MICROSCOPIC COLITIS SUPPORT

Hi all, first I’d like to say what a great site this is. I have been struggling with D for the past 10 weeks. Been to two GI Docs which both have been a flop. Only thing I’ve heard is stop dairy for now and try a probiotic......I have my colonoscopy scheduled for next Wednesday. I am a little nervous but also want to find out what’s going on....

I have not been diagnosed with anything for now but my symptoms align with MC and have some family history of related issues. I’m holding on to hope for now, but as a 35 yr old man with no previous history of anything, I have somehow convinced myself I have this.....with good reason. One doc did tell me I have some kind of “colitis” and something shocked my system. My symptoms started ABRUPTLY (after a night of drinking some red wine) and have been as bad as 15 times a day with the D. Probiotic helps at first then gets worse....if I stop for a few days and then start again that helps. I can get down to 2-3 times a day for short periods....imodium seems to work a little in slowing the D.

My question is about drug related MC? It’s soo hard to find info about this and I have so many questions. I was taking Zoloft of anxiety on and off for 5 years. After scouring the internet for days/weeks trying to find something. I read a few related posts about this and hope someone can help answer....

If I do have MC and it was related to my medication.....how long after discontinuing the med would a typical person see results? Basically how long till it goes away “if” the Zoloft (SSRI) is what caused this.....

Another question?...when you do a colonoscopy do they always take samples? Or do I need to request that? I want to make sure we’re doing everything right here.

I have already started GF which seems to help, I’m learning that’s no easy task tho...not an easy time for me, struggling with this change in my life at the moment, depression, anxiety, lack of sleep. I want answers but also coming to grips with this and how it will be a process.

Thank you all so much for your posts, I enjoy reading all the success stories and if I have to join you one day I’ll have this site to lean on!

Hi,

Welcome to the group. Zoloft is an SSRI, and SSRIs are notorious for causing microscopic colitis. With a 5-year history, that's almost surely the cause for your inflamed intestines. If Zoloft is the cause, and it hasn't already triggered a leaky gut and the food sensitivities that a leaky gut causes, the diarrhea should stop within a few days after you stop taking any Zoloft. If it's too late, the diarrhea will continue despite stopping the Zoloft.

Some doctors still do not automatically take biopsies during a colonoscopy, especially for younger patients such as yourself, so it would behoove you to make sure that he takes enough biopsies to rule out microscopic colitis during your colonscopy.

80 % of the population is magnesium deficient. Microscopic colitis causes even worse magnesium deficiency. Anxiety is a symptom of magnesium deficiency. Not only will magnesium treat your anxiety, it will help you to relax, which will help you to sleep.

I hope this helps, and again, welcome aboard.

Tex

Thank you for the quick response.....I stoped taking the SSRI 4 weeks ago. So basically after my initial symptom I continued taking the drug for 6 weeks before I weaned off it.....

I got off as soon as I found the research on the link between the two.....was I too late? Is it still possible this could just take longer to “repair” my gut?

And I will be calling the dr office tomorrow to make sure they will be taking biopsies. Thanks!

Normally, when MC is drug-induced, there's a fair chance that stopping the drug will stop the diarrhea. But that should happen as soon as the drug clears the body. If you stopped taking it 6 weeks ago, the diarrhea should have stopped over 5 weeks ago. So yes, that was either too late or it didn't work for some other reason.

Once MC develops, it's a permanent condition — there is no known cure. The best we can do is to constantly control the symptoms. Sometimes MC patients experience periods of spontaneous remission, similar to Crohn's and UC patients, and the symptoms just go into remission for a while for no apparent reason. But unfortunately, most of us are not that lucky. We have to deal with the disease on a daily basis, once it's triggered. We either develop a treatment program to control the symptoms, or we learn to live a restricted lifestyle.

Tex

Second colonoscopy is last 5 weeks! Ughh! Tex any indications on this report?

In laymen’s terms.... on another note. I did bleed a little after the procedure this second time...which was alarming. No blood ever seen before, but they said it was normal after all the poking around...

Here’s what I know now, I go back for follow up next week...

Recommendation:
- Advance diet as tolerated.
- Await pathology results.
- Repeat colonoscopy at age 50 for screening purposes.
- Return to GI clinic as previously scheduled.
Findings:
The terminal ileum appeared normal.
A patchy area of moderately erythematous (possible submucosal
hemorrhages) areas of mucosa was found in the sigmoid colon, in the
transverse colon and in the ascending colon. Biopsies were taken with a
cold forceps for histology.
The exam was otherwise without abnormality on direct and retroflexion
views.
Biopsies for histology were taken with a cold forceps from the entire
colon for evaluation of microscopic colitis.
Procedural Details: The patient was seen, evaluated, and history
reviewed. Airway and heart and lung exams were
performed and were satisfactory for planned sedation
care.

I heard the nurse say “redness” as I was getting wheeled out today.... they took multiple bioopsys and I fell they will be able to find what iitis but any of this above make sense???

The first colonoscopy done by a general surgeon said he found “mild sigmoid colitis “ which turn out to be a hyperplastic polyp in the sigmoid colon according to his diagnosis. He also told me he would do biopsy’s for MC but never did!

Appreciate any insight....

Hi,

That colonoscopy report is typical for microscopic colitis patients. The biopsy analysis report from the pathologist is the only way to positively identify MC.

Bleeding after a colonoscopy is definitely not normal. That might have been caused by hemorrhoids, but if hemorhoids were present, that should have been declared on the colonoscopy report. If no abnormalities were noted, fresh blood would indicate an unusually harsh procedure that involved scraping (scratching or scarifying) the mucosal lining, or even a perforation (which would require emergency surgery to repair). If there were a perforation, you would have become extremely sick from a life-threatening infection after a few days. If that hasn't happened, then there was no perforation. Darker (almost black) blood, would indicate bleeding from farther up in the digestive tract, and would warrant further tests to determine the source.

Not to alarm anyone, because mine was a rare case, but I almost bled to death from massive colonic bleeding (unrelated to a colonoscopy or MC) about 9 years ago, so I don't take colonic bleeding lightly, when it's not due to hemorhoids.

Tex

Welcome to the forum.

Transdermal magnesium.....epsom salt baths, epsom salt foot baths, and magnesium lotion or foam should
help with the anxiety. I would not recommend oral magnesium if you have D.

As you get solid stool (may take awhile) you should be able to switch to oral magnesium glycinate which
really works to eliminate anxiety.

PS. Make sure you get the pathologist report. Folks on here are good at interpreting them.

If you don't already have Tex's book it is worth the money.

Also....there is good info in the Microscopic Foundation newsletters. Link is at top. Once you are in the foundation
recommend reading every newsletter since inception.