Wise words Gabes
"I would say that MC is not for the faint at heart!!"
--Joe
Weight loss and CC
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Thank all of you for the advise, I will try them the next time it happens. It has to be the worst pain I have had to deal with during my whole life. Tex, I am with you I could never lay on my stomach when having one of these attacks I can hardly stand to have pants around my waste. Me being so small probably does not help at all because it only has so much room to expand.
Donna
No matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
No matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Donna
i have had to change majority of my wardrobe (especially for work) to suit MC. no tight fitting waistbands, tops that are long enough to cover a bloated belly or days i need to undo a button. i am not able to wear stocking or pantihose either. so wear mostly pants or long skirts.
the pain 'gas extraction technique' - the pain of doing it is gernally no more than 10 - 15 mins. generally i would wake up with this in the middle of the night and it was the quickest way to remove the gas when there is no one there to pat and rub my back.
There have been times when i go for acupuncture that my tummy is too senstive for me to lay on it for the needles into my back part of the treatment, so I either lay on my side or my practitioner adjusts the treatment and does it whilst i am on my back.
i have had to change majority of my wardrobe (especially for work) to suit MC. no tight fitting waistbands, tops that are long enough to cover a bloated belly or days i need to undo a button. i am not able to wear stocking or pantihose either. so wear mostly pants or long skirts.
the pain 'gas extraction technique' - the pain of doing it is gernally no more than 10 - 15 mins. generally i would wake up with this in the middle of the night and it was the quickest way to remove the gas when there is no one there to pat and rub my back.
There have been times when i go for acupuncture that my tummy is too senstive for me to lay on it for the needles into my back part of the treatment, so I either lay on my side or my practitioner adjusts the treatment and does it whilst i am on my back.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Donna,
I spent a couple of years or so, with my Levi's partially unbuttoned, on most days, (back before I figured out what was wrong with me). Fortunately, I always wore a wide belt, with a big western-style buckle, which mostly hid the fact that some of the buttons were not fastened.
I could usually judge how bad a day it was going to be, by the number of buttons that I had to leave unfastened in the morning, when I got dressed. A 1-button day wasn't too bad at all. A 2-button day was not much fun, but tolerable, so long as I took precautions. A 3-button day was pretty rough, usually requiring a lot of time outs, for rest, and a 4-button day was murder - hardly worth leaving the house.
On the rare days when I could button them all - I was in ecstasy.
Tex
I spent a couple of years or so, with my Levi's partially unbuttoned, on most days, (back before I figured out what was wrong with me). Fortunately, I always wore a wide belt, with a big western-style buckle, which mostly hid the fact that some of the buttons were not fastened.
I could usually judge how bad a day it was going to be, by the number of buttons that I had to leave unfastened in the morning, when I got dressed. A 1-button day wasn't too bad at all. A 2-button day was not much fun, but tolerable, so long as I took precautions. A 3-button day was pretty rough, usually requiring a lot of time outs, for rest, and a 4-button day was murder - hardly worth leaving the house.
On the rare days when I could button them all - I was in ecstasy. 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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Linda in BC
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:39 am
- Location: Creston British Columbia
Hi Donna, and wlecome:
I 'm Linda and although I have been reading posts as often as I can, I have not written much for a few weeks.
The yoga postion known as The Plow, is one I have always found guaranteed to get the gas out. You lie on your back and lift your legs straight up and then drop them over behind you keeping them straight and try to touch your feet to the floor out behind your head. Hold yourself there for awhile. It is another "ejector postion" :-)
I hope you are feeling better soon.
Linda
I 'm Linda and although I have been reading posts as often as I can, I have not written much for a few weeks.
The yoga postion known as The Plow, is one I have always found guaranteed to get the gas out. You lie on your back and lift your legs straight up and then drop them over behind you keeping them straight and try to touch your feet to the floor out behind your head. Hold yourself there for awhile. It is another "ejector postion" :-)
I hope you are feeling better soon.
Linda
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
The 13th Dali Lama
The 13th Dali Lama
Hello all, hope everyone had a great weekend. I have a few questions, that I need your input on.
I went to my family pratice doctor Friday to see if he could give me a pick me up vitamin shot to see if it would help me feel a little better and while I was there he did a thyroid test. He called today and said that it showed, that I had a hypothyroid and put me on Synthroid. I am a little confused, I thought if you have a hypothyroid you gained weight not lost it. I was wondering if any of you have had this happen. I know that there are several here that have thyroid problems and MC. Should I see a specialist about this or will my family pratice doctor work. I realize that I have CC and I am sure that the weight lose plays some part to that.
I have more of the hyperthyroid symptoms than I do of hypothyroid. I just want them to be sure they have all of this right because I have enough problems without needing to add more to them.
How many here have been misdignoticed and is there a sure, self test that I can do to be sure that part of my problem is CC and not all thyroid related.
I went to my family pratice doctor Friday to see if he could give me a pick me up vitamin shot to see if it would help me feel a little better and while I was there he did a thyroid test. He called today and said that it showed, that I had a hypothyroid and put me on Synthroid. I am a little confused, I thought if you have a hypothyroid you gained weight not lost it. I was wondering if any of you have had this happen. I know that there are several here that have thyroid problems and MC. Should I see a specialist about this or will my family pratice doctor work. I realize that I have CC and I am sure that the weight lose plays some part to that.
I have more of the hyperthyroid symptoms than I do of hypothyroid. I just want them to be sure they have all of this right because I have enough problems without needing to add more to them.
How many here have been misdignoticed and is there a sure, self test that I can do to be sure that part of my problem is CC and not all thyroid related.
Hi Donna,
First, be aware that people with MC are approximately 7 times more likely to have thyroid issues, than the general population, and all but a few of those that do, have hypothyroidism. You are not the first to have hypothyroidism, while having some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. That is somewhat common. In fact, I'm in that category myself.
The bottom line is, "What did your thyroid tests show? What was your TSH value? What was your Free T4 value? Those numbers determine whether or not you have hypothyroidism. If the thyroid hormone supplement does not relieve your symptoms, you may need to adjust the dose, or change prescriptions.
As to whether or not your PCP can handle it - that's as good question. Most doctors view hypothyroidism treatment as a very simple issue, and they simply try to get the patient's TSH value back into the normal range. Sometimes, that relieves the symptoms, and sometimes it does not, because the so-called normal range is too wide, and it was developed by measuring the TSH values of young, "healthy" males. I read somewhere that after the "normal" range was "established", it was later discovered that some of the participants in that project were actually hypothyroid, and some authorities blame that for the fact that many patients do not get complete symptom resolution from their treatment, because most doctors believe that the entire "normal" range is valid.
It probably boils down to a question of whether yours is a "simple", straightforward case, or a more complex one. Your doctor will presumably do followup blood tests a few weeks after you begin the treatment, and if he feels that you need a dose adjustment, then he will recommend that, followed by another followup test, a few weeks later. If you are still having bothersome symptoms, a few weeks after settling on a final dose, then you might need to see an endocrinologist. If your PCP's treatment seems to resolve your symptoms, then you're probably fine. Treating hypothyroidism is actually more of an art, than a science. These days, most doctors have forgotten the art that used to be involved, and they make their judgments based on the test values, while tending to ignore the patient's symptoms. In the old days, (before the TSH test was developed), they treated the patient's symptoms.
Tex
First, be aware that people with MC are approximately 7 times more likely to have thyroid issues, than the general population, and all but a few of those that do, have hypothyroidism. You are not the first to have hypothyroidism, while having some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. That is somewhat common. In fact, I'm in that category myself.
The bottom line is, "What did your thyroid tests show? What was your TSH value? What was your Free T4 value? Those numbers determine whether or not you have hypothyroidism. If the thyroid hormone supplement does not relieve your symptoms, you may need to adjust the dose, or change prescriptions.
As to whether or not your PCP can handle it - that's as good question. Most doctors view hypothyroidism treatment as a very simple issue, and they simply try to get the patient's TSH value back into the normal range. Sometimes, that relieves the symptoms, and sometimes it does not, because the so-called normal range is too wide, and it was developed by measuring the TSH values of young, "healthy" males. I read somewhere that after the "normal" range was "established", it was later discovered that some of the participants in that project were actually hypothyroid, and some authorities blame that for the fact that many patients do not get complete symptom resolution from their treatment, because most doctors believe that the entire "normal" range is valid.
It probably boils down to a question of whether yours is a "simple", straightforward case, or a more complex one. Your doctor will presumably do followup blood tests a few weeks after you begin the treatment, and if he feels that you need a dose adjustment, then he will recommend that, followed by another followup test, a few weeks later. If you are still having bothersome symptoms, a few weeks after settling on a final dose, then you might need to see an endocrinologist. If your PCP's treatment seems to resolve your symptoms, then you're probably fine. Treating hypothyroidism is actually more of an art, than a science. These days, most doctors have forgotten the art that used to be involved, and they make their judgments based on the test values, while tending to ignore the patient's symptoms. In the old days, (before the TSH test was developed), they treated the patient's symptoms.
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.
Thank you so much Tex for the advise and information. I do not have a copy of the report yet. When they called me yesterday all they said was that in April my T4 was 5.9 and now it is 4.3 and that I had a hypothyroid. I have to go back Friday for another vitamin shot I will get a copy of it then and post all the results. I did ask them when did I need to come have the levels rechecked and they told me around 3 months, I thought that was a little long but I was not sure. Thanks again.
Donna
No matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
No matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
Hmmmmm. Yes, that's a bit long to wait, but I suppose it won't cause any problems, unless you're having significant symptoms. Typically, it only takes a couple of weeks for the body to reach equilibrium after changing the dose of a thyroid hormone supplement.
At 4.3, your T4 level is indeed a bit low, obviously. Free T4 is a much better indicator of how much T4 is actually available for conversion, but most doctors make that same mistake, and order a test for total T4, instead, so your doctor is typical. One thing is for sure, if your total T4 level is low, then your Free T4 is surely going to be low, also. On the other hand, there are cases where total T4 appears to be fine, and TSH appears to be fine, but Free T4 is below range. I'm an example of that.
You're most welcome,
Tex
At 4.3, your T4 level is indeed a bit low, obviously. Free T4 is a much better indicator of how much T4 is actually available for conversion, but most doctors make that same mistake, and order a test for total T4, instead, so your doctor is typical. One thing is for sure, if your total T4 level is low, then your Free T4 is surely going to be low, also. On the other hand, there are cases where total T4 appears to be fine, and TSH appears to be fine, but Free T4 is below range. I'm an example of that.
You're most welcome,
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.
Most of the effect should probably be noticeable within a few days to a week. By the end of two weeks, the blood levels should be stable, so if the symptoms aren't resolved by then, they probably never will be, (by that particular dosage rate).
Tex
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.