MICROSCOPIC COLITIS SUPPORT

Have any of you had experience with a functional medical doctor, an MD with extensive training in nutrition and holistic medicine? They can prescribe medicine and order tests, etc. There is a group in my area but it is quite expensive and not covered by medicare.

Thanks,
Susan

Yes I have, and for my combo of health issues it has been a key part of attaining wellness.
likewise for me, they are more expensive than normal MD's / specialists etc, and they tend to use testing protocols that are not always mainstream, therefore not covered or subsidised by govt health system.

Other than my MC, majority of my other health issues have been confirmed / clarified via non mainstream testing via knowledgeable functional practitioner. (root cause for most if not all is inflammation, nutrient deficiencies imbalances, excess toxins and heavy metals etc)
For the functional doctor I see every 6 months or so, as I am a low income earner she charges the lowest rate she can for the consult.
as she knows I have to pay for the ongoing tests we are doing

for the functional practitioner I see (chiro/kinesiologist) they now charge me low rate for the appointments, and I have done admin work for them as a trade off for the ongoing treatments. They also discount some of the practitioner only type supplements I get from them.

This didnt happen straight off, it came after 12 months of regular treatment where they both practitioners saw that i was doing everything possible, diet wise, lifestyle wise, etc to improve my wellness.

Had i not made the monetary outlays for this quality of support - I would still be chronically ill and struggling to work at all.
I have had to make changes/sacrifices in my lifestyle etc to afford the appointments and doing the tests that we have done
At first I was shy/shameful to admit financial issues and ask for help from these professionals. Now although not totally comfortable, I am more at peace with admitting that ongoing financial stress is there and not afraid to say that test is not affordable to me etc.
My chiro/kinesiologist is very helpful in helping me to find cheapest option supplement wise that is gluten, dairy and soy free, if they dont have gabe safe product for me.

Gabes, I appreciate your response. There does seem to be another functional medical group in Asheville that is less expensive. Also, there are integrative medical MDs who also focus on holistic medicine and a holistic approach.

I suppose I am skeptical as years ago a chiropractor talked me into hundreds of dollars of supplements when I was, then, in good health other than a pulled muscle. Then, after my MC diagnosis, I paid for an hour with a nutritionist who was very nice but worthless.

What did the functional doc do for you, more precisely, if you wouldn't mind sharing?


Susan

Hi Susan,

Yes I have a functional medicine doc.

It depends what you want to achieve.

In the US if you go to a functional medicine doc to get you out of a WD flare I think it is a waste of money. They propose too many supplements and things like UltraInflamx that are contraindicated for MC. I think anyone in a WD flare is better buying Tex's book, getting Enterolab testing and reading heavily on our forum to get into remission.

That said...I really like my functional medicine doc. I went for osteopenia. Cost was $1200, net cost with blue cross insurance ended up being around $600.00. He recommended strontium and K2 for bone health. I was on zinc for 3 months due to low zinc. Testing also showed Low theanine so I take that now. It was a massive amount of tests.

My functional doc is 70 years old and a former MD who went to functional medicine school. He does a lot of treating of thyroid for those that test out of range and he also does bioidentical hormonal treatment (tough to find in my town.)
My girlfriend and I really like him.

So, for someone who is in MC remission who wants to tweak some other health issues I found it helpful. Personally I am one who has to eliminate supplements anytime I am in a WD flare in order to get into remission.

Functional doctor /practitioners are helping with the following;

- confirmation of Pyrrole (kryptopyrrole) which meant I had life long zinc and B6 deficiency and build up of toxins / heavy metals
resolving the B6 deficiency has helped digestion /histamine issues - their support while i clear the toxins / heavy metals to reduce inflammation

- Hair Mineral analysis - looking at mineral ratio's and what heavy metals I had so we could adjust supp protocol to suit my needs.
fixing mineral deficiencies is one level, the other key part of cell health is the minerals being in the right ratios

- interpretation of methylation cycle profile (3rd party report from DNA saliva testing) - adjusted diet and supplements to suit my issues

- ongoing testing monitoring items linked to above, zinc/copper levels, parasites, toxins/heavy metals etc

3 years of focussed supplementation after confirming these issues
- I have resolved life long allergy/histamine issues.
- at age 47 I have a regular menstruation cycle for the first time in my life

for all the practitioners i have seen in the last 7 years of my MC Dx, I 'hold my ground' about my MC eating plan and what supplements I will
consider. I stick with single ingredient products, start on low dose and work up. the supplement protocols that work for Crohns and UC do not work for MC.

In my case, MC is not the root cause illness, it is a symptom of nutrient deficiencies and excess toxins/inflammation
I agree with Brandy's statement above

In the US if you go to a functional medicine doc to get you out of a WD flare I think it is a waste of money. They propose too many supplements and things like UltraInflamx that are contraindicated for MC. I think anyone in a WD flare is better buying Tex's book, getting Enterolab testing and reading heavily on our forum to get into remission.

finding my safe eating plan, and stick with the bland low inflammation eating plan was key foundation to healing my gut and keeping MC symptoms at bay, and supporting the body/gut while I work on the other issues.

Thanks Brandy and Gabes. I think I'll hold off for the time being. Still on the Stage One Diet. I had to cut down to 2 budesonide a day as my GI doc wouldn't prescribe more than 2 1/2 months. As soon as I did, I immediately began having soft stools and diarrhea 2-3 times. So, I just ended a two day fast and am starting over. I realize that earlier in my Stage One Diet, I had made some mistakes as I was just learning.

Question: How about potato chips, guaranteed gluten free, done in Avacado oil and chewing the heck out of them? I also saw baked chips (less fat) but done with sunflower oil or vegetable oil.

Susan

Vegetable oil is usually soy, but the others are usually safe.

Tex

small amount of potato chips are ok (so long as they are done with safe oil source - be cautious of vegetable oil as tex states above)

the only problem with things like potato chips is that they are high carb, no protein, low nutritional value.
I use a gluten and soy free potato chip as a back up snack if I am out at an all day event, along with cold meats and rice protein drink.

our bodies and gut healing process benefits from regular intake of safe animal proteins.

Gabes, thanks again. And thanks to you, Tex. As much as I think I know, after having read the book and spending lots of time on the forum, I'm still learning. I didn't realize that vegetable oil was usually soy. Time to read again!

My two day fast results are still pending. However, this morning I had a normal BM. My job is to not screw it up.

As regards functional or integrative docs, in my case, it's the overwhelming desire to grab for the golden ring. I felt great before MC and have felt great during MC in spite of another, eventually tamed, AI. However, emotionally I have wrestled with the MC, which I realize is not unusual. I win that fight most of the time but it's hard on the social front, giving up wine and dinner out with friends or just eating out with my husband. Gone. Travel seems in my rear view mirror. Having read so much on the forum, I know that those things are not forever-gone for me. But, dang, it's hard. If it weren't for all of you, I might have jumped off of my deck, rolled down the mountain, landed on the road and waited for an oncoming car.

My gratitude,
Susan

Susan,

The reason why soy oil is the default choice for most food manufacturers is because it's consistently one of the cheapest food-grade oils available, and it's considered to be a healthy choice by most people who don't have any reason to suspect otherwise.

Adjusting to the lifestyle changes is tough, especially because we have no incentive for making those changes on a social level. Instead, we are coerced into making those changes strictly for personal reasons to satisfy the demands of our body. Thus we are upset with our body for making such demands in the first place, and we are hurt and embarrassed to have to disappoint our friends (and ourselves) because we have to admit (at least to ourselves) that we are capitulating to the demands of our body, as if it were being held hostage by the disease.

It's frustrating, especially early on, but the human body is incredibly resilient, and we learn to adjust, and to cope, and to realign our goals and our lifestyle so as to focus on the things that we can do, while de-emphasizing the things that are no longer a sustainable part of our life. It's somewhat like suddenly (against our will) being transported to a different planet, where we have to live out the rest of our life in unfamiliar surroundings, eating an unfamiliar diet, developing new habits, and cultivating new friendships.

All of our ancestors who were immigrants into this country (or any other country), and those who crossed the continent with all their belongings in a covered wagon to settle new territory, felt the same way. The hardships they encountered were sometimes beyond belief, but for the most part they made the transition, and they prospered and enjoyed a good life. By comparison, we have it a lot easier because at least we are able to remain in familiar territory.

It becomes a lot easier as we go, because reinforcement encourages us to build on our successes to advance to the next level. And life becomes better with each passing day. You're well on your way.

You're very welcome,
Tex

Wonderful analogies, Tex. I, too, can immigrate.

Susan

in my case, it's the overwhelming desire to grab for the golden ring. I felt great before MC and have felt great during MC in spite of another, eventually tamed, AI. However, emotionally I have wrestled with the MC, which I realize is not unusual. I win that fight most of the time but it's hard on the social front, giving up wine and dinner out with friends or just eating out with my husband. Gone. Travel seems in my rear view mirror. Having read so much on the forum, I know that those things are not forever-gone for me. But, dang, it's hard.

and that's why we are here answer questions and helping people on their journey - there is no quick fix/golden ring.
and helping them transition into MC world!
what we have seen is that physical healing can be affected by our emotional and mental approach.
there are some good reads/audio resources in this area
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=22350

the dinner out and travel are not gone, they will just have a slightly different scene. we cant eradicate or cure MC - we have to learn how to live with it, love it, nurture it.
with time, working on the emotional and mental aspects, this will come. Generally when we have our safe eating plan, cooking and shopping routines just 'flow' (ie we dont have to overthink things and double check ingredients) and with good levels of magnesium and Vit D3 in our bodies, anxiety and unsettlements will reduce.