Hi, I need to start by saying thank you so very much for the work you all put into this board. I've read Tex's book and read this forum daily. It has changed my life, so thank you.
Can you help me with a few things as I continue the elimination diet and wean off Budesonide?
First, Budesonide didn't seem to work for me, only diet changes helped. Since my Dr. believes MC can not be treated by diet, I am not bothering to ask her. I am weaning myself off the drug. I am now taking (1) 3mg tablet every other day. Changing the dosage hasn't changed my recovery. Based on your experience, would you recommend I go to 1 every third day or just stop all together? I really want to be off this med!
While MOSTLY on the basic diet (meat, rice, potatoes, canned green beans etc) I don't have the D like I used to, but I do get slight stomach aches. My gut (pun sorry) tells me that it is a reaction to something I am digesting. Here is my second question, is it possible that as I heal, I am finally digesting something rather than resorting to D? And instead of D I am reacting with a belly ache?
Third, I never eliminated corn tortillas from my diet. I am recovering with little D, can I assume I can tolerate corn? Or should I try to eliminate it?
Lastly, If I can tolerate food in small quantities, but not large, does that mean I am intolerant? I am confused by this one. I tried a small amount of cheese and I was ok. But GF pizza is definitely out.
Thanks so much!
A few questions from someone in the figuring it out stage
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Beans are a common issue for some - can you swap to another vegetable, ie carrot, sweet potato
what most people have found food wise is that there are;
- staples, the ingredients we can eat every day, multiple times a day and have not issues
- sometimes foods, where you can have 2-3 small serves in the week (any more than this and you start to react) and
- never foods - the ingredients that even the smallest amount will cause symptoms...
the other question - are you taking Vit D3? have you had your level tested recently?
what most people have found food wise is that there are;
- staples, the ingredients we can eat every day, multiple times a day and have not issues
- sometimes foods, where you can have 2-3 small serves in the week (any more than this and you start to react) and
- never foods - the ingredients that even the smallest amount will cause symptoms...
the other question - are you taking Vit D3? have you had your level tested recently?
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,
Welcome to our Internet family. It's great to read that you are seeing significant improvement from your diet changes. I have no idea how long you have been following a restricted diet, but if budesonide does not help, it can often take months (like 6 or more) to see significant improvement from diet restrictions, so you may just need more time and more healing to reach remission.
That's a good question about the budesonide, but it might be a good idea to maybe continue the tapering process to 1 every third day for a week or so, to minimize the chances of a mast cell rebound that could jeopardize your recovery progress. That's strictly a guess, and there are no data on the value of tapering the dosage in cases where it provided no benefits. There is a chance that stopping much sooner might have no consequence, but we simply don't have the data on which to make a logical decision. Continuing the taper a little longer would be the fail-safe choice.
Sometimes, if we have been reacting for years, it can take a while for our digestive system to get used to good digestion again, and as stools begin to solidify, this can cause discomfort as the intestines become accustomed to more solid stools again. Usually a belly ache (in the stomach or upper part of the small intestine) indicates difficulty digesting a food. For example, certain types of meat (such as beef) are more difficult to digest than other meats, and may cause a belly ache for a while. Waxy potatoes are easier to digest than Russets (which are the most common potatoes in grocery stores). This is because waxy potatoes (red potatoes, yellow potatoes, and virtually any other type other than Russets) are mostly made up of a different type of starch that is water soluble, and that makes them easier to digest.
Most of us are not sensitive to corn, but a few of us are. If you suspect that it might be a problem, or just want to test it, avoiding it for 2 or 3 days and then eating it again should demonstrate whether or not corn is a major problem for you. If it's a minor problem, you would need to avoid it for at least 5 or 6 days before trying it again (because the half-life of anti-zein antibodies is approximately 6 days). Zein is the primary protein in corn, and it's the one that you would react to if you were sensitive to corn.
And I agree with what Gabes wrote. The safety of some foods (the ability to tolerate them) is dose-dependent. This can apply to high-histamine foods for example, and dairy products are a high-histamine food.
Again, welcome aboard, and I hope that some of this is helpful.
Tex
Welcome to our Internet family. It's great to read that you are seeing significant improvement from your diet changes. I have no idea how long you have been following a restricted diet, but if budesonide does not help, it can often take months (like 6 or more) to see significant improvement from diet restrictions, so you may just need more time and more healing to reach remission.
That's a good question about the budesonide, but it might be a good idea to maybe continue the tapering process to 1 every third day for a week or so, to minimize the chances of a mast cell rebound that could jeopardize your recovery progress. That's strictly a guess, and there are no data on the value of tapering the dosage in cases where it provided no benefits. There is a chance that stopping much sooner might have no consequence, but we simply don't have the data on which to make a logical decision. Continuing the taper a little longer would be the fail-safe choice.
Sometimes, if we have been reacting for years, it can take a while for our digestive system to get used to good digestion again, and as stools begin to solidify, this can cause discomfort as the intestines become accustomed to more solid stools again. Usually a belly ache (in the stomach or upper part of the small intestine) indicates difficulty digesting a food. For example, certain types of meat (such as beef) are more difficult to digest than other meats, and may cause a belly ache for a while. Waxy potatoes are easier to digest than Russets (which are the most common potatoes in grocery stores). This is because waxy potatoes (red potatoes, yellow potatoes, and virtually any other type other than Russets) are mostly made up of a different type of starch that is water soluble, and that makes them easier to digest.
Most of us are not sensitive to corn, but a few of us are. If you suspect that it might be a problem, or just want to test it, avoiding it for 2 or 3 days and then eating it again should demonstrate whether or not corn is a major problem for you. If it's a minor problem, you would need to avoid it for at least 5 or 6 days before trying it again (because the half-life of anti-zein antibodies is approximately 6 days). Zein is the primary protein in corn, and it's the one that you would react to if you were sensitive to corn.
And I agree with what Gabes wrote. The safety of some foods (the ability to tolerate them) is dose-dependent. This can apply to high-histamine foods for example, and dairy products are a high-histamine food.
Again, welcome aboard, and 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.
Hi Tex,
This is great information! Thank you!
I'll give my history in case it helps anyone
- 2013 Stomach pains/noises began. Diagnosed with Gall Bladder disease
- 2014 D began. Sept 2014 Got Colonoscopy/endoscopy, Diagnosed with MC
- Sept 2014 began treatment of Lialda. Did not help, just dealt with D with good days and bad days, eventually stopped Lialda
- June 2015 stopped Gluten from advice of friend who's "IBS" got better by going GF. Also I stopped Coffee/tea soda because it seemed to cause more problems. (Side note; Caffeine was harder for me to give up than gluten)
- Felt better GF, but eventually symptoms returned - I now understand that system was fighting other intolerances.
-July 2015 went back to GI, telling her I felt as if diet was culprit. She says no, and puts me on Budesonide and lialda.
-August No change in D while on meds, and miraculously find this forum/order and read Persky's book.
- Immediately begin Basic diet recommended on this site- within a week or so, D was dissipating.
-Within 2 weeks D is minimal
-Sept 2015 (now!) Sticking with basic diet and weaning off Budesonide. (Stopped Lialda)
-D only comes back when I made diet error.
I really thought I'd have to live with this the rest of my life. I am so very grateful to be healing!
I've had people tell me they'd rather deal with the symptoms than eat the way that I do. Not me. I choose a life I can enjoy - And by the way I can eat potato chips! (which I would have never known if it weren't for this site!)
This is great information! Thank you!
I'll give my history in case it helps anyone
- 2013 Stomach pains/noises began. Diagnosed with Gall Bladder disease
- 2014 D began. Sept 2014 Got Colonoscopy/endoscopy, Diagnosed with MC
- Sept 2014 began treatment of Lialda. Did not help, just dealt with D with good days and bad days, eventually stopped Lialda
- June 2015 stopped Gluten from advice of friend who's "IBS" got better by going GF. Also I stopped Coffee/tea soda because it seemed to cause more problems. (Side note; Caffeine was harder for me to give up than gluten)
- Felt better GF, but eventually symptoms returned - I now understand that system was fighting other intolerances.
-July 2015 went back to GI, telling her I felt as if diet was culprit. She says no, and puts me on Budesonide and lialda.
-August No change in D while on meds, and miraculously find this forum/order and read Persky's book.
- Immediately begin Basic diet recommended on this site- within a week or so, D was dissipating.
-Within 2 weeks D is minimal
-Sept 2015 (now!) Sticking with basic diet and weaning off Budesonide. (Stopped Lialda)
-D only comes back when I made diet error.
I really thought I'd have to live with this the rest of my life. I am so very grateful to be healing!
I've had people tell me they'd rather deal with the symptoms than eat the way that I do. Not me. I choose a life I can enjoy - And by the way I can eat potato chips! (which I would have never known if it weren't for this site!)
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
I would consider getting your Vit D level checked, if your doctor wont assist, you can do it direct via the Vit D council (tex or another USA resident may chime in with details on this)
IF the D returns quickly after a diet mistake, then the gut is still quite reactive...
- supplementing with Vit D3 and magnesium is key when there is inflammation/reactions occurring and helping the gut to heal
- sticking with low inflammation gut healing eating plan, lots of animal protein, etc is important
- home made bone broth has helped many with gut healing, it packed full of key nutrients/ingredients that help the gut to heal...
IF the D returns quickly after a diet mistake, then the gut is still quite reactive...
- supplementing with Vit D3 and magnesium is key when there is inflammation/reactions occurring and helping the gut to heal
- sticking with low inflammation gut healing eating plan, lots of animal protein, etc is important
- home made bone broth has helped many with gut healing, it packed full of key nutrients/ingredients that help the gut to heal...
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
As Gabes mentioned, this is the lab that a lot of us use to order our own vitamin D test kits (the kit contains all the items needed to collect a few blood spots for a sample to be sent back to the lab for analysis).
Their accuracy seems to be right on the money, because last spring I had just received my test results when my doctor ordered a vitamin D test from the lab he uses. The results were identical.
https://vitamindcouncil.zrtlab.com/
Tex
Their accuracy seems to be right on the money, because last spring I had just received my test results when my doctor ordered a vitamin D test from the lab he uses. The results were identical.
https://vitamindcouncil.zrtlab.com/
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.