Hello everyone, I have just been diagnosed with MC and have not yet started the Enterocort. For the past six weeks I have been unable to eat, anything I eat just goes right through me. I tried some salad and tomatoes yesterday and today I am very ill and very weak. Can someone tell me how to start eating again, did you have to build it up slowly, which foods should I start with? All I eat are three bottles of astronaut food a day, which is 900 calories, not a lot.
Thanks for your suggestions,
Annie
HELP - I can't eat anything at all
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
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belgiangirl
- Little Blue Penguin
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 3:53 pm
Dear Annie (great name - my sister is called Annie!)
Here are my suggestions. You are right that you need to take a step by step approach. The likelihood is that until your gut heals many food will irritate it. Once your gut starts to heal you will be able to eat more foods, but never the ones that most likely are creating the underlying inflammation (i.e. Gluten and Dairy and possibly Soy and other legumes (beans and peas). It is also possible that eggs and nightshades (potatoes and tomatoes) could cause intolerance problems. Other things you need to know is that ANY uncooked vegetables will irritate an unhealed gut (as you found out from your salad and tomatoes). Also most sugars and fructose will likely feed your bad bacteria and cause fermentation (bloating and gas). Also avoid all oil except Virgin Olive Oil
So...... what you should do now is limit yourself to plain cooked white rice and chicken (without the skin or fat) or white fish (again without the skin). PEEL and cook very well (until mushy) any vegetables (not legumes and for safety I would also avoid potatoes and tomatoes for now). I find well cooked carrots quite tasty.
Once you get the entocort stay on this simple diet until you only have BMs 2 or 3 times as day and they are not urgent. Then you can start experimenting with foods (But never the ones your are intolerant to)
Hope this helps and I am sure others will correct my suggestions if I have made any mistakes.
So sorry you are going through this. I have been there and it WILL get better for you.
Best, Ant
Here are my suggestions. You are right that you need to take a step by step approach. The likelihood is that until your gut heals many food will irritate it. Once your gut starts to heal you will be able to eat more foods, but never the ones that most likely are creating the underlying inflammation (i.e. Gluten and Dairy and possibly Soy and other legumes (beans and peas). It is also possible that eggs and nightshades (potatoes and tomatoes) could cause intolerance problems. Other things you need to know is that ANY uncooked vegetables will irritate an unhealed gut (as you found out from your salad and tomatoes). Also most sugars and fructose will likely feed your bad bacteria and cause fermentation (bloating and gas). Also avoid all oil except Virgin Olive Oil
So...... what you should do now is limit yourself to plain cooked white rice and chicken (without the skin or fat) or white fish (again without the skin). PEEL and cook very well (until mushy) any vegetables (not legumes and for safety I would also avoid potatoes and tomatoes for now). I find well cooked carrots quite tasty.
Once you get the entocort stay on this simple diet until you only have BMs 2 or 3 times as day and they are not urgent. Then you can start experimenting with foods (But never the ones your are intolerant to)
Hope this helps and I am sure others will correct my suggestions if I have made any mistakes.
So sorry you are going through this. I have been there and it WILL get better for you.
Best, Ant
Gluten free, soy free broth (I like Progresso low sodium) and applesauce and bananas in small amounts. I eat baby food veggies such as carrots and squash.
You can put plain chicken and rice in the broth and make soup.
You may need something to replenish your electolytes.......
You can put plain chicken and rice in the broth and make soup.
You may need something to replenish your electolytes.......
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and don't play one on TV.
LDN July 18, 2014
Joan
LDN July 18, 2014
Joan
Hi Annie,
You have already received some great advice, and I cannot add much to it. (As has already been pointed out), the key to healing the gut, is to avoid the foods that you react to, and minimize fiber and sugar of all types, (and especially avoid artificial sweeteners). Chicken that has not been injected with "moisturizing" or "tenderizing" solutions, fish, and pork work well for most of us. Bananas can be eaten raw, (if they do not cause any reactions), but any other vegetables or fruits should be well cooked, (cooked to mush, and they are even safer if they are pureed before eating). Any vegetables and/or fruit that cause problems should be avoided, and never, ever eat lettuce - it is one of the most irritating foods available, until after the gut heals. As Ant mentioned, tomatoes are a problem for many/most of us, also, until our gut heals, as are onions, garlic, and certain spicy foods.
Tea, (especially green tea), sometimes helps digestion for many of us. Please continue to ask questions, and keep us posted on your progress, because fine-tuning a diet that will work for you, is obviously the most difficult step in the healing process. Also, be aware that until your gut heals, sometimes you will get sick for no apparent reason, simply because your intestines are so hypersensitive that they will react to even the slightest irritation. As you begin to heal, that will become less and less of a problem.
Tex
You have already received some great advice, and I cannot add much to it. (As has already been pointed out), the key to healing the gut, is to avoid the foods that you react to, and minimize fiber and sugar of all types, (and especially avoid artificial sweeteners). Chicken that has not been injected with "moisturizing" or "tenderizing" solutions, fish, and pork work well for most of us. Bananas can be eaten raw, (if they do not cause any reactions), but any other vegetables or fruits should be well cooked, (cooked to mush, and they are even safer if they are pureed before eating). Any vegetables and/or fruit that cause problems should be avoided, and never, ever eat lettuce - it is one of the most irritating foods available, until after the gut heals. As Ant mentioned, tomatoes are a problem for many/most of us, also, until our gut heals, as are onions, garlic, and certain spicy foods.
Tea, (especially green tea), sometimes helps digestion for many of us. Please continue to ask questions, and keep us posted on your progress, because fine-tuning a diet that will work for you, is obviously the most difficult step in the healing process. Also, be aware that until your gut heals, sometimes you will get sick for no apparent reason, simply because your intestines are so hypersensitive that they will react to even the slightest irritation. As you begin to heal, that will become less and less of a problem.
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.
Hi Annie,
Welcome, I'm sorry you need this advice, I've been where you are and it wasn't fun.
Along with what others have said, I found banana-(ripe) smoothies with almonds and green juice were easy to make and tolerate.
Welcome, I'm sorry you need this advice, I've been where you are and it wasn't fun.
Along with what others have said, I found banana-(ripe) smoothies with almonds and green juice were easy to make and tolerate.
Resolved MC symptoms successfully w/L-Glutamine, Probiotics and Vitamins, GF since 8/'09. DX w/MC 10/'09.
Welcome Annie, I know how discouraged you feel because I've been there too. The Enterolab tests showed I was gluten, dairy, soy, egg, and yeast intolerant.
It takes time and patience, but I've got my life back by following the diet and using entocort. I am only taking one pill every other day now and hope to be completely off in a month. If I start to relapse, I will not hesitate to go back on it. It's been a great drug for me. If you find it too expensive, there are alternative ways to obtain it which are discussed on this board. You might want to consider the Enterolab tests which will help you discover your key intolerances. Good luck, things will get better with the proper diet, but it does take time. JoAnn
It takes time and patience, but I've got my life back by following the diet and using entocort. I am only taking one pill every other day now and hope to be completely off in a month. If I start to relapse, I will not hesitate to go back on it. It's been a great drug for me. If you find it too expensive, there are alternative ways to obtain it which are discussed on this board. You might want to consider the Enterolab tests which will help you discover your key intolerances. Good luck, things will get better with the proper diet, but it does take time. JoAnn
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. John Wayne
Hello Annie, finding out what you can and what you can't eat is one of the most important and most difficult things in our way to achieve remission. First there is the possibility of food intolerances (mostly gluten, dairy and soy) followed by a whole list of possible foods that can irritate the gut while it is not healed yet. As mentioned before, by me and others, enterolab testing can give more clarity in your intolerances (see www.enterolab.com). Food that can irritate the gut differ greatly from person to person. What is no problem for me can be a disaster for you. It is just a journey of trial and error. But generally (as mentioned before here), rice, chicken, banana's, mushy vegetables (no legumes!!), pealed (and if necessary cooked) fruit is a good start. Also fibers (especially insolvable) can be very 'gut irritating'. That's why sometimes the "special" gluten free product can give abdominal pain.
Good luck with it.
Good luck with it.
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belgiangirl
- Little Blue Penguin
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 3:53 pm
Thank you all for your precious advice, you are my lifeline at the moment!
There is no such forum in Belgium and I am drinking everything I read here! I want to do the Enterolab tests to find out to which foods I am allergic, I tried to register today but the system would not accept my phone number. Do you know if they do overseas tests?
Tomorrow I am going to try to eat some turkey with cooked carrots and rice and hopefully it will stay in my body. I cannot going for much longer on only astronaud food, 900 calories a day, because it is making me very weak. Do you guys take vitamin supplements and which ones?
Thank you so much for being there for me and I wish you all a beautiful day.
Annie
There is no such forum in Belgium and I am drinking everything I read here! I want to do the Enterolab tests to find out to which foods I am allergic, I tried to register today but the system would not accept my phone number. Do you know if they do overseas tests?
Tomorrow I am going to try to eat some turkey with cooked carrots and rice and hopefully it will stay in my body. I cannot going for much longer on only astronaud food, 900 calories a day, because it is making me very weak. Do you guys take vitamin supplements and which ones?
Thank you so much for being there for me and I wish you all a beautiful day.
Annie
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Joefnh
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 2478
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:25 pm
- Location: Southern New Hampshire
Annie like you after my diagnosis this last April I was put on 9mg Entocort a day and nothing including a varied GF diet worked. We are all different but I did find that Gabes had a wonderful diet that worked for me like a charm . Like you nothing settled (note: raw vegetables were the worst, I love my salads). What Gabes has been trying is a simplified GF/LF/Yf diet which at least for my system has worked very well with the Entocort
Take a look at this link
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11680
Good Luck Annie and keep us informed.
--Joe
Take a look at this link
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11680
Good Luck Annie and keep us informed.
--Joe
Annie,
Yes, as Harma says, some of our members in many countries have sent samples to Enterolab. In the U. S., return shipping is included in the cost of the test kit, (or at least it used to be), but overseas clients have to pay for return shipping by FedEx overnight express shipping, I believe, which is rather expensive. Maybe they don't answer the phones on weekends. If you can't get the phone system to work, you might try sending them an e-mail, asking them what you should do, to order tests.
Yes, most of us take vitamin supplements, because this disease often causes a malabsorption problem, and we run short of the "B" vitamins, especially B-12. Also, most of us are deficient in vitamin D. People who are gluten-sensitive, tend to be susceptible to osteoporosis, and when we are short of vitamin D, that means that our body cannot properly utilize calcium, and that tends to make the osteoporosis problem even worse.
Most vitamins are fat-soluble, and our intestines are unable to absorb fat properly, with this disease. You have to be careful that the vitamins you take do not contain any of the ingredients that you are sensitive to, (such as gluten, lactose, or soy). Many of us use Freeda vitamins, because they are safe for most of us:
http://www.freedavitamins.com/
Also, when we have frequent diarrhea, we tend to become short on electrolytes, so not only do we have to be careful to drink plenty of water, but we have to replenish the electrolytes. Potassium seems to be the most likely electrolyte to be deficient, for most of us. Bananas are a good source of potassium, if you can tolerate them. If not, you may have to take a potassium supplement.
Tex
Yes, as Harma says, some of our members in many countries have sent samples to Enterolab. In the U. S., return shipping is included in the cost of the test kit, (or at least it used to be), but overseas clients have to pay for return shipping by FedEx overnight express shipping, I believe, which is rather expensive. Maybe they don't answer the phones on weekends. If you can't get the phone system to work, you might try sending them an e-mail, asking them what you should do, to order tests.
Yes, most of us take vitamin supplements, because this disease often causes a malabsorption problem, and we run short of the "B" vitamins, especially B-12. Also, most of us are deficient in vitamin D. People who are gluten-sensitive, tend to be susceptible to osteoporosis, and when we are short of vitamin D, that means that our body cannot properly utilize calcium, and that tends to make the osteoporosis problem even worse.
Most vitamins are fat-soluble, and our intestines are unable to absorb fat properly, with this disease. You have to be careful that the vitamins you take do not contain any of the ingredients that you are sensitive to, (such as gluten, lactose, or soy). Many of us use Freeda vitamins, because they are safe for most of us:
http://www.freedavitamins.com/
Also, when we have frequent diarrhea, we tend to become short on electrolytes, so not only do we have to be careful to drink plenty of water, but we have to replenish the electrolytes. Potassium seems to be the most likely electrolyte to be deficient, for most of us. Bananas are a good source of potassium, if you can tolerate them. If not, you may have to take a potassium supplement.
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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belgiangirl
- Little Blue Penguin
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 3:53 pm
MC and recovery from alcoholism
Hello everyone,
I have just been diagnosed with MC and am also a member of AA. I was wondering if there is anyone who is also in recovery and would like to know how you deal with coping with MC as well as alcoholism.
Many thanks,
Annie
I have just been diagnosed with MC and am also a member of AA. I was wondering if there is anyone who is also in recovery and would like to know how you deal with coping with MC as well as alcoholism.
Many thanks,
Annie
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
annie,
greetings from Australia
many of us have MC and other health issues inlcuding things like depression and emotional eating issues
as you may have already read, mc can be a whole of body type condition, with a wide variety of symptoms
In my opinion - the key to it all is attitude, acceptance of the condition, acceptance of the change of lifestyle, we wont lie it is not easy...
food wise- start out with small meals of gooey rice poached chicken until you know what foods are your triggers this is good start, once the inflammation goes down and you feel better start trying some really overcooked veges.
Try not to stress and upset yourself, quite a few of us have found that stress, adrenalin is a big trigger for D and discomfort.
take it day by day...
I was diagnosed almost 7 months ago, i found this site within a couple of days of being diagnosed, following the advice of all these wondeful people i have got good managemen to of the condition.
hang in there!
greetings from Australia
many of us have MC and other health issues inlcuding things like depression and emotional eating issues
as you may have already read, mc can be a whole of body type condition, with a wide variety of symptoms
In my opinion - the key to it all is attitude, acceptance of the condition, acceptance of the change of lifestyle, we wont lie it is not easy...
food wise- start out with small meals of gooey rice poached chicken until you know what foods are your triggers this is good start, once the inflammation goes down and you feel better start trying some really overcooked veges.
Try not to stress and upset yourself, quite a few of us have found that stress, adrenalin is a big trigger for D and discomfort.
take it day by day...
I was diagnosed almost 7 months ago, i found this site within a couple of days of being diagnosed, following the advice of all these wondeful people i have got good managemen to of the condition.
hang in there!
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Dear Annie
I do not know much about AA. Alcohol is likely another irritant to the gut and most beer has Gluten from the grain so must absolutely be avoided.
Getting off alcohol and eating bland food is tough.
Do you like Music? Perhaps you can indulge in that to keep positive. Anyway, you now have Potty People to talk to. Best, ant.
I do not know much about AA. Alcohol is likely another irritant to the gut and most beer has Gluten from the grain so must absolutely be avoided.
Getting off alcohol and eating bland food is tough.
Do you like Music? Perhaps you can indulge in that to keep positive. Anyway, you now have Potty People to talk to. Best, ant.-
belgiangirl
- Little Blue Penguin
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 3:53 pm
Managed to eat my first meal in six weeks!
Dear all,
I am very happy because thanks to your advice I was able to eat a meal today. I had some boiled chicken, cooked carrots and rice and it was absolutely delicious. I had it for lunch today and had no bowel movements in the afternoon, i am euforic! Thank you.
I am very happy because thanks to your advice I was able to eat a meal today. I had some boiled chicken, cooked carrots and rice and it was absolutely delicious. I had it for lunch today and had no bowel movements in the afternoon, i am euforic! Thank you.