I have been gluten and dairy free over 1 year. Soy free for 6 months. I was not cured but controlled with the occasional smallish flare. Then a major flare started 2 months ago...it wouldn't go away so I tried to figure it out with elimination. I tried rice, chicken and bananas with no success...I took antihistamines and finally ended up eating nothing but steamed cod and boiled potatoes. No success. I was depressed and losing weight...not only was my immune system attacking me, I felt a deep sense of self-loathing. The only thing I had eliminated was my will to live!
Then I was invited to a friend's birthday party...a banquet and overnight stay in his medieval manor house. I dread these occasions...having to ask how the food is prepared and having to use someone else's bathroom. But...as I was at such a low ebb and I no longer believed that elimination was working I decided to throw caution to the wind and have a really good time whatever the consequences. I was sick of tip-toeing around the subject of exactly what food I could or could not eat. Except for gluten I ate everything...and washed it down with gallons of Champagne! In a final suicidal indulgence I gorged on cheese...particularly a full fat, unpasteurized ripe Brie which would probably have failed to meet the Geneva convention on biological warfare...it was delicious!
I warned my fellow house guests that I might be up in the night and not to be alarmed...however, I passed a peaceful night and found to my astonishment that my trip to the bathroom was slightly more successful than usual. On returning home I bought another powerfully ripe cheese and enjoyed that one as much as the first. I have gone back to my old mixed diet...more or less...and have been improving ever since.
So...what do you think is going on? I am often better than I would expect away from home...could it be something in my home environment. It doesn't seem to be food...could it be something in the town water? I have been drinking bottled water ever since.
Or could it be the miraculous effect of cheese with its plentiful array of pathogens...bacteria, mold and goodness knows what else?
Or is it the curative effect of having a really good time for a change!
I have to stress...this has not been a miracle cure...but I am now much better than I was. I would be grateful for any ideas.
Thanks...Nick
Elimination failure...any ideas?
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
I would guess the replenishment of bacteria and food to help them colonize.
Or could it be the miraculous effect of cheese with its plentiful array of pathogens...bacteria, mold and goodness knows what else?
Theresa
MC and UC 2014
in remission since June 1, 2014
We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. ~Jim Rohn
MC and UC 2014
in remission since June 1, 2014
We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. ~Jim Rohn
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
I think it is because you did just let loose!!!!
You socialised, you gave your taste buds a real treat, you stopped overthinking food things.
Living with MC successfully is not just about the diet. It's about the mental and emotional side, acceptance, being at peace with our bodies and what they may or may not do, being ok with the fact you might spend all night on the loo, not being embarrassed if you do spend all night on the loo, not letting it rule every day of your life,
You socialised, you gave your taste buds a real treat, you stopped overthinking food things.
Living with MC successfully is not just about the diet. It's about the mental and emotional side, acceptance, being at peace with our bodies and what they may or may not do, being ok with the fact you might spend all night on the loo, not being embarrassed if you do spend all night on the loo, not letting it rule every day of your life,
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Hi Nick,
Microscopic colitis comes in 3 basic forms — diarrhea-dominant, constipation-dominant, and alternating diarrhea and constipation.
I have the latter form, and for me and others here, cheese is constipating (this is also true in the general population), and in some cases it can tend to balance out the effects of reactions that would otherwise result in diarrhea. While this implies that in such cases cheese can be used to mange clinical symptoms, that does not mean that it is a good choice. The problem is that it can create the same type of inflammation as any other food that promotes the production of antibodies. The result will be that at some point down the road, the risk of developing additional autoimmune syndromes (contingent upon one's genetics) will be significantly enhanced.
For example, I can eat all the cheese (and any other dairy products, for that matter) that I want, without causing any obvious clinical symptoms. But my EnteroLab results show that I produce antibodies to casein (the primary protein in all dairy products). Months after eliminating all dairy products from my diet again (I say "again", because I had avoided all dairy products while I was initially recovering, years ago, but I reintroduced it a couple of years later), my osteoarthritis symptoms stopped. So obviously the casein was causing widespread inflammation in my body, without any noticeable GI symptoms. Let me qualify the term "noticeable" by pointing out that if I ate cheese, there would be constipation, but since it's common knowledge that cheese is constipating, and no other dairy products caused me to have constipation, I just shrugged it off as a normal phenomenon. The point here is that if we want to live to a ripe old age with a minimum of autoimmune issues to handicap our enjoyment of life, we have to get rid of the inflammation in our body by avoiding the foods (or medications — many OTC and prescription drugs cause the production of antibodies) that either cause, or perpetuate, the inflammation. IOW, the prospect of spending my golden years in a wheelchair, or in the bathroom, has been my motivation for eliminating dairy products from my diet, even though my digestive system will tolerate it quite well.
Confusion and indecision tend to confound our hopes of controlling this disease. We have to have a plan, based on a clear understanding of what we are up against, if we are to take control of the situation, and turn it around. If I were in your situation, I would order some test panels from EnteroLab, in order to eliminate all the confusion about which foods are doing what to my digestive system, because of immune system involvement. Test results are usually available within 3 weeks or less, and they can definitely help you to avoid additional years of confused, directionless, trial and error treatment. The cost of those tests is not inconsiderable, but if they can help us to get our life back (which a majority here will certainly attest to), then deciding to order them should be a no-brainer. For most of us, those results are the foundation of our treatment program, which we then fine-tune as we go.
I hope that some of this is helpful.
Tex
Microscopic colitis comes in 3 basic forms — diarrhea-dominant, constipation-dominant, and alternating diarrhea and constipation.
I have the latter form, and for me and others here, cheese is constipating (this is also true in the general population), and in some cases it can tend to balance out the effects of reactions that would otherwise result in diarrhea. While this implies that in such cases cheese can be used to mange clinical symptoms, that does not mean that it is a good choice. The problem is that it can create the same type of inflammation as any other food that promotes the production of antibodies. The result will be that at some point down the road, the risk of developing additional autoimmune syndromes (contingent upon one's genetics) will be significantly enhanced.
For example, I can eat all the cheese (and any other dairy products, for that matter) that I want, without causing any obvious clinical symptoms. But my EnteroLab results show that I produce antibodies to casein (the primary protein in all dairy products). Months after eliminating all dairy products from my diet again (I say "again", because I had avoided all dairy products while I was initially recovering, years ago, but I reintroduced it a couple of years later), my osteoarthritis symptoms stopped. So obviously the casein was causing widespread inflammation in my body, without any noticeable GI symptoms. Let me qualify the term "noticeable" by pointing out that if I ate cheese, there would be constipation, but since it's common knowledge that cheese is constipating, and no other dairy products caused me to have constipation, I just shrugged it off as a normal phenomenon. The point here is that if we want to live to a ripe old age with a minimum of autoimmune issues to handicap our enjoyment of life, we have to get rid of the inflammation in our body by avoiding the foods (or medications — many OTC and prescription drugs cause the production of antibodies) that either cause, or perpetuate, the inflammation. IOW, the prospect of spending my golden years in a wheelchair, or in the bathroom, has been my motivation for eliminating dairy products from my diet, even though my digestive system will tolerate it quite well.
Confusion and indecision tend to confound our hopes of controlling this disease. We have to have a plan, based on a clear understanding of what we are up against, if we are to take control of the situation, and turn it around. If I were in your situation, I would order some test panels from EnteroLab, in order to eliminate all the confusion about which foods are doing what to my digestive system, because of immune system involvement. Test results are usually available within 3 weeks or less, and they can definitely help you to avoid additional years of confused, directionless, trial and error treatment. The cost of those tests is not inconsiderable, but if they can help us to get our life back (which a majority here will certainly attest to), then deciding to order them should be a no-brainer. For most of us, those results are the foundation of our treatment program, which we then fine-tune as we go.
I hope that some of 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.
Good question. I wonder what Tex will say. I know that sometimes I also do better away from home and when I am "partying". Having a good time can go a long way to your whole system feeling good. However, I did stop drinking too much of our tap water when the water district switched to chloramine instead of chlorine. It's KILLS EVERYTHING! My gut microbes were eliminated. That caused problems. Distilled is a good way to go.
Hope you find your answer
Leah
Hope you find your answer
Leah
Leah (and all),
IMO the phenomenon of "letting go" and enjoying oneself is a prime example of the placebo effect. The placebo effect is very real (and often very potent), and it is the saving grace that allows many anti-depressants, and statins, for example, that have virtually no actual efficacy against the diseases that they are labeled to treat, to receive FDA approval.
In this particular case, the efficacy is obviously directed at stress. Relieving stress is a very important part of our treatment program. Unfortunately though, while relieving stress can be extremely beneficial, it cannot overcome all evil, all the time, so we still have to maintain an effective diet-centric treatment program.
Tex
IMO the phenomenon of "letting go" and enjoying oneself is a prime example of the placebo effect. The placebo effect is very real (and often very potent), and it is the saving grace that allows many anti-depressants, and statins, for example, that have virtually no actual efficacy against the diseases that they are labeled to treat, to receive FDA approval.
In this particular case, the efficacy is obviously directed at stress. Relieving stress is a very important part of our treatment program. Unfortunately though, while relieving stress can be extremely beneficial, it cannot overcome all evil, all the time, so we still have to maintain an effective diet-centric treatment program.
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.