Newbie yet feeling a little less lost due to this site.

[Grahm]

Karen,

I don't have anything else to add, just wanted to welcome you. I work for the state and if I hadn't had a bathroom in our office I would've never been able to work. I was diagnosed in June of 2014. I was always told I had IBS and always kept Lomotil with me, it did help in a pinch. Fast forward, I found this group and they have literally saved my life! Read read and read and it will turn your life around.

I did the Enterolab testing (best money ever spent). I am now gluten and dairy free. I can just now eat blue cheese on my salads (I'm one of the lucky ones that can eat salads). As long as I watch my diet, I'm pretty good to go. It does take a lot of planning but soooo worth it.

Hang in there and your life will turn around.

Love,

Connie aka Grahm

[mcardle3]

I can't thank you all enough.

some questions that are now popping into my head...

Did any of you have intense nausea and burning in your abodomen?

Did it ever feel like you were having trouble getting a lung full of air (because of my other connective tissue issues, this scares me a bit as I automatically go to the dark place of lung involvement with this). It is almost as if it is heartburn? Once I have a bm it seems to abate some, so I do believe MORE that it is a gut issue.

Peanut butter...is there one that is ok to use, I get weak and hungry occasionally and it seems to help me quickly. I just read my smooth Jiff and it has some things in there I don't know about. (PEANUTS, SUGAR, PALM OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, MOLASSES. By contrast, here's the ingredient list for regular Jif: ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.)

I have read many times that I need to go to a elimination diet and plan to do that next week, but in the interim I'm eating gluten free foods at work (for convenience)...are there some that are better than others?

I'm feeling a little blue today because of the breathing thing. I'm wondering why it only happens once I'm up and about and after breakfast (plain cheerios and almond milk). I'm the "can-do" girl but am feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of this and reading about it and you all both gives me hope and kinda bums me out too!

[tex]

One question I have...do you bloat? If you do, when you bloat do you feel like you can't breathe correctly?

Did it ever feel like you were having trouble getting a lung full of air (because of my other connective tissue issues, this scares me a bit as I automatically go to the dark place of lung involvement with this). It is almost as if it is heartburn? Once I have a bm it seems to abate some, so I do believe MORE that it is a gut issue.

I'm feeling a little blue today because of the breathing thing. I'm wondering why it only happens once I'm up and about and after breakfast (plain cheerios and almond milk). I'm the "can-do" girl but am feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of this and reading about it and you all both gives me hope and kinda bums me out too!

I can't help but notice that you continue to bring up this issue. I can tell you what is causing that, because I had that same problem myself, for over 10 years, following my first surgery. And like you, it seemed that whenever I was able to belch or relieve the pressure a bit, the problem would back off a bit. None of my doctors (and there were many) ever had a clue, and it took me 10 years to figure it out, but I finally had a lucky break, and I figured it out. I'm now breathing normally again, something that I couldn't do for over 10 years.

You have a magnesium deficiency, believe or not. I had trouble believing it at first, because I had been taking a substantial magnesium supplement for years. But obviously it wasn't enough. You can read about how I finally figured out the problem in the post at the following link:

Even ER Docs Don't Recognize The Importance Of Magnesium

Please note that the only reason why my magnesium test showed a deficiency was because I felt so badly that morning that I didn't eat breakfast, so I didn't take any of my pills, either. If I had taken even a single magnesium tablet, it would have been enough to cause the blood test to show that the blood level of magnesium was in the normal range, and I would have never known. IOW, after I took my pills each morning, I would feel better as my blood level of magnesium increased. But as the day wore on, I would use up that magnesium, and the symptoms would slowly return, because there was no reserve supply of magnesium remaining in the cells of my body. During the night, usually around 1 to 3 am, my body would run almost completely out of magnesium, and I would awaken with the severe symptoms that I described in that post (high heart rate, low BP, rapid and shallow breathing, and sweating profusely because of the inability of my body to regulate it's temperature, etc.). And of course I couldn't take a deep breath to save my life, even though I constantly felt the need to take a deep breath.

That's severe magnesium deficiency in a nutshell, but apparently the breathing problem starts showing up before the deficiency becomes serious enough to cause the really severe symptoms that I had during the night. The breathing problem is a red flag that it's time to significantly boost magnesium intake, and I'll guarantee that no doctor will ever catch it for you — you have to figure it out for yourself.

Tex, I am miserable. My abdomen burns. It burns continually. I can deal with the food stuff, I can deal with the diarrhea, shoot, I should be crowned Queen of the Bathroom, but that burning does (and this is hard for me to admit to my family and friends) get me down. Lying on my left side and slightly elevated head seems to help so I spend some time each evening after work relaxing that way.

This could be caused by various issues, but there's a good chance that it could also be associated with your magnesium deficiency, because magnesium deficiency can cause muscle pain, and not only is the diaphragm a large muscle (that activates our breathing), but the intestines are mostly smooth muscle tissue, as is the heart. And that's why a severe magnesium deficiency can cause a heart attack or stroke.

If lying on your left side helps, that suggests 2 possibilities:

1. Acid reflux. Reflux cannot occur when lying on the left side. If we lie on our right side, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is lower than most of the stomach, so that if the LES does not clinch tightly at all times, acid reflux can occur. But this pain would occur above the belly button.

2. Inflammation due to MC. In most cases, the inflammation associated with MC is more concentrated in the terminal ileum and the ascending colon (right-side colon), so that lying on the left side would relieve some of the pressure on that part of the abdomen.

I am very Vit D deficient. The gut doc has me on 50,000 (I think, it is early here I will go look later to determine if that is correct or not) mg once a week. I am wondering if that is hurting my gut too. What is the best way to get that Vit D? My Vit B is low too. What are your thoughts on vitamin supplements and when/how is the best time to use them?

Your intestines cannot heal without adequate vitamin D, because vitamin D is what the immune system uses to fight inflammation and heal the gut. Check your vitamin D. If it is in the form of D2, which is ergocalciferol, throw it in the trash and get some vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Most prescription vitamin D is in the form of D2, which has been shown to be very inferior to D3. All OTC vitamin D is in the form of D3. Why some doctors continue to prescribe the wrong one is beyond me. They probably just don't keep up with research on issues that don't interest them. If the one you have is D3, then the prescription probably states 1 per week. It wouldn't hurt to double that for a couple of weeks or so, because it can take a long time to see improvement if your level was very low to begin with.

If your B-12 is low, find a good sublingual form (methylcobalamin) and take 2,000 to 5,000 mcg per day. Sublingual lozenges work by disolving them under the tongue, where they are absorbed directly into the bloodstream, thus bypassing any malabsorption issues in the intestines. Be sure that you are also getting at least 400 mcg of folic acid, or the active form of it (methylfolate) per day also, because B-12 cannot be absorbed and utilized without adequate folate.

I'll have to look into low histamine/low inflammatory foods and what they are, I actually have no idea on that one!

Here is some basic information about mast cells, and how mast cell issues are associated with microscopic colitis:

What are mast cells?

How are mast cells associated with microscopic colitis?

How do I know if mast cells are causing problems for me?

How are mast cell issues treated?

The doc has prescribed 3 mg of entocort 3 times a day, or three pills at a time, so 9mg a day, is that a high dose?

That's the normal labeled dose.

The thing worrying me most is giving up that Plaquenil...I hope I won't have to, it has meant being mobile again to me.

That topic has come up a few times previously, and other members have used it, or are still using it. When I searched the archives for the word Plaquenil, I came up with 34 hits.

Does the generic of entocort work just as well?

EDITED TO ADD: I just heard from my gut doc's office (her nurses are phenomenal) and they said that my insurance not only turned down the entocort but the generic as well as another option! They are going to do a peer to peer review as they feel strongly that this needs to be covered. I'll keep my political views to myself, but this sucks.

Yes, the generic works just as well. If you can't get any help from your insurance, here's where many other members order their generic budesonide if they don't have insurance. Some order it here because it's much cheaper than the copay they were paying, and works just as well as the high-dollar, name brand stuff. Prescriptions outside of a country's borders are worthless, so a prescription is not necessary for ordering from this overseas pharmacy. Do not order more than a 3-month supply at one time, because larger orders can cause Customs agents to seize the package on the assumption that larger amounts are going to unlicensed dealers.

http://www.alldaychemist.com/budez-cr.html

I'll consider doing the enterolab stool test. Can your doctor order it or is it something you just do on your own? I doubt my insurance would pay for it anyway, if they won't even consider the entocort prescription.

Most of us just order our test kits directly from the lab. Here are the test panels that most people order, but they offer many others:

https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/T ... #PanelA1C1

I hope that some of this is helpful,
Tex

[jlbattin]

Karen,

I'm on budesonide (generic for Entecort) and have been for just a little over 2 months. It helps tremendously and I hope your insurance will "see the light!" It doesn't mask my symptoms completely. I still know when I've eaten something I shouldn't have, but it helped me get my life back quickly. I am just now starting to wean off of it. I am down to 2 pills in the morning - 6mg. I'll do that for another couple of weeks and then start the 1 for a slow taper. I'm not worried about the taper because I've been gluten free, soy free, dairy free, and egg free for the whole time so I have the diet under control with my safe foods.

You asked about peanut butter. I would stay away from that for awhile. I tried almond butter (I get a big jar at Costco) for less than half the price of most stores. It's just roasted almonds. I've learned to like it as much as I loved peanut butter, and trust me, I used to eat peanut butter straight out of the jar by the spoonfuls! I eat it on bananas and also rice cakes and do just fine. You might give it a try.

[jlbattin]

A couple more things I wanted to add.

One was about the sleeping on the left side. I experienced a short period of heart burn when I was first diagnosed. I bought a nice wedge from the Relax the Back store and a thin pillow and have been sleeping on my left side nightly ever since. It really helps. The elevation is critical for the acid reflux (which could be causing the burning).

Also, you mentioned nausea. I experienced a lot of feeling of nauseousness. Once I got my diet under control, that disappeared. The only time it comes back is if I eat something I shouldn't or get really stressed. It's a very normal feeling and experience with MC.

[mcardle3]

One question I have...do you bloat? If you do, when you bloat do you feel like you can't breathe correctly?

Did it ever feel like you were having trouble getting a lung full of air (because of my other connective tissue issues, this scares me a bit as I automatically go to the dark place of lung involvement with this). It is almost as if it is heartburn? Once I have a bm it seems to abate some, so I do believe MORE that it is a gut issue.

I'm feeling a little blue today because of the breathing thing. I'm wondering why it only happens once I'm up and about and after breakfast (plain cheerios and almond milk). I'm the "can-do" girl but am feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of this and reading about it and you all both gives me hope and kinda bums me out too!

I can't help but notice that you continue to bring up this issue. I can tell you what is causing that, because I had that same problem myself, for over 10 years, following my first surgery. And like you, it seemed that whenever I was able to belch or relieve the pressure a bit, the problem would back off a bit. None of my doctors (and there were many) ever had a clue, and it took me 10 years to figure it out, but I finally had a lucky break, and I figured it out. I'm now breathing normally again, something that I couldn't do for over 10 years.

You have a magnesium deficiency, believe or not. I had trouble believing it at first, because I had been taking a substantial magnesium supplement for years. But obviously it wasn't enough. You can read about how I finally figured out the problem in the post at the following link:

Even ER Docs Don't Recognize The Importance Of Magnesium

Please note that the only reason why my magnesium test showed a deficiency was because I felt so badly that morning that I didn't eat breakfast, so I didn't take any of my pills, either. If I had taken even a single magnesium tablet, it would have been enough to cause the blood test to show that the blood level of magnesium was in the normal range, and I would have never known. IOW, after I took my pills each morning, I would feel better as my blood level of magnesium increased. But as the day wore on, I would use up that magnesium, and the symptoms would slowly return, because there was no reserve supply of magnesium remaining in the cells of my body. During the night, usually around 1 to 3 am, my body would run almost completely out of magnesium, and I would awaken with the severe symptoms that I described in that post (high heart rate, low BP, rapid and shallow breathing, and sweating profusely because of the inability of my body to regulate it's temperature, etc.). And of course I couldn't take a deep breath to save my life, even though I constantly felt the need to take a deep breath.

That's severe magnesium deficiency in a nutshell, but apparently the breathing problem starts showing up before the deficiency becomes serious enough to cause the really severe symptoms that I had during the night. The breathing problem is a red flag that it's time to significantly boost magnesium intake, and I'll guarantee that no doctor will ever catch it for you — you have to figure it out for yourself.

Tex, I am miserable. My abdomen burns. It burns continually. I can deal with the food stuff, I can deal with the diarrhea, shoot, I should be crowned Queen of the Bathroom, but that burning does (and this is hard for me to admit to my family and friends) get me down. Lying on my left side and slightly elevated head seems to help so I spend some time each evening after work relaxing that way.

This could be caused by various issues, but there's a good chance that it could also be associated with your magnesium deficiency, because magnesium deficiency can cause muscle pain, and not only is the diaphragm a large muscle (that activates our breathing), but the intestines are mostly smooth muscle tissue, as is the heart. And that's why a severe magnesium deficiency can cause a heart attack or stroke.

If lying on your left side helps, that suggests 2 possibilities:

1. Acid reflux. Reflux cannot occur when lying on the left side. If we lie on our right side, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is lower than most of the stomach, so that if the LES does not clinch tightly at all times, acid reflux can occur. But this pain would occur above the belly button.

2. Inflammation due to MC. In most cases, the inflammation associated with MC is more concentrated in the terminal ileum and the ascending colon (right-side colon), so that lying on the left side would relieve some of the pressure on that part of the abdomen.

I am very Vit D deficient. The gut doc has me on 50,000 (I think, it is early here I will go look later to determine if that is correct or not) mg once a week. I am wondering if that is hurting my gut too. What is the best way to get that Vit D? My Vit B is low too. What are your thoughts on vitamin supplements and when/how is the best time to use them?

Your intestines cannot heal without adequate vitamin D, because vitamin D is what the immune system uses to fight inflammation and heal the gut. Check your vitamin D. If it is in the form of D2, which is ergocalciferol, throw it in the trash and get some vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Most prescription vitamin D is in the form of D2, which has been shown to be very inferior to D3. All OTC vitamin D is in the form of D3. Why some doctors continue to prescribe the wrong one is beyond me. They probably just don't keep up with research on issues that don't interest them. If the one you have is D3, then the prescription probably states 1 per week. It wouldn't hurt to double that for a couple of weeks or so, because it can take a long time to see improvement if your level was very low to begin with.

If your B-12 is low, find a good sublingual form (methylcobalamin) and take 2,000 to 5,000 mcg per day. Sublingual lozenges work by disolving them under the tongue, where they are absorbed directly into the bloodstream, thus bypassing any malabsorption issues in the intestines. Be sure that you are also getting at least 400 mcg of folic acid, or the active form of it (methylfolate) per day also, because B-12 cannot be absorbed and utilized without adequate folate.

I'll have to look into low histamine/low inflammatory foods and what they are, I actually have no idea on that one!

Here is some basic information about mast cells, and how mast cell issues are associated with microscopic colitis:

What are mast cells?

How are mast cells associated with microscopic colitis?

How do I know if mast cells are causing problems for me?

How are mast cell issues treated?

The doc has prescribed 3 mg of entocort 3 times a day, or three pills at a time, so 9mg a day, is that a high dose?

That's the normal labeled dose.

The thing worrying me most is giving up that Plaquenil...I hope I won't have to, it has meant being mobile again to me.

That topic has come up a few times previously, and other members have used it, or are still using it. When I searched the archives for the word Plaquenil, I came up with 34 hits.

Does the generic of entocort work just as well?

EDITED TO ADD: I just heard from my gut doc's office (her nurses are phenomenal) and they said that my insurance not only turned down the entocort but the generic as well as another option! They are going to do a peer to peer review as they feel strongly that this needs to be covered. I'll keep my political views to myself, but this sucks.

Yes, the generic works just as well. If you can't get any help from your insurance, here's where many other members order their generic budesonide if they don't have insurance. Some order it here because it's much cheaper than the copay they were paying, and works just as well as the high-dollar, name brand stuff. Prescriptions outside of a country's borders are worthless, so a prescription is not necessary for ordering from this overseas pharmacy. Do not order more than a 3-month supply at one time, because larger orders can cause Customs agents to seize the package on the assumption that larger amounts are going to unlicensed dealers.

http://www.alldaychemist.com/budez-cr.html

I'll consider doing the enterolab stool test. Can your doctor order it or is it something you just do on your own? I doubt my insurance would pay for it anyway, if they won't even consider the entocort prescription.

Most of us just order our test kits directly from the lab. Here are the test panels that most people order, but they offer many others:

https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/T ... #PanelA1C1

I hope that some of this is helpful,
Tex

Tex,

I am afraid to take magnesium as it caused me a lot of diarrhea in the past. Is there a way to take it that would not cause this? I've read about transdermal spray, would that be more apt to NOT cause diarrhea, because as you know...I'm going enough already!

I am willing to give it a go, but am concerned with how much to take. This breathing thing is mentioned a lot because it is so very obvious to me all the time. If this is the magic ticket to make that stop, I am going to have big love for you and if you ever get to MI going to, erm, was going to say take you to dinner, but I don't know what we'd eat at this point!

I just ordered your book, so anxiously waiting to learn more that way.

Never fear that anything you share isn't absorbed and placed firmly in this noggin of mine to work through, I can't tell you how much this has helped me.

I'm considering talking to the doc tomorrow to ask if the insurance won't give me the drugs by Thursday that I'll just order from the link you shared.

I'm sorry to be a pest about this all. I've been quite sick in the past, but this hurts and I feel truly UNWELL and am still holding down my 9-5, attending soccer games for my grandbabies and passing out at 8:00 pm each night feeling like something the cat dragged in.

Karen

[mcardle3]

Karen,

I'm on budesonide (generic for Entecort) and have been for just a little over 2 months. It helps tremendously and I hope your insurance will "see the light!" It doesn't mask my symptoms completely. I still know when I've eaten something I shouldn't have, but it helped me get my life back quickly. I am just now starting to wean off of it. I am down to 2 pills in the morning - 6mg. I'll do that for another couple of weeks and then start the 1 for a slow taper. I'm not worried about the taper because I've been gluten free, soy free, dairy free, and egg free for the whole time so I have the diet under control with my safe foods.

You asked about peanut butter. I would stay away from that for awhile. I tried almond butter (I get a big jar at Costco) for less than half the price of most stores. It's just roasted almonds. I've learned to like it as much as I loved peanut butter, and trust me, I used to eat peanut butter straight out of the jar by the spoonfuls! I eat it on bananas and also rice cakes and do just fine. You might give it a try.

Jari, is there a reason almond butter is better than peanut butter for folks such as ourselves? I've pretty much decided to go the online order route if the drugs aren't coming in the next week or so. My doc can duke it out with the insurance company and I can have a headstart on all this if nothing else.

A couple more things I wanted to add.

One was about the sleeping on the left side. I experienced a short period of heart burn when I was first diagnosed. I bought a nice wedge from the Relax the Back store and a thin pillow and have been sleeping on my left side nightly ever since. It really helps. The elevation is critical for the acid reflux (which could be causing the burning).

Also, you mentioned nausea. I experienced a lot of feeling of nauseousness. Once I got my diet under control, that disappeared. The only time it comes back is if I eat something I shouldn't or get really stressed. It's a very normal feeling and experience with MC.
_________________
Jari


Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 29th, 2015
Gluten free, Soy free, Dairy free, and Egg free since July 3rd, 2015

Thank you for this. Makes me feel there is a light at the end of this tunnel. My honey has raised the head of our king sized, walnut sleigh bed (no small task there) and it has helped so much. I read somewhere that drugs like prilosec can make MC worse...so I've been avoiding them. What did you take for your heartburn?

xo Karen

[jlbattin]

Karen,

I don't remember the reason why almond butter is better..........I read it somewhere on this board though. Maybe someone else will come along and be able to give you the answer. I think it has something to do with the fact that peanuts are legumes and not nuts and sometimes early in our disease we don't do well with legumes. I don't eat the almond butter in extremes, but I really do like it.

I did take over the counter zantac and prilosec for a short time. I stopped one before the other but I stopped them both very quickly. I found that heating a small cup of water with just a drop of honey or two for 30 seconds in the microwave and then adding a capful of apple cider vinegar and then drinking it helped immensely. I did that a couple of times a day and that helped with the heartburn. As I cleaned up my diet, I found I didn't need anything anymore, but once in awhile, when I can feel the acid reflux (there are days from time to time), I'll resort to my cup of honey, water, and apple cider vinegar and I'm good.

[Gabes-Apg]

Transdermal Magnesium is VERY well tolerated by many people here...
and having high doses of the Magnesium via the spray has helped many with a multitude of symptoms...

fixing the magnesium deficiency along with correcting the Vit D3 deficiency - is key to good health.
If you are taking 50,000iu per week it sounds like you are on the Vit D2 type. ditch it
taking Vit D3 each day is MUCH MUCH better, your body can actually absorb it and use it.
(high daily doses of Vit D3 helped my reflux big time)

in general - the sooner you start a Gluten Free / Dairy Free, home cooked, well cooked, bland meat and couple of veges eating plan, ALOT of your issues will reduce, some of them within days....

[tex]

Tex,

I am afraid to take magnesium as it caused me a lot of diarrhea in the past. Is there a way to take it that would not cause this? I've read about transdermal spray, would that be more apt to NOT cause diarrhea, because as you know...I'm going enough already! Shocked

I hear what you are saying, but as long as your magnesium deficiency is severe enough to affect your breathing most of the time, you are very unlikely to be able to control your MC symptoms, or your health in general. Magnesium is a vital electrolyte, and the body uses it for many essential processes. As Gabes pointed out, topically-applied magnesium is very unlikely to cause D. Some members here also use foot soaks in Epsom salts, or they add Epsom salts to their bath water.

Most forms of oral magnesium, when taken in significant quantities (over 400 mg, for example) become a laxative. Most people here can handle at least 200 mg (2 tablets) of chelated magnesium (magnesium glycinate) without any digestive problems. Magnesium glycinate is much more expensive than the cheap stuff (such as magnesium oxide), but it's much better tolerated.

Don't use chelated magnesium that's buffered, because it is usually buffered with magnesium oxide. Vitacost does that for example, without disclosing that the product contains magnesium oxide, but I was using that junk when I had the reaction last spring that finally brought my magnesium deficiency to light. I use Doctor's Best brand of chelated magnesium, and Ancient Minerals magnesium spray (for topical use).

Magnesium is not just a helpful supplement — for someone who is significantly deficient, magnesium is essential for recovery.

Tex

[Erica P-G]

HI Karen,

I can attest to the breathing issue and how Magnesium has helped me 100% I use mag spray and I just bought mag lotion today here's the oil http://www.vitacost.com/life-flo-pure-m ... oil-8-oz-3 and here's the lotion http://www.vitacost.com/life-flo-magnes ... on-8-fl-oz

I have Drs Best Magnesium chelated in tablet form in my cupboard, and I have some Mag Citrate in my fridge, but I'm not well enough yet (it's been 4 months now) to take it without a bit of D coming back....so I will keep going this route with applying it externally as I am doing sooo much better. Don't be afraid of the external Magnesium, I apply it morning and night, and I'm feeling so much better. I also take a lingual D3 spray of 5-6000 mg daily every morning too.

I don't experience nausea or heartburn much anymore now that my diet is under control and have been GF, DG, SoyF and EggF for 4 months. All this has to work together and it does work

Breath....and take it piece by piece.
Hugs
Erica

[mcardle3]

Transdermal Magnesium is VERY well tolerated by many people here...
and having high doses of the Magnesium via the spray has helped many with a multitude of symptoms...

fixing the magnesium deficiency along with correcting the Vit D3 deficiency - is key to good health.
If you are taking 50,000iu per week it sounds like you are on the Vit D2 type. ditch it
taking Vit D3 each day is MUCH MUCH better, your body can actually absorb it and use it.
(high daily doses of Vit D3 helped my reflux big time)

in general - the sooner you start a Gluten Free / Dairy Free, home cooked, well cooked, bland meat and couple of veges eating plan, ALOT of your issues will reduce, some of them within days....

Thank you. I did look at the prescription bottle and all it says is VIT D 50,000 mg. I do have some vit D3 here at the house and will begin taking it tomorrow. I used to take it all the time but when my parathyroid issues became bad, I stopped it.

I am also taking a B12 and will go tomorrow to get the spray on, or rub on magnesium and get going on that. So far, I am 4 days gluten free and feeling a minor amount of relief in the D...but I am also taking a lomotil at this time as my work schedule is hectic (beginning of fall term).

I'm finding my way, thank you for your help!

[mcardle3]

Tex,

I am afraid to take magnesium as it caused me a lot of diarrhea in the past. Is there a way to take it that would not cause this? I've read about transdermal spray, would that be more apt to NOT cause diarrhea, because as you know...I'm going enough already! Shocked

I hear what you are saying, but as long as your magnesium deficiency is severe enough to affect your breathing most of the time, you are very unlikely to be able to control your MC symptoms, or your health in general. Magnesium is a vital electrolyte, and the body uses it for many essential processes. As Gabes pointed out, topically-applied magnesium is very unlikely to cause D. Some members here also use foot soaks in Epsom salts, or they add Epsom salts to their bath water.

Most forms of oral magnesium, when taken in significant quantities (over 400 mg, for example) become a laxative. Most people here can handle at least 200 mg (2 tablets) of chelated magnesium (magnesium glycinate) without any digestive problems. Magnesium glycinate is much more expensive than the cheap stuff (such as magnesium oxide), but it's much better tolerated.

Don't use chelated magnesium that's buffered, because it is usually buffered with magnesium oxide. Vitacost does that for example, without disclosing that the product contains magnesium oxide, but I was using that junk when I had the reaction last spring that finally brought my magnesium deficiency to light. I use Doctor's Best brand of chelated magnesium, and Ancient Minerals magnesium spray (for topical use).

Magnesium is not just a helpful supplement — for someone who is significantly deficient, magnesium is essential for recovery.

Tex

I'm thinking bypassing my gut with this will help a great deal. I'll be going to the health food store in my little town and looking for Magnesium glycinate in some spray/oil form.

Thank you Tex, I wasn't balking at your advice, I was more fearful of more D when I've plenty already. I'll be doing some shopping tomorrow for sure.

[mcardle3]

HI Karen,

I can attest to the breathing issue and how Magnesium has helped me 100% I use mag spray and I just bought mag lotion today here's the oil http://www.vitacost.com/life-flo-pure-m ... oil-8-oz-3 and here's the lotion http://www.vitacost.com/life-flo-magnes ... on-8-fl-oz

I have Drs Best Magnesium chelated in tablet form in my cupboard, and I have some Mag Citrate in my fridge, but I'm not well enough yet (it's been 4 months now) to take it without a bit of D coming back....so I will keep going this route with applying it externally as I am doing sooo much better. Don't be afraid of the external Magnesium, I apply it morning and night, and I'm feeling so much better. I also take a lingual D3 spray of 5-6000 mg daily every morning too.

I don't experience nausea or heartburn much anymore now that my diet is under control and have been GF, DG, SoyF and EggF for 4 months. All this has to work together and it does work

Breath....and take it piece by piece.
Hugs
Erica

I hope I am not coming across as panicked. The only thing that panics me in any way is the "can't breathes." This is not due to panic, or stress, it just is. I am feeling confident now that Tex's suggestion on the Magnesium is going to ease that, and that will be one HUGE step for me in feeling better. Since Saturday I've been gluten free, dairy free, soy free and egg free as well. I plan to start the elimination diet starting Monday as well.

I will admit I am the instant gratification girl and the biggest control freak you will likely meet, so that part is a slight struggle for me psychologically, but I will figure this out and some day down the line, I'll be able to at least feel I have a bit more control over the situation!

I'm breathing...when I can :D

[tex]

I will admit I am the instant gratification girl and the biggest control freak you will likely meet, so that part is a slight struggle for me psychologically, but I will figure this out and some day down the line, I'll be able to at least feel I have a bit more control over the situation!

You are definitely one of the family here. MCers tend to be overachievers/perfectionists/control freaks. That's why stress is such a big issue for us, and why it's a primary part of why we have MC in the first place, and why it is a chronic condition for us. We have to learn to downshift a gear or 2, to give our body a break, so that it can recover.

Incidentally, magnesium glycinate is only available in oral tablets. The oils and lotions and granulated forms are usually in the form of magnesium chloride, or something of that sort. Epsom salts for example are magnesium sulphate heptahydrate, which is usually shortened to just magnesium sulphate. But the type is sort of irrelevant when it is used externally. Whatever type you prefer will usually successfully add elemental magnesium to your system.

What sort of parthyroid issues did you have? Research shows that a magnesium deficiency can cause parathyroid hormone levels in the blood to range from undetectable to 3 times the upper limit of normal. Some of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency mimic the symptoms of hyperparathyroidism.

And as Dr. Chris Kresser points out, magnesium deficiency is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia (because it causes the same symptoms).

Tex