Rethinking BAM

[jbrohlr]

Hello all,

I am 10 months into MC symptoms and 8 months on the restrictive diet. I'm not doing bad but the last week or so I have regressed to looser stools (runny but not watery) along with some burning and discomfort while I am going and for a few hours afterward. The frequency is once or twice a day (some days no BM at all).

The only thing new foodwise is that I started eating turkey (gluten free, or so they claim). I stopped that to see if that helps.

I started the Pepto treatment 3 days ago. I tried several months ago but thought it was the cause of my muscle fatigue. Since then, with magnesium lotion use, I seem to have that under control so thought I'd give the Pepto treatment another try.

I am beginning to suspect BAM (had my gallbladder out 4 years ago). I have a few questions on that subject:

1. Can BAM be a matter of degree?

2. Is it common for BAM to develop later on in the course of MC (even on a restrictive diet)?

3. According to "Microscopic Colitis" BAM may be caused by inflammation of the terminal ilium and surrounding areas in the colon. Do many of you see the BAM clear up once intestinal tract inflammation is reduced?

4. Is there any problem with taking the Pepto treatment and cholestyramine at the same time? I'm worried about one reducing the effectiveness of the other. Either that or constipation.

5. Cholestyramine basically just treats the symptoms? Seems that I read that and since my current symptoms are livable I'm debating whether I should bother with cholestyramine right now.

I realize that some of these questions may not have answers currently. I think it would be foolish of me to not ask in case there were solid answers.

John

[HockeyMom]

I’m someone who needs cholestyramine and lots of it. And I’m sure it’s a forever thing for me..I’ve gone completely off it a few times with catastrophic results . I did pepto a few times at the max recommended dose (can’t remember if it was for like 6 weeks?)...maybe it helped a little the first time, did absolutely nothing but color my diarrhea black the second time.

By mixing all those things, you have many variables ....might be difficult to decide what helps or doesn’t help. I was guilty of that for a long while myself.

You say things are LIVABLE right now....people get real serious when things aren’t livable any longer !

I must admit that I’ve had to up my betaine HCl dosage with meals...when I stick to the higher dosages things are great ...then I decide I can slowly start cutting down and things very slowly go the wrong way.

That’s my two cents for ya

Laine

[jbrohlr]

I'm sorry Laine; "livable" was probably the wrong word. I'm able to function now when months ago it was difficult to - not as bad as many on this site but still I had a hard time trying to make it through the mornings (afternoons were relatively o.k. for some reason). Thanks to the restrictive diet I got out of the incessant WD.

I did a much better search for BAM on this site and it answered some of my questions.

Its frustrating showing improvement bathroom-wise and then have a setback without any obvious reason. Is it BAM? or did I eat something wrong. Or is it just a normal fluctuation of the disease and I need to be more patient. Many mysteries.

John

[tex]

Hi John,

The reason could be any of those you listed. This is a complex disease that inspires many questions, the answers to some of which we simply can't be sure of, because it's such a complex disease.

Wayne

[HockeyMom]

Honestly John...You could probably pull up all my posts over the years...I did just the gluten free thing, did the hard core gf/DF/ef/sf and then hard core that plus no grains at all (aka the Plains Indian diet per friends) with NO CHEATING for like 2 more years. Pepto, Budesonide twice, glutamine, probiotics, acupuncture, meditation/guided imagery. Lived on Imodium for years just to have some semblance of a life. You name it, I tried it. Oh, did I mention antihistamines and old school TCA meds per the GI doc?

Diarrhea is a not much talked about family thing on my moms side. Swedes. I fooled around with cholestyramine for a good couple years....went off twice which was a disaster. Had to keep upping the dosage. Which was kinda scary. I’m 5’6” and normally 125#. Down to a skeletal 100# at my worst in 2017. Back to 125# now. I take 8 packets of cholestyramine a day. Wow...isn’t that the dosage for Andre the Giant ? Maybe . But it is what it is. I take oral magnesium now ( oil and lotion for years ) and Betaine HCl ( stomach acid ) with meals . I firmly believe I need the Betaine HCl as much as I do the cholestyramine !

Bless Tex, but his theory is things eventually normalize with stomach acid production and such after you get the inflammation settled down. That doesn’t seem to be the case with me. I never get constipated. I do get to the point of deer pellets, but they are daily and are fine. But if I stop or decrease the Betaine HCl, my stool quality starts to deteriorate and the urgle gurgle gets worse. I guess I’m a slow learner !

I eat whatever I want to now. 5 years ago I actually thought this might kill me. Honestly. Couldn’t get out of the house, on short term disability at work. The world had closed down to my townhouse. My brother had to buy the groceries because even with an adult diaper...I couldn’t go shopping.

Life is good now. I went on a Blues cruise out of Miami last month all by my little ol self! Great music, good food, talked to some great folks and won second place in the blues trivia contest ! Spent night before and night after cruise in Miami and enjoyed Cuban and Puerto Rican food and of course a Mojito or 2! 5 years ago, this didn’t seem like I would ever be able to travel again.

My point? We are all different. Diet didn’t cure me. I gave that my best shot. Religiously! I read about cholestyramine , Betaine HCl and such here. Didn’t think it applied to me, but circled back around to it and gave it a try when other things didn’t work.

Laine