Major breakthrough for diet non-responder: low stomach acid (THANK YOU Laine!)

[audreybutler22]

Hello my dear MC friends,

After years of trying to control MC, I have had a total breakthrough and needed to share in case it could help someone else.

I have been struggling to get my MC into remission, despite dutifully following all the guidelines here. For over a year now since receiving my Enterolab results, I have faithfully cut out everything the test indicated. I quit my stressful job in high tech in order to get my stress levels under control. I have been supplementing with magnesium (ReMag, highly recommend) and vitamin D. The one thing I hadn't tried was budesonide, since I wasn't ready to accept a lifetime of steroids. Recently I did try cholestyramine, in case I had bile acid malabsorption which so many here do, but it did nothing for me. The only thing that helped even the tiniest slightest little bit was Pepto Bismol, though the pepto method could never get me into remission.

Despite all of my best efforts, to my immense frustration, I was still having daily WD.

But I have never given up hope that I can get control of this thing.

I started zeroing in on specific symptoms. Undigested food in stools, eczema and dry skin. I came across a post by Laine (a.k.a. "HockeyMom — I wish I knew how to tag her here) about low stomach acid and using the supplement betaine HCI with pepsin.

I tried it on a whim the next day and to my absolute shock and delight...within 12 hours the WD stopped, and within 24 hours things were solid. After years and years of WD with no relief, the change has been dramatic, sudden, and the ONLY variable that has changed has been using betaine HCI.

I've read that some people seem to need a mega dose, but I started with 1 capsule with each meal, and that has been enough.

Having an adequate level of stomach acid is essential to breaking down food in the gut, as well as killing off microbes. There is a significant connection between leaky gut and low stomach acid, since insufficient gastric acids means you can't fully digest proteins. I have celiac, and from what I've read online, it often coincides with having low stomach acid. As I've seen Gabes point out in other posts, there is also an association between low vitamin B and zinc levels leading to lack of stomach acid production. I will be supplementing both going forward just to be sure.

To Laine... I cannot thank you enough. If I had your address, I would surely send you flowers :) I am thankful, as always, for this little corner of the internet where we can learn from one another.

I would not yet consider myself in remission. I'm sure I will need continued, and maybe indefinite, help from betaine HCI to allow my stomach to regain equilibrium so it can fully heal.

I want to note that I believe that this would not have been possible without having followed the Enterolab guidelines (avoiding ALL +2 and +3 triggers, even changing out my personal care products and makeup to avoid soy), getting my magnesium and vitamin D levels under control, limiting stress, etc., all of which I have been doing for over a year. These are essential steps to reducing inflammation, without which I don't think the betaine HCI would have had such a dramatic impact.

I wonder if some of the food sensitivities indicated by the Enterolab tests will ease now that my stomach acid is normalizing and I can digest protein/peptides better? I really hope to eventually regain some of the foods I've been cutting out, though I accept that I'll like always have to avoid the 4 horsemen (gluten, of course, + dairy, soy and eggs).

I will keep updating here, but for now, I am just absolutely rejoicing in feeling normal again.

[Catieu]

What wonderful news, Audrey!!

I’m so, so happy for you!!!

It’s truly inspiring to read stories like yours. Thank you so much for sharing it.

I hope that soon I’ll also be able to share my own success story. For now, I’ll keep fighting to find the right path.

A big hug,
Marta

[audreybutler22]

Thank you so much Marta! No one but us could understand how truly unpleasant this disease is, and how much work it is to conquer.

My advice for you is to keep working through various possibilities via process of elimination.

Assuming you're following all the guidelines and have given them a decent amount of time to work, if you're not feeling better, there are other possible things at play that need to be crossed out, namely Bile Acid Malabsorption, mast cell issues, and low stomach acid.

Wishing you the best of luck in your recovery :)

[JaneG]

Wow, Audrey, I am so happy for you. I am in a similar spot as you, having gone almost a year without eating anything other than the few foods identified as safe after Enterolab testing. I am careful, all the time, and my situation is still not good. Had not considered the possibility of low stomach acid but looking at the symptoms it could be a possibility. What brand of the beta one HCl did you use?