Update

[thedell19]

Hello my friends-

I have been gluten and dairy free about 5 months now- with only a few mishaps so far I think.

When did you finally get back to normal? (I am still tired, little upset stomach in the morning, some joint pains etc.)

Since my colonoscopy in May(???) I have been completely taken off Asacol and Entocort- I still take Digest Gold enzyme, Caltrate calcium, Klonopin (anxiety), wellbutrin (depression) and imodium.

My bowels movements are round balls and not the ummm **explicit** nice log like...

I still get colon spasms and am seeing my GI about that in mid Nov.

If any has any suggestions please throw them in-

Thanks

Andrew

[barbaranoela]

hiya Andrew---I cant add much to your dilemma--all I can say is---a combination of anxity+depression meds. can certainly make U feel run down!!!

How do U take these 2 meds??? I trust not both together!!
Or is each one ingested @ the same time of day--in order to keep things @ an even beat~~~~?

I took wellbutrin waaaaay back and I had lousy results with it---made more jumpy and upset my stomach~~~so I weaned off that~~~

And we often spoke of how differently meds. work ---
Plus adding Immod>------

Sorry I am all over the place with my replies--but thats me!!!!

Do feel better----and keep us informed too

luve Barbara

[Polly]

Good to hear from you, Terps!

I'd say you are doing extremely well. In terms of timeline, it took me almost 9 mos. of the GF/DF diet just for the D to stop. The joint pains began improving immediately but were probably not totally gone until about a year had passed. Same with the fatigue, which took the longest to improve. I remember noticing how much more energy I had after one year of diet and then even more energy 2 years later.....and still more after 3 years.

Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration!

Love,

Polly

[tex]

Hi Andrew,

It's good to see an update, but I'm sorry to see that you're still having problems. You asked how long it took us - it took me a year and a half, because I didn't have sense enough to cut out dairy products and corn, sooner than that. (That was back before I found this group of knowledgeable MCers, who could have easily told me what I was doing wrong).

As Polly says, you might just need more time. Or, as Barbara suggested, one of the meds could be causing your problems, or there might be another trigger food that you're overlooking.

Your BMs suggest that there's a constipation problem, and your colon spasms are indicative of an active MC reaction, so something that doesn't agree with you, may be slipping into your diet, or maybe your gut just hasn't had sufficient time to heal, yet.

Evidently your GI doesn't believe in maintenance doses of either Asacol or Entocort. As I recall, he had you taking them all at the same time, (including Prednisone), and then tapering the dosage until you were completely off them, which would have been fine, if the diet were working properly. Since he put you on meds in the first place, he probably should have continued either the Entocort or the Asacol for a while, at least until the diet had time to work.

Tex

[harvest_table]

Hi Andrew,

Like you, I took medications in conjunction with diet after my DX with CC and the plan has worked well for me. I took Entocort for a little over 6 months while GF and after weaning off the med eliminated dairy, all processed foods and sugars to feel my best. Id say, it took about a year for me to get back to feeling close to 100 percent.

Just curious, since you have been GFDF for 5 months and started your medications at the same time how long ago did you wean off the meds? Were you symptom free before weaning off the meds and noticed problems returning after that? Exactly, what doses of the meds were you taking and how long?

Last question. How old are you and what was your MC DX? Thanks for checking in and letting us know how you are doing.

Love,
Joanna

[thedell19]

Barb-

I take the wellbutrin and Klonopin @ the same time. Like you said it keeps things evened out. The wellbutrin made my stomach uneasy at first as well but I switched to the name brand and it went away. Also I didnt like the longer acting wellbutrin like the 300 mg tabs that are slow release...those didnt sit well. But I found what worked. I switched from ativan to klonopin about 1 month ago. Klonopin and wellbutrin have lactose in them ( no casein) and I take them when I take a digestive enzyme.

Well my GI doesnt believe in this GF/DF thing and I was on Asacol and Entocort (never pred) and then I was weened off of them at about 1 month of being GF DF... I couldnt convince him to keep me on it a little longer. But the asacol I think made me worse and the Entocort is the only thing that really worked and made me feel 95% normal for the time I was on it... loved it. So I was on Entocort 9mg for about 5 months (none of wich I was GFDF) and then weened off over 1 month and was on Asacol for about a year and stopped that around the same time as the Entocort.

I do push the limits sometimes and eat chocolate brownies and those never sit perfect. Cant think of anything else.

[barbaranoela]

Hi Andrew-----thanks for the update--

With me---Asacol didnt help---so I was put on Colazal---+ Pred. (which made me like a mexican jumping bean)--and had stayed on the Colazal as a maintenance~~~~
I had no choice with the Pred...and that being cus I had changed GI's---due to the fact that my first GI---didnt know beans about beans and I was never treated with anything---he would pat my hand!!!
---sooooooo when I changed GI's--I was so sick that Pred. had to be part of my agressive treatment and slowly but surely I began to mend--

How often we said--- meds work so differently with each of us---I tried the Entocort and I had neurological problems with that drug!!! Go figure--

So weird too---I had been dignosed *lactose Intolerant* but after inners started to mend----my lactose issues kinda mended along????
This I could never figure out---
And yes, I also tempt faith---I might pay for it--- but cant resist~~~~
Take care Andrew----
and its always nice to see U drop in---

Barbara