I have been recently diagnosed with LC and have been on Entocort for about 2 months. I also have cut gluten out of my diet. The diarrhea has stopped and I'm more or less regular. However, I keep getting regular bouts of a queasy, tightness in my abdomen. Kind of like butterflies when you are feeling anxious - but I'm not feeling any anxiety per se. It is a real uncomfortable feeling. There is no pain - it just feels like someone is squeezing my stomach or intestine. Is this a typical symptom of LC or a side effect of Entocort?? Or am I anxious?? Would Pepto Bismal help?
I actually am very relieved to have the diagnosis. I realize now that it has been going on for 20 years. I could have saved several diagnostic surgeries had I know of LC. I was tired of hearing the result being "Unexplained Abdominal Pain".
Anyway - I'm just curious if this feeling is related and if anyone knows a good treatment.
queasy stomach?
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Hi,
Welcome to our board. I'm sorry to hear that it took so long for your doctors to finally figure out what was wrong.
That's a very good question, and I really don't know how to answer it. Here are some of the listed side effects of oral budesonide, (the active ingredient in Entocort EC):
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/entocort-side-effects.html
I suppose the symptoms that you describe could be considered to be a form of dyspepsia, since it would fall under the category of "discomfort", (with or without pain).
On the other hand, while I was still reacting, I often felt similar sensations, though they were usually accompanied by pain. I have never taken Entocort. We all tend to have similar, though somewhat different symptoms from this disease, and we react differently to various medications. That can make it very tricky to pin down the exact cause of symptoms, sometimes.
If you are not experiencing any neurological symptoms from the budesonide, (such as dizziness, balance issues, blurred vision, etc.), I would guess that those symptoms are most likely connected with your LC, and they should eventually stop recurring, as your gut heals. This disease can cause all sorts of weird responses from our intestines. At certain times, during my reactions, my intestines would actually writhe like a snake, and several other members have also reported similar symptoms. MC is a complex, "tricky", and poorly-understood, (by the medical community, at least), disease.
I doubt that Pepto Bismol would help, but it's certainly not impossible that it could help. The bismith subsalicylate that it contains does have a soothing effect on the lining of the intestines. Some of us have found it to be helpful, while others have had adverse reactions to it.
It can take 6 months to a year, (or longer), for the symptoms of MC to completely settle down, after treatment begins, so it's not unusual to be experiencing symptoms such as you describe, at this point in your treatment. Hopefully, they will slowly fade away.
If the symptoms are really a problem, an anti-spasmodic, such as hyoscyamine, (Levsin, Levbid, etc.), might help. It's often prescribed for IBS - it won't help to fight the inflammation caused by an IBD, but it will sort of "tranquilize" the intestines, and might help to relieve your symptoms. Of course anti-spasmodics are not without side effects themselves, so adding additional drugs to a treatment program almost always involves "trade-offs".
I hope this helps.
Again, welcome aboard,
Tex (Wayne)
Welcome to our board. I'm sorry to hear that it took so long for your doctors to finally figure out what was wrong.
That's a very good question, and I really don't know how to answer it. Here are some of the listed side effects of oral budesonide, (the active ingredient in Entocort EC):
From:Gastrointestinal side effects of oral enteric-coated budesonide have included nausea, diarrhea, dyspepsia, abdominal pain, flatulence, anus disorder, aggravation of Crohn's disease, enteritis, epigastric pain, gastrointestinal fistula, glossitis, hemorrhoids, intestinal obstruction, tongue edema, tooth disorder, and vomiting.
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/entocort-side-effects.html
I suppose the symptoms that you describe could be considered to be a form of dyspepsia, since it would fall under the category of "discomfort", (with or without pain).
On the other hand, while I was still reacting, I often felt similar sensations, though they were usually accompanied by pain. I have never taken Entocort. We all tend to have similar, though somewhat different symptoms from this disease, and we react differently to various medications. That can make it very tricky to pin down the exact cause of symptoms, sometimes.
If you are not experiencing any neurological symptoms from the budesonide, (such as dizziness, balance issues, blurred vision, etc.), I would guess that those symptoms are most likely connected with your LC, and they should eventually stop recurring, as your gut heals. This disease can cause all sorts of weird responses from our intestines. At certain times, during my reactions, my intestines would actually writhe like a snake, and several other members have also reported similar symptoms. MC is a complex, "tricky", and poorly-understood, (by the medical community, at least), disease.
I doubt that Pepto Bismol would help, but it's certainly not impossible that it could help. The bismith subsalicylate that it contains does have a soothing effect on the lining of the intestines. Some of us have found it to be helpful, while others have had adverse reactions to it.
It can take 6 months to a year, (or longer), for the symptoms of MC to completely settle down, after treatment begins, so it's not unusual to be experiencing symptoms such as you describe, at this point in your treatment. Hopefully, they will slowly fade away.
If the symptoms are really a problem, an anti-spasmodic, such as hyoscyamine, (Levsin, Levbid, etc.), might help. It's often prescribed for IBS - it won't help to fight the inflammation caused by an IBD, but it will sort of "tranquilize" the intestines, and might help to relieve your symptoms. Of course anti-spasmodics are not without side effects themselves, so adding additional drugs to a treatment program almost always involves "trade-offs".
I hope this helps.
Again, welcome aboard,
Tex (Wayne)
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: queasy stomach?
I get a lot of queasiness, and something similar to what you describe. When I do I munch a few of Trader Joes gluten free ginger snaps. They are loaded with real ginger, have a bit of a zing to them, but they definately help me.capenancy wrote:I have been recently diagnosed with LC and have been on Entocort for about 2 months. I also have cut gluten out of my diet. The diarrhea has stopped and I'm more or less regular. However, I keep getting regular bouts of a queasy, tightness in my abdomen. Kind of like butterflies when you are feeling anxious - but I'm not feeling any anxiety per se. It is a real uncomfortable feeling. There is no pain - it just feels like someone is squeezing my stomach or intestine. Is this a typical symptom of LC or a side effect of Entocort?? Or am I anxious?? Would Pepto Bismal help?
I actually am very relieved to have the diagnosis. I realize now that it has been going on for 20 years. I could have saved several diagnostic surgeries had I know of LC. I was tired of hearing the result being "Unexplained Abdominal Pain".
Anyway - I'm just curious if this feeling is related and if anyone knows a good treatment.
Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
- Abraham Lincoln
- Abraham Lincoln
Joan,
Apparently they do contain soy. Here are the ingredients:
GLUTEN FREE FLOUR ( ORGANIC CORN FLOUR, CHICK PEA FLOUR, POTATO FLOUR, TAPIOCA STARCH, RICE FLOUR, POTATO STARCH, XANTHAN GUM), SUGAR, CANOLA OIL, MOLASSES, GINGER, SOY LECITHIN, EGGS, BAKING SODA, SEA SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS.
Tex
Apparently they do contain soy. Here are the ingredients:
GLUTEN FREE FLOUR ( ORGANIC CORN FLOUR, CHICK PEA FLOUR, POTATO FLOUR, TAPIOCA STARCH, RICE FLOUR, POTATO STARCH, XANTHAN GUM), SUGAR, CANOLA OIL, MOLASSES, GINGER, SOY LECITHIN, EGGS, BAKING SODA, SEA SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS.
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: Delta
JoanJLH wrote:Are those cookies soy free, too? I didn't see the info online in a quick search.
organic corn flour, chick pea flour, potato flour, tapioca starch, rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, sugar, canola oil, molasses, ginger, ****soy lecithan**** eggs, baking soda, sea salt, natural flavor.
exactly in that order.
Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
- Abraham Lincoln
- Abraham Lincoln
I guess I should have looked at Tex's post before my last post. I have another brand that I haven't tried and was rummaging around the pantry looking for them to see what they contained, but with Rita in Maine for the last two weeks, I can't find them or just about anything else 
I need to pay more attention to where things go around here. It's like a black hole in there. I'll ask her when she calls tonight, and of course they'll have been right in front of my face the whole time.
I need to pay more attention to where things go around here. It's like a black hole in there. I'll ask her when she calls tonight, and of course they'll have been right in front of my face the whole time.Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
- Abraham Lincoln
- Abraham Lincoln
