A bit of background information: I am 23 years old, I have type 1 diabetes (since 2005), and about 5 years ago I started seeing a behavioral health specialist that prescribed both Zoloft and Clonazepam to help with the anxiety I was having. I began having D symptoms in July of this year, which seemed to get progressively worse. Long story short, I was diagnosed with MC about a month ago. My doctor told me to stop the Zoloft ASAP, assuming it would improve my symptoms. However, it didn't seem to help too much, so I have been taking Budesonide for about 3 weeks now. My symptoms have improved, although the stress associated with my symptoms makes it very difficult to achieve remission. So, I am wondering if anyone on here has had experience with drug-induced MC, and how you went about treating it.
Many thanks for your help,
Marikate
Drug-Induced Microscopic Colitis
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi Marikate,
Welcome to the forum. Some people are luckier than others, and so in some cases (especially if it is done soon enough) just stopping the medication that caused MC and avoiding it forever will stop the MC and prevent it from reoccurring.
But most of us are not that lucky. We have to do what everyone else here is doing. We have to figure out all of the food sensitivities that were triggered when our MC was triggered, and avoid them so that the inflammation will stop being regenerated with every meal. This will allow our gut to heal.
The budesonide may mask all or part of the symptoms. Sometimes it works, but it doesn't work for everyone. And it cannot stop the inflammation from being regenerated, so when the treatment is ended, the symptoms will return. And for many of us, it will not resolve the symptoms without at least eliminating our major food sensitivities from our diet. I wish there were a simpler solution, but if there is, no one has discovered it yet.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to the forum. Some people are luckier than others, and so in some cases (especially if it is done soon enough) just stopping the medication that caused MC and avoiding it forever will stop the MC and prevent it from reoccurring.
But most of us are not that lucky. We have to do what everyone else here is doing. We have to figure out all of the food sensitivities that were triggered when our MC was triggered, and avoid them so that the inflammation will stop being regenerated with every meal. This will allow our gut to heal.
The budesonide may mask all or part of the symptoms. Sometimes it works, but it doesn't work for everyone. And it cannot stop the inflammation from being regenerated, so when the treatment is ended, the symptoms will return. And for many of us, it will not resolve the symptoms without at least eliminating our major food sensitivities from our diet. I wish there were a simpler solution, but if there is, no one has discovered it yet.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
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,
Thank you so much for your reply. I've been on a pretty bland diet, but I've had a hard time going gluten free. For me, I feel that most of my symptoms are triggered by stress. However, since I've stopped the anti-anxiety medication, it has been really difficult for me to manage. I don't really want to take any more medications just because of the terrible experience I've had already. Any thoughts/tips on stress management?
Thank you so much for your reply. I've been on a pretty bland diet, but I've had a hard time going gluten free. For me, I feel that most of my symptoms are triggered by stress. However, since I've stopped the anti-anxiety medication, it has been really difficult for me to manage. I don't really want to take any more medications just because of the terrible experience I've had already. Any thoughts/tips on stress management?
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
welcome to the group! sympathies that you had to find us
stress is one of my major triggers as well, some tips
- good quality vit D3 and magnesium supplementation
- allocate time each day to relax - breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, time in nature, podcasts or audiobooks instead of TV,
- ensure you get good quality sleep each night
sorry you have had a hard time changing your diet, given your age and the issues you are having, as Tex mentioned there is no simpler or easier solution, I encourage you to do the mental and emotional work of embracing diet changes for the long term, it is the best way that you can avoid chronic illness later in life.
hope this helps
stress is one of my major triggers as well, some tips
- good quality vit D3 and magnesium supplementation
- allocate time each day to relax - breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, time in nature, podcasts or audiobooks instead of TV,
- ensure you get good quality sleep each night
sorry you have had a hard time changing your diet, given your age and the issues you are having, as Tex mentioned there is no simpler or easier solution, I encourage you to do the mental and emotional work of embracing diet changes for the long term, it is the best way that you can avoid chronic illness later in life.
hope this helps
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Gabes is an expert on stress relief techniques so I'll leave those suggestions to her and others here.
I would point out though that anxiety and depression are symptoms of a chronic magnesium deficiency. Been there, done that. And the stress resulting from those symptoms further depletes magnesium.
Please read the thread at the following link. This thread is about depression, but it also applies to anxiety and/or panic attacks. I'm speaking from personal experiences. 2 years ago I had anxiety/panic attack-like symptoms. I finally tracked the problem down to a chronic magnesium deficiency. I was taking magnesium supplements at the time, but not nearly enough. IBDs (including MC) deplete magnesium and many medications (including antibiotics, PPIs, antidepressants, and others) deplete magnesium. Even coffee depletes magnesium. That's why some estimates show that about 80 % of the general population are magnesium deficient.
Feel like I need to go back on anti-depressants...
The bottom line is that doctors prescribe powerful drugs to treat various health issues when they should be prescribing magnesium. Drugs treat the symptoms. But magnesium treats the cause of the problem.
Tex
I would point out though that anxiety and depression are symptoms of a chronic magnesium deficiency. Been there, done that. And the stress resulting from those symptoms further depletes magnesium.
Please read the thread at the following link. This thread is about depression, but it also applies to anxiety and/or panic attacks. I'm speaking from personal experiences. 2 years ago I had anxiety/panic attack-like symptoms. I finally tracked the problem down to a chronic magnesium deficiency. I was taking magnesium supplements at the time, but not nearly enough. IBDs (including MC) deplete magnesium and many medications (including antibiotics, PPIs, antidepressants, and others) deplete magnesium. Even coffee depletes magnesium. That's why some estimates show that about 80 % of the general population are magnesium deficient.
Feel like I need to go back on anti-depressants...
The bottom line is that doctors prescribe powerful drugs to treat various health issues when they should be prescribing magnesium. Drugs treat the symptoms. But magnesium treats the cause of 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.
Gabes
Thank you for the tips! I feel like stress management is one of those "easier said than done" kind of things
haha.
Tex
Just picked up some magnesium supplements today. Would you recommend vit D3 as well?
Also, does anyone else have trouble sleeping due to bloating/abdominal tension? It seems to get worse when I lay on my side, so I've been trying to sleep only on my back and somewhat elevated. I usually wake up pretty early (before my alarm goes off) with a lot of urgency & usually end up having D at least once, depending on the day. I can't really find any association to a certain food (yet), so I'm not sure what else could be causing this. Any thoughts appreciated.
Many thanks
Thank you for the tips! I feel like stress management is one of those "easier said than done" kind of things
haha. Tex
Just picked up some magnesium supplements today. Would you recommend vit D3 as well?
Also, does anyone else have trouble sleeping due to bloating/abdominal tension? It seems to get worse when I lay on my side, so I've been trying to sleep only on my back and somewhat elevated. I usually wake up pretty early (before my alarm goes off) with a lot of urgency & usually end up having D at least once, depending on the day. I can't really find any association to a certain food (yet), so I'm not sure what else could be causing this. Any thoughts appreciated.
Many thanks
Marikate,
Yes, unless you have recently tested your vitamin D3 blood level and know that it is above roughly 50 ng/mL, supplementing with vitamin D3 would almost surely be beneficial. Vitamin D deficiency is very common in the general population (especially during the winter), and IBDs (including MC) deplete vitamin D. Corticosteroids (including budesonide) also deplete vitamin D, so your vitamin D reserves are being depleted each day that you take budesonide.
Before my symptoms began, I always slept on my stomach. After I went to bed, all I had to do was to roll over onto my tummy and I was off to Slumberville. But that was impossible after my symptoms began, so I soon learned to sleep on my back. Sleeping was still a hit-or-miss proposition though, until I finally figured out what was causing the bloating and pain, and changed my diet.
The cause of the gas and bloating is virtually always gluten, and it causes the other food sensitivities (because gluten causes leaky gut). But many of us find that as long as we are eating gluten, we can't really tell what's causing the problem. That's because the half-life of anti-gliadin antibodies is 120 days whereas the half-life of most other food sensitivities is about 6 days. Because of that, gluten dominates our immune system perceptions until we have avoided gluten long enough for the antibodies to decline enough that the immune system can begin to work more normally again.
Yes, virtually every one of us here is gluten sensitive, despite our doctors insisting that we can't be sensitive to gluten because our celiac blood test results were negative. The problem is that the doctors are completely confused because they assume that the celiac blood tests have perfect accuracy, when in fact they have a very poor accuracy record. In reality, doctors are only able to diagnose roughly 5 % of celiac cases. The rest go undiagnosed, because of the poor (out-dated) diagnostic methods used. But the main problem is the fact that most of us have non-celiac gluten sensitivity and the medical community does not even have an approved test for detecting non-celiac gluten sensitivity. So how could they possibly know whether we are sensitive to gluten or not.
Most of us are able to see improvement after totally avoiding gluten and all dairy products. It takes time for the intestines to heal from the damage caused by gluten, so it takes some people 6 months to a year (or more), while some people see improvement within a few days. On the average, most people begin to see some benefits from the diet changes within a few weeks to a few months. But whatever you do, don't give up too soon, because patience and perseverance pay off.
Budesonide can mask the symptoms, but it cannot prevent the inflammation from being regenerated with each meal. That means that when your doctor tells you it's time to wean off the budesonide, the symptoms will return if you have not made the diet changes that prevent the inflammation from being regenerated.
And because you have diabetes, I would suggest that you read the book Pancreatic Cancer — A Guidebook for Prevention. Especially read the chapter on magnesium (chapter 2, I believe). It explains why magnesium is so important for insulin regulation. You can download the book in digital form free of charge at the following booksellers and others, including the Apple bookstore. It's also available on Amazon, but Amazon does not allow free downloads.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/665808
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pancrea ... 0153734132
You're very welcome,
Tex
Yes, unless you have recently tested your vitamin D3 blood level and know that it is above roughly 50 ng/mL, supplementing with vitamin D3 would almost surely be beneficial. Vitamin D deficiency is very common in the general population (especially during the winter), and IBDs (including MC) deplete vitamin D. Corticosteroids (including budesonide) also deplete vitamin D, so your vitamin D reserves are being depleted each day that you take budesonide.
Before my symptoms began, I always slept on my stomach. After I went to bed, all I had to do was to roll over onto my tummy and I was off to Slumberville. But that was impossible after my symptoms began, so I soon learned to sleep on my back. Sleeping was still a hit-or-miss proposition though, until I finally figured out what was causing the bloating and pain, and changed my diet.
The cause of the gas and bloating is virtually always gluten, and it causes the other food sensitivities (because gluten causes leaky gut). But many of us find that as long as we are eating gluten, we can't really tell what's causing the problem. That's because the half-life of anti-gliadin antibodies is 120 days whereas the half-life of most other food sensitivities is about 6 days. Because of that, gluten dominates our immune system perceptions until we have avoided gluten long enough for the antibodies to decline enough that the immune system can begin to work more normally again.
Yes, virtually every one of us here is gluten sensitive, despite our doctors insisting that we can't be sensitive to gluten because our celiac blood test results were negative. The problem is that the doctors are completely confused because they assume that the celiac blood tests have perfect accuracy, when in fact they have a very poor accuracy record. In reality, doctors are only able to diagnose roughly 5 % of celiac cases. The rest go undiagnosed, because of the poor (out-dated) diagnostic methods used. But the main problem is the fact that most of us have non-celiac gluten sensitivity and the medical community does not even have an approved test for detecting non-celiac gluten sensitivity. So how could they possibly know whether we are sensitive to gluten or not.
Most of us are able to see improvement after totally avoiding gluten and all dairy products. It takes time for the intestines to heal from the damage caused by gluten, so it takes some people 6 months to a year (or more), while some people see improvement within a few days. On the average, most people begin to see some benefits from the diet changes within a few weeks to a few months. But whatever you do, don't give up too soon, because patience and perseverance pay off.
Budesonide can mask the symptoms, but it cannot prevent the inflammation from being regenerated with each meal. That means that when your doctor tells you it's time to wean off the budesonide, the symptoms will return if you have not made the diet changes that prevent the inflammation from being regenerated.
And because you have diabetes, I would suggest that you read the book Pancreatic Cancer — A Guidebook for Prevention. Especially read the chapter on magnesium (chapter 2, I believe). It explains why magnesium is so important for insulin regulation. You can download the book in digital form free of charge at the following booksellers and others, including the Apple bookstore. It's also available on Amazon, but Amazon does not allow free downloads.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/665808
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pancrea ... 0153734132
You're very welcome,
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.
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
yes, making changes in our eating plan, lifestyle etc is easier said than done...I feel like stress management is one of those "easier said than done" kind of things Neutral haha.
it can take 21 days to set in a new habit. start small and work up. allocate 10 mins a night for relaxation activities for a month, and then the next month make it 20 mins...
if you experience stress through the day, take 5 mins at lunch time to put on a podcast or an audiobook. at first it will feel strange but starting these habits will make a HUGE difference over the long term.
once it is part of the routine you look forward to them
the same as the eating plan changes, it can take a few weeks to figure out a safe eating plan that suits timetable, work, social, etc but once you have it in place, it flows and life is way way better with minimal symptoms.
I had warning signs of the same issues when I was your age. I didnt listen to my body enough. I made some changes like going gluten free, and avoiding dairy and it helped but it wasnt enough. 10-15 years later with lots of stress (family stress, marital stress and 3 year divorce, stressful job, long hours with international travel) and i ended spending my 40's chronically ill for multiple years. -spent almost 2 years not working. I am now 47, struggling to work 25 hours per week and trying to manage multiple health issues. with the right changes now you can avoid this happening...
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Anti Depressant - generic brand Venlafaxine
I've been taking anti-depressants for about 20 years. The one I am currently taking is Venlafaxine, which is the generic brand for Effexor. I am on 300 mg, which is pretty high; Anyway, does anyone know if this medication would be the reason why I have LC? I'm not sure if I have LC due to the medication or dietary issues. I see my general practitioner in a couple weeks and I would like to talk about this, but I fear she won't be very supportive. Any advice? Thank you
Apparently Venlafaxine is one of those drugs that can cause some people to develop colitis while it can help in other cases. If you feel you can't do without an antidepressant, it's one of the better ones (as far as MC is concerned). The long-term use and high dose make it more likely that it probably caused your LC.
Tex
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 MariKate,
What struck me about your situation is that you now have 2 autoimmune conditions so obviously you have a predisposition toward autoimmune diseases. The changes you make now will not only help your current conditions but hopefully postpone, if not prevent, any other autoimmune conditions from developing.
You’ve gotten excellent advice here and I wanted to add that if you can afford it, I would encourage you to get the Enterolab tests at least for the ‘big 4’ intolerances of gluten, dairy, soy and eggs. It is one way to know for sure if your body is making antibodies to the proteins in these foods and if that’s the case, then these foods must be eliminated from your diet if you are to improve.
My family medical history reads like ‘autoimmune central’ - fibromyalgia, arthritis, allergies, migraines, diabetes, and myasthenia gravis, and those are just my parents. Although MC forced me to ditch the foods that were causing me inflammation, I can see that in the long run it may be instrumental in keeping me from developing something more. For awhile I was having symptoms of fibromyalgia but I no longer have that pain once I eliminated gluten, soy and dairy. The changes are a challenge but well worth it.
Best wishes,
Carol
PS- you are correct- stress is a major trigger. I practice meditation and mindfulness and find it helpful in reducing both stress and anxiety, too. But, yeah, it’s a major contributor to MC symptoms.
What struck me about your situation is that you now have 2 autoimmune conditions so obviously you have a predisposition toward autoimmune diseases. The changes you make now will not only help your current conditions but hopefully postpone, if not prevent, any other autoimmune conditions from developing.
You’ve gotten excellent advice here and I wanted to add that if you can afford it, I would encourage you to get the Enterolab tests at least for the ‘big 4’ intolerances of gluten, dairy, soy and eggs. It is one way to know for sure if your body is making antibodies to the proteins in these foods and if that’s the case, then these foods must be eliminated from your diet if you are to improve.
My family medical history reads like ‘autoimmune central’ - fibromyalgia, arthritis, allergies, migraines, diabetes, and myasthenia gravis, and those are just my parents. Although MC forced me to ditch the foods that were causing me inflammation, I can see that in the long run it may be instrumental in keeping me from developing something more. For awhile I was having symptoms of fibromyalgia but I no longer have that pain once I eliminated gluten, soy and dairy. The changes are a challenge but well worth it.
Best wishes,
Carol
PS- you are correct- stress is a major trigger. I practice meditation and mindfulness and find it helpful in reducing both stress and anxiety, too. But, yeah, it’s a major contributor to MC symptoms.
“.... people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
Hi,
I wanted to jump in -- I've been told that Zoloft contributed to my LC. My GI and Psychiatrist are working together to figure out what psych meds (if any) I can be on as I come off the Zoloft.
My understanding is that there are other options and it's never good to go off these meds cold turkey. My best advice would be to work with a psychiatrist on this (if you can). My psychiatrist has been very open/helpful, although he did admit that he's never seen anyone develop LC from Zoloft in his 30 yrs of practice (so there's likely other factors at play -- diet, my immune system, etc.)
I hope that helps a little. I'll let you know if I learn any more. Will be interested to hear what your doc says when you visit!
Best,
Lisa
I wanted to jump in -- I've been told that Zoloft contributed to my LC. My GI and Psychiatrist are working together to figure out what psych meds (if any) I can be on as I come off the Zoloft.
My understanding is that there are other options and it's never good to go off these meds cold turkey. My best advice would be to work with a psychiatrist on this (if you can). My psychiatrist has been very open/helpful, although he did admit that he's never seen anyone develop LC from Zoloft in his 30 yrs of practice (so there's likely other factors at play -- diet, my immune system, etc.)
I hope that helps a little. I'll let you know if I learn any more. Will be interested to hear what your doc says when you visit!
Best,
Lisa