Gas. Bloating and more gas.
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Gas. Bloating and more gas.
The gas is my biggest complaint!!!! Anyone else have this? I am super strict on my diet but the gas is horrible and the bloating. I still have D in tr mornings and seem to be ok the rest of the day- but If I waver the tiniest bit-- (like one almond or 2-3 blueberries, sweet potatoes) I have the worst gas and tmi- the smell is the worst thing ever. I took a course of rifaximin and it helped tremendously whole I was on it but symptoms returned. Especially the bloating. :(. I tried a 2nd round and it didn't seem to help at all. No got frustrated last night and ate trail mix (cashews, almonds, raisins) and am paying for it so bad today. I have Rx for both entocort and lialda but have taken neither bc I really really wanted to do this wo medication ... But if you had to choose- which medication would you do? Will either help w gas and bloating? Thanks. :(
I've been having painful cramps and bloating lately, too. I take antihistamines daily and use digestive enzymes and Questran when the D gets really bad. For a while I had avoided the pain, so I don't know what has changed. My diet is so restricted it's hard to figure out what could possibly be messing me up. Just when you think you're making progress--one step forward, two steps back!
Pat C.
"Don't sweat the small stuff.
P.S. (It's all small stuff!)"
"Don't sweat the small stuff.
P.S. (It's all small stuff!)"
Pat,
The Questran caught my eye. Do you have cramps even when you don't take Questran? The reason I ask is because one of the common side effects of Questran noted by users is cramps.
Antihistamines can cause bloating. I'm guessing that this is because they can cause a reduction in stomach acid production (because histamine normally promotes gastric acid production by the parietal cells in the stomach), and this can lead to less efficient/incomplete digestion (which can lead to fermentation, resulting in gas and bloating).
IOW, it's possible that your treatment with antihistamines, digestive enzymes, and Questran may have gotten out of balance.
Tex
The Questran caught my eye. Do you have cramps even when you don't take Questran? The reason I ask is because one of the common side effects of Questran noted by users is cramps.
Antihistamines can cause bloating. I'm guessing that this is because they can cause a reduction in stomach acid production (because histamine normally promotes gastric acid production by the parietal cells in the stomach), and this can lead to less efficient/incomplete digestion (which can lead to fermentation, resulting in gas and bloating).
IOW, it's possible that your treatment with antihistamines, digestive enzymes, and Questran may have gotten out of balance.
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.
Toritagg,
Either medication should help to end gas/bloating, because they are usually symptoms of incomplete digestion, due to inflammation in the intestines. Entocort is usually more effective than Lialda for most members here, and it usually works faster. The main difference is that your doc may allow you to take Lialda indefinitely, whereas he/she will almost surely require you to discontinue Entocort after 2 or 3 months, and if whatever is causing your gas/bloating is still in your environment/diet/whatever, the symptoms will return when the treatment is ended.
If Entocort doesn't end the gas/bloating, then that suggests that something other than diet is causing the problem.
Tex
Either medication should help to end gas/bloating, because they are usually symptoms of incomplete digestion, due to inflammation in the intestines. Entocort is usually more effective than Lialda for most members here, and it usually works faster. The main difference is that your doc may allow you to take Lialda indefinitely, whereas he/she will almost surely require you to discontinue Entocort after 2 or 3 months, and if whatever is causing your gas/bloating is still in your environment/diet/whatever, the symptoms will return when the treatment is ended.
If Entocort doesn't end the gas/bloating, then that suggests that something other than diet is causing the problem.
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.
Toritagg, I don't have much of either any more, but I certainly remember it. What will still give me gas and/or bloating is anything with sugars… natural or otherwise. So, your dried fruit is an issue. Any fruit will probably be an issue while you are still inflamed. The undigested sugars get into your large intestine where the bacteria in there feeds on the sugars and ferments.
I took Entocort for a total of six months ( and have never looked back). It worked very quickly and it's important to lower the dose as soon as you become somewhat constipated. It's also important not to get off the drug too quickly. The most important thing is diet though. If you don't figure it out, then when you do wean off the drug, you will relapse. I don't know what you are eating right now, but try to keep it simple and home cooked. Cooked proteins, well cooked easy to digest veggies, maybe some white rice, and maybe Chex cereal with almond milk. You can always test foods back into your diet after the inflammation is down. I have been able to add many foods back in. This whole process takes a lot of patience.
Good luck
Leah
I took Entocort for a total of six months ( and have never looked back). It worked very quickly and it's important to lower the dose as soon as you become somewhat constipated. It's also important not to get off the drug too quickly. The most important thing is diet though. If you don't figure it out, then when you do wean off the drug, you will relapse. I don't know what you are eating right now, but try to keep it simple and home cooked. Cooked proteins, well cooked easy to digest veggies, maybe some white rice, and maybe Chex cereal with almond milk. You can always test foods back into your diet after the inflammation is down. I have been able to add many foods back in. This whole process takes a lot of patience.
Good luck
Leah
Thanks all. Yes I am very aware of the diet. I have followed a grain - dairy and soy free diet for 3 plus years. Unfortunately - since this flare - I can't tolerate any fruit at all, nuts, even coconut. My veggie list is short too. And eggs are out. Currently my diet only consists of turkey, bison and very very seldom chicken, cooked spaghetti squash, cooked zucchini, cooked green beans, cooked butternut squash. And honestly that's sort of it. The problem is- I have been doing this diet since January!!!! And every time I try to introduce something- gas/bloating/sick. Meanwhile- the gas is sort of at bay if I am super strict on the food- but if I do eat a nut for example- bam! Gas is back w a vengeance. The D has improved since January but has not disappeared by any means. It's just more bearable. I did a course of rifaximin and it seemed to help amazingly until about a week after the course... I went for round two and that didn't help much at all- and actually I am not having a acne issue ever since!! It's like this never ends. I have gotten rid of nightshades and have started bone broth- I take l-glutamine, tumeric and a good probiotic. I feel like I do everything I am supposed to/ but nothing is working!!!!! I can't even tolerate the grass fed gelatin that I keep reading is supposed to be so healing--- it gives me horrible horrible gas and bloating! Ahh! I am so fruatrated. I was trying to stay away from the medicines but I am getting to the point of not knowing what to do. Thanks for listening to the rant! Nice to know that you all underatand!
Are you gluten free, too (not mentioned above)? If you have a problem with beef, you may also have a problem with bison. When were you diagnosed? It has taken me 1 & a half years to get my symptoms under some control, and I eat as you do...turkey, wild game, cooked squashes. I still can't deviate without consequences. For, some of us it takes a long time. I tried L-glutamine & probiotics and turmeric but couldn't handle them yet. I can't do grass fed gelatin because it is derived from beef, and I can't do beef. I even have trouble with turkey stock...and no, it doesn't make sense to me either!
Do you eat very small meals? I find that helps with the gas/bloat. I do eat nuts/ seeds but I grind them into butter first, and I soak and dehydrate them to make them more digestible.
Keep tweaking...it is like detective work, and it's gets exhausting, I know!
Do you eat very small meals? I find that helps with the gas/bloat. I do eat nuts/ seeds but I grind them into butter first, and I soak and dehydrate them to make them more digestible.
Keep tweaking...it is like detective work, and it's gets exhausting, I know!
Linda :)
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
with Linda and Leah.If you are sensitive to beef, then bison may also be a problem because these days virtually 100 % of them contain domestic cattle DNA.
And as Leah mentioned, the vast majority of us are unable to derive any benefits from a probiotic until after we have been in remission for a while. There are members here who are exceptions, but the odds are not in your favor. For many of us, probiotics will prevent us from achieving complete control of our symptoms, because our immune system recognizes many probiotic bacteria as pathogenic, and that keeps our immune system in a hyperactive state.
And while there are exceptions in the general population also, who do seem to benefit from the use of probiotics — on the average, IMO, those commercial products benefit the people who produce, promote, and sell them, much more than they benefit most of the people who spend their hard-earned money on them. As always, YMMV.
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.
Toritagg,
Did you stay on Prescript Assist? How are you doing now? I have a bottle at home. I took 1/day x 2 days so far and noticed a difference right away, although I still have D, but only 1-2/day.
Did you stay on Prescript Assist? How are you doing now? I have a bottle at home. I took 1/day x 2 days so far and noticed a difference right away, although I still have D, but only 1-2/day.
1987 Mononucleosis (EBV)
2004 Hypomyopathic Dermatomyositis
2009 Lymphocytic Colitis
2010 GF/DF/SF Diet
2014 Low Dose Naltrexone
2004 Hypomyopathic Dermatomyositis
2009 Lymphocytic Colitis
2010 GF/DF/SF Diet
2014 Low Dose Naltrexone
Toritagg,
I can't add much helpful to all the great answers you have already received. But I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Bloating in specific places of my intestines has been awful as of lately. I don't have a lot of gas, interestingly enough. I think the air is just staying in there. It feels like somebody is inflating and deflating different parts of my intestines over and over again. I am currently cutting back on fruits, veggies, and nuts to see if that makes a difference. It is very frustrating when you are already on such a restricted diet and have to further cut back (instead of slowly adding things). Here's to patience, we all need it! It takes so much detective work to make progress. I often wish I was handed this nice little booklet where every single food ingredient is listed as to how my body likes it or not. Wouldn't that be convenient??? I guess it will take me a few years to write this booklet myself...
Love, Patricia
I can't add much helpful to all the great answers you have already received. But I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Bloating in specific places of my intestines has been awful as of lately. I don't have a lot of gas, interestingly enough. I think the air is just staying in there. It feels like somebody is inflating and deflating different parts of my intestines over and over again. I am currently cutting back on fruits, veggies, and nuts to see if that makes a difference. It is very frustrating when you are already on such a restricted diet and have to further cut back (instead of slowly adding things). Here's to patience, we all need it! It takes so much detective work to make progress. I often wish I was handed this nice little booklet where every single food ingredient is listed as to how my body likes it or not. Wouldn't that be convenient??? I guess it will take me a few years to write this booklet myself...
Love, Patricia
I have done better with the gas/bloat since taking betaine hcl and digestive enzymes. There's also Betaine TMG......It's worth a try.....
I've also been eating a lower oxalate diet,many believe it has helped my symptoms.
http://lowoxalateinfo.com/who-benefits- ... late-diet/
Patricia...I see you're from Pittsburgh! I live about 100 miles northeast of there, and my son lives in the Burg....nice to see a local on the site!
I've also been eating a lower oxalate diet,many believe it has helped my symptoms.
http://lowoxalateinfo.com/who-benefits- ... late-diet/
Patricia...I see you're from Pittsburgh! I live about 100 miles northeast of there, and my son lives in the Burg....nice to see a local on the site!
Linda :)
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....