First post, been looking and learning for awhile but not sure what now.
I had no digestive issues for 62 wonderful years, ate well and enjoyed excellent health. Then a little over a year ago came h-pylori and ‘the regimen’, which was the cause of my recently diagnosed LC. Also this spring I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. Life has changed...
I have given up gluten, dairy, and soy in stages, gluten because it was recommended, dairy because I realized I was reacting to yogurt, and soy was not in my diet anyway so that one was easy. I have also given up oatmeal and recently (yesterday) I cut out eggs. After all this for about the last week I’m again having watery diarrhea AM, usually only once a day, twice at the most. I’m taking an Imodium each day, may help control frequency but not consistency! I am so tired and frustrated, having trouble understanding what I’m missing... am so reluctant to take budesonide because of osteo but not too sure what’s left!
I seem to have sensitivity to saturated fat. I think this current flare that started about a week ago was after I was eating yogurt alternative some consecutive days, was having some watery D every few days but was doing good on the other days, then D took over. That’s why I gave up eggs yesterday thinking maybe it was the eggs... tried very bland eating today but still feeling bloated and gurgly, right now not hopeful tomorrow will be better.
I had a blood test for sensitivities, should get results this week, not sure if it will be useful or not. I have been supplementing D, K, and calcium, magnesium should be here Thursday so I will start taking it then. D and B were tested, B was over 1100 and D was high normal, iron panel was normal.
One thought I had was I was drinking and using a lot of bone broth that contains onion... I see that some are sensitive, perhaps I’m one of those? Would low magnesium be a reason for this flare? What am I missing? What can/should I do next?
Lena
Need some direction advice
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
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
welcome Lena
onion may well be contributing to ongoing issues - is the bone broth home made? or commercially made bone broth?
low magnesium would not cause major flare, moreso it would impact ability to heal.
what are you eating and drinking each day now that you have removed gluten, dairy, soy, eggs?
what are you drinking during the day?
do you think that histamine could be an issue? do you get runny nose? itchy throat? itchy skin?
suggested reading areas
Guidelines to recovery - stage one eating plan very useful
Members Success Stories area - to see what others have done, what works, how long it took etc.
hope this helps
onion may well be contributing to ongoing issues - is the bone broth home made? or commercially made bone broth?
low magnesium would not cause major flare, moreso it would impact ability to heal.
what are you eating and drinking each day now that you have removed gluten, dairy, soy, eggs?
what are you drinking during the day?
do you think that histamine could be an issue? do you get runny nose? itchy throat? itchy skin?
suggested reading areas
Guidelines to recovery - stage one eating plan very useful
Members Success Stories area - to see what others have done, what works, how long it took etc.
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
Hi Lena,
Welcome to the forum. In addition to what Gabes discussed, certain medications can trigger MC. Are you taking any medications that might trigger MC or any medications or supplements that might contain inactive ingredients that cause reactions? Drugs that often trigger MC include NSAIDs, antibiotics, PPIs, SSRIs, SNRIs, bisphosphonates,tricyclic antidepresants, and others.
Again, welcome aboard and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to the forum. In addition to what Gabes discussed, certain medications can trigger MC. Are you taking any medications that might trigger MC or any medications or supplements that might contain inactive ingredients that cause reactions? Drugs that often trigger MC include NSAIDs, antibiotics, PPIs, SSRIs, SNRIs, bisphosphonates,tricyclic antidepresants, and others.
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 Lena,
I am also sensitive to gluten, casein, soy and eggs - I did testing with Enterolab in August and was not at all concerned with the sensitivity to soy - I really didn't think I ate soy much at all. As I've become more familiar with the ingredients in the foods that I ate, I am finding that soy is virtually everywhere! It is tricky - often listed under different names like Vitamin E, tocopherols, etc. I'm still a bit of a newbie (diagnosed in May) - the advice that I have gotten from this forum has been invaluable. One of the best tips I got in the beginning was to eat very basic foods - white rice/safe protein (for me it is turkey, beef, occasionally chicken), sweet potato. Honestly, in the beginning of this journey, I was trying to eat sandwiches on gluten free bread, cereal in the AM, etc. Things started to improve significantly when I switched to protein/rice for all three meals each day. As time has gone on, I sometimes have gluten free rice cereal with almond milk for breakfast and have added in a few more well cooked vegetables. Read some of the postings in the Guidelines for Recovery section and order Tex's book if you haven't already.
Hang in there -
Pam
I am also sensitive to gluten, casein, soy and eggs - I did testing with Enterolab in August and was not at all concerned with the sensitivity to soy - I really didn't think I ate soy much at all. As I've become more familiar with the ingredients in the foods that I ate, I am finding that soy is virtually everywhere! It is tricky - often listed under different names like Vitamin E, tocopherols, etc. I'm still a bit of a newbie (diagnosed in May) - the advice that I have gotten from this forum has been invaluable. One of the best tips I got in the beginning was to eat very basic foods - white rice/safe protein (for me it is turkey, beef, occasionally chicken), sweet potato. Honestly, in the beginning of this journey, I was trying to eat sandwiches on gluten free bread, cereal in the AM, etc. Things started to improve significantly when I switched to protein/rice for all three meals each day. As time has gone on, I sometimes have gluten free rice cereal with almond milk for breakfast and have added in a few more well cooked vegetables. Read some of the postings in the Guidelines for Recovery section and order Tex's book if you haven't already.
Hang in there -
Pam
Bone broth was organic commercial, ingredients looked fine. I have never had a past sensitivity to onions so am just guessing by info seen on this site...
Yes, runny nose but hard to say, I’m in northern MN and the high temp yesterday was -8, everyone has a runny nose :-). Some weeks ago I did try Claritin for a week or so, did not notice any change. I have never had an allergy that I’m aware of so don’t know if that’s a viable possibility...
I’m way more curious about BAM. H pylori did not present the classic symptoms for me. Over the course of a few weeks I developed watery diarrhea, no real stomach discomfort. Lots of testing, h pylori was the only positive. Doctors didn’t agree, one said my symptoms were not due to h pylori, must be something else, another doctor said yes h pylori can be the cause. I didnt know what to think but after a few weeks the D abated and the stomach burn started (classic h pylori) so I treated. I had not taken an antibiotic for probably over 30 years, thought “the regimen” was going to kill me... made it through but how do I fix the mess that’s left?
Looking back I wonder if the h pylori D was the start of LC. I remember trying to tell the doctors that it felt like I had stomach acid in my intestine, didn’t mean much to them but now I wonder... then again that was then, this is now. Is the problem the same or different? No cramps or burning this time, just a lot of gurgling. The solutions for BAD seem like a shot in the dark that might or might not work, dosing is hard to figure, and takes awhile to know.
I’m eating meat (mostly chicken, venison, some bison), sweet potatoes, rice, carrots, some kale and spinach, all cooked in usually instant pot or foreman grill. Drink is almond hemp or flax milk, water, some morning coffee, and bone broth. Also some gf bread, cereal, banana, almond butter rice crackers, rice cakes... that’s all I can think of for now...
Thanks so much for the reply. Some days it all seems so overwhelming and hopeless...
Yes, runny nose but hard to say, I’m in northern MN and the high temp yesterday was -8, everyone has a runny nose :-). Some weeks ago I did try Claritin for a week or so, did not notice any change. I have never had an allergy that I’m aware of so don’t know if that’s a viable possibility...
I’m way more curious about BAM. H pylori did not present the classic symptoms for me. Over the course of a few weeks I developed watery diarrhea, no real stomach discomfort. Lots of testing, h pylori was the only positive. Doctors didn’t agree, one said my symptoms were not due to h pylori, must be something else, another doctor said yes h pylori can be the cause. I didnt know what to think but after a few weeks the D abated and the stomach burn started (classic h pylori) so I treated. I had not taken an antibiotic for probably over 30 years, thought “the regimen” was going to kill me... made it through but how do I fix the mess that’s left?
Looking back I wonder if the h pylori D was the start of LC. I remember trying to tell the doctors that it felt like I had stomach acid in my intestine, didn’t mean much to them but now I wonder... then again that was then, this is now. Is the problem the same or different? No cramps or burning this time, just a lot of gurgling. The solutions for BAD seem like a shot in the dark that might or might not work, dosing is hard to figure, and takes awhile to know.
I’m eating meat (mostly chicken, venison, some bison), sweet potatoes, rice, carrots, some kale and spinach, all cooked in usually instant pot or foreman grill. Drink is almond hemp or flax milk, water, some morning coffee, and bone broth. Also some gf bread, cereal, banana, almond butter rice crackers, rice cakes... that’s all I can think of for now...
Thanks so much for the reply. Some days it all seems so overwhelming and hopeless...
Lena,
You are on the right path. In line with what Pam said consider eliminate: kale and spinach, gf bread, cereal, rice crackers.
Kale and spinach are problematic early on due to the "stringiness." Consider overcooked squash.
Replace the gf bread, cereal, rice crackers with potatoes rice sweet potatoes all day long.
The ingredients in the processed foods can be problematic early on.
The other key component is time.
Stress management will help also: yoga tai chi meditation etc.
You seem to have a good handle on things.
Whoops, forgot to mention, after you adjust the diet I would also consider eliminate all supplements for 3-4 days. Eliminating all supplements (oral) for 4 days this summer is what eventually kicked me into solid stool. Then I added back one supplement at a time.
Also....EAT A LOT OF PROTEIN! IT REALLY HELPS US HEAL AND IS GOOD FOR BONE HEALTH.
You are on the right path. In line with what Pam said consider eliminate: kale and spinach, gf bread, cereal, rice crackers.
Kale and spinach are problematic early on due to the "stringiness." Consider overcooked squash.
Replace the gf bread, cereal, rice crackers with potatoes rice sweet potatoes all day long.
The ingredients in the processed foods can be problematic early on.
The other key component is time.
Stress management will help also: yoga tai chi meditation etc.
You seem to have a good handle on things.
Whoops, forgot to mention, after you adjust the diet I would also consider eliminate all supplements for 3-4 days. Eliminating all supplements (oral) for 4 days this summer is what eventually kicked me into solid stool. Then I added back one supplement at a time.
Also....EAT A LOT OF PROTEIN! IT REALLY HELPS US HEAL AND IS GOOD FOR BONE HEALTH.
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
this can still have ingredients (herbs, yeast etc) and contamination risk.Bone broth was organic commercial, ingredients looked fine. I have never had a past sensitivity to onions so am just guessing by info seen on this site...
i would minimise intake of the GF bread and cereal - these can still have small amounts of gluten AND with the combo of ingredients in processed GF flour items you might be reacting to one of the flours that is usedI’m eating meat (mostly chicken, venison, some bison), sweet potatoes, rice, carrots, some kale and spinach, all cooked in usually instant pot or foreman grill. Drink is almond hemp or flax milk, water, some morning coffee, and bone broth. Also some gf bread, cereal, banana, almond butter rice crackers, rice cakes... that’s all I can think of for now...
as mentioned above, i would swap out the kale and spinach for another vegetable
ensure you are having good serves of protein (preferably animal protein) every meal
- is common feeling at first, take a few deep breathes and prepare for a slow healing journey. improvements take weeks and months (not days)overwhelming and hopeless
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Wow! Thanks to you all for the good info! Trying to eat for mc and osteoporosis is a balancing act, hard to give up my greens...
Yes, I have Tex’s book, has been beyond helpful. I do not have good medical support, family doc didn’t want to deal with me, neither did gastroenterology...
Tex thanks for your question!! I am not taking any prescription meds and never have. The only prescription meds in my adult life were the antibiotics/ppi regimen for h pylori. I had no known allergies, no food issues no problems until the stomach bacteria and “cure”. I would take an occasional otc nsaid and now regularly take supplements calcium, D, K (mk7 and mk4), and soon magnesium. I exercise every day, some weight lifting, weight resistance, plyometrics, etc. This darned LC is really interrupting my osteoporosis fight...
I know protein is key, but what besides meat? Breakfast is the hardest, especially without eggs...
So grateful to you all and thanks for the support. Thought I was doing pretty good, but this flare is knocking me for a loop, i guess in large part because i don’t really know what caused it!
Lena
Yes, I have Tex’s book, has been beyond helpful. I do not have good medical support, family doc didn’t want to deal with me, neither did gastroenterology...
Tex thanks for your question!! I am not taking any prescription meds and never have. The only prescription meds in my adult life were the antibiotics/ppi regimen for h pylori. I had no known allergies, no food issues no problems until the stomach bacteria and “cure”. I would take an occasional otc nsaid and now regularly take supplements calcium, D, K (mk7 and mk4), and soon magnesium. I exercise every day, some weight lifting, weight resistance, plyometrics, etc. This darned LC is really interrupting my osteoporosis fight...
I know protein is key, but what besides meat? Breakfast is the hardest, especially without eggs...
So grateful to you all and thanks for the support. Thought I was doing pretty good, but this flare is knocking me for a loop, i guess in large part because i don’t really know what caused it!
Lena
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Protein? meat, meat every meal.
i find breakfast the easiest!
I make up big batches of soupy stew (ground meat and small amount of safe veges) pre cooked in home made bone broth. freeze in meal portions, and warm it up for breakfast.
or I will cook some safe proteins and have them with avocado (bacon, veal, etc)
i find breakfast the easiest!
I make up big batches of soupy stew (ground meat and small amount of safe veges) pre cooked in home made bone broth. freeze in meal portions, and warm it up for breakfast.
or I will cook some safe proteins and have them with avocado (bacon, veal, etc)
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Hi Lena,
I have found a safe bread called "Be Free" in a green bag in the freezer area, I can only find it at Safeway in my area. Not saying to eat it at this time just alerting anyone to the name of it for future use.
For breakfast I have found a safe deli meat it is Oven roasted Natural turkey and I can put that on the bread I mention or I can cut it up and add it to fresh Minute Rice right out of the microwave, with a cup of coffee. I don't mess with cereals anymore...they don't provide enough energy to keep me going long enough in the mornings.
I have gotten into a slight flair from the holidays...pretty sure it is too much sugar and the build up of duck egg in my safe sugar christmas cookies
Anyway I am beginning to itch behind my head again so I know I've disrupted the histamine monster too!
Welcome
Erica
I have found a safe bread called "Be Free" in a green bag in the freezer area, I can only find it at Safeway in my area. Not saying to eat it at this time just alerting anyone to the name of it for future use.
For breakfast I have found a safe deli meat it is Oven roasted Natural turkey and I can put that on the bread I mention or I can cut it up and add it to fresh Minute Rice right out of the microwave, with a cup of coffee. I don't mess with cereals anymore...they don't provide enough energy to keep me going long enough in the mornings.
I have gotten into a slight flair from the holidays...pretty sure it is too much sugar and the build up of duck egg in my safe sugar christmas cookies
Anyway I am beginning to itch behind my head again so I know I've disrupted the histamine monster too!
Welcome
Erica
To Succeed you have to Believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a Reality - Anita Roddick
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
HI Lena,
For me what makes the bread safe is this particular brand is Soy, Gluten, Nut, Dairy and Egg free....now there could be other things at this time that your body may not agree with that makes up a bread like this so you'd have to do the three day trial with it. You'd also have to already know of a couple other safe things to eat with it as only eating bread once for three days isn't enough to sustain a person on
The Oven roasted turkey - no particular brand name, I look for No Nitrates, No gluten (which most animal protein does not have unless it gets contaminated during process which we will never know), No soy....so one could get a fresh turkey and cook it themselves as long as it wasn't injected with anything to help 'flavor' it.
I have found making bone broth with Cornish Hens - a generic brand I found at Walmart of all places has worked great for me for the last 2.5 years now....and I have turned that broth into a soup with Tikiyada brown rice noodles, with carrot and celery and seasoned with sea salt only, I also save the meat after precooking the birds and put pieces of it in my soups that I individualize and freeze and pull out as needed. I make soup cups for about a 2 week stretch that way I don't have to think hard on days I don't know what to eat.
You have to rule out things using the three day trial and if after the third day you don't seem to be having any reaction then one can almost mark that as a safe food. I say almost because I used chicken to start my healing process and it seems after 2 years it can disagree with me, so I suspect I am sensitive to it as I am with eggs, so if I rotate it once a week I do ok.
No question is dumb!
For me what makes the bread safe is this particular brand is Soy, Gluten, Nut, Dairy and Egg free....now there could be other things at this time that your body may not agree with that makes up a bread like this so you'd have to do the three day trial with it. You'd also have to already know of a couple other safe things to eat with it as only eating bread once for three days isn't enough to sustain a person on
The Oven roasted turkey - no particular brand name, I look for No Nitrates, No gluten (which most animal protein does not have unless it gets contaminated during process which we will never know), No soy....so one could get a fresh turkey and cook it themselves as long as it wasn't injected with anything to help 'flavor' it.
I have found making bone broth with Cornish Hens - a generic brand I found at Walmart of all places has worked great for me for the last 2.5 years now....and I have turned that broth into a soup with Tikiyada brown rice noodles, with carrot and celery and seasoned with sea salt only, I also save the meat after precooking the birds and put pieces of it in my soups that I individualize and freeze and pull out as needed. I make soup cups for about a 2 week stretch that way I don't have to think hard on days I don't know what to eat.
You have to rule out things using the three day trial and if after the third day you don't seem to be having any reaction then one can almost mark that as a safe food. I say almost because I used chicken to start my healing process and it seems after 2 years it can disagree with me, so I suspect I am sensitive to it as I am with eggs, so if I rotate it once a week I do ok.
No question is dumb!
To Succeed you have to Believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a Reality - Anita Roddick
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Thanks for the additional info, lots to learn.
I’m a little flummoxed right now, got initial sensitivity test results from MRT and it shows reactive to rice and tea! I was eating a nice serving of rice and turkey breast while reviewing these results and stopped mid forkful! What the heck....
I’ve been eating rice and drinking green tea trying to heal this flare... granted it’s a blood not stool test but I probably need to pay attention to it... good lord!
It also revealed I was most reactive to cantaloupe, that’s one I could’ve predicted...
More sweet potatoes!
Lena
I’m a little flummoxed right now, got initial sensitivity test results from MRT and it shows reactive to rice and tea! I was eating a nice serving of rice and turkey breast while reviewing these results and stopped mid forkful! What the heck....
I’ve been eating rice and drinking green tea trying to heal this flare... granted it’s a blood not stool test but I probably need to pay attention to it... good lord!
It also revealed I was most reactive to cantaloupe, that’s one I could’ve predicted...
More sweet potatoes!
Lena