I am 66yrs, have UC for over 25 years & in clinical remission ( on biologic due to big flare 7yrs ago) with combo of anti inflammatory diet and drugs. However last year did a lot of travelling ( post Covid!) walking & hiking. Was not as diligent with my diet as before with gluten & dairy ( cheese) leaking in…..recent surveillance colonoscopy ( 4yrly) showed UC clinical remission BUT histology of biopsies showed CC which has taken me off guard…..have to say last few months have had lingering muscle neck & back pain with brain fog and mentally feeling anxious/depressed ( messy family issues happening triggering stress) and extra fatigue…..bowel motions gone from one daily firm to 1-3 looser stools….yes the gastroenterologist said no problem it usually will pass…and brushed it off mentioning meds that can take if not!!
So pleased to find this organisation and thank you for so much information…back to anti inflammatory diet once more…the one I struggle with is no eggs as I have always relied on them for protein source…..also being back on an elimination diet without feeling the victim is tricky…..will I ever be able to travel again do long hikes on this eating plan?
Are there any members who have UC and developed microscopic colitis?
Newbie with UC in remission on meds and now CC!
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Re: Newbie with UC in remission on meds and now CC!
Hi,
Welcome to the group. Our archives don't contain any evidence on epidemiological evidence regarding UC patients who developed MC that I can recall, but out of over 5000 MC patients I've only seen posts by one, or maybe two MC patients who later developed UC. I believe there's even published medical research that shows that IBD patients have no greater risk of developing a second IBD, than anyone in the general population. Chronic stress appears to be a primary trigger for the development of MC, but that's probably also true for the other IBDs.
Regarding hiking, and other activities, sure, once you get your MC into remission you should be able to resume a pretty much normal schedule of activities. That said, it can take up to two years after reaching remission for some of us, in order for the brain fog and fatigue issues to resolve. We have to limit our activities initially, but we can slowly increase them as our digestive system heals.
Since there's a possibility that you aren't reacting to eggs, you might not have to give up eggs, You could try meticulously avoiding gluten, soy, and dairy products, and if that doesn't bring remission, then you can also start avoiding eggs. Gluten is the primary problem. Antigliadin antibodies have a 120 day half-life. Because of that, it takes most of us about six weeks or so to get enough gluten out of our diet so that it no longer dominates our immune system reactions. Antibodies to most other food sensitivities have only a five or six day half-life. That means that once we eliminate one of these foods from our diet, our reactions to that food should be obviously diminishing in less than a week. And it's possible that you may not be sensitive to dairy or soy, so that you can retest them after you're in remission, to see if you react to them. We don't have accurate statistics, but roughly half of us appear to be sensitive to chicken eggs, about two thirds of us are sensitive to soy, and about three quarters of us are sensitive to dairy
Some of us have been able to successfully substitute duck eggs, but that doesn't work for everyone who is sensitive to chicken eggs. I hope this helps.
Tex
Welcome to the group. Our archives don't contain any evidence on epidemiological evidence regarding UC patients who developed MC that I can recall, but out of over 5000 MC patients I've only seen posts by one, or maybe two MC patients who later developed UC. I believe there's even published medical research that shows that IBD patients have no greater risk of developing a second IBD, than anyone in the general population. Chronic stress appears to be a primary trigger for the development of MC, but that's probably also true for the other IBDs.
Regarding hiking, and other activities, sure, once you get your MC into remission you should be able to resume a pretty much normal schedule of activities. That said, it can take up to two years after reaching remission for some of us, in order for the brain fog and fatigue issues to resolve. We have to limit our activities initially, but we can slowly increase them as our digestive system heals.
Since there's a possibility that you aren't reacting to eggs, you might not have to give up eggs, You could try meticulously avoiding gluten, soy, and dairy products, and if that doesn't bring remission, then you can also start avoiding eggs. Gluten is the primary problem. Antigliadin antibodies have a 120 day half-life. Because of that, it takes most of us about six weeks or so to get enough gluten out of our diet so that it no longer dominates our immune system reactions. Antibodies to most other food sensitivities have only a five or six day half-life. That means that once we eliminate one of these foods from our diet, our reactions to that food should be obviously diminishing in less than a week. And it's possible that you may not be sensitive to dairy or soy, so that you can retest them after you're in remission, to see if you react to them. We don't have accurate statistics, but roughly half of us appear to be sensitive to chicken eggs, about two thirds of us are sensitive to soy, and about three quarters of us are sensitive to dairy
Some of us have been able to successfully substitute duck eggs, but that doesn't work for everyone who is sensitive to chicken eggs. I hope this helps.
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.
Re: Newbie with UC in remission on meds and now CC!
Thanks so much for your reassuring post and information. I have had the UC for long time and just recently diagnosed with CC which has come left field! However if I think back the symptoms of brain fog, anxiety, muscle and joint aches and back pain have been gathering for a number of weeks before that.
Interesting it takes so many days to get the gluten out of our system, 120 days long time! Thanks again
Interesting it takes so many days to get the gluten out of our system, 120 days long time! Thanks again