Feel free to discuss any topic of general interest, so long as nothing you post here is likely to be interpreted as insulting, and/or inflammatory, nor clearly designed to provoke any individual or group. Please be considerate of others feelings, and they will be considerate of yours.
Hey everyone ! I'm new to the forum. I have been suffering from the symptoms of MC since May of 2018 and i was diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis on January 8th of this year.
I read Tex's book shortly after i was diagnosed. It was like a health bible for me since my GI didn't give me much info and i was pretty much flying blind. That's how i found this forum and I'm glad i did!
This whole experience has been life changing and it's been pretty isolating. It's a comfort to know i am not alone and that there are others out there who are going through the same thing and are out here supporting each other and i look forward to being a part of this support group !
Welcome to our group. I am still fairly new and struggle. It is one crazy disease. Ask all the questions you want and no question is stupid. Tex, Gabes, Brandy Erica and Polly are just a few of the 2000+ people on this forum with answers and most of all comfort!!
Again welcome
Welcome to the group. The intestines are slow to heal, but at your relatively young age, you should be able to heal fairly quickly, compared with most older MC patients. Are you taking any medications, or do you intend to treat the disease strictly by making diet changes?
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.
Tex, I am currently not on any prescription medication. My GI decided that meds should be a last resort due to the side effects and merry go round effect they can have etc.
I currently take Pepto (4-6 x daily) as a first line of defense and i also take Boswellia serrata.
The last 3 weeks i have altered my diet, i have eliminated gluten, dairy (casein) & soy completely. I don't eat anything with more than 5 ingredients (thanks to your suggestion in your book tex) and i have seen immense improvements so far.
I also ordered tests from Enterolab and should have my results by next week to give me a better guideline of what i can't eat so i can form a decent diet for myself.
It's been really rough for me personally, i lost 25 pounds over the course of the first 6 months i started to suffer from the symptoms. It's felt overwhelming but i think I'm finally getting acclimated little by little and i'm thankful to be a part of this support group so i know i'm not alone !
You found the best place to get advice. I don't post too often anymore but I do check the board regularly and am still learning a lot. I am so grateful for the advice and encouragement that I got from so many members of this community. I was diagnosed almost two years ago and, like you, lost an awful lot of weight initially. After getting my Enterolab results, I have been able to make good choices. Initially, I ate the same few foods for practically every meal (I did well with white rice, ground beef or turkey, salmon and plain baked potato) After months of eating the same foods, I was able to add in a little variety. Now I can eat salads, baked eggs, and even some nice gluten/dairy free treats (cookies, cupcakes). I wish you all the best!
It sounds as though you're off to a great start. Those test results will make selecting a safe recovery diet much, much easier.
Yes, the psychological effects of this disease can be worse than the gastrointestinal symptoms because of the stress it imposes. It can really interfere with our social life. And since chronic stress can trigger the disease, it can become a self-perpetuating problem. Learning stress control techniques (yoga, meditation, etc.) can be a very important part of our recovery program, and our long-term ability to live with the disease.
Once we regain control, it's no longer such a scary disease, and we can resume living again (with certain self-imposed restrictions), as our confidence returns.
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, too, lost a lot of weight in the beginning. Once I figured out what I could eat, I gained weight back and am where I like to be now. Additionally, I was extremely fatigued by afternoon but that passed.
It's great that you ordered the Enterolab tests as I found that to be immensely helpful.
Read up on vitamin D3 and magnesium glycinate . Many of us take Doctor's Best High Absorption Magnesium. I tablet is 100 mg. Women need 325 mg/day. I still take 400 mg/day, spread out between two meals but that's because my last mag test was not as high as I wanted it to be. My internist said my taking 400 is fine because it's not all absorbed. Eventually, I may go back to 300mg.
Check ingredients on D3 as some contain soy which may or may not be a problem for you. I get mine from Vitamin Shoppe.
It does get easier! I'm glad that you found this site and Tex's book so soon.
I'm stuck on a diet of only a few safe foods right now so i am really looking forward to getting my Enterolab results back that way i can start eating more and gaining a little weight back. I haven't tried ground turkey yet ! so i may give that a try :) Thank you for the welcome and words of encouragement!!
Tex,
Yes, it's so far been a roller coaster everyday trying to find a balance! I feel like everything has changed and I'm just adjusting to this new life, i hope it does get easier to manage and that i can gain my confidence back eventually. I was thinking of starting yoga! great suggestion. You're the best and your book helped me so much i just want to thank you!
Susan,
Hi :) It's a comfort to know that i will gain some weight back once i get the hang of things and get a better diet going. I am on that fatigue train all the time! sometimes it comes out of nowhere for no reason ! I do hope that fades over time because its so tough to try to work and live life feeling like you haven't slept in a week ! LOL. I will check out the vitamin D3 and magnesium glycinate! thank you for the suggestion and the info i really appreciate it !
