MICROSCOPIC COLITIS SUPPORT

In the past, most of the supplements I have taken are purchased through a provider (MD, chiropractor) and most are the Orthomolecular brand. Given that inactive ingredients could be problematic, does anyone have a brand or two they would recommend for magnesium?

Thanks!

Most of us do well with Doctors Best brand, but there are others that will work well.

Tex

Thank you!

Would you be able to provide definitions of remission and relapse?

I may have found definitions on the forum (accidently)

Flare-up - In the various discussions previously, flares are different things for different people, but best summary of all that the
- a flare is ongoing symptoms for slightly extended duration ie longer than 48 hours.
- where symptoms continue despite reverting back to simpler eating plan
- where you start taking meds again/increase dosage of current meds to calm symptoms.

Remission - two months without a flare-up

Thanks Tex and Gabes!

Thought I would post an update to my journey.

I had 32 days (until of #3 and #4 (Bristol Scale) stools before I started the digestive enzymes (which I stopped taking after 5 days on August 23) and attribute #7 WD for about 24 hours. Since that time I have mostly had #5 and #6 stools with an occasional #4.

Ten days ago I did 45 hours of a liquid diet of water and home made chicken stock, which was followed by 48 hours of meat only. Neither seemed to do much to improve my stools. In retrospect I suspect it was too much fat as one of the meats I ate was bacon.

After the liquid and meat only days, my recent food intake consists mostly of home canned chicken, pulled pork, potato chips cooked in olive oil, fresh green beans cooked with a ham hock and small white potatoes (skins removed), fried okra (bacon grease, avocado oil), one 6 oz can of tuna (Safe Catch brand - does not list whether it is packed in oil or water), an occasional two teaspoons of ghee on a white potato, home canned applesauce (no added sugar). Yesterday, I ate a total of 6 oz Wellshire Black Forest deli ham (which I have had before).

Five days ago I began taking Vitamin D drops every other day.

I am disappointed that I am not back to where I was before the digestive enzymes and am wondering if I am eating too much fat. Or is just more patience required? Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Grateful for this forum as most people don't really understand the physical much less the emotional impact of MC.

Reading your update brings several thoughts to mind: Are you still keeping a spreadsheet/journal of the foods, supplements, etc. that you're ingesting? Hopefully, it also includes your reactions, and how you feel each day. Because you're apparently eating different foods on various days, it's rather difficult to assess your diet. Referring to that spreadsheet/journal might be helpful. For example, there's no telling what's in the "natural flavor" that's added to the ham. See the newsletter at the following link:

https://www.microscopiccolitisfoundatio ... 7902a9.pdf

You might also be interested in the following newsletter, if you haven't already seen it:

https://www.microscopiccolitisfoundatio ... d91296.pdf

Many of us react to ghee, because it rarely has adequate separation, and as a result, most brands contain small (and varying) amounts of casein. Since I'm soy sensitive, I would never eat any tuna that didn't specifically list the origin of the liquid in which it was packed. But maybe the tuna you ate was dry packed, without any liquid. Also, some of us react to tuna, some of us react to chicken, and some of us react to pork.

Therefore, the question is, how did you initially select these foods? Are the selections based on EnteroLab test results, or some other criteria? Again, referring to your spreadsheet/journal might be helpful, because most reactions occur within a few hours (for gluten), and a day to a day and 1/2 (for casein). if the evidence is inconclusive, it may be because there are numerous items in your died that contain small amounts of cross-contamination, which keeps you in sort of a steady-state condition of being not quite able to achieve remission.

I hope some of this is helpful.

Tex

Tex - Thank you for your quick and informative reply. Also thanks for the newsletters.

Yes, I am still keeping a spreadsheet of my intake and output (to include times) but I do not include "how I feel" because honestly, I almost always feel good. But going forward, I will document my sleep and if I notice any particular feelings.

Yes, my diet is based on my Enterolab results. I am eating the same things I ate before I took the digestive enzymes (including the ham). But I am guessing the enzymes irritated my colon and what was acceptable is no longer.

Yes, I am aware of the hazards of "natural flavorings", which is why I ditched almost all flavored sparkling water. Since writing my post yesterday, I did some investigation on the ham and have ditched that as well. Perhaps it was okay for me a month ago, but the contents are enough to make me eliminate it. Ditto for the turkey I purchased at the same time but have not eaten any of it (which I ate prior to the digestive enzymes).

I made my own ghee but that's not to say there was adequate separation. Again, I ate this before the digestive enzyme issue but will eliminate it going forward for the next few days.

WRT the tuna, I'm guessing it is dry packed but have contacted the company for verification.

The only supplement I am currently taking is the recently added Vitamin D.

I have spent hours staring at my spreadsheet trying to locate trends - unsuccessfully for the most part.

Based on your response, going forward for the next three days, I am going to limit my diet to the exact same thing all day every day for the next three days.

Again, many thanks!!

That plan should work, because most food sensitivities cause the immune system to produce antibodies that have only a five or six day half-life. Therefore, if we cut them out of our diet, we can usually tell the difference in a day or two — three or four days at the most. Gluten, on the other hand, causes the immune system to produce antibodies with a 120 day half-life, so it often takes several months before eliminating gluten from the diet will show results.

Tex