Hi everyone! I had an appointment at an integrative health office (that takes my insurance). The reason was two-fold. I feel like I am flying a bit blind with diet and such, but I also wanted to have some labs, such as Vitamin D, B12, etc. I fired my GI (she quickly dismissed my Vit D question), so I thought this may be a good change from a physician perspective. She was nice and spent 45 minutes with me. Funny part is her first suggestion is to vigilantly avoid gluten, dairy and eggs. Gained a lot of insight there...Ha! Maybe I am not flying as blind as I thought. She also prescribes some herbs to deal with what she thinks is Candida overgrowth, based on tongue observation alone, a bit whitish, no blood work. Needless to say, one day of the herbs and my GI system could not handle it. I emailed her and she said wait for the D to pass and start with 1 pill and work up to 2 pills twice a day.
Here are my questions:
1. I am scared to take 1 pill. It has been 2 days and I still have effects from it. I could be wrong, but my thought is I will still be sensitive to 1 pill. Thoughts? Is it possible with this disease, early stages, to build up a tolerance to something? I did not ask her if she had experience with microscopic colitis, which I now regret, but didn't think of it at the time. My head was too full with other things.
2. How important is it to treat Candida? Should I have the blood work or testing to confirm it vs. treating it empirically?
Thanks,
Angela
p.s. She did do the additional bloodwork plus for a few other levels. Don't know results yet.
Integrative Health appt and question
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
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- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Angela
prior to my MC dx, I was frequent user of herbs (I used pure liquid versions dispensed by naturopath) post MC Dx, I did not tolerate herbs very well.
with some gut healing I can do one ingredient herb in small doses.
any treatment that involves multiple ingredients is difficult, as if you are reacting to one or two of the ingredients then this makes the treatment ineffective (and it is difficult to confirm which of the ingredients you are reacting to)
what I have seen first hand via my own journey, (herbs, acupuncture, etc) and from others here, the treatment protocols for other IBD's don't work for MC.
re Candida, in current day society it is very common to have candida. Following the low inflammation low sugar type eating plan (whole foods, no processed items, no sugar, low carbs etc) that we recommend as part of the MC healing journey should allow the body to overcome the imbalance.
my suggestion, don't take the pills. you are in the early stages of your MC healing journey. If cost wise it is in your budget then yes, do testing that you are interested in, but don't rush into any recommended supplements/herbs. using the search function here you can research what the practitioner recommends and consider if it will be of benefit to you.
what we have learnt from the couple of thousand of contributions here, in the early stages of MC healing the things that work best are Vit D3, magnesium and low inflammation eating plan and lifestyle. you can not rush or fast track healing per say. you can optimise the healing journey with the right nutrients.
prior to my MC dx, I was frequent user of herbs (I used pure liquid versions dispensed by naturopath) post MC Dx, I did not tolerate herbs very well.
with some gut healing I can do one ingredient herb in small doses.
any treatment that involves multiple ingredients is difficult, as if you are reacting to one or two of the ingredients then this makes the treatment ineffective (and it is difficult to confirm which of the ingredients you are reacting to)
what I have seen first hand via my own journey, (herbs, acupuncture, etc) and from others here, the treatment protocols for other IBD's don't work for MC.
re Candida, in current day society it is very common to have candida. Following the low inflammation low sugar type eating plan (whole foods, no processed items, no sugar, low carbs etc) that we recommend as part of the MC healing journey should allow the body to overcome the imbalance.
my suggestion, don't take the pills. you are in the early stages of your MC healing journey. If cost wise it is in your budget then yes, do testing that you are interested in, but don't rush into any recommended supplements/herbs. using the search function here you can research what the practitioner recommends and consider if it will be of benefit to you.
what we have learnt from the couple of thousand of contributions here, in the early stages of MC healing the things that work best are Vit D3, magnesium and low inflammation eating plan and lifestyle. you can not rush or fast track healing per say. you can optimise the healing journey with the right nutrients.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Angela,
The question is, "What's in those pills." Many herbal remedies are powerful drugs that we may not be able to tolerate, especially when our MC is active. And yes, your doctor may not be familiar with treating MC patients.
I agree with Gabes. When my MC was active, candida was a constant problem. At least I assume it was a constant problem because my tongue always had a white coating and I sometimes had the anal itch characteristic of candida overgrowth. All that faded away after I changed my diet. IMO virtually any problem that is caused by diet can be cured by the correct diet changes. No other intervention is needed.
Tex
The question is, "What's in those pills." Many herbal remedies are powerful drugs that we may not be able to tolerate, especially when our MC is active. And yes, your doctor may not be familiar with treating MC patients.
I agree with Gabes. When my MC was active, candida was a constant problem. At least I assume it was a constant problem because my tongue always had a white coating and I sometimes had the anal itch characteristic of candida overgrowth. All that faded away after I changed my diet. IMO virtually any problem that is caused by diet can be cured by the correct diet changes. No other intervention is needed.
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.
I have no idea. I'll defer that question to someone who knows more about the topic. It depends on your personal goals. You can be quite healthy with zero carbs, but most people include at least a few for the flavor and the easy energy.
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.
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Janie
I am not expert or scientist, but what I have learnt is that 'everybody is different' - we all have different body chemistry, imbalances, energy needs, age, health issues, how our bodies react and process sugar etc.
I have heard quite a few recent podcasts about fasting and ketogenic/ketosis - long story short it does not work for everybody. similarly, some people flourish being vegan, whereas others it does not suit.
Listen to your body - I eat more carbs for breakfast on the days I will be more active / need more energy. I eat less on days that are quieter.
I am not expert or scientist, but what I have learnt is that 'everybody is different' - we all have different body chemistry, imbalances, energy needs, age, health issues, how our bodies react and process sugar etc.
I have heard quite a few recent podcasts about fasting and ketogenic/ketosis - long story short it does not work for everybody. similarly, some people flourish being vegan, whereas others it does not suit.
Listen to your body - I eat more carbs for breakfast on the days I will be more active / need more energy. I eat less on days that are quieter.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Thank you both. I am going to forgo treating the Candida at this point. This is such a wise, experienced board. I probably didn't need to go to another doctor, but I wasn't sure how else to get lab work done. I know I need Vit D , and I take it. However, I have no idea if I am getting enough to raise it to a decent level. I was low in November, before I was diagnosed. I think I am doing good with the topical magnesium.
I am not quite eating low sugar/carbs. I am eating mainly whole foods, but I am eating rice and potatoes with just about every meal. They are my main source of carbs. I am not eating sweets or drinking sodas. I will work on cutting back on the rice and potatoes, just not this week.....and probably not next week.
As Gabes says.....progress not perfection.
Thank you both for your insight again.
Angela
I am not quite eating low sugar/carbs. I am eating mainly whole foods, but I am eating rice and potatoes with just about every meal. They are my main source of carbs. I am not eating sweets or drinking sodas. I will work on cutting back on the rice and potatoes, just not this week.....and probably not next week.
As Gabes says.....progress not perfection.Thank you both for your insight again.
Angela
Here's a chart that shows roughly how much extra vitamin D is needed daily (in addition to what you're taking now) in order to go from a current level to a higher level within a few months.
http://grassrootshealth.net/media/image ... single.pdf
Tex
http://grassrootshealth.net/media/image ... single.pdf
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.