MICROSCOPIC COLITIS SUPPORT

are you calcium deficient that you need calcium??

the priority for now is Vit D3 and magnesium.

Hello ^^

I've seen in a lot of posts that people keep mentioning that magnesium and vitamin D are the most important supplements. But, magnesium is known to have a laxative effect. Wouldn't that make it worse?

I do take Vitamin D3, but I still couldn't convince myself to take magnesium because I'm kinda scared that's going to make me worse.
So... can someone explaing me why people with MC should take magnesium, when this does the opposite effect that we want (No D and solid stool)?
Is really worth it taking it?

Thank you!
Jéssica

Hi Jessica,

Yes, taking too much or the wrong kind of magnesium can cause diarrhea. That's the reason for all the discussions and details about taking magnesium. The main reason for taking supplemental magnesium is because magnesium is required for so many body chemical processes that an adequate supply is necessary for the proper functioning of every organ and muscle in the body, making magnesium sufficiency a prerequisite for optimum recovery (and in severe cases, making it essential for recovery). And virtually every MC patient is magnesium deficient because MC depletes magnesium, and the medical tests used by most doctors to measure magnesium are next to useless. Yes, if you are serious about recovering, it's worth taking. If you are concerned about taking oral magnesium, use topical magnesium. That doesn't cause diarrhea.

Tex

Introduction--My First Post:
I was recently diagnosed with MC in March 2018. I am halfway into my six-month Budesonide prescription (first 3 pills, now 2 pills, next 1 pill/day). Symptoms are better than before, but not as good since I lowered my dose. I'm afraid I'll be back to square one when I come off the meds. I have awful health insurance like most in the US. I'm trying to learn all I can about MC, and I'm grateful to have stumbled across this forum. My doctors have been almost unhelpful. I don't even know if I have Collagenous colitis or Lymphocytic colitis. (I'll call them soon.) I do think I "caught this early" at age 39, but I have had issues for 3-5 years. Maybe I just developed it early?

FIRST QUESTION:
Has anyone found a quality Magnesium & D3 combined supplement? I saw some supplements on Amazon that looked promising, but they also have Calcium and some have Zinc.

Also, I'm somewhat of a good cook. Does anyone have any recipes that contain lots of D3 and/or Magnesium? or just a good healthy recipe that is not going to blow up my gut?

Thanks, everyone!

Hi Ryan,

Welcome to the group. In order to prevent a relapse when you wean off budesonide, you must eliminate the inflammatory foods from your diet early on, so that your intestines have adequate healing time. It usually takes at least a couple of months for the diet changes to heal the gut. If you change your diet now, and stretch out the budesonide tapering time you still might be able to salvage the situation before the budesonide treatment runs out and your full symptoms return. But you can heal your digestive system without the drugs, if you correctly adjust your diet.

In general, as far as I am aware, there are no decent combinations of magnesium and vitamin D. Vitamin D is a hormone and pure magnesium is unstable, so they do not make a good combination in a single pill. The only form of magnesium that is commonly combined with vitamin D is magnesium oxide, and magnesium oxide is useless for supplementation because humans can only absorb about 3 % of it. It makes a good laxative, though. You have to be careful about selecting magnesium supplements, because many of them will cause diarrhea, especially for an MC patient.

GF, Df, SF recipes are in the Dee's Kitchen forum, but none are specialized for magnesium or vitamin D. It's very difficult to get enough magnesium and vitamin D from our diet these days, so we don't even try on a restricted diet. But that's just one of the reasons why we're deficient.

Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.

Tex

Trying to get some information on Vitamin D supplements. I see two recommendations on here, one being a spray. Looking at the ingredients, I noticed it has rosemary extract. Is this okay? As I was scrolling through the diet section, I saw that we should avoid turkey if it has rosemary extract.

I was diagnosed with LC in May 2017 after a colonoscopy. My GI doc said with Budesonide, I should be able to have a fantastic 4th of July (2017) with just the “normal American indigestion after a BBQ”. Ha.... Trying to keep my sense of humor. I’ve never been able to taper down off the Budesonide lower than 6 mg w/o going into a flare. I now take Cholestyramine. Just got some lab work back and my Vitamin D is 9 (should be no lower than 30). One of the liver results came back high - and after reading an article from NIH, the Cholestyramine might be the culprit of that... MY lymphocytes are also low. (I’m guessing the Budesonide isn’t just getting released in my GI tract).

With all that being said, I am now going to start the natural approach- diet, supplements, etc. I ordered the Enterolab but found out I can’t take the test until I get the total secretory IGa test done since I have been on Budesonide for over 6 months..

I am progressively getting more exhausted- I liken it to when I had mono in my teens. I imagine this is a result of many things, but with my Vitamin D so low, I am guessing this is a big part of the fatigue.

So- as I try to navigate all this with much brain fog and little energy, any assistance would be helpful. I’m going to start w/ the Vitamin D, just really need the best option there is, one w/ the least side effects. Everything I eat/drink seems to irritate my GI tract.

I am just starting to ready Wayne’s book and am going to look into the recommended diet here.

Thank you, in advance, for any help/advice. I do have an appointment with a naturopathic doctor this coming week who seems to be willing to get to the bottom of this and help me, but time will tell.

Hello Betty,

Welcome to the forum. Vitamin D sprays with rosemary extract are not a good idea if you are sensitive to soy, which many of us are. You would do better using a popular name brand such as Doctor's Best vitamin D, 5,000 IU gels. With your level so low, you need to take at least around 10,000 IU per day for about 6 or 8 weeks or so and then test your level to decide whether to continue at that dose or reduce it. Vitamin D is critical for allowing our immune system to perform properly. And since healing is controlled by the immune system, that makes vitamin D especially important for MC patients. We do best when we keep our vitamin D blood level up around 45–50 mg/dl, or higher.

If you have only used budesonide for about 6 months, that probably wouldn't adversely affect any Enterolab test results (unless you already had Selective IgA deficiency to begin with). But if you have been using it since May of 2017, your immune system is probably suppressed enough that the EnteroLab tests would be likely to yield numerous false negative results.

Fatigue and brain fog are very common (almost all MC patients have them) symptoms for MC patients. Naturopaths are generally more helpful than allopathic doctors for treating MC. Their almost universal downfall is that they recommend too many supplements. When treating MC, except for a couple of necessities such as vitamin D and magnesium, less is more. IOW, the fewer supplements we take, the more likely we are to reach remission, and the faster we are likely to get there.

I hope that some of this is helpful. Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.

Tex

Hi Betty
A scenario you might want to understand is the first year is all about healing and that means the diet that’s right for you with minimal ingredients and VitD and Magnesium

The second year is tweaking what you’ve learned in the first year and adding a couple new foods and feeling better than you did a year ago.

By the third year you know what sends you into a flare and you either do it on purpose or accident LOL.

The reality is diet works and we have to be patient and let the healing take whatever time it needs. You’re healing may be sooner or later than the scenario I just described but it can be done. That is how it has happened for me...my VitD was 9 years ago and now it’s around 83.....I’m doing sooo much better and I’m at my 3 yr mark

Hugs
Erica

Hi - first time I've posted. I'm pretty sure my current flare up - started a week ago - was triggered by anxiety around possible reactions COVID-19 vaccine. I tested positive Nov 19 - completely asymptomatic. Was expecting a flare up then but didn't happen. I thought previous Covid my cause a serious reaction to the vaccine.

Anyway. It took me a few days to cut back to the most basic recovery diet. I've had a mostly stage 2 diet for about a year. Eliminated all supplements except D3 - 4,000 IUS is my regular winter daily dose bc I live in Minnesota. Continued with BP med (low dose hydrochlorothiazide) and cholesterol med (pravastatin). Acute flare up symptoms subsided in the last 24 hrs. Want to try add magnesium. Had been taking it 5 yrs ago up to Dec 2015 diagnosis of CC. Doc advised to discontinue bc of D. Pls advise on which topical magnesium to use and if using Epsom salts, is it ok to use lavender scented (it's what I have on hand.)
Also, when I soak - foot bath or regular bath - how much Epsom salots, how long and what water temp?

Yesterday, I spent quite a while poring over the great information about this. And yes, I already had "the book." Many thanks to all here. It really helps to not feel alone.

Hi Kathryn,

I believe about a cup of Epsom Salts are usually used in bathwater. If someone uses a different amount, hopefully they will post about it. The warmer the water, the more the skin pores will open, so the better the absorption, but don't burn yourself. Comfortably warm is probably the most practical temperature.

For foot soaks, adding as much Epsom Salts as the water will absorb should give you the maximum benefit. If you want to try an oral magnesium supplement, the safest, most effective choice is usually magnesium glycinate (chelated magnesium).

Tex

Thank you, Tex.

Tried the foot bath last night. Worked well. With diet vigilance, and perhaps magnesium, I feel better today than I have in a week. Gut has settled down - almost no gurgling - and energy is higher. Having detoxed for other reasons in the past, I think the detox effect of the diet change helps with energy. Right now I plan to wait on the oral magnesium since it has been a trigger in the past. Will try when my system is more settled.

Any info on topical magnesium - brand, type - oil or cream, amount?

Thanks for what you do.

~ Kathryn

I believe that a majority of users here use the Ancient Minerals brand of magnesium oil. They just slather it on their arms and/or legs or belly whenever it's convenient at various times during the day. It can irritate tender skin in some cases, so If it irritates their skin, some users apply it about 15 or 20 minutes before they plan to take a bath or shower.

Tex

Many thanks for sharing Dr. Caroline Dean and the Magnesium product!!! --Recently struggled with microscopic colitis flare, Candida and its toxic byproducts plus I have genetic issues including MTHFR/methylation issues. Started taking ReMag last week -- body seemed to have absorbed and put to use almost immediately even though I had been taking various other magnesium products for years.

Kathryn, I'm also currently in a small flare and it also took me a few days to get back to the minimal safe foods diet, but after just one day on it everything calmed down considerably and I also noticed my energy levels improved immediately - isn't that incredible! It gives me inspiration to keep things like sugar and alcohol to the absolute minimum even when better again, as it is so easy to slip into bad habits again.

Hi...new to forum. Great information.

How do I determine whar my Vit D3 and Magnesium levels are? Seems like I should know that before supplementing.