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If you are taking (or were taking in the recent past) any PPIs or H2 blockers, you might be low on vitamin B-12, because your ability to absorb vitamin B-12 is/was compromised while taking medications of this type. It's likely that other antacids such as Tums or Rolaids may also have a similar effect. Or, if you are simply low on stomach acid due to natural cases or for any other reason, you are at an increased risk of having a vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to ease the symptoms of excess stomach acid for more than two years was linked to a 65 percent increase in the risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency. Commonly used PPI brands include Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid.
Researchers also found that using acid-suppressing drugs called histamine-2 receptor antagonists -- also known as H2 blockers -- for two years was associated with a 25 percent increase in the risk of B-12 deficiency. Common brands include Tagamet, Pepcid and Zantac.
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 saw this. My GI put me on these temporarily for upper GI/stoamch/pancreatic pain. (I'm still not sure the cause of my pain but am hoping to get tested for ulcers soon.) They didn't help, so I stopped taking them, but I do rely heavily on Pepto. Do you think Pepto is related, or just the PPIs? And do you think this is because it reduces the body's ability to digest?
Pepto-Bismol is an antacid, so it will probably have at least a minor effect, but not nearly as pronounced an effect as a PPI. To explain why low stomach acid causes poor vitamin B-12 absorption requires a little basic background information about how the stomach operates to digest food. When food is ingested (or even as early as when when the scent of food is inhaled), the mouth begins to produce saliva (and a small amount of protease). As this is swallowed, it triggers the release of histamine (from mast cells) and the histamine activates the parietal cells in the stomach to begin producing copious amounts of gastric acid, in order to lower the pH sufficiently for proper digestion.
When the stomach is empty, the pH is usually in the vicinity of 5.5 (about the acidity of apple cider vinegar). As the parietal cells ramp up the production of hydrochloric acid, the pH eventually drops to slightly over 1.0 (usually around 1.2 to 1.5). This is extremely acidic, but it's necessary in order to kill bacteria that might be in food, and to properly initiate the digestive process. Note that if too much histamine is present, then gastric acid production may be excessive when the stomach is empty, resulting in inflammation of the stomach, marked by a burning sensation. PPIs prevent the parietal cells from producing normal amounts of acid, so they typically kick the pH up to over 4.0 — which obviously is very detrimental to good digestion, since that effect will also linger after food is ingested.
But the parietal cells also have another very important function. While they are producing acid, they also produce a protein known as intrinsic factor, and intrinsic factor is absolutely essential for the absorption of vitamin B-12. Therefore, if we severely limit the ability of the parietal cells to produce gastric acid, then we also curtail the production of intrinsic factor, thus severely compromising our ability to absorb any vitamin B-12 that might be in food, supplements, or any oral source.
Gabes is quite correct that interfering with the function of the parietal cells does not affect sublingual sources of vitamin B-12 (methylcobalamin that is absorbed directly into the bloodstream when a methylcobalamin lozenge is dissolved under the tongue), nor does it affect methylobalamin treatments administered by injection into muscle tissue. Only oral vitamin B-12 absorption is affected by PPIs and antacids.
No, I hadn't seen that article yet. The technology sounds promising, and it's conceivable that it might be useful to reduce/minimize autoimmune-type reactions. It won't be by reversing a true autoimmune reaction though, because if you read the last chapter in my book you will know that according to my theory, there is no such thing as a true autoimmune reaction.
What doctors are incorrectly labeling as reactions against self, are actually reactions against an exogenous antigen (usually gluten), and the reaction can be stopped simply by withdrawing exposure to the exogenous antigen. The point is, if withdrawing exposure to an exogenous antigen will stop a reaction, then by definition, that reaction cannot possibly be autoimmune (directed against self). So the technology may be useful for preventing reactions to exogenous antigens, and that will surely make confused doctors who don't understand the difference between autoimmunity and reactions against exogenous antigens, quite happy. LOL. It's much simpler though (and certainly more logical), to stop a reaction by just avoiding exposure to the exogenous antigens that are causing the reactions in the first place.
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.
Well, we know how good I am at reading. lol I'm gluten/dairy/soy/egg and fructose free. Lately, I've been eating chicken, potatoes, and either green beans or cauliflower (all cooked together), and I still have issues. I've read the stuff about histamines, and tried to follow some of the stuff Gabes said, but honestly, it was tmi.
One theory I have (in regard to myself and my issues) is: I think I might have had lc to begin with due to gluten (my GI labeled me celiac, although my blood and biopsy was negative), but for a long time I tried to get better on my own. I thought I had candida overgrowth, then bacterial overgrowth, than parasites, etc., etc., so I did all sorts of cleanses and supplements. For example, my family are big believers that garlic can cure about anything (and I think there's merit to that), so I began eating four cloves of garlic a day. I ate so much garlic, I began to smell garlic. Then I went on a carrot fast where all I ate was carrots. Then I tried probiotics. Then I tried oregano oil, then all things coconut. Long story short, I think in trying to fight the lc, I may have made my body think all these normal foods that I suddenly ate in insane quantities, were toxic. Which is maybe now why I have such an issue with so many things, and why I'm still struggling. Interesting enought, the things that get me sickest now are those very things I ate in large quantities for "healing", "cleansing" purposes.
Which makes me wonder, now that I'm eating about four things, can those four things become triggers due to eating them all the time.
Jennifer, I think you are right... I ate chicken, chicken broth, & eggs for about 4 months...they were high on the Entero labs report. So I thought the same thing...too much of one food perhaps for too long. Interesting theory, anyway.
Sunny
"It is very difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. "
Upton Sinclair
Jennifer wrote:Which makes me wonder, now that I'm eating about four things, can those four things become triggers due to eating them all the time.
That remains an unknown at this point, unfortunately. I can tell you this much — I've continued to eat a few simple, basic foods that I have eaten all my life, and to make sure that I eat enough, rather than to look around for variety, I just eat larger helpings of the same basic foods. It continues to work for me.
The ultimate key to the number of food sensitivities that we may develop appears to be our genetics. The members here who have double DQ genes, such as Serologic equivalent: HLA-DQ 1,1 (Subtype 5,6), or Serologic equivalent: HLA-DQ 2,2 (Subtype 2,2), tend to have higher numbers of food sensitivities, and typically have a more difficult time reaching remission. In fact, they may not be able to achieve and maintain remission without also using a maintenance dose of Entcort to help suppress reactions, due to their very limited diet selections. Those DNA results that I listed belong to Gloria and Kari, respectively. By contrast, my genetic results show a typical celiac/MC configuration ( IOW, I have a single copy of the most common celiac gene, and a single copy of a gene that predisposes to MC): Serologic equivalent: HLA-DQ 2,1 (Subtype 2,5).
Comparing this with Kari's results, we see that she has 2 copies of the most common celiac gene (DQ2), which greatly compounds her risk of developing not only celiac disease, but numerous food sensitivities, as well.
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 too have stuck to a low ingredient qty eating plan for 3.5 years.
I have been having gabe stew for 1-2 meals a day for this time. It is a bit of a joke at work!
And yes I have hot meal regardless of the season.... It is a very hot humid summer here...
I have some ingredients that are sometimes food. No more than 3 serves per week.
The meals are low inflammation, most are low histamine. I do a cook up on the weekend.
It suits my budget, and lifestyle,
I can handle all the proteins (meat poultry fish eggs)
My allowable veges are potato, sweet potato, parsnip, cauliflower,
Sometimes vegetables are peas, carrots, baby asparagus.
Fruit - no more than 3 times a week a peeled apple, and I have some water down pear juice.
Drinks, water, black coffee, pear juice
I can use small amt of fresh rosemary when roasting meat and veges.
Sweet treats/deserts, I can use the gf/sf flour blends, no more than 3 serves per week.
Jello.
As you start to heal, get energy and focus back, when most of the week is pretty good, you appreciate your mc management plan, you don't want symptoms....
If you are doing the right things mind and attitude wise, cravings fade away,
Most of what I eat, is in line with my ancestors ate in England and Ireland. Meat on the bone, slow cooked with veges...
Even in current day, there are tribes in various countries that live on a small base of ingredients... These inhabitants do not have heart disease, diabetes, ibds, skin issues.....
It is getting the right balance of what works for you....
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Gabe,
Would you share your "Gabe Stew" recipe? You have the same intolerances as I do and I am eating chicken soup as my go to.....would like another go to if possible! I had a rough week.....ate some shrimp and mixed nuts at my Xmas party....thought it was better for a morning....then got really sick for two more days. I am holding my breath this morning, because it seems to have lifted again. This is so random right now....trying to find that balance you speak of. I can tell you even though I tested ok for nuts....they are going to the back of the shelf and the thought of shrimp makes me cringe....not even sure those caused it, but if not I don't know what did....fatigue??? Geez!
Jean
Everything will be ok in the end, if it's not ok, it's not the end.
Thanks for your responses. :) Gabes, how did you start getting sublingual vitamins? I know I had malnutrition previously as I started getting nerve issues, and these have gone away since I've been taking a multi-vitamin, calcium, and VD. But prior, my blood levels for everything other than VD was fine. (Meaning, if I'd asked the drs., they would've likely seen no reason to prescribe, but a chunk of my issues went away after I'd been on the vitamins for a couple months.
