I am once again seeking wisdom from this life saving group. I want to try Vitamin B supplement and I did some research here and found that Thorne Methyl Guard Plus is highly recommended. It is expensive and I found a less costly one, Doctor's Best brand, that has the active form of B-12, methylcobalamin. Would the Doctor's Best brand be as effective as the other? I am not in remission yet and don't want to waste money on something I can't tolerate.
The second question I have is about digestive enzymes. I have been experiencing what I think is gallbladder pain and increase in D and gas pain. The D now has oily rings around it and thanks to this group and Tex's books, I realize is probably BAM. I have tried cholestyramine several times but cannot tolerate it. I even tried cutting the dose in half as Gabes suggested, but still caused stomach pain. So I bought HCL (Amy Myers brand) but it doesn't say that it contains Betaine. I have Betaine and Pepsin supplement that I got from a holistic doctor who I saw before I found this group (wasted lots of money there). Should I take the Betaine supplement along with the HCL?
I am in my third year of trying to stop the D and get pretty discouraged at times, but I will continue to stalk this group and re-read Tex's books until I find the answer. I am so grateful for everyone here. I can't thank you all enough.
Jeannie
Questions about digestive enzymes and Vitamin B
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Re: Questions about digestive enzymes and Vitamin B
Hi Jeannine,
If you're just looking for a vitamin B-12 supplement, there are many that will work, and the Doctors Best brand is a good, reputable product. However, most of us take the Thorn Methyl-Gard Plus in order to get the other B vitamins, because they're difficult to find in the active form. Methylcobalamin is fairly easy to find. The regular thorn methyl guard is a lower-priced product, but it also contains lower doses of the B vitamins. I haven't looked at the doctors best product to see if it contains those other B vitamins, but you can compare the labels to see that.
After three years of strict diet control without remission, BAM may indeed be the reason why you can't reach remission. However, I'm not aware of an alternative solution to resolve the BAM, other than colestyramine. It's certainly possible that betaine HCl might help, but you will have to experiment to find the best dose.
The oily rings in the toilet are due to fat malabsorption, and virtually all of us have that symptom whenever MC is active. In other words, oily rings do not verify that you have BAM, they merely confirm your fat malabsorption issue. The only other treatment that I'm aware of that will improve bile acid uptake in the terminal ilium, to thereby reduce a BAM issue, is the use of budesonide (or some other corticosteroid).
I hope this helps.
Tex
If you're just looking for a vitamin B-12 supplement, there are many that will work, and the Doctors Best brand is a good, reputable product. However, most of us take the Thorn Methyl-Gard Plus in order to get the other B vitamins, because they're difficult to find in the active form. Methylcobalamin is fairly easy to find. The regular thorn methyl guard is a lower-priced product, but it also contains lower doses of the B vitamins. I haven't looked at the doctors best product to see if it contains those other B vitamins, but you can compare the labels to see that.
After three years of strict diet control without remission, BAM may indeed be the reason why you can't reach remission. However, I'm not aware of an alternative solution to resolve the BAM, other than colestyramine. It's certainly possible that betaine HCl might help, but you will have to experiment to find the best dose.
The oily rings in the toilet are due to fat malabsorption, and virtually all of us have that symptom whenever MC is active. In other words, oily rings do not verify that you have BAM, they merely confirm your fat malabsorption issue. The only other treatment that I'm aware of that will improve bile acid uptake in the terminal ilium, to thereby reduce a BAM issue, is the use of budesonide (or some other corticosteroid).
I hope this helps.
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.
Re: Questions about digestive enzymes and Vitamin B
Thank you so much, Tex. I will compare labels of the two B vitamin brands. I think there is more than BAM going on because I have really bad gas pain now, which I have not had since the beginning of colitis, but also this sharp pain on my right side. Yesterday was a very painful day, and this morning my BM had lots of stringy mucous (at least it looked like mucous to me) and that has never happened before. I do have an appointment with the NP at my GI practice this afternoon and I am anxious to hear what she has to say about these new symptoms.
It is a bit disheartening to know that cholestyramine is the only treatment for BAM except Budesonide. I am down to one Budesonide per week, trying to wean off. I didn't have the gas pain/D when I took Budesonide every 3 days now that I think of it. Maybe I should just remain on that maintenance dose to control the BAM.
Again, thank you for being so willing to share your wisdom with those of us who struggle. I don't know what I would do without you. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Jeannie
It is a bit disheartening to know that cholestyramine is the only treatment for BAM except Budesonide. I am down to one Budesonide per week, trying to wean off. I didn't have the gas pain/D when I took Budesonide every 3 days now that I think of it. Maybe I should just remain on that maintenance dose to control the BAM.
Again, thank you for being so willing to share your wisdom with those of us who struggle. I don't know what I would do without you. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Jeannie
Re: Questions about digestive enzymes and Vitamin B
Hi Janine,
The mucus is a symptom of inflammation, probably due to something in your diet. To be honest, I don't remember ever seeing a medical research article that associated BAM with mucus production, but that certainly doesn't mean that it's not possible (that it's associated with BAM).
Tex
The mucus is a symptom of inflammation, probably due to something in your diet. To be honest, I don't remember ever seeing a medical research article that associated BAM with mucus production, but that certainly doesn't mean that it's not possible (that it's associated with BAM).
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.
Re: Questions about digestive enzymes and Vitamin B
I don't even know what to look at in my diet that could cause inflammation. I have stayed on the Stage 1 diet this entire time, I make all my food myself, and I had Enterolab testing so I know what foods to avoid. I am completely GF SF DF and I never cheat, not even a little. I want remission too much to take a chance. I have looked at all my cosmetics, soaps, lotions, laundry detergent, etc. I am wondering if gall bladder problems could cause what is happening now since the pain in my right side is new and D has increased. Hopefully the NP at the GI practice can help determine that, although I have no confidence in her for colitis issues. Do you think digestive enzymes would help? Or maybe new Enterolab testing would be helpful. It's been two years since I had that done. I know I am missing something and I drive myself crazy trying to figure out what!
Thanks again for taking the time to help, Tex. I wish I could just sit and talk to you. It's all so overwhelming. I want my life back like so many others here have done. I have read both of your books more than once. There can be so many hidden causes in our bodies and narrowing that down seems just impossible at times. Just when I think I am doing better, I have bad days again. But I won't stop searching!
Jeannie
Thanks again for taking the time to help, Tex. I wish I could just sit and talk to you. It's all so overwhelming. I want my life back like so many others here have done. I have read both of your books more than once. There can be so many hidden causes in our bodies and narrowing that down seems just impossible at times. Just when I think I am doing better, I have bad days again. But I won't stop searching!
Jeannie
Re: Questions about digestive enzymes and Vitamin B
Gallbladder problems certainly have the potential to disrupt digestion, but the problem is, pain in the lower right quadrant is the wrong location for typical gallbladder pains. Normally, gallbladder pain is roughly centered at about the lower edge of the breastbone, and the pain can be felt in back.
Betaine HCl might help, because if the first step in the digestive process is compromised due to low stomach acid, then the rest of the digestive process is not going to proceed normally, either. I wish it were easier to pinpoint the problem, but I can't think of any other suggestions, at the moment.
Tex
Betaine HCl might help, because if the first step in the digestive process is compromised due to low stomach acid, then the rest of the digestive process is not going to proceed normally, either. I wish it were easier to pinpoint the problem, but I can't think of any other suggestions, at the moment.
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.
Re: Questions about digestive enzymes and Vitamin B
Thank you Tex. Yesterday the NP told me exactly the same thing, my pain would be in a different place if it was gallbladder. She said it is gas pain due to MC. She suggested increasing my dose of Budesonide to 3 mg every other day and said it is safe to take that dose long term. And you said that Budesonide can resolve malabsorption issues, that is probably the best thing for me to do right now.
Looking at my diet again, I decided to stop drinking my one cup of coffee in the morning and maybe even chamomile tea that I drink. If something in my diet is causing inflammation, it has to be something I have been ingesting this entire time. If I have more than one small cup of coffee, it causes issues, so obviously it is an irritant. So hard to give up the coffee, I love it so much. Do you know how long it will take to really tell if coffee is the problem? I have eliminated it a couple of times in the past, but it didn't seem to make a difference. Maybe I didn't wait long enough.
Hopefully one day soon I can write and tell you my success story! Thanks again for taking the time to help me.
Jeannie
Looking at my diet again, I decided to stop drinking my one cup of coffee in the morning and maybe even chamomile tea that I drink. If something in my diet is causing inflammation, it has to be something I have been ingesting this entire time. If I have more than one small cup of coffee, it causes issues, so obviously it is an irritant. So hard to give up the coffee, I love it so much. Do you know how long it will take to really tell if coffee is the problem? I have eliminated it a couple of times in the past, but it didn't seem to make a difference. Maybe I didn't wait long enough.
Hopefully one day soon I can write and tell you my success story! Thanks again for taking the time to help me.
Jeannie
Re: Questions about digestive enzymes and Vitamin B
If coffee and/or tea are the final piece all of the possible, you should be able to verify that within a day or two of avoiding them, but avoid them both at the same time, and if that stops the diarrhea, then you can try one or the other later, to determine whether one or both are the problem. The tricky part about gaining remission, is that most of us have to avoid all of our sensitivities, not just most of them.
Regarding the budesonide, yes any dose below 6 mg per day should be safe long-term (provided that you take a magnesium supplement in order to counteract the magnesium depleting effect of budesonide), and budesonide will also help to treat a BAM problem, because it will improve bile acid reabsorption in the terminal ilium. Failing to prevent a magnesium deficiency will eventually lead to osteoporosis.
Tex
Regarding the budesonide, yes any dose below 6 mg per day should be safe long-term (provided that you take a magnesium supplement in order to counteract the magnesium depleting effect of budesonide), and budesonide will also help to treat a BAM problem, because it will improve bile acid reabsorption in the terminal ilium. Failing to prevent a magnesium deficiency will eventually lead to osteoporosis.
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.