I've been struggling with intestinal inflammation for 10 months now. I got out of the worst of it back in August 2021 (8 months ago) and have been in the grey area since then (semi-soft to runny stools, mostly 2, sometimes 3 times a day). It's rare that I have much urgency and the rumbling is only occasional now. Lost almost 30 pounds though and struggle with fatigue on and off.
But I went to my GP last week for a checkup and most of my numbers are better than they have been for decades. My blood pressure is good (low 120's systolic, low to mid 80's for diastolic) and that's with no BP medicine, no exercise, and salting my food. My blood lipids are good, hdl is up to 70 mg/dl and ldl is down to 120 mg/dl (was almost 300 last checkup).
I'm sure the cholestyramine I am taking for the (suspected) bile getting into my colon is knocking down the ldl but the higher hdl makes me think the strict diet has had a hand in my improvement. The rise in hdl is what got me excited.
The only bad number was my blood glucose. It was 94 mg/dl with 99 being the cut off point for the "you're in trouble" category. I would bet it is because of low magnesium. I have been using topical magnesium and Epsom Salts bathes to cut down on the fatigue and leg/foot cramps, but it still feels like I'm just bailing water on that situation. I don't think my blood tests looked at magnesium but I am still looking up all the meanings of some of the categories tested. I know I did not get the red blood cell test for Mg so kind of a moot point.
So that's my situation. If I can get out of the loose stools and start gaining some weight I'll be one happy camper.
John R.
One Silver Lining
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Re: One Silver Lining
Hi John,
I agree that your body is probably screaming for magnesium. I note that the only time I had blood glucose problems was when I developed a magnesium deficiency because of back-to-back antibiotic treatments. In fact I would have qualified for a prediabetes diagnosis, based on my symptoms. After I resolved my magnesium deficiency, all my symptoms disappeared, and my blood test results have been exemplary since then.
I hope this helps.
Tex
I agree that your body is probably screaming for magnesium. I note that the only time I had blood glucose problems was when I developed a magnesium deficiency because of back-to-back antibiotic treatments. In fact I would have qualified for a prediabetes diagnosis, based on my symptoms. After I resolved my magnesium deficiency, all my symptoms disappeared, and my blood test results have been exemplary since then.
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.