Hi all,
I'm new to this group. I was "diagnosed" with MC a couple of months ago- the colonoscopy results were a bit inconclusive. The colonoscopy looked pretty clear, but the biopsies showed some colitis. I also have autoimmune conditions: Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency) and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I feel strongly that all of these conditions are related, including the MC.
I've been following an Autoimmune Paleo diet (restricted version of paleo) for almost a month now. This diet is intended to heal the gut and increase nutrient-dense, whole foods in the diet. I'm not eating grains, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds (with the exception of a little sun butter), nightshades, or sugars (except from small amounts of fruit or occasional small amounts of honey/maple syrup.) I focus on protein and vegetables, with a small of amount of fruit and healthy fats. I am still having digestive issues. I don't have frequency, but when I have a BM it's always loose and I also sometimes get upset stomach or abdominal cramping.
Is the AIP diet to blame? Is there just too much fiber because of all the veggies? Should I instead be focusing on a low-fiber diet to reduce irritation in my colon? I'm worried about getting nutrients I need with a diet like that. There are just too many sources of conflicting information so I thought asking some others with the same condition would be super helpful. I really want to treat the MC holistically with diet- no more meds for me. In fact, I feel my current meds may be a contributing factor to how I got here in the first place. Any thoughts or ideas (details, please!) would be so appreciated. Thanks!
Louise
Diet questions
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi Louise,
Welcome to our internet family. I agree with you that autoimmune type diseases like company, and one tends to lead to another. Be sure your vitamin D level is at least in the sufficient range (higher is better), because vitamin D deficiency promotes autoimmune disease development. And if your doctor tests your blood for vitamin D, be sure that she or he orders the 25(OH)D test, not the 1,25(OH)2D test, because 1,25(OH)2D is the active form of vitamin D, and if that blood test result is high, it means that you are low on vitamin D (but your doctor will mistakenly believe that it is high).
It's certainly possible that the fiber in your diet is causing problems, because fiber can definitely be a problem with MC. Are you eating any raw vegetables? Except for bananas, we find it necessary to thoroughly cook (over-cook, actually) vegetables, in order to make them easier to digest. If that doesn't work, then we have to also reduce the quantity. Don't worry — after your gut heals sufficiently, you will once again be able to eat raw vegetables, and more of them.
You may just need more healing time. It takes a long time for the gut to heal, especially from gluten damage. While a few of us see faster results, it seems to take most of us 6 months or more to see significant improvement. Those who see faster improvement are almost always also using an anti-inflammatory medication to mask their symptoms while the diet changes are healing their gut.
You're definitely on the right track if you don't have a high number of bowel movements each day. And you are correct that many medications can trigger MC.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything. Incidentally, you'll probably get more responses if you post on the Main Message Board, because many members don't seem to regularly read these other forums on this discussion board.
Tex
Welcome to our internet family. I agree with you that autoimmune type diseases like company, and one tends to lead to another. Be sure your vitamin D level is at least in the sufficient range (higher is better), because vitamin D deficiency promotes autoimmune disease development. And if your doctor tests your blood for vitamin D, be sure that she or he orders the 25(OH)D test, not the 1,25(OH)2D test, because 1,25(OH)2D is the active form of vitamin D, and if that blood test result is high, it means that you are low on vitamin D (but your doctor will mistakenly believe that it is high).
It's certainly possible that the fiber in your diet is causing problems, because fiber can definitely be a problem with MC. Are you eating any raw vegetables? Except for bananas, we find it necessary to thoroughly cook (over-cook, actually) vegetables, in order to make them easier to digest. If that doesn't work, then we have to also reduce the quantity. Don't worry — after your gut heals sufficiently, you will once again be able to eat raw vegetables, and more of them.
You may just need more healing time. It takes a long time for the gut to heal, especially from gluten damage. While a few of us see faster results, it seems to take most of us 6 months or more to see significant improvement. Those who see faster improvement are almost always also using an anti-inflammatory medication to mask their symptoms while the diet changes are healing their gut.
You're definitely on the right track if you don't have a high number of bowel movements each day. And you are correct that many medications can trigger MC.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything. Incidentally, you'll probably get more responses if you post on the Main Message Board, because many members don't seem to regularly read these other forums on this discussion board.
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.