lymphocytic colitis/constipation

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tex
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Post by tex »

It's difficult to pinpoint some issues, because they can be due to various causes, but at least you seem to be making progress. I forgot to mention in a previous post that calcium is constipating for most people, but anyway the magnesium seems to have resolved that problem.

I don't see why the antihistamines should cause stomach burning, but just about anything is possible I suppose, when the digestive system is inflamed to begin with. Antihistamines can cause bloating for most people, and that opens the door to other possible symptoms. But stress is a very common and well known cause of digestive upset, including pain, so stress-relief techniques might be a good thing to try.

Tex
:cowboy:

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.
nhotch
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Post by nhotch »

Thank You Tex

I am due home in a couple days and I will see how my flare up is then. I have a feeling stress might have something to do with it.
I have also been keeping up with all the daily posts too. You are so right that diet is what is causing our problems. Since I live in a very small town in Alaska we do not have UPS delivery. BUt I will be in Montana for a week this 2018 spring, and I plan on ordering tests done from Enterolabs then. So I will actually know what my food intolerances are. Also I have taken Umbrellus DAO 10,000 HDU (enzyme prevention of histamine imbalance) before meals twice but I don't know as of yet if they are helping or not.

Happy Holidays
Nancy
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Post by nhotch »

Hi Tex

I am back home after the holidays and my stomach is feeling better (no cramping or pain in the lower left side. I have a question, in your above reply you write that calcium can cause constipation. I am taking 250 mg of magnesium and 250 mg of calcium twice a day and Vit D3 5,000 twice a day. Should I not be taking a magnesium supplement that has calcium combined with it? I have one BM a day, usually a healthy soft one just in the a.m., but I noticed today I didn't have one until late afternoon and it was not a healthy one.

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Nancy
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tex
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Post by tex »

Hi Nancy,

Good question. What kind of magnesium is it? If it's magnesium oxide, the magnesium is doing you no good because we can only absorb about 2–3 % of magnesium oxide. Also, the more vitamin D you take, the more calcium you will absorb (from all sources), so the more magnesium is used to process the calcium.

Do you really need the calcium supplement? Most people have plenty calcium in their diet. If the reason why you are taking calcium is osteoporosis, the primary cause of osteoporosis is untreated gluten sensitivity. Anyone on a GF diet should no longer have an osteoporosis problem unless they do not have enough vitamin D in their diet to allow them to absorb the calcium, and enough magnesium to transport it out of the bloodstream and into the cells where it is needed.

Unless you know that you are very vitamin D deficient, or you have GERD, 10,000 IU of vitamin D supplement is about twice as much as you should need. In the presence of calcium, higher vitamin D supplementation rates deplete magnesium. They do this by causing you to absorb more calcium than you need, which forces the body to purge it (in order to keep the blood level in the normal range), which uses up magnesium. If you were to run low on magnesium, high blood levels of calcium can become toxic (because calcium is an electrolyte, which means that it has critical heart functions). For that matter, magnesium is also an electrolyte, and it's required to activate over 300 chemical processes in the body.

Taking more magnesium or vitamin D than needed is not as likely to cause problems, when supplemental calcium is not being taken. So unless you know for a fact that you need a calcium supplement, IMO, you would be better off not taking a calcium supplement, and cutting your vitamin D dose down to about 5,000 IU per day. About 200–300 mg of magnesium, in the form of magnesium citrate (because it can have laxative action at higher doses) or magnesium glycinate, should be helpful.

If stopping the calcium should cause a loss of stool consistency (diarrhea), you might need to add back about 250 mg of calcium supplement in order to regain the constipating effect. At least that's what I would do if it were me.

But remember, this is just my opinion, and I'm not a doctor.
:cowboy:

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.
nhotch
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Post by nhotch »

Good Morning

I am taking magnesium oxide, citrate and aspartate 500mg together in tablet form. combined in the same tablet with calcium carbonate, citrate, and aspartate 500 mg w potassium 99mg. I split it by 250 mg twice a day. I was told to take that much vit D3 because my bone density test came back low in vit D. due to taking budesonide but that was over a year ago. what kind of magnesium do you recommend? Where I live I have to order it and that takes over a week to get it. The only magnesium I have on hand is combined with calcium.

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Nancy
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Post by nhotch »

Hi Tex

Sorry you did answer my question about what magnesium to take either citrate or glycinate. I have ordered magnesium glycinate 400 mg which I will split in half and take twice a day with vit D3 2,500 mg. I ordered calcium Lactate 100 mg which I will take twice a day also ( if I have a loss of stool consistency. Until I get these products in the mail which will take over a week. I will try to adapt with the magnesium and vit D3 I have on hand even though they contain calcium. Hope this makes since

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Nancy
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Post by tex »

Here's what's wrong with magnesium aspartate. I'll just quote from a website rather that paraphrasing to save typing.
Aspartate is known to be an excitatory neurotransmitter (i.e., a brain chemical that stimulates neurons to fire). At high doses, however, it can potentially stimulate neurons to the point of injury or cell death. Excitotoxicity is the term used in the scientific literature to describe this sort of neuronal damage caused by excessive excitatory–amino–acid signalingAspartate is known to be an excitatory neurotransmitter (i.e., a brain chemical that stimulates neurons to fire). At high doses, however, it can potentially stimulate neurons to the point of injury or cell death. Excitotoxicity is the term used in the scientific literature to describe this sort of neuronal damage caused by excessive excitatory–amino–acid signaling
Some structures of the brain, including, and especially, the hypothalamus – which is involved in regulating things such as appetite, emotions, energy levels, and hormonal balance – aren’t protected by the blood–brain barrier. Animal studies have shown that when glutamate and aspartate were added to the water of laboratory mice, the mice voluntarily ingested enough of these substances to cause brain (hypothalamic) damage:
http://integratedsupplements.typepad.co ... rtate.html

Most members here use Doctor's Best Chelated Magnesium (magnesium glycinate). I get mine from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Abs ... B000BD0RT0

This contains 100 mg per tablet. I would take 3 or 4 of these (1 after each meal) plus 6,000 or 7,000 IU of vitamin D instead of what you are taking. This would be safe for long-term use. If you want to keep taking 10,000 IU of vitamin D, there's nothing wrong with that, but after 3 or 4 months of doing that you should have your vitamin D blood level checked. The simpler we keep our supplementation, the less likely we are to run into some "mysterious" digestive problem. Your vitamin D level is low because calcium uses it up pretty fast. If you eliminate the calcium supplement, your vitamin D and magnesium levels will be much easier to maintain and your reserves of those nutrients will be able to rebuild.

It's much better to get your calcium from food. That eliminates a lot of health problems. Do you use any almond milk? It, and a lot of other foods are fortified with calcium these days, so it's very rare to not be able to get more than enough calcium from your diet, no matter how restricted it might seem.

Tex
:cowboy:

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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Post by tex »

Sorry, I'm a slow typer since the stroke. You posted while I was writing. The magnesium you mentioned should be OK. Read the back label very closely. Most such magnesium products that claim 200 mg or 400 mg on the front label state on the back label that the amount listed on the front label is the dose, and a dose is 2 tablets (IOW half the label listing per tablet).

I once developed a severe chronic magnesium deficiency because I didn't bother to read the back Label.

Tex
:cowboy:

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.
nhotch
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Post by nhotch »

Hi
yes I use almond milk and when it is not available I use coconut milk. Is the Magnesium glycinate 400mg, I ordered from Swanson for now ok to use? As I can get it faster shipping from them, then Amazon Prime. Where I live at in Alaska we do not receive UPS shipping. I will order the other from Amazon though.

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Nancy
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Post by nhotch »

Hi Tex

Yes it says to take 2 tablets for 400mg. That is why I thought I would take 200mg a.m. with breakfast and 200mg with supper. or if they need to be taken with a meal I can spilt the tablets into 3 portions for lunch too. I don't know if I also mentioned I make my own organic carrot Juice and drink that once a day with my supper (I have been a cancer survivor for 18 years). I have been doing this for 18 yrs. I am not a vegetable eater. The carrot juice does not bother my stomach.

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Nancy
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Post by tex »

Twice a day should work. Green vegetables are a good source of calcium, but I feel that with almond milk or coconut milk, and various other foods, you should get plenty of calcium. I have an ileostomy, so I haven't eaten any green vegetables (no vegetables other than potatoes) in at least 7 or 8 years. I do use almond milk, but because of taking magnesium and vitamin D, my calcium level is always good. I'm more concerned about getting too much calcium rather that too little, because 3 or 4 years ago when I had a magnesium deficiency (which became serious because of an antibiotic that depleted the rest of my magnesium reserves), I had a couple of kidney stones. I've never taken a calcium supplement.

Tex
:cowboy:

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.
nhotch
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Post by nhotch »

Thx Tex

I will see how it goes with just the magnesium and vit D3 in a couple of weeks. If you don't mind I will keep you posted. I am on my 3rd week of no gluten, diary and soy. I have lost some weight but I feel so much better and my energy level is good. No depression either, which I was getting before and I had nothing to be depressed about either (if that makes sense).

Happy New Year Too
Nancy
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tex
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Post by tex »

Depression is a symptom of magnesium deficiency.

Happy New Year to you, also.

Tex
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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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