Heya,
I’m not sure if you guys have heard that on Facebook the Guts UK page is posting about Microscopic Colitis as it is awareness week. The latter part is great but I’m surprised about the information shared. Is it true that the majority of MC patients only need one course of Budesonide and no dietary changes? I got quite angry with them that the advice provided did not mention dietary changes or the severity of the symptoms. Plus I personally don’t see Imodium as a treatment option but only an emergency use! My gut feeling that slowing motility and letting food sit on inflammation can’t be a good thing. I think I saw at least one other person with MC complain in the comments. Am I being bitter and overzealous?
Kind Regards,
Amy
Guts UK
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Re: Guts UK
Hello Amy,
It's difficult for us to judge statistics for MC patients in general, because we only see the worst cases here. Only a very small percentage of patients are willing to change their diet as drastically as must be done in order to control MC symptoms by diet. The vast majority of patients believe that they should be able to go to their doctor, receive a prescription, and pop a pill each day to control their disease.
I have a hunch that a lot of MC patients, especially those with less serious symptoms, decide to just live with the symptoms. After going back to their doctor a few times to get a prescription renewal for budesonide, and discovering that as soon as the treatment is ended, they suffer a relapse; they finally decide to just quit going back, and when that happens, their gastroenterologist assumes that their disease is cured, when in fact, the opposite is true.
Published medical research shows that approximately 85% of MC patients relapse after their budesonide treatment is ended, so obviously, very few MC patients, percentagewise, are actually able to stay in remission, after their treatment is ended. Consequently, it's very likely that the medical treatment for MC has a pathetically low success rate, but we have no way to prove that, since the statistics are not available. It's generally best to simply avoid website discussions that Involve false claims, because that simply adds to one's stress, and stress is a big driver of MC reactions. Those individuals who claim budesonide success may just be lucky, and remember that similar to Crohn's disease and UC, occasionally, MC goes into spontaneous remission.
Tex
It's difficult for us to judge statistics for MC patients in general, because we only see the worst cases here. Only a very small percentage of patients are willing to change their diet as drastically as must be done in order to control MC symptoms by diet. The vast majority of patients believe that they should be able to go to their doctor, receive a prescription, and pop a pill each day to control their disease.
I have a hunch that a lot of MC patients, especially those with less serious symptoms, decide to just live with the symptoms. After going back to their doctor a few times to get a prescription renewal for budesonide, and discovering that as soon as the treatment is ended, they suffer a relapse; they finally decide to just quit going back, and when that happens, their gastroenterologist assumes that their disease is cured, when in fact, the opposite is true.
Published medical research shows that approximately 85% of MC patients relapse after their budesonide treatment is ended, so obviously, very few MC patients, percentagewise, are actually able to stay in remission, after their treatment is ended. Consequently, it's very likely that the medical treatment for MC has a pathetically low success rate, but we have no way to prove that, since the statistics are not available. It's generally best to simply avoid website discussions that Involve false claims, because that simply adds to one's stress, and stress is a big driver of MC reactions. Those individuals who claim budesonide success may just be lucky, and remember that similar to Crohn's disease and UC, occasionally, MC goes into spontaneous remission.
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.
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Gabes-Apg
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Re: Guts UK
I saw that article and they missed adding in a key paragraph. That at least 3/4 of people after stopping budenside have symptoms return.
the article used selective marketing (probably written by a big Pharma marketing person)
It also angers me that the articles down play the symptoms of MC. they class incontinent diarrhoea as 'benign' or slightly inconvenient. It is obviously written by someone who has never experienced a MC flare nor have spent months and years trying to get remission and functional life.
the article used selective marketing (probably written by a big Pharma marketing person)
It also angers me that the articles down play the symptoms of MC. they class incontinent diarrhoea as 'benign' or slightly inconvenient. It is obviously written by someone who has never experienced a MC flare nor have spent months and years trying to get remission and functional life.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama