4 Strikes? Aleve Nexium Cdiff Discontinuation of HRT

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 7:35 am

I feel like I had a few different strikes against me before the MC first presented itself in January of this year. The first is that I had cdiff last Summer and something I read said that could be a precursor. The next is that YES - I had taken Nexium before the cdiff. I had taken 2 a day every day for at least a year - maybe longer. But when I got the cdiff last Summer I stopped them and haven't taking them since. Also, about a year before I was diagnosed I stopped taking Aleve, which I had taken 2 in the morning and 2 at night daily for a really long time. Then other thing is, I have taken Estrogen for almost 30 yrs. I recently stopped taking them and I can trace it back to just about the time the diarrhea started which was diagnosed as MC.
Here is what I found about that:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4265085/

"Estrogens and progesterone have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and epithelial barrier-enhancing properties in experimentally induced colitis in rats [Günal et al. 2003; Karatepe et al. 2012; Moussa et al. 2012], and the fall in hormone levels at menopause could theoretically explain the peak age of debut of MC in middle-aged women.

The incidence of MC is associated with increased age, suggesting that MC may be a normal ageing process along with a diminished epithelial barrier, possibly due to ischemia and reduced estrogen levels, while at the same time the mucosa is exposed to many drugs."

I even started taking the estrogen again after I had had the diarrhea for a few weeks (not yet diagnosed) I stayed on it about 10 days - didn't help so I stopped again. Still can't help wondering what if I had never stopped it?

So there you have it: Aleve; Nexium; Cdiff; and discontinuation of the Estogen.

So with all that, I have to wonder if maybe if I just hang in there long enough with the Budesonide I might find that I don't actually have food sensitivities. I know, I'm probably dreaming, but it never hurts to dream right? :)

Meanwhile I have been GF; DF; SF for 17 days and more recently cut out anything high fructose.

Post by **tex** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:22 am

Kathy wrote:So with all that, I have to wonder if maybe if I just hang in there long enough with the Budesonide I might find that I don't actually have food sensitivities.

A lot of newbies (and especially their gastroenterologists) have that dream, so after they finally reach remission, they go back to eating whatever they want — until they suffer a relapse and have to start over.

Tex

Sew · Post by **Sew** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 12:12 pm

Amen to that Tex. Between this website, a new GI, and primary care doctor. We are all
on the same page. This is food driven, I cannot eat gluten, lactose or soy.

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 12:13 pm

Oh i know its a dream. But do you think any of those factors i mentioned could have a bearing on my having developed MC?

Sew · Post by **Sew** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 12:26 pm

Kathy,

I don’t know. I have everything you have had. Taken Bextra, Clyebrex and everything you have. We are about the same age and we both have been diagnosed with MC. Where it came from, for me, is moot.
I just want some quality of life back. I don’t want to be in pain all the time and chained to the toilet.
This website has given me hope my goal will be achieved!

Thank you!

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 1:26 pm

Kathy,
Again if you do a search you will see that for many here there are identifiable events/aspects as to why they have MC. There are also a few polls on this topic as well.

My observation is that for most here there are a combo of elements that trigger MC
- genetics
- lifestyle (epigeneics)
- medications (including hormone)
- bacteria/parasite/virus
- ongoing stress /major trauma.
- nutritional deficiencies.

It can be some or all of the above.

IMO this is why it takes a combo of elements to achieve remission and why medication alone is not successful long term treatment option. As the current medication treatments for MC do not correct the root cause that triggered the MC in the first place.

Post by **tex** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 2:21 pm

Sure, the Aleve, Nexium, and C. diff may have/probably contributed to the cause of your MC, but not the estrogen (IMO). Now that you have MC, however, all four (including changes in estrogen supplementation) can trigger a relapse.

Tex

Erica P-G · Post by **Erica P-G** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 2:27 pm

My observation is that for most here there are a combo of elements that trigger MC
- genetics
- lifestyle (epigeneics)
- medications (including hormone)
- bacteria/parasite/virus
- ongoing stress /major trauma.
- nutritional deficiencies.

It can be some or all of the above.

I can say that it has taken me 3 years to get thru 4 of the 6 observations......I'm still working on stress and that may take more work and a longer time period to conquer than any others.

MC has made me feel real stupid at times, but then I have moments when I feel I have a handle on things too there has been so much to learn about this colitis. I'm so glad this site was started as many years ago as it was.

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 5:29 pm

Some days I deal with this pretty well and think - its only food after all. Other days like today, I think "at our age (I'm 69 and my husband is 70) food is one of the few enjoyments we have left". He's not in good enough health to travel anymore - has COPD and neuropathy in his feet. Besides our finances have dwindled so really couldn't afford to travel now anyway. But I enjoy cooking and eating. Now that's to be taken from me too and its just so depressing.

Oh, I know I can still cook and eat but the restrictions just seem so daunting right now. I really want to do the Enterolab testing so I can at least know what I can base my diet on going forward. But as I said money is tight. Waa Waa! Sorry to be such a cry baby. My birthday is tomorrow and we went out and had a steak dinner. I only had the filet and a plain baked potatoe but wondering if I will be sorry. I have been eating ground beef patties here at home without a problem. But I know a steak is harder to digest. I guess I will find out. But nothing horrible has happened so far and we ate 7 hours ago.

I am actually on the constipated side right now. Been down from 9mg to 6mg Budesonide for 7 days. Wondering whether to drop to 3 mg or take a stool softener.

Post by **tex** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:17 pm

Hi Kathy,

We all miss being able to eat all that junk food that we used to eat. But then I think back to what our paleo ancestors lived on, and how much healthier they were, and the fact that they didn't eat any of the junk food that we're missing (because none of it was available back them). They ate stuff like that steak you had, but it probably wasn't cooked as well, if it was cooked at all. I used to dream about traveling too, back before I became an old codger with an IBD.

I don't miss the miserable, nauseated days, and the nights I had to spend in the bathroom back before it dawned on me that I needed to change my diet, about 15 years ago.

Tex

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:18 pm

Kathy,
Be thankful that you embracing this during your retirement era.
Embracing life with MC when you are working is not fun.

The first 6-9 months are the hardest.
And as I have mentioned before, we can't do everything 100% perfect 100% of the time. We have to find the happy balance of minimising symptoms and living and enjoying life.

I budget 'treats' and risky eating into my routine/planning. Ensure I have at home day afterwards etc.

Reduce the budenside.....
treat root cause, rather than counteract symptom.

Most of all, be patient. With time and healing it gets way easier!! And lots more fun.

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:47 pm

Thanks guys. The encouragement really helps.

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:52 pm

Eg. I spent my 40th birthday, at home near bathroom as weeks of incontinent diarreah had started,
I had had 3 public accidents by this stage.

Got diagnosis of MC a month later.

12 months later for my 41st birthday, I was able to enjoy gf, df, sf cake, and eat a meal out.
There would be some loose stool symptoms but only for 1bm a few hours after eating.

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:24 am

Thanks Gabes ! I have lived with fear of a "public accident" but thank the Lord so far I have been spared that. I carry an emergency kit in my purse. So good to hear the difference between those two birthdays. What a difference a year makes. Although right now a year sounds like an eternity. But I do feel like I'm making good progress since I've been on elimination diet. It's been 8 days since I've had any D. Going down to 3 MG Budesonide as of today. Fingers crossed.