Another Newbie

[Whiplash]

I would like to have a couple of tests done at the Enterolab but it is cost-prohibitive for me. For sure I want to do the elimination diet to find out how different foods affect me, but still have 5 weeks of steroids to take and am not sure whether I have to wait until then or if I can start testing now. I'm anxious and sure hope the answer is now.

I have had psoriasis for years, but have refused to take oral meds for it, I avoid meds whenever possible. I used prescription cortisone cream only one time. After seeing that it thins the skin and will never thicken again, I also refuse to use the cream. All these years I have only had it on my hands, but about a year ago I started getting an area on the side of each foot, towards the heel. I have kept it under very good control with Vaseline. Every time I wash my hands and after each shower, while the skin is still damp, I rub in some Vaseline, then use a paper towel to blot off the excess so that it isn't greasy. I learned this trick from a doctor who posted it online several years ago. I know it isn't a cure, but it keeps it in check and sure beats taking all those meds.

Yesterday I felt like it wouldn't be long before I ended up in the hospital, but today I feel better. After making my own electrolyte drink, taking probiotics for 2 days and cutting out dairy, I already find that I am not getting nearly as dizzy and sleepy today. I so appreciate this forum and all of your help.

[tex]

For sure I want to do the elimination diet to find out how different foods affect me, but still have 5 weeks of steroids to take and am not sure whether I have to wait until then or if I can start testing now. I'm anxious and sure hope the answer is now.

If you still have 5 weeks of corticosteroid treatment ahead of you, there would be little point in trying to reintroduce foods now (because the medication may mask the reaction symptoms). The earliest time to consider trying to reintroduce foods is when the corticosteroid treatment is nearing the end.

But now is the time to begin the elimination diet (if you have not already begun it), because it takes a while for the diet to take effect — much longer than most people realize. If you wait until after the corticosteroid regimen is completed (or almost completed) to start the elimination diet, you will almost surely relapse before the diet has had sufficient time to promote any healing, and so you will basically have to start over (and you will lose any advantage that the prednisone might have provided).

Tex

[Whiplash]

I have been taking Prednisone for 2 weeks and 3 days, with one month plus 4 days left to take it. I have heard that it is important to take antibiotics until they are gone, but it is making me extremely dizzy, and keeps getting worse. As I said in a post above, the diarreah went away during the first 2 weeks of treatment, but has been back for the past few days, so it seems to me that the Prednisone isn't doing what the gastroenterologist intended. I'm not going back to that doctor, but I want to get off this Prednisone, so I have made an appointment with my family doctor for Thursday. I have read here that Cipro, Asacol, colazal and Entocort can be helpful. Which would you ask your doctor to prescribe in lieu of the Prednisone?

[Deb]

Whiplash, I'm not sure about a frosting recipe but this site has some good, whole food recipes including desserts. http://mywholefoodlife.com/recipes/. Deb

[tex]

Your diarrhea is almost surely due to the antibiotics that you are taking, not to the lack of efficacy of the Prednisone. But the dizziness is most likely caused by the Prednisone.

I have read here that Cipro, Asacol, colazal and Entocort can be helpful. Which would you ask your doctor to prescribe in lieu of the Prednisone?

Cipro is an antibiotic, not an anti-inflammatory medication. Cipro (along with the other fluoroquinolones) is unique among the antibiotics, because it will stop the D for as long as you take it, but you can't stay on it, because it carries a high risk of causing tendonitis and torn ligaments. It can also cause nerve damage in the form of peripheral neuropathy (similar to diabetes). That makes it a poor choice for treating MC. No antibiotics are suitable for treating MC, because many cases of MC are caused by antibiotics in the first place.

Asacol and Colazal are anti-inflammatory medications based on mesalamine as the active ingredient. Entocort is a corticosteroid (similar to Prednisone), but unlike Prednisone, less than 19 % of Entocort's active ingredient (budesonide) is absorbed into the bloodstream, so it carries a much lower risk of causing adverse side effects. Many members here have used Entocort successfully, but of course it doesn't work for everyone. No medication works for everyone.

Tex

[Jonas]

If I were in that situation, I would make sure that my vitamin D level is always near the upper end of the "normal" range, which in SI units would be roughly 200–250 nmol/l, but I wouldn't allow it to exceed 375 nmol/l.

I tested my vitamin D levels in December 2013 and then they were at 156nmol / l which means I can increase the dose slightly over the winter months. How often should you test vitamin D levels?

I did an adrenal stress test for 4 weeks ago, it showed that I was on stege 3.
My first cortisol value in the morning was normal (it's that time of the day I feel the best) but after 4 hours it is only a 25% of what it should be and then it was under the normal level after that. DHEA mean: was a 15% of what it would be. So I'm going to work with a nutritional therapist on those issues.

Anyone else done a similar test and got similar results that you know of?

[tex]

I tested my vitamin D levels in December 2013 and then they were at 156nmol / l which means I can increase the dose slightly over the winter months. How often should you test vitamin D levels?

That's a good question. If only small dosage changes are being made, and the current blood level of vitamin D is not near the top of the normal range, then frequent testing shouldn't be needed. Once each year or so should be sufficient. On the other hand, if large dosage changes are being made, then the level should be retested after about 3 to 6 months, especially if the blood level is already in the upper part of the range. Obviously, the larger the change, and the higher the existing level, the shorter the testing interval should be.

Actually, 156 nmol/l is a good vitamin D level for most preventative purposes. However, in order to benefit from therapeutic doses (that is, in order to treat existing disease), more vitamin D is needed.

Regarding your extremely low DHEA: Is your cholesterol level low? That can cause both low cortisol and low DHEA, because they are both made from cholesterol. An intermediate hormone (between cholesterol and the production of either cortisol or DHEA) is pregnenolone. Pregnenolone creates both cortisol and DHEA. But chronic stress can distort normal production patterns, because stress promotes the production of additional cortisol. The production of the extra cortisol can result in excessive demands on pregnenalone, and as the pregnenolone production declines, so will the production of cortisol and DHEA. Under conditions of continued (chronic) stress, production of DHEA will lose ground to the production of cortisol (IOW, cortisol has priority). There is even a name for this condition — it's known as the "pregnenolone steal".

It's certainly possible that this imbalance may be responsible for perpetuating your MC symptoms.

Tex

[Whiplash]

My arthritis has been giving me fits the past couple of days, plus I had to do a lot of physical labor today so I'm sore all over. I don't know what to take for pain that won't have a bad effect because of the colitis. Is it OK to take Tylenol, Ibuprofen or aspirin?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Deb]

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is best for us. Deb

[tex]

Tramadol is another option.

Tex