Shifting perspective on IBS - ScienceNordic article

[tex]

EUROPEU,

Your vitamin D level has increased by about 50 % during the past 2 months and that is a good rate of increase. I believe that if I were in that situation I would remain on the same dose (5,000 IU) until after the next test, and then I would decide whether or not to increase (or decrease) the dose. Ideally, we like to be at approximately the 60 ng/ml (150 nmol/L) level because this is thought to be optimal for IBD patients. But anything over 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L) is good.

Regarding your magnesium, you didn't list coffee as part of your diet so 300 mg might be sufficient. However, if you drink coffee (or tea) you almost surely need more magnesium because coffee interferes with the absorption of magnesium. Also, Entocort depletes magnesium significantly, so you may need more magnesium to rebuild your magnesium reserves (to replace the magnesium that was wasted by the Entcort). And cholestyramine also interferes with the absorption of magnesium, even when taken as directed, so taking additional magnesium (at least while taking cholestyramine, and for a month or more afterward) can help to prevent a magnesium deficiency.

And most IBD patients need more magnesium than "normal" people. I have a theory that magnesium deficiency is one of the reasons why we develop LC/CC/MC in the first place. Magnesium deficiency has been shown by research to be associated with virtually all autoimmune diseases and most other diseases as well.

I take 500–600 mg of magnesium glycinate each day, but according to the "experts", men need about 80–100 mg more magnesium per day than women. Also, some of us are born with genes that inhibit our ability to absorb magnesium. That's why I say that 300 mg per day may be sufficient for you (under normal conditions), but there's a good chance that more might be helpful while you are recovering from LC. Anytime we take a significant vitamin D supplement, we also need a balanced amount of magnesium because the two work together to strengthen the immune system and to improve many chemical processes in the body. This is important because the immune system is in charge of healing and the prevention of additional diseases.

My guess about the gas you are experiencing is that it is probably caused by the grains in the GF bread. But it could also be caused by the cauliflower. Cauliflower doesn't cause gas problems as oftgen as broccoli or cabbage, but it's still a cruciferous vegetable and it contains both sulfur compounds and oligosaccharides. If you notice bloating and gas problems the next day after eating cauliflower, then it's probably the reason.

Yes, you are doing well, and I hope that you continue to make good progress.

Tex

[EUROPEU]

Thank you very much, Tex

[EUROPEU]

Good afternoon everybody,

I am still taking Cholestyramine and it works perfectly, a single BM a day. I reduced the dose to 1 gr. a day before breakfast, I follow my strict diet and I have no symptoms. I had the problem of gases, following the advice of Polly I was going to take Simethicone, but my wife reminded me that when our children were two little boys ,we gave them Anise seed tea (infusión) for gas problems, I take this tea and the gas problem is gone.

Yesterday I ate a yogurt (Elimination diet). No reaction so far. The day after tomorrow I plan to eat some aged cheese, if there is no reaction , does it mean I´m not intolerant to casein?

Thank you very much everyone, Tex, Polly, Gabes, Erica....I have been very lucky to find this fórum and these lovely people.

Polly:

The Spanish web about IBS and Cholestyramine is http://www.forosii.com/foro/viewtopic.p ... &start=210

Best wishes

[Gabes-Apg]

Yesterday I ate a yogurt (Elimination diet). No reaction so far. The day after tomorrow I plan to eat some aged cheese, if there is no reaction , does it mean I´m not intolerant to casein?

not reaction may be an indicator that you are not intolerant to casein - but keep in mind that dairy is inflammatory to the gut for EVERYBODY
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8646/the ... dairy.html

so you may not have an immediate reaction, but over time of dairy consumption the inflammation levels gradually increase and then it is highly likely there will be an major reaction

[tex]

EUROPEU,

It's good that you are doing so well. There are a few people on this forum who are not sensitive to dairy products (casein). For some of us, it has the opposite effect — it causes constipation (which is a sign that we are sensitive to it, just in a different way).

I hope you continue to recover.

Tex

[EUROPEU]

Hi, everybody

I'm posting this post to let you know how I'm doing with Cholestyramine. In the month of March I have gone from taking 0.5 grams daily to 0.5 grams every other day. Strict diet, although an ounce of hard cheese or chocolate from time to time, but gluten, soy and dairy free.

I have been without symptoms for a month and a half. I have been traveling for two weeks and an excess of gluten free bread, biscuits (too much sugar) I got back the WD and loses.but only for two days.

I have come back to the strict diet and I am again ok.The key to improving my health has been proteins, strict diet, vit D and Magnesium. Cholestyramine helps a lot, but i'll try to leave it next month and see what happens.

I hope this information is interesting for some of you.
I will keep you informed of my evolution.

Thank you for the help I have received from so many people here.
Best wishes for your health

[Gabes-Apg]

that is great news that you have been able to figure out 'what works best' and get resolution on your symptoms and be able to travel.

If you have a spare minute, it would be great if you could copy the text of this update and make it a post in the member success stories area.

hope the improvements and wellness continue
take care

[tex]

Europeu,

Thank you for the update.

Tex