Dr. Visit today...

[orange al]

So I just got back from the Doc, for my follow up since my colonoscopy. We talked about my LC and he suggested going the pepto route first and if that dont work, we will try the entocort? And he is saying that the abcesses and fistula's I have are not related to my LC. He made no mention of changing my diet. Any suggestions on what to? It seems that everything I eat gives me D. Can the pepto route heal my stomach?

[nancyl]

I began the Pepto two days ago. I had tried it back in November and only took it for a couple of days because I became constipated. After that I only took it when needed and I went through a good period. I'm back in a flare and like I said began taking it again. I'm not constipated and today being the third day, I feel a little better and was able to get a little more food in. I'm hoping this turns things. I also take something called Diarrhea Stop by Renew Life that I pick up at a health food store. Anything to stop the "D" and get some food in.

Good Luck
Nancy

[sarkin]

Pepto Bismol made a big difference to me. I also dropped all grains but rice, based on the experiences of so many people here, which I feel lucky to have (cumulatively, it's a lot of years of learning about MC, and more MC patients sharing info than most GI docs see in their whole practicing lives).

I rushed myself off the Pepto Bismol, and am thinking of adding it back in (at a much lower dose). I would definitely give it a try, at least for 2-3 days, and then if it's not helping, you have a backup plan.

I also recommend cutting out all grains/flours. I'm not saying forever (for you - for me I could be saying that, I feel so much better!). I did really well on homemade chicken, chicken soup, and well-cooked carrots in chicken soup. When you feel better, it will get boring, but when you're miserable, it's pretty wonderful. The first few days I had white rice - I have since dropped the rice.

Other foods some people handle well are ripe bananas and applesauce. I also have been making sweet potato, and cauliflower. Your list of things you can tolerate and enjoy will likely differ from mine, but give your weary body a break and start off a little on the dull side, with a limited list, so you can get stable and start healing.

Wishing you a speedy recovery and relief,

Sara

[Gloria]

Welcome Allen! ,

If you have never taken Pepto Bismol, be aware that some of us have reacted to it. My GI's nurse didn't believe me when I told her, so I tried it again and had the same experience. I went GF, had the Enterolab testing, and stopped eating soy, dairy, eggs and yeast. When the D didn't subside, I went on Entocort. I had relief from the D about 3-4 weeks later. I am in the process of getting off of Entocort and am hopeful I will succeed this time.

It is not unusual for your GI to see no correlation between diet and MC, but those of us who have treated it successfully know better. Many of us have been able to control our MC strictly through diet, others have taken medication in conjunction with diet. It can be difficult to determine our food intolerances, but the Enterolab testing helps reveal a few of the most common ones. Remission seems to depend on how many intolerances we have.

I would highly recommend the Enterolab testing and also that you maintain a "Winning the Poo" food diary, making a note of everything you've eaten along with the frequency and type of BMs you're having. You should begin to notice a pattern between what you eat and the reactions you have.

Gloria

[tex]

Any suggestions on what to? It seems that everything I eat gives me D. Can the pepto route heal my stomach?

Everything you eat seems to give you D, because you are in the middle of a chronic reaction, and you are probably eating foods to which you are sensitive, every day, possibly at every meal. As long as I was eating gluten, I couldn't tell what was making me sick, even while keeping a food/reaction diary. After I cut all the gluten out, and my gut began to heal a bit, then I could detect other foods to which I reacted, by studying that diary.

Yes, Pepto-Bismol can help to heal your stomach, provided, as Gloria pointed out, you are not sensitive to it. Be aware, though, that unless you adhere to a strict gluten-free diet, you will almost surely relapse, a few days after you stop taking it. That's the part of the "Pepto" treatment that Dr. Fine originally developed, that totally evades most GI specialists, because they mistakenly believe that diet has nothing to do with MC. Like dummies, they recommend the Pepto treatment, without saying a word to the patient, about following the GF diet, and a week after the treatment ends, and the patient complains about a relapse, they scratch their head, and pretend to be surprised, even though that happens virtually every time. Well Doh!

If you can tolerate the Pepto, (at 8 pills per day), and you cut all gluten and casein out of your diet, in about 6 weeks, (or less), you should be in remission. If you go this route, and after about a month or so of remission, you begin to react again, you probably need to also cut soy out of your diet, (about half of us are sensitive to soy). Or, you can cut it out to begin with, (along with the gluten and dairy), and never look back, (with any luck at all). Dr. Fine's research showed Pepto to be better than 85% effective for bringing remission, when taken according to his directions. That is a better result than any other medication, including Entocort.

Tex

[sarkin]

Allen,

I hope this heartens you more than it alarms you - it's definitely encouraging to me, and I'm just a week or so ahead of you down this road. And I hope you tolerate the Pepto, if you try it.

Six weeks sounds like a really good deal to me - and I am already feel much better after a couple of weeks dairy and grain free. Thanks for posting that, too, Tex - I know my mileage may vary, but it will keep me steady to have that timeline out ahead of me.

Sara

[tex]

Sara,

It usually takes longer, without the Pepto.

Tex

[sarkin]

I know this isn't the first time today I've typed these words - thanks, Tex!!!

I will re-introduce the pepto this evening. Ate out tonight with friends, and I feel really good about it. The staff was great, I believe what they said about what wasn't in the food. But it's an uncontrolled situation, and there were unexpected chickpeas in my lamb stew. I didn't eat the chickpeas per se - but we all know it's in my system now.

I think I might do OK with less than 8/day. But if 8/day is what it takes - what am I thinking??? That's what I'll do.

I got a little ahead of myself. That's probably a tendency I need to keep an eye on.

THANKS again,

Sara