I was diagnosed with LC today...

[Gabes-Apg]

I dont recall anyone having issues with Coconut Aminos, Joanne.

[Jumpindogs]

I dont recall anyone having issues with Coconut Aminos, Joanne.

Thanks Gabes. It seemed safe being only coconut tree sap and sea salt but the "aged" part made me wonder about histamines.

I'd be lost without you guys. I appreciate you all so much! Lifesavers you are.

[Gabes-Apg]

with things like histamine, it is a case of balance.

the small amount you would be having (it has a strong flavour) would not cause an issue.
If you have 3 meals a day, and most of the ingredients each meal are high histamine, that is an issue..

[Jumpindogs]

with things like histamine, it is a case of balance.

the small amount you would be having (it has a strong flavour) would not cause an issue.
If you have 3 meals a day, and most of the ingredients each meal are high histamine, that is an issue..

Ah. That helps. I am so used to "never" after many years of Celiac life.

[Gabes-Apg]

joanne
for ideal digestion process, we actually need small amount of histamine.
it is excess histamine that is an issue for MC'ers.

[Jumpindogs]

So I've been on the bland phase of this elimination diet since mid May, on and off Uceris with varying Loperamide regimens (daily then twice daily then every other day) since May 12 thanks to my previous GI doc and most recently have been on daily Uceris plus twice daily Loperamide since July 1. Going 1-3 x daily every other day with somewhat reduced urgency...although I still have to find a potty fairly fast... and BMs ranging from 5-6 with the occasional 4. A definite improvement compared to my prior untreated state but still symptomatic.

Since 1) I am nowhere near a point to consider going off Uceris and 2) I cannot begin to contemplate adding any foods until I am off Uceris and with more normal BMs, is it time to consider the possibility that I may be reacting to white and/or sweet potato? Or chicken? Or turkey? Should I try switching from potatoes to rice? Or am I doing fine on this particular bland diet and just need more time to wait it out?

One thing I learned...I cannot eat the Oberto Applewood Smoked Bacon Jerky. Nor the plainest bacon I could find. I get all gurgly and just don't feel right with some BM effects the next day. Who knows if it is the bacon or the natural flavoring? So it seems I might be reacting to certain foods more strongly through the Uceris?

My current diet:

Dried banana (sulfur dioxide-free banana, nothing added; one daily)
Applesauce (apples, water, ascorbic acid)
Chicken breast (mimimally processed, nothing added)
Ground turkey (nothing added)
Almond butter (almonds; minimal amount daily)
Chicken/potato stew (slow cooker chicken breast, peeled sweet potato, peeled red potato, organic garlic powder, sea salt, organic coconut oil, water)
Hash browns (plain potato shreds fried in organic coconut oil with Himalayan salt)
Sweet potato chips (sweet potato, organic coconut oil, sea salt)
Paleo Apple Muffins (banana, farm duck eggs, applesauce, water, organic coconut oil, super fine almond flour, baking soda, sea salt, organic cinnamon; two daily)
Water, plain tea, organic apple juice

I see now I forgot to ditch the garlic like I said I would. Just hit me in the head with a 2 x 4.

[brandy]

Hi Joanne,

In general some time on a narrower diet will help you make more clear determinations. You might consider ditching the apple juice for awhile due to sugar content. Your diet is generally safe. It may be a time/healing thing. I'd narrow down what you are eating to see how you are doing on individual foods.

PS. I find I don't do well with the packaged potato shreds but have to make my own shreds in the food processor. Weird.

[hollyweb]

(here's the 2x4! Just kidding, hehehe!)

Hi Joanne,

Have you done the EnteroLab testing? I mention it because I was eating quite a lot of chicken (which is considered by most a "staple" in the bland food diet) prior to my test results and chicken is a 3+ trigger food for me! I don't know if I'd ever have figured that out on my own. Obviously I'm a newbie myself and others more experienced will be your best guides. It's something you could try ... eliminating chicken or the potatoes (you could try subbing sweet potatoes, squashes, etc.). While not a common trigger, a fair amount of folks (like me!) are sensitive to chicken, and the potato/nightshade family could be another possibility. Eggs and almonds are also foods I now cannot eat, plus I've found I can't tolerate coconut in any form.

Those are just the foods I see in your list that could possibly have become reactive for you.

Wishing you ALL the best, and looking forward to hearing more of the progress which you definitely are making!

Hugs to you,

~ Holly

[Erica P-G]

Hi Joanne,

I see a pattern here....and I think I see too much of it....I would rotate the chicken (yes it can be a 3+ for us, I rotate it....because I am supposed to be able to tolerate it but I can't as hard as I try)...test Cornish Hen (that's close to a chicken taste but its wild farm raised). Applesauce means lots of (fructose) sugar...and pectin tends to disagree with our guts too. I can only have like a tablespoon of raspberry jam period. For a potato I'd rotate waxy kind Yellows, Reds (no russets they are hard on the gut). If you try this and you still need to remove something I sense the Sweet potato (or yam persay....I know we are all different but my antigen level is off the chart with Yams).

You are doing great! Keep at it, you can do this
Hugs
Erica

Dried banana (sulfur dioxide-free banana, nothing added; one daily)
Applesauce (apples, water, ascorbic acid)
Chicken breast (mimimally processed, nothing added)
Ground turkey (nothing added)
Almond butter (almonds; minimal amount daily)
Chicken/potato stew (slow cooker chicken breast, peeled sweet potato, peeled red potato, organic garlic powder, sea salt, organic coconut oil, water)
Hash browns (plain potato shreds fried in organic coconut oil with Himalayan salt)
Sweet potato chips (sweet potato, organic coconut oil, sea salt)
Paleo Apple Muffins (banana, farm duck eggs, applesauce, water, organic coconut oil, super fine almond flour, baking soda, sea salt, organic cinnamon; two daily)
Water, plain tea, organic apple juice

[Gabes-Apg]

agree with suggestions above, apple juice might be a) too acidic and b) too much fruit sugar at this early stage of healing

and if you are concerned about chicken (and there are many here to that do react to chicken) then things like Lamb, Venison, (or other game meats) are the best options to try.

[Gabes-Apg]

The other thing I thought of overnight, is workplace / work schedule.
is your work day stressful?

are the symptoms worse after work days, bit better on non work days?

[Jumpindogs]

...but I've been inundated with work and family stuff. Sorry it took me so long to respond!

Hi Joanne,

In general some time on a narrower diet will help you make more clear determinations. You might consider ditching the apple juice for awhile due to sugar content. Your diet is generally safe. It may be a time/healing thing. I'd narrow down what you are eating to see how you are doing on individual foods.

PS. I find I don't do well with the packaged potato shreds but have to make my own shreds in the food processor. Weird.

Brandy...thanks. :-) I was only using a splash of apple juice to sweeten my tea but I did take your advice and ditch it.

(here's the 2x4! Just kidding, hehehe!)

Hi Joanne,

Have you done the EnteroLab testing? I mention it because I was eating quite a lot of chicken (which is considered by most a "staple" in the bland food diet) prior to my test results and chicken is a 3+ trigger food for me! I don't know if I'd ever have figured that out on my own. Obviously I'm a newbie myself and others more experienced will be your best guides. It's something you could try ... eliminating chicken or the potatoes (you could try subbing sweet potatoes, squashes, etc.). While not a common trigger, a fair amount of folks (like me!) are sensitive to chicken, and the potato/nightshade family could be another possibility. Eggs and almonds are also foods I now cannot eat, plus I've found I can't tolerate coconut in any form.

Those are just the foods I see in your list that could possibly have become reactive for you.

Wishing you ALL the best, and looking forward to hearing more of the progress which you definitely are making!

Hugs to you,

~ Holly

Holly...I wish I could test through EnteroLab but I am IgA deficient. Darn it. Thanks for that 2 x 4 though. :D

I think I was reacting to the sweet potato that I was using lots of in my chicken stew. Ditching that really helped. Thanks for steering me towards re-evaluating my bland diet. :-)

[Jumpindogs]

Hi Joanne,

I see a pattern here....and I think I see too much of it....I would rotate the chicken (yes it can be a 3+ for us, I rotate it....because I am supposed to be able to tolerate it but I can't as hard as I try)...test Cornish Hen (that's close to a chicken taste but its wild farm raised). Applesauce means lots of (fructose) sugar...and pectin tends to disagree with our guts too. I can only have like a tablespoon of raspberry jam period. For a potato I'd rotate waxy kind Yellows, Reds (no russets they are hard on the gut). If you try this and you still need to remove something I sense the Sweet potato (or yam persay....I know we are all different but my antigen level is off the chart with Yams).

You are doing great! Keep at it, you can do this
Hugs
Erica

Dried banana (sulfur dioxide-free banana, nothing added; one daily)
Applesauce (apples, water, ascorbic acid)
Chicken breast (mimimally processed, nothing added)
Ground turkey (nothing added)
Almond butter (almonds; minimal amount daily)
Chicken/potato stew (slow cooker chicken breast, peeled sweet potato, peeled red potato, organic garlic powder, sea salt, organic coconut oil, water)
Hash browns (plain potato shreds fried in organic coconut oil with Himalayan salt)
Sweet potato chips (sweet potato, organic coconut oil, sea salt)
Paleo Apple Muffins (banana, farm duck eggs, applesauce, water, organic coconut oil, super fine almond flour, baking soda, sea salt, organic cinnamon; two daily)
Water, plain tea, organic apple juice

Hey Erica...thanks for sensing the pattern. :-) On your advice, I pretty much ditched the sweet potato (still eat a few chips every few days), way reduced the chicken and switched to organic (used only to make bone broth; I do eat the chicken meat I cook off the carcass but consume it sporadically) and am now eating turkey and pork along with jasmine rice and sporadic potato shreds. I also way reduced the applesauce. Doing much better!

[Jumpindogs]

agree with suggestions above, apple juice might be a) too acidic and b) too much fruit sugar at this early stage of healing

and if you are concerned about chicken (and there are many here to that do react to chicken) then things like Lamb, Venison, (or other game meats) are the best options to try.

Thanks Gabes. :-) I am doing much better after the changes I described in my reply to Erica.

[Jumpindogs]

So after replying to all of you...and I can't express how much I appreciate and am grateful for your advice; it really helped me and I would've been completely lost and alone without you...I wanted to explain that I am doing much better. :-)

I had a colonoscopy a month ago and no lymphocytes in the biopsies. My new GI doc is slowly weaning me off Uceris and, if successful, will then slowly wean me off Loperamide. So far so good. I am occasional friends with Norman again! I still have some urgency but I can't help but wonder if some of that is psychological. You know, once a panty pooper...

I really like my new GI doc and especially since he agrees with so much of what you guys have told me. Although his idea of MC is hallmark watery D and he thinks I am comparatively recovered if I don't have that. He is young, really smart, very kind and has MC patients who are in much worse shape than I was which leaves me feeling very sad for them and grateful for my many blessings.

Of course I can't post without asking a question so here goes...I would like to try a protein smoothie for breakfast and recall mention of hemp powder but cannot find any recommended brands listed or even any recipes beyond two that had "smoothie" in the heading and I am sure there are more wonderful safe smoothie recipes here. I don't know if it's my old, blonde brain or what but I try every word combo that I can think of in the search function and am unable to find the answer to those burning questions. Also, is the fiber in hemp protein powder a problem? I've been trying to stay low fiber as recommended.

TIA for the hemp advice and hugs to all.