New to Forum and Have Questions

[christinafriberg]

Gabes-
How did you "settle histamine inflammation"?
Thanks!
Christina

[Gabes-Apg]

christina
i was just about to reply to your email, but will reply here in case it benefits someone else

for me calming histamine inflammation involved the following
fixing key deficiencies that were impacting methylation/adrenals/immune system;
- magnesium
- Vit C
- Zinc (i have other health issues that deplete zinc)
- B group vitamins (B6, B12 etc preferably active forms)
- reduced exposure to external triggers such as mold, wifi/EMF,

This post in the methylation section discusses the link between histamine issues and methylation
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=21361

Please note: before you do any high level zinc supplementation - please have your zinc and copper blood serum levels checked.

[Monicad]

Thank you all for the words of wisdom. I was stumped by the wine as gin and diet ginger ale don't bother me. I did an experiment and red wine seems to be okay. Lol I do sound like an alcoholic with all this good greif but alas I am not. Maybe I should be. Lol. It's not a fun roller coaster right now but I will figure it out somehow. I will keep the questions coming.

[christinafriberg]

Gabes-Great info, much appreciated! Very helpful to move forward! I see my Naturopath next week and will ask about zinc and copper blood serum testing.
She has recommended 23andme genetic testing also. It's probably a must do too.
Thank you!!
Christina

[dhouts]

I was diagnosed with MC in 2009 after 3 years of symptoms. It took a dr in Guatemala, in the middle of nowhere, that told me there was help and he urged me to get that help when I returned to the USA. In the meantime I was living on Imodium. I was shocked and overwhelmed with the diagnosis and didn't manage MC too well. It was another year before I agreed to take Entocort. After I lost my insurance, I discovered how expensive Entocort is! I quickly found a clinic that worked with me on getting it from Canada. It was another year before I was connected with a GI Dr. They did their own colonoscopy and the results showed no MC. I questioned the test results. How does one go from a diagnosis of MC and told that I will always have it, to Hey! You don't have it! But my symptoms remained and even got worse. My new GI Dr told me that if I went to counseling, took yoga, I would improve. This Dr also offered pain meds that left me so dizzy, I couldn't take them. Lomotil worked but it was nothing more that a cork. I cleaned up my diet, but my symptoms remained.

I found a new Dr and thus switched to a new GI Dr. He did a colonoscopy last month and the test results are positive for MC. I was doing really well post colonoscopy and I really only needed something for pain. I was prescribed an antidepressant but I just stopped taking it; the side effects were too debilitating. The flaring has returned so I may start Entocort soon.

I happened upon the website and this message board today. Thank you for being here. I have learned so much in the last hour just reading the posts than I have in the last 10 years! I also feel so much better now that the diagnosis has been confirmed. The three years I was with Dr #2 left me feeling so worthless. Now, I feel vindicated and strong.

I'll be reading through more posts for more education and I'll be purchasing the books, as well. I also sent a letter to Dr #2. Something went wrong with colonoscopy #2 and I felt they needed to know. Sometimes, listening to the patient and questioning a test result is okay.

Anyway, time to move forward. After much research I am now taking Vitamin D and magnesium (blood test showed that I was low on itamin D). However, today after reading the posts on magnesium, I discovered that I am taking the wrong kind. I am also taking a probiotic, Florastor. I'm not sure if the probiotic helps my gut but my skin sure is softer. If anyone knows anything about that particular one, please let me know.

I'm not feeling overwhelmed as I did with the first diagnosis. I would just like to get this under control as I'm sure all of you do too. Thanks again for being here!

[tex]

Hi Diana,

Welcome to our Internet family. I'm sorry that you had to deal with this disease for so long with no help. I find it incredible that your second GI specialist actually decided that you did not have MC, but I suppose I'm not surprised. There are still far too many gastroenterologists who are virtually clueless about the disease, and especially about treating it effectively. I hope that you can find the information here that you need to get your life back.

Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything. Today is the first day of your journey back to health, and you are off to a good start.

Tex

[Monicad]

Geez so many questions. I have an off shoot question.

Even though I have been eating a fraction of what I used to eat and of course low carb, etc etc I have been gaining steady weight! I don't understand as most folks with MC loose weight. Not me. I am getting so frustrated with it. I work out and it seems I have to do triple what everyone else does always to stay in shape. I know my thyroid is low but it's right on the limit of not being medicated for it. I get it tested every year and it just sits at the very bottom cusp of the normal range or just a tad lower. Is the weight gain a possible symptom of MC? I'm thinking not but wanted to ask. And as far as I researched there is nothing naturopathic to help with low thyroid. It's just lately I have been on a steady slow weight gain. I'm now over what I started with before diagnosis.

Appreciate any input.

[Gabes-Apg]

monica
there seems to be the two 'extremes' with MC

smaller framed people loose weight
larger framed people gain weight and struggle to shift it ( i am one of them)

there are a couple of reasons;
if we are stressed, and stressed about eating food our bodies will make mega efforts to store sugar
i didnt lose weight until gut was happy, and thyroid, adrenals etc were happy at this stage, the weight reduced even without the aid of physical activity.

[tex]

Monica,

Contrary to what most out-of-date "experts" claim, to lose weight (and to become healthier in the process), eat fewer carbs (especially grain — grain is what farmers, ranchers, and feedlot operators feed livestock to fatten them in a hurry) and get your calories from healthy fat and protein. The carbs in vegetables are not likely to make anyone gain weight — it's the carbs in grain that are potent.

But I suspect your main problem is your thyroid. If your TSH is at or above the "normal" range, or your Free T4 or Free T3 is at the bottom of the "normal" range, you need a thyroid supplement. Why? Because that so-called "normal" range also includes people who are actually hypothyroid. The arbitrary range designated as "normal" is not normal for everyone. Before the TSH test was developed, doctors treated thyroid issues based on clinical symptoms. But when the TSH test became available, everyone forgot how to treat hypothyroidism and simply followed the test results because even a trained monkey could do it, and whenever doctors follow recommended test procedures, they eliminate liability risks, and liability risks are always on doctors' minds. But as a result of that test, now there are many thousands of hypothyroid people unable to get the treatment they need.

I apologize because I can't remember who is taking medication and who is not. Are you taking a corticosteroid (budesonide)? Corticosteroids are notorious for making some people gain weight.

Tex

[Monicad]

Hi Tex. Yes I am on endocort. Have been on for about 3 months now. Lower 6mg does. Hum. That seems to correlate with the weight gain.

My thyroid can be a major issue as well but unfortunately as you mentioned my doctor will not give me even a low does of meds. My mother had hypothyroidism and was on meds for years. I guess I inherited a bit of it :(. I just can't seem to find anything to sort it out. I've dealt with it. But the strange weight gain was puzzling me.

[Gabes-Apg]

iodine has helped my thyroid issues

my TSH always comes up "in Range' and the health system here wont do further testing

I outlayed for the Reverse T3 test, and a iodine urine test . Reverse T3 was off the charts and the iodine was severely deficient.
supplementing with iodine has helped with alot of symptoms, anxiety, concentration and less weight gain issues...