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Only half bad! We are making progress. I wish I was one of those 90% who kicked the disease to the curb in less than 3 years!:roll:
From the Sarasota, FL Herald-Tribune...
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am nearly 90 years old and have been in fairly good health until March of this year. I came down with diarrhea. My doctor asked for a blood test and then recommended a colonoscopy. The report was lymphocytic colitis. He removed one polyp, which was benign. There was nothing else.
No one can tell me anything: the cause, what to eat or how to stop it. My stools are very loose, but not watery anymore. The Internet did mention Pepto-Bismol, which I've been taking per instructions. I would appreciate any advice you could give. -- A.S.
ANSWER: Lymphocytic colitis is a type of inflammation of the colon. It causes watery diarrhea, and normally occurs in middle-aged people (I guess 90 is the new middle age). It is similar to collagenous colitis, which I have written about before, but which still isn't commonly known. Both are microscopic colitis, meaning the colon appears normal on colonoscopy, and the pathologist makes the diagnosis by looking at a biopsy sample under the microscope. There is a connection to celiac disease, so it is wise to take a look for celiac in anyone diagnosed with microscopic colitis. It also seems to be associated with autoimmune diseases.
In many people, the symptoms go away by themselves -- sometimes in a few months, and 90 percent of cases within three years. The most effective drug treatment seems to be the oral medicine budesonide, a steroid that is poorly absorbed, so that it stays in the colon where it works. It is quite expensive. Pepto-Bismol is a reasonable treatment and improves symptoms. If symptoms persist despite treatment, a gluten-free diet may be worth trying.
