Hi all,
I'm into day 5 of a 10-day stint on 20 mg of prednisone, and as I suspected the D stopped immediately. What hasn't stopped is the bloating. The only thing I can eat without any discomfort is animal protein. Is this normal? Would I have to be on a longer bout of entocort to get the bloating under control? Or is something else going on aside from colitis, do you think?
Thanks!
Is this normal?
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Hi,
I'm very new to this also, and having prednisone issues. In my case they put me on 30 mg a day and two entocort the first 2 days it stopped everything (no BM at all) and I had bloating and pain Doctor lowered the dose to 20 mg no entocort and I started the D again big time. Now back up to 30 and entocort we shall see what today brings.
I suspect you may need to go down just a little on the prednisone, so it still controls the D and stops the bloating. Call the doc and ask. I also keep feeling they are missing something since I am not responding to the "miracle" of prednisone pills.
Good luck
K
I'm very new to this also, and having prednisone issues. In my case they put me on 30 mg a day and two entocort the first 2 days it stopped everything (no BM at all) and I had bloating and pain Doctor lowered the dose to 20 mg no entocort and I started the D again big time. Now back up to 30 and entocort we shall see what today brings.
I suspect you may need to go down just a little on the prednisone, so it still controls the D and stops the bloating. Call the doc and ask. I also keep feeling they are missing something since I am not responding to the "miracle" of prednisone pills.
Good luck
K
Yes, the bloating is from any kind of fiber. I know I could eat potatoes, but after eating them for six months straight I have zero interest. I can eat a few berries without any problems, but other than that everything else creates bloating. I don't think it's the pregnancy - feels exactly like what I was experiencing before pregnancy.
Fortunately, our October baby is doing great! Just want to get this baby's mama to feel the same . . .
Fortunately, our October baby is doing great! Just want to get this baby's mama to feel the same . . .
Yes, I know this could be pregnancy, but it doesn't feel like it. It just feels like what I went through before. It's only related to eating fiber. I just want to know if this is really colitis and whether entocort could help me eat more foods without this extreme cramping/bloating or whether entocort wouldn't really touch that. Hoping Tex will weigh in here when he gets a moment. Thanks, all, for the encouragement! :)
Hi Elizabeth,
To be honest, I was holding off, hoping that someone with actual experience taking Entocort would confirm the problem. I've never taken it, but the most common side effects listed for Entocort are:
IMO, the problem is that we have D because our digestive system is compromised by inflammation, and as a result, digestion is incomplete. Incomplete digestion means that at any point past where the disruption in the digestive process occurs, subsequent digestion processes are unable to be completed properly, also. The result is a lot of undigested food in a warm moist environment, which leads to spoilage (IOW, fermentation by bacteria), resulting in gas and bloating. Entocort helps to slow down motility, which allows more time for the chyme to ferment, and probably promotes the generation of more gas.
Since fiber is indigestible, it just provides more feedstock for the fermentation process.
In the long run, (theoretically, at least), Entocort will suppress mast cell numbers, which will reduce the inflammation level, which should aid digestion, and reduce the fermentation problem.
So to answer your question, my best guess is that the gas is potentially a part of MC, but Entocort may make the problem worse, at least for a while. IOW, the D helps to relieve the gas problem by purging the system of fermentable "feedstock". Entocort exacerbates the problem by slowing down the D. Once digestion improves, the problem should begin dissipate.
Tex
To be honest, I was holding off, hoping that someone with actual experience taking Entocort would confirm the problem. I've never taken it, but the most common side effects listed for Entocort are:
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/entocort-side-effects.htmlBack pain; changes in menstrual cycle; dizziness; gas; headache; indigestion; nausea; nervousness; pain; respiratory tract infection; stomach pain; tiredness; tremor; trouble sleeping; vomiting.
IMO, the problem is that we have D because our digestive system is compromised by inflammation, and as a result, digestion is incomplete. Incomplete digestion means that at any point past where the disruption in the digestive process occurs, subsequent digestion processes are unable to be completed properly, also. The result is a lot of undigested food in a warm moist environment, which leads to spoilage (IOW, fermentation by bacteria), resulting in gas and bloating. Entocort helps to slow down motility, which allows more time for the chyme to ferment, and probably promotes the generation of more gas.
Since fiber is indigestible, it just provides more feedstock for the fermentation process.
In the long run, (theoretically, at least), Entocort will suppress mast cell numbers, which will reduce the inflammation level, which should aid digestion, and reduce the fermentation problem.
So to answer your question, my best guess is that the gas is potentially a part of MC, but Entocort may make the problem worse, at least for a while. IOW, the D helps to relieve the gas problem by purging the system of fermentable "feedstock". Entocort exacerbates the problem by slowing down the D. Once digestion improves, the problem should begin dissipate.
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.
Hi Beth,
I saw Tex's comment regarding hoping some Entocort users would chime in. I was a Entocort user but never had the bloating/cramping thing going on so I'm going to be of little help here other than to wish you best wishes and hoping some other Entocort users can provide feedback. In kind of looking back I think the first two weeks on Entocort I had something like cramping (almost like stomach spasms) but then it seemed to go away probably as digestion got better. I never had significant gas/bloating issues so I can't comment here. Brandy
I saw Tex's comment regarding hoping some Entocort users would chime in. I was a Entocort user but never had the bloating/cramping thing going on so I'm going to be of little help here other than to wish you best wishes and hoping some other Entocort users can provide feedback. In kind of looking back I think the first two weeks on Entocort I had something like cramping (almost like stomach spasms) but then it seemed to go away probably as digestion got better. I never had significant gas/bloating issues so I can't comment here. Brandy
Hmmm. So the question is this: how do I get better? Just keep eating a mostly animal protein diet and hope that the inflammation eventually quiets down? Is diet really enough to help me improve? I did it for six months without any relief until the pregnancy hormones kicked in. Then I think I got too exuberant in my diet and ate too many raw veggies and did myself in again. So am I probably back to square one again? Grrrrr.
I might be tempted to give into serious discouragement and self-pity were it not for this sweet babe on the way.
I might be tempted to give into serious discouragement and self-pity were it not for this sweet babe on the way.
Elizabeth,
There are two possibilities during pregnancy:
1. For some women MC symptoms improve.
2. For some women MC symptoms deteriorate.
The split seems to be roughly 50-50, and while it seems clear that hormonal changes are the cause of the change in symptoms, the medical community has no idea why symptoms for some patients go into remission, while for others, symptoms relapse or deteriorate.
As I explain in the book, my theory is that if mast cell activation is a primary cause of a patient's symptoms, then the huge increase in diamine oxidase (DAO) that is produced by the placenta during pregnancy (up to 500 times the normal level) should bring improvement in symptoms, since diamine oxidase serves to remove excess histamines from the body. On the other hand, if mast cell cell activation disorder is not a significant factor for the patient, then the other hormonal changes, (estrogen, progesterone, etc.), will dominate the situation, and cause MC symptoms to become worse, as long as those hormones are elevated.
Now obviously, this is just another of my theories, with no backing by the medical profession, so take it with a grain of salt. If there's any substance to it, then knowing whether mast cells were a problem for you prior to pregnancy should offer some insight into whether your current symptoms are MC related, or due to some other cause.
Tex
There are two possibilities during pregnancy:
1. For some women MC symptoms improve.
2. For some women MC symptoms deteriorate.
The split seems to be roughly 50-50, and while it seems clear that hormonal changes are the cause of the change in symptoms, the medical community has no idea why symptoms for some patients go into remission, while for others, symptoms relapse or deteriorate.
As I explain in the book, my theory is that if mast cell activation is a primary cause of a patient's symptoms, then the huge increase in diamine oxidase (DAO) that is produced by the placenta during pregnancy (up to 500 times the normal level) should bring improvement in symptoms, since diamine oxidase serves to remove excess histamines from the body. On the other hand, if mast cell cell activation disorder is not a significant factor for the patient, then the other hormonal changes, (estrogen, progesterone, etc.), will dominate the situation, and cause MC symptoms to become worse, as long as those hormones are elevated.
Now obviously, this is just another of my theories, with no backing by the medical profession, so take it with a grain of salt. If there's any substance to it, then knowing whether mast cells were a problem for you prior to pregnancy should offer some insight into whether your current symptoms are MC related, or due to some other cause.
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, Tex. This is really helpful. My sense is that mast cell issues were not my problem; I didn't have any other symptoms other than bloating/cramping. On the other hand, I did get a reprieve for a month. Who knows. I guess this is a just a wait and see kind of thing. In the meantime, I'll keep my fiber intake low, my fat and protein intake high, and get some juicing in for good nutrients.