Was just diagnosed yesterday after my GI doctor took biopsies from my colonoscopy earlier last week. They called it collagenous colitis and prescribed 9 mg of budesonide which I began this morning. I have had diarrhea since Memorial Day and everyone thought it was just a virus or bug, but it never went away (2 trips to doctor and 1 to ER), so when I went for my colonoscopy, the doctor did the biopsies. I've had lots of gas, bloating and am uncomfortable (sometimes painful) on both sides underneath my rib cages. Last week, I started the heartburn, which I've never ever had in my entire life and didn't even know what was happening to me. I am taking the generic prilosec 2 x daily to help with that, and have tried a few other things as well (George's aloe juice and probiotics).
I have lost about 15 pounds and have a hard time eating. I don't want to eat and nothing tastes good. I am willing to try gluten free, dairy free, and whatever else it takes. I have always been a healthy person and this is getting the best of me. Some days I don't even want to get out of bed. Does the uncomfortable gassy feelings and pains ever go away?
I am a retired teacher and still teaching 1/2 time. I am wondering if I'm going to be able to go back this fall and do what I love to do. I know there are lots of people that are worse off than me so I must quit feeling sorry for myself and get started back on the way to health. I am so thankful to have found this board. What are some foods that I can start with until I can go see my chiropractor who said he would help me if the MC diagnosis came back positive.
Jari
New to MC
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
I am still awaiting diagnosis but empathise totally with you. I too have felt as you described for 4 months now. Although my doctor told me not to cut anything out of my diet I listened to the fantastic advice of people on this forum and have started to feel more like the old 'me' with drastic dietary changes. I am very ill if I eat gluten of any form....ill in a different way(heartburn liver type pain and bloating, gas, discomfort and blow out diarrhoea) if I eat dairy or any fruit or soya. It has taken the support of Wayne and other dedicated people on this site to begin to see a light on the horizon and to begin to enjoy life a little again. I have lost20 pounds but now I now I am learning what I can eat I am putting a little back on. Love and stuff and deep understanding Judex
Never heard of Microscopic Colitis until yesterday when consultant advised me that my chronic, 3 month long, diarrhea indicated this diagnosis (though not confirmed). Shocked, stunned and reeling a bit, although part of me is pleased to be alive.
Hi Jari,
Welcome to our Internet family. Yes, the gas, bloating, pains, and other symptoms will go away as the diet changes stop the inflammation from being regenerated each time you eat. The inflammation will slowly fade away, taking the symptoms with it. But this doesn't happen overnight. Unfortunately it typically takes several months or more for the diet changes to bring remission. However with budesonide in addition to the diet changes, you should begin to feel better within a week or 2. It takes longer in some cases, and of course for some people, budesonide does not seem to help, but in most cases the medication will help to mask the symptoms while the diet changes are preventing the inflammation from being regenerated. And that will make life much more pleasant during the recovery period.
The budesonide should also improve your appetite and thereby allow you to regain some weight. It will also help to boost your energy level (because it supplements the body's cortisol level) so that with any luck at all, you should be able to enjoy your teaching position in the fall without having to worry about having to make a mad dash to the bathroom.
Most of us are sensitive to gluten (including oats), all dairy products, and soy. Many of us are also sensitive to eggs, and some of us also have other food sensitivities. It's difficult to track them all down in many cases, unless we order the stool tests offered by EnteroLab, in Dallas. TX. The blood tests available for detecting food sensitivities generally have relatively poor reliability. An elimination diet can be used though, to help figure out food sensitivities by trial and error testing. The main points to remember when designing a diet to allow recovery from MC, are these:
1. Above average amounts of safe protein are necessary to help heal the gut.
2. Certain carbohydrates absolutely have to be avoided (specifically wheat, rye, barley, and oats), even in trace amounts.
3. Fiber must be minimized. This means peeling any vegetables and over-cooking them in order to make them easier to digest. Absolutely no raw vegetables until remission is achieved and the gut is allowed to heal for a while. Iceberg lettuce is the worst offender
4. Artificial sweeteners must be avoided, and sugars should be minimized. Most fruits are loaded with fructose (and fiber), so the fewer fruits we eat while recovering, the faster we will usually recover. Avoid all citrus fruits, because we can't tolerate the citric acid until after we are in remission. Until we are in remission, we have a very difficult time trying to digest fructose especially, because the small intestine is unable to produce the necessary enzymes when the gut is inflamed. The only fruit safe for most of us to eat (raw) is bananas, and even they should be eaten only in moderate amounts, because of the fiber and sugar content. And for some of us, bananas impose a histamine problem.
5. Spicy foods should be avoided during recovery.
The safest protein sources are turkey, lamb, venison, rabbit, and any other wild game other than bison (bison contain DNA from domestic cattle because of cross-breeding). Most of us can eat either potatoes (red potatoes, yellow potatoes, and almost any other type are easier to digest than the Russets that are most commonly available) or sweet potatoes, or both. Rice is the safest common grain, but many of us can tolerate corn.
Since you are a resident of Colorado, you qualify for treatment by one of the best GI specialists in the U. S. for treating microscopic colitis and celiac disease. Dr. Scot Lewey is known as the Food Doc, but he will only accept patients who are residents of Colorado for appointments. If you feel that you need additional medical help, I would recommend that you try to arrange an appointment with him rather than a chioropractor. You will get so much more for your money and your efforts. Information on Dr. Lewey can be found at the following link:
https://www.doximity.com/pub/scot-lewey-do
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to our Internet family. Yes, the gas, bloating, pains, and other symptoms will go away as the diet changes stop the inflammation from being regenerated each time you eat. The inflammation will slowly fade away, taking the symptoms with it. But this doesn't happen overnight. Unfortunately it typically takes several months or more for the diet changes to bring remission. However with budesonide in addition to the diet changes, you should begin to feel better within a week or 2. It takes longer in some cases, and of course for some people, budesonide does not seem to help, but in most cases the medication will help to mask the symptoms while the diet changes are preventing the inflammation from being regenerated. And that will make life much more pleasant during the recovery period.
The budesonide should also improve your appetite and thereby allow you to regain some weight. It will also help to boost your energy level (because it supplements the body's cortisol level) so that with any luck at all, you should be able to enjoy your teaching position in the fall without having to worry about having to make a mad dash to the bathroom.
Most of us are sensitive to gluten (including oats), all dairy products, and soy. Many of us are also sensitive to eggs, and some of us also have other food sensitivities. It's difficult to track them all down in many cases, unless we order the stool tests offered by EnteroLab, in Dallas. TX. The blood tests available for detecting food sensitivities generally have relatively poor reliability. An elimination diet can be used though, to help figure out food sensitivities by trial and error testing. The main points to remember when designing a diet to allow recovery from MC, are these:
1. Above average amounts of safe protein are necessary to help heal the gut.
2. Certain carbohydrates absolutely have to be avoided (specifically wheat, rye, barley, and oats), even in trace amounts.
3. Fiber must be minimized. This means peeling any vegetables and over-cooking them in order to make them easier to digest. Absolutely no raw vegetables until remission is achieved and the gut is allowed to heal for a while. Iceberg lettuce is the worst offender
4. Artificial sweeteners must be avoided, and sugars should be minimized. Most fruits are loaded with fructose (and fiber), so the fewer fruits we eat while recovering, the faster we will usually recover. Avoid all citrus fruits, because we can't tolerate the citric acid until after we are in remission. Until we are in remission, we have a very difficult time trying to digest fructose especially, because the small intestine is unable to produce the necessary enzymes when the gut is inflamed. The only fruit safe for most of us to eat (raw) is bananas, and even they should be eaten only in moderate amounts, because of the fiber and sugar content. And for some of us, bananas impose a histamine problem.
5. Spicy foods should be avoided during recovery.
The safest protein sources are turkey, lamb, venison, rabbit, and any other wild game other than bison (bison contain DNA from domestic cattle because of cross-breeding). Most of us can eat either potatoes (red potatoes, yellow potatoes, and almost any other type are easier to digest than the Russets that are most commonly available) or sweet potatoes, or both. Rice is the safest common grain, but many of us can tolerate corn.
Since you are a resident of Colorado, you qualify for treatment by one of the best GI specialists in the U. S. for treating microscopic colitis and celiac disease. Dr. Scot Lewey is known as the Food Doc, but he will only accept patients who are residents of Colorado for appointments. If you feel that you need additional medical help, I would recommend that you try to arrange an appointment with him rather than a chioropractor. You will get so much more for your money and your efforts. Information on Dr. Lewey can be found at the following link:
https://www.doximity.com/pub/scot-lewey-do
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
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 Jari and Jude,
Welcome! If you don't already have Tex's book it is at the top right of this website. It is well worth it.
Do not get discouraged!
Brandy
Welcome! If you don't already have Tex's book it is at the top right of this website. It is well worth it.
Yes you can! Do exactly what Tex says. Eat nothing processed. Ditch all supplements for awhile (they are too rough for our guts when we are healing.)I am a retired teacher and still teaching 1/2 time. I am wondering if I'm going to be able to go back this fall and do what I love to do.
Do not get discouraged!
Brandy
Thanks. I learn something with everyone of your posts Tex. Yes. I bought the book and it is bedtime reading....just brilliant...informative and so re assuring given the lack of knowledge and information available on dietary changes. I am taking it with me to show my consultant!
Never heard of Microscopic Colitis until yesterday when consultant advised me that my chronic, 3 month long, diarrhea indicated this diagnosis (though not confirmed). Shocked, stunned and reeling a bit, although part of me is pleased to be alive.
Thanks for the warm welcomes and encouragement.
Tex, thanks for the detailed reply. I am already feeling better (once I got past the initial feel sorry for me mode and my life sucks).........
I did check out the info you gave me about the GI specialist in Colorado. I am pretty happy with the one I have right now. He seems to be on top of things and pretty familiar with these autoimmune diseases. He diagnosed me quickly. My guess is that you might have to wait awhile to get in to see him. I am also trying the holistic side and met with my chiropractor this morning and he adjusted me to keep things fine tuned there and is helping me get started on my road to gluten free/dairy free/etc. Should things not work out as well in the next couple of weeks or so, I will try to get an appt. with the specialist, but right now, I think I'm headed down the right road to recovery.
I did buy the book yesterday and am a little frustrated that as of today, it still had not been shipped yet. It's not due to me until sometime next week. I am very anxious to read it.
Thanks for all your kind words and support. I'm sure I will have many more questions as I begin this journey.
Tex, thanks for the detailed reply. I am already feeling better (once I got past the initial feel sorry for me mode and my life sucks).........
I did check out the info you gave me about the GI specialist in Colorado. I am pretty happy with the one I have right now. He seems to be on top of things and pretty familiar with these autoimmune diseases. He diagnosed me quickly. My guess is that you might have to wait awhile to get in to see him. I am also trying the holistic side and met with my chiropractor this morning and he adjusted me to keep things fine tuned there and is helping me get started on my road to gluten free/dairy free/etc. Should things not work out as well in the next couple of weeks or so, I will try to get an appt. with the specialist, but right now, I think I'm headed down the right road to recovery.
I did buy the book yesterday and am a little frustrated that as of today, it still had not been shipped yet. It's not due to me until sometime next week. I am very anxious to read it.
Thanks for all your kind words and support. I'm sure I will have many more questions as I begin this journey.
Jari
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 29th, 2015
Gluten free, Dairy free, and Soy free since July 3rd, 2015
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 29th, 2015
Gluten free, Dairy free, and Soy free since July 3rd, 2015
Jari,
We all go through those 5 stages of grief when we realize what we have to deal with, but as you pointed out, the sooner we get past that, the sooner we can get on with our life.
You're probably correct about the wait time, because Dr. Lewey has built up a quite a reputation.
If you have a digital reading device, and you want to get started reading immediately, I can attach a digital file to an email and send it to you, if you will tell me what type of device you use (they all use different formats). Or, I can send you a PDF file that you open with Adobe Reader or any other PDF viewer, and read it on your PC monitor, (or any mobile digital device that has a PDF interpreter/reader).
Just let me know and I'll be happy to send it.
Tex
We all go through those 5 stages of grief when we realize what we have to deal with, but as you pointed out, the sooner we get past that, the sooner we can get on with our life.
You're probably correct about the wait time, because Dr. Lewey has built up a quite a reputation.
If you have a digital reading device, and you want to get started reading immediately, I can attach a digital file to an email and send it to you, if you will tell me what type of device you use (they all use different formats). Or, I can send you a PDF file that you open with Adobe Reader or any other PDF viewer, and read it on your PC monitor, (or any mobile digital device that has a PDF interpreter/reader).
Just let me know and I'll be happy to send it.
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.
Tex,tex wrote:Jari,
If you have a digital reading device, and you want to get started reading immediately, I can attach a digital file to an email and send it to you, if you will tell me what type of device you use (they all use different formats). Or, I can send you a PDF file that you open with Adobe Reader or any other PDF viewer, and read it on your PC monitor, (or any mobile digital device that has a PDF interpreter/reader).
Just let me know and I'll be happy to send it.
Thanks for the kind offer. I looked at my account this morning and it still hasn't been shipped yet. Guess I need to ask why. I would love to get started reading. Do you have the one for the Nook? If not, then a PDF file would be great. Thanks so much.
Jari
Jari
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 29th, 2015
Gluten free, Dairy free, and Soy free since July 3rd, 2015
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 29th, 2015
Gluten free, Dairy free, and Soy free since July 3rd, 2015
Hi Jari,
I've just sent an epub file (which should be the native format for the Nook). If it doesn't work for you, please let me know and I'll send a PDF file.
You're most welcome,
Tex
I've just sent an epub file (which should be the native format for the Nook). If it doesn't work for you, please let me know and I'll send a PDF file.
You're most welcome,
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.
Thanks
Thank you for accepting me into your forum. I am not new to colitis and didn't even realize there was a support group out there! I was sure I was the only person in the world that has it!
Looking forward to learning more and meeting new friends that experience the same debilitating symptoms as I do.
Am sorry if I have posted this in the wrong place, I have never been in a forum before.
Thanks,
Deb
Looking forward to learning more and meeting new friends that experience the same debilitating symptoms as I do.
Am sorry if I have posted this in the wrong place, I have never been in a forum before.
Thanks,
Deb
I feel like the only person in England with it Deb!!! It is such a lovely place to find suppot. Thanks to the advice and support I have already brought my toilet trips down from 30 visits per day to 6. Awaiting colonoscopy today....lots of time available as currently drinking my last half litre of medi prep...in preparation for the long awaited event. Jx
. Awaiting colonoscopy today....lots of time available as currently drinking my last half litre of medi prep...in preparation for the long awaited event. JxNever heard of Microscopic Colitis until yesterday when consultant advised me that my chronic, 3 month long, diarrhea indicated this diagnosis (though not confirmed). Shocked, stunned and reeling a bit, although part of me is pleased to be alive.
Hi Deb,
Welcome to our Internet family. I felt the same way 15 years ago when my GI specialist told me that there was nothing he could do to help me. I had the hopeless feeling that I was the only one in the world who had this problem. It took over 4 years before I found others (online) who had the disease. A lot more is known about the disease these days, but we still have a long way to go before we can expect to receive better medical care, because so many GI specialists still do not realize that food sensitivities are a major obstacle to recovery.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to our Internet family. I felt the same way 15 years ago when my GI specialist told me that there was nothing he could do to help me. I had the hopeless feeling that I was the only one in the world who had this problem. It took over 4 years before I found others (online) who had the disease. A lot more is known about the disease these days, but we still have a long way to go before we can expect to receive better medical care, because so many GI specialists still do not realize that food sensitivities are a major obstacle to recovery.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
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.
Best of luck to you Jude, hopefully you get a diagnosis one way or the other.
Thank you everyone for your kind words.
I am experiencing a major flare up at the moment which is what made me search for any relevant information. I have had LC for just on 5 years. Tried several medications and the only thing that worked for me was straight Codeine, but this is failing at the moment.
My GP/Specialist insist LC is not diet related. I did cut out certain food groups in the early days but nothing altered.
Its very wearing isn't it?
Anyway, you all have a great day and stay calm!
Deb :)
Thank you everyone for your kind words.
I am experiencing a major flare up at the moment which is what made me search for any relevant information. I have had LC for just on 5 years. Tried several medications and the only thing that worked for me was straight Codeine, but this is failing at the moment.
My GP/Specialist insist LC is not diet related. I did cut out certain food groups in the early days but nothing altered.
Its very wearing isn't it?
Anyway, you all have a great day and stay calm!
Deb :)