Alternating diarrhea and constipation

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:32 pm

For now, I would not focus on the weight situation.

The main focus should be on reducing inflammation, healing, figuring the eating and lifestyle plan that works for you so that you have a good functioning digestion system.
Also, Get Vit D levels in a good range.

Reduced inflammation, optimised nutrition absorption is the main focus.
(The chance for weight gain won't happen until this is AOK.)

carolm · Post by **carolm** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:53 pm

Sometimes in order to get more calories into my diet, I pan fried my chicken in olive oil. I tried (and liked) Coconut milk ice cream that's dairy, soy, egg and gluten free. I also added almond butter to my diet. Sometimes on a plain rice cake and sometimes just off the spoon. All these things helped with getting extra calories. I ate 4-5 small meals which helped me feel less weak too.

Carol

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 12:44 am

I lost a lot of weight when I was sick and I started the diet, but I gained a few pounds when I got better, because I didn't have D as often as I used to and I could finally eat more. I also made sure I ate and drank enough sugars, like pepsi or coca-cola.(I know that this isn't healthy, but that was the key for me not to become too thin). If you drink pepsi or coca-cola, leave the bottle or can open for a while, so that there isn't too much gas.

The doc told me to make sure to do enough bloodtests, to see if my vitamin and mineral levels were still okay. The cortisone made me gain a few pounds as well.

Good luck!

Julie

Chrisdat · Post by **Chrisdat** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:00 am

Quick update Tex: I followed your suggestion. I skipped Endicort for one day (I'd only been on 9 mg. for 5 days). Last night, I finally had a BM, after 5 days of constipation. Wow - I felt great again.

Today after checking with my Dr. I dropped Endicort to 6 mg. in the morning. Hoping to avoid C, and of course D. My LC is D predominant. I haven't had C, since I had my son, 22 years ago. I'd forgotten how painful C can be, I've been fixated on stopping the D.

My heart goes out to those are C predominant.

Tex - thanks for the helpful tip. It worked!

Post by **tex** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 12:20 pm

You're most welcome,

Tex

Chipilonadog · Post by **Chipilonadog** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:48 pm

Hello all,

Update...Severe constipation was a result of the xifaxan that I was taking. It has resolved itself now that I am no longer taking it. I am going to start remicade soon. Hopeful that it will work. And yes, I know about the dangers, but I am at the end of my rope.

Almost glad to see the D again!

Mary

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 10:59 pm

Hello all,

When I had D and C, I took colofiber (I took 2 bags every evening, one hour before going to sleep). This is something that helps finding the natural rythm in your bowel. This worked wonders for me.

Be careful: I don't really know if it contains gluten!!

Julie

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:36 am

Hi Chip,

Welcome,

Saw on a different post that you've been suffering for 18 years and are getting ready to start Remicade transfusions. Suggest delay the start of Remicade transfusions for four months and try what works for pretty much 100% of us without the cancer risks. We've had remicade and tnf discussions on hear before, use search function to read threads.

For weight gain eat 5-6 meals a day. Make yourself eat even if you are not hungry.

I ate a lot of fish when healing--maybe 60% fish and 40% chicken pork beef. It can be done with fish alone. It takes A LOT OF PROTEIN TO HEAL. YOU NEED TO HAVE PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL WHICH FOR YOU WOULD BE FISH.

If I was eating only fish I would have soy free salmon sleeves or soy free tinned sardines for earlier meals and then have low mercury hot cooked fresh flounder, shrimp, scallops etc for every dinner.

Have a side of either white rice, sweet potatoes, white potatoes with every meal. No skins.

Stick with overcooked carrots or overcooked squash as a side with your meals.

Cook with coconut oil or olive oil. Drizzle your cooked fish with EVOO and also your overcooked veggies with EVOO for calories. Don't use butter or any dairy.No yogurt.

Bananas and avocado are probably ok also.

Eliminate all other fruits for like 3-4 months. Then test sugar free applesauce (like a 1/4 cup.)

Consider Claritin 24 hour reditab in am and possibly benedryl in pm as you will be eating high histamine. Don't eat any leftover cooked fish--too much histamine.

You should see results with this regimen. Give it 8 weeks some see results sooner.

SOME PRESCRIPTION MEDS WILL PREVENT HEALING. IF YOU ARE ON OTHER PRESCRIPTION MEDS POST IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS.

I'm remission, it took me 4.5 months of Entocort and a GF, DF, SF, low egg, and corn free diet and overall about 2 years of healing.

If you are still struggling on GF, DR, SF diet, Gabe recently posted an alternative list of about 15 prescription meds including Entocort that folks on here have had success with without having to go to Remicade. There are much safer drugs for Microscopic Colitis then Remicade. I don't have time to pull up that list now but it is a recent Gabes post.

They wanted to put my girlfriend's son on Remicade for ulcerative colitis. The family declined and went in another direction due to the high incidence of cancers. Surf the Ulcerative Colitis forums for remicade discussions. In year 1 and 2 it seems to help folks and then in year 3 of transfusions the folks got cancer time and time again. Frightening. Why take the risks when diet and safer drugs can get you to remission?

Anyways, wanted to welcome you, understand you've been suffering for 18 years and it is rough.
Hopefully I have not come across too tough on the Remicade and TNF stuff. We've had a lot of discussion on these in the past so prior threads might be helpful.

Brandy

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:46 am

Chip,

Are you taking supplements? Most folks see improvement eliminating supplements.

Brandy

Post by **tex** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:12 am

Great post Brandy!

I agree 100%. You've outlined a diet program that will work (if by some chance it doesn't, some minor tuning for individual needs will fix that), and you are quite correct about the anti-TNF meds. To date, despite the fact that a number of members here have used them to successfully control their RA and psoriatic arthritis symptoms, to the best of my knowledge, none of them ever experienced any improvement in their MC symptoms while using the drugs. In fact, for some of them, the infusions made their symptoms much worse.

Is this the thread by Gabes that you were referring to?

Attn newbies or anyone struggling....

Tex

Chipilonadog · Post by **Chipilonadog** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 2:51 pm

Hi Brandy,

Thanks for the suggestions. I have tried pretty much every medication there is to treat my colitis to no avail. I will take your advice on the dietary aspect of things. Problem is I have such severe nausea much of the time that eating that many times a day is a bit difficult :(

About to take a nap but wanted to acknowledge your kind message. I will come back to this thread and look at the suggestions a bit more closely. I pretty much eat as you have outlined as it is, so I would only have to make a few minor tweaks to my diet. Again, thanks.

Chips

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 4:36 pm

Chips
Brandy has given you great advice.

Quite a few of us have had nausea at one time or another

Some have used acupuncture, which will help both with reducing inflammation and eliminating the nausea
H1 and H2 antihistamines may also help to reduce the nausea.