally add olive oil and salt, sometimes I use chicken broth, and sometimes I use ghee (not recommended for newbies.)
Nancy,
History of this board is that a 60 day run of Entocort may not be long enough. A short run on Entocort without enough healing can lead to relapse. Be aware of this in case you have to extend your prescription with your doc. A lot of the American docs seem to go with a 3 month stint on Entocort which many times is not long enough. Also long slow taper at the low end helps to prevent relapse. I was on for a total of 4.5 months and the the last two months I was on one pill every other day and the last month one pill every third day. (At the recommendation of this board)
Flat out recommend do not test any new foods in the 8 week period after your last pill. Stick to your very safe foods. Your goal is to keep healing and get and stay off of Entocort.
Brandy
I generally add olive oil and salt, sometimes I use chicken broth, and sometimes I use ghee (not recommended for newbies.)
Nancy,
History of this board is that a 60 day run of Entocort may not be long enough. A short run on Entocort without enough healing can lead to relapse. Be aware of this in case you have to extend your prescription with your doc. A lot of the American docs seem to go with a 3 month stint on Entocort which many times is not long enough. Also long slow taper at the low end helps to prevent relapse. I was on for a total of 4.5 months and the the last two months I was on one pill every other day and the last month one pill every third day. (At the recommendation of this board)
Flat out recommend do not test any new foods in the 8 week period after your last pill. Stick to your very safe foods. Your goal is to keep healing and get and stay off of Entocort.
Brandy
Hello Darla, I was on Entocort 9 mg for 2 months, 6 mg for 2 months, am currently on 3 mg, which I will reduce at the end of November after two months. With each reduction, I have to pull back on some of what I'm eating. I plan on reducing two or three more times before going off completely. I prefer to not take Entocort so, in order to increase my chance of this being a one time shot, I'm proceeding carefully.