Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
A few weeks ago I had to take a Z pak for bronchitis. I had no choice as we were about to go on vacation and I was running a fever. Up to this point, the diarrhea had been under good control for a month or so. I was just diagnosed in March/April and had just gotten rid of C. diff brought on by anti-biotic use. I was given the Z-pak after having told the PA that I had CC and had just gotten over the C. diff.
Last night the horror started all over again. Gurgling and the rush to visit john on and off all night. Two immodium and still going this a.m. I've been taking at least 2 probiotics a day and 4 asacol a day.
Question: Is a Z-pak known to cause diarrhea for those of us with MC? Could this be C. diff again???? How many immodium is it safe to take a day? I have taken as many as 10 in a day when I was desperate. Didn't know any better. Is there an alternative control when you just HAVE to go somewhere?
BTW, I'm going to get the Entero lab tests done. Food triggers are all over the place from no reaction one time to massive D another time. I had a couple of pieces of chocolate-zucchini cake yesterday and wonder about the chocolate/white flour combo. It also had chocolate chips so there was a lot of chocolate. I have been eating some chocolate almost daily but this was overload. I made the cakes so I know just how much chocolate is in them. Anyone else have this kind of reaction to chocolate?
Thanks for any help any of you can give. I've been reading over the posts here almost daily and have learned a lot and also have gotten confused by the vast array of symptoms, allergies, sensitivities etc that seem to be all over the place.
Thank you, Sheila
anti biotic and diarrhea again
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Sheila,
Sorry to hear that you're back in a flare. There are never any guarantees with antibiotics, of course, but usually, we tend to tolerate the Z-Pak relatively well. Ciprofloxacin and Azithromycin seem to be the safest antibiotics available for most of us.
It might be a C. diff relapse, but it could also be just an MC flare. It can be difficult to tell the difference, but usually, C. diff is marked by severe cramping, and possibly fever, and blood may show up in the stool after a while.
10 Imodium tablets per day is quite a lot, but probably not dangerous. Most of us tolerate it pretty well. Taking as many as 8 per day is not uncommon, so I'm pretty sure that you're not the only one who has used more.
A few members here are sensitive to chocolate, but for most of us, it's the soy lecithins in chocolate that causes us to react.
Yes, testing for food sensitivities at Enterolab is probably the best way to get started on a program that will help to make it "safe" to leave the house, in the future. I hope that you can get your symptoms back under control, soon.
You're most welcome,
Tex
Sorry to hear that you're back in a flare. There are never any guarantees with antibiotics, of course, but usually, we tend to tolerate the Z-Pak relatively well. Ciprofloxacin and Azithromycin seem to be the safest antibiotics available for most of us.
It might be a C. diff relapse, but it could also be just an MC flare. It can be difficult to tell the difference, but usually, C. diff is marked by severe cramping, and possibly fever, and blood may show up in the stool after a while.
10 Imodium tablets per day is quite a lot, but probably not dangerous. Most of us tolerate it pretty well. Taking as many as 8 per day is not uncommon, so I'm pretty sure that you're not the only one who has used more.
A few members here are sensitive to chocolate, but for most of us, it's the soy lecithins in chocolate that causes us to react.
About the only option available after Imodium, is adult diapers, for when you absolutely have to go somewhere. Many of us carry an "accident" kit in our vehicle, and/or keep one at work, that contains extra clothes, wet wipes, etc., and diapers.Sheila wrote:Is there an alternative control when you just HAVE to go somewhere?
Yes, testing for food sensitivities at Enterolab is probably the best way to get started on a program that will help to make it "safe" to leave the house, in the future. I hope that you can get your symptoms back under control, soon.
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.
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Sheila
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Thank you for your swift reply. I just went to Publix and got some gluten free items to start myself off on this journey. Also finding recipes on this site for meals that will please my husband and be healthy for me. I will send for the Enterolab test today. So frustrating, I thought I was eating very conservatively except for the chocolate and cake binge yesterday. No wine!!! I guess you have to look at what went into your body the day before the flare begins to try to determine what could have been the cause. I know I could have a condition far worse than CC and should count my blessings, but it sure is no fun at all. Can you still get flares even if you are eating gluten free, free of all the food sensitivities that you might have? I notice that gluten free can be pretty expensive at the super market. Is there a better place to buy the things one needs?
I guess that all newly diagnosed MC sufferers go through the same routine with pretty much the same questions. Is there a page here or a booklet that would have answers to these questions. I know that all of us run the gamut of symptoms and sensitivities so maybe that isn't practical.
You are a blessing, Tex. Thank you.
Sheila
I guess that all newly diagnosed MC sufferers go through the same routine with pretty much the same questions. Is there a page here or a booklet that would have answers to these questions. I know that all of us run the gamut of symptoms and sensitivities so maybe that isn't practical.
You are a blessing, Tex. Thank you.
Sheila
Probably, because I'm pretty sure that stress can trigger a flare, under certain conditions. Also, as Polly points out, we may feel that we are avoiding all of our food sensitivities, but we still have minor issues that prevent us from being in full remission. Mediator release testing, combined with the LEAP food trial program is probably the most practical way to track down those remaining food sensitivities that are so difficult to pinpoint, normally.Sheila wrote:Can you still get flares even if you are eating gluten free, free of all the food sensitivities that you might have?
Is there a Trader Joe's store near you? They stock a lot of GF items, and their prices are usually pretty competitive.Sheila wrote:Is there a better place to buy the things one needs?
Here is some basic information for new members:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=305
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=201
Here are discussions about dieting, for people with numerous food sensitivities:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=47
Here are some meal suggestions:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=53
Here is a lot of information on cooking, and making ingredient substitutions, etc., along with several hundred delicious recipes that are free of gluten, dairy, and soy:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=7
Here is a lot of detailed diet information:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=6
Here's some information and discussions by members using MRT testing and the LEAP program:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=66
Here are some discussions about various treatment programs:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=27
You're very welcome, and good luck with your treatment program,
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.
I just wanted to chime in to say - a lot of things you already eat are gluten free. Potatoes have become a staple for me, and sweet potatoes as well. Not everyone can eat those particular things (and not everyone loves them... I've kind of had to talk myself into being a potato-appreciater). Sometimes it's necessary, and sometimes worthwhile to spring for GF products, but you can re-balance the budget in other ways.
Potatoes for breakfast took some getting used to (especially when I found out I react to eggs!), but potatoes and duck bacon was pretty good this morning ;)
I also eat a lot more bananas - where I might have reached for crackers or a slice of toast, for example.
It would cost a fortune to shop the way I used to, substituting GF products for standard ones - but my shopping pattern changed pretty quickly, and with a lot less pain then I feared. It took me a while to go through my pantry and freezer and - OUT with the old, in with the new.
My biggest weakness is having "grabbable" meals and snacks. I sat down and brainstormed a bunch of ideas, and will organize for that when we get back from our trip. I used to be good at meal planning - I need to polish up those rusty skills.
I hope this helps - and truly, that brain fog and low energy gets better! I really noticed the shift after a couple of weeks GF, but it started improving before that, as I recall.
Hope this helps it to seem less overwhelming,
Sara
Potatoes for breakfast took some getting used to (especially when I found out I react to eggs!), but potatoes and duck bacon was pretty good this morning ;)
I also eat a lot more bananas - where I might have reached for crackers or a slice of toast, for example.
It would cost a fortune to shop the way I used to, substituting GF products for standard ones - but my shopping pattern changed pretty quickly, and with a lot less pain then I feared. It took me a while to go through my pantry and freezer and - OUT with the old, in with the new.
My biggest weakness is having "grabbable" meals and snacks. I sat down and brainstormed a bunch of ideas, and will organize for that when we get back from our trip. I used to be good at meal planning - I need to polish up those rusty skills.
I hope this helps - and truly, that brain fog and low energy gets better! I really noticed the shift after a couple of weeks GF, but it started improving before that, as I recall.
Hope this helps it to seem less overwhelming,
Sara
Sheila,
Your list of intolerances mentions that you could possibly have a histamine problem. If you do, you should know that chocolate is high in histamines. I know, I know. I have had a love affair with chocolate all my life. I only eat it now when I take Histame, and I only do that once every couple of weeks when I can't do without it anymore. I sincerely hope that you will be able to continue to eat it.
Gloria
Your list of intolerances mentions that you could possibly have a histamine problem. If you do, you should know that chocolate is high in histamines. I know, I know. I have had a love affair with chocolate all my life. I only eat it now when I take Histame, and I only do that once every couple of weeks when I can't do without it anymore. I sincerely hope that you will be able to continue to eat it.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Gloria,
I hadn't realized you've tried the Histame with the chocolate. I'm thrilled it's working for you! I was kind of terrified that Histame itself would be a problem... even if it helped with other problems. (So far, so good - but I am waiting for another shoe to drop.... I think we're dealing with a centipede's shoes here.)
Turned down the chocolate tonight - just felt like I had enough 'adventure' in my food today. (Not so much risk, because I'm pretty cautious, but of course it's really hard to lock down every possible factor.) I can't believe I can say no to chocolate. In truth, it's only so I can get to a place, health-wise, where my life has more chocolate. A gal can dream...
Sheila, hope you're feeling like you're on the right track,
Sara
I hadn't realized you've tried the Histame with the chocolate. I'm thrilled it's working for you! I was kind of terrified that Histame itself would be a problem... even if it helped with other problems. (So far, so good - but I am waiting for another shoe to drop.... I think we're dealing with a centipede's shoes here.)
Turned down the chocolate tonight - just felt like I had enough 'adventure' in my food today. (Not so much risk, because I'm pretty cautious, but of course it's really hard to lock down every possible factor.) I can't believe I can say no to chocolate. In truth, it's only so I can get to a place, health-wise, where my life has more chocolate. A gal can dream...
Sheila, hope you're feeling like you're on the right track,
Sara
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Sheila
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food problems
I sent for the Entero Lab test yesterday. I guess I need to keep eating wheat until I take the test or it will not register gluten sensitivity correctly. Is that right? Is there a place on the site that lab results are posted to? I tried to find it without success.
Trying to do the elimination diet would take forever and I don't want to go through all of the bad reactions that would occur. I thought of the histamine connection when I was taking both Sudafed and Claritin when I had bronchitis and had no diarrhea while on the cruise. I was also taking a Z-pak and that could have been a factor, too, I guess. I ate A LOT of chocolate and ice cream on the cruise with no bad reactions. I did send away for Histame but have not used it yet. I'm too confused at this point to do myself any good at all with food choices. I need to know what I am actually sensitive to and then work on getting my diet straightened out. I didn't realize that fatigue is one of the symptoms of CC and don't feel so much like a lazy slug now that there is a reason for the tiredness.
In order to feel well again, I am willing to change my way of eating and give up things I enjoy. It would be easier if I could still drink wine while preparing dinner but I'm afraid to do that right now.
I sincerely appreciate all of the input, suggestions, ideas that you all have given me. As you all know, CC isn't something you can discuss over lunch with friends. It is also good to know that there are a lot of us in the same leaky boat.
Sheila
Trying to do the elimination diet would take forever and I don't want to go through all of the bad reactions that would occur. I thought of the histamine connection when I was taking both Sudafed and Claritin when I had bronchitis and had no diarrhea while on the cruise. I was also taking a Z-pak and that could have been a factor, too, I guess. I ate A LOT of chocolate and ice cream on the cruise with no bad reactions. I did send away for Histame but have not used it yet. I'm too confused at this point to do myself any good at all with food choices. I need to know what I am actually sensitive to and then work on getting my diet straightened out. I didn't realize that fatigue is one of the symptoms of CC and don't feel so much like a lazy slug now that there is a reason for the tiredness.
In order to feel well again, I am willing to change my way of eating and give up things I enjoy. It would be easier if I could still drink wine while preparing dinner but I'm afraid to do that right now.
I sincerely appreciate all of the input, suggestions, ideas that you all have given me. As you all know, CC isn't something you can discuss over lunch with friends. It is also good to know that there are a lot of us in the same leaky boat.
Sheila
Sheila,
The stool test for gluten that Enterolab uses is extremely sensitive. It can reliably detect anti-gliadin antibodies in a sample at least a year after gluten has been removed from the diet. In some cases, their test can detect anti-gliadin antibodies up to two years after the GF diet has been adopted. The other antibodies, (from casein, soy, eggs, etc.), decline at a much faster rate, but they can still be detected by the Enterolab tests for at least a few weeks or so after being removed from the diet.
They usually e-mail your results. I don't believe that they post them to their website, at least I've never noticed that they do. I received my results on a Sunday afternoon, so apparently they put in a lot of hours each week.
Tex
The stool test for gluten that Enterolab uses is extremely sensitive. It can reliably detect anti-gliadin antibodies in a sample at least a year after gluten has been removed from the diet. In some cases, their test can detect anti-gliadin antibodies up to two years after the GF diet has been adopted. The other antibodies, (from casein, soy, eggs, etc.), decline at a much faster rate, but they can still be detected by the Enterolab tests for at least a few weeks or so after being removed from the diet.
They usually e-mail your results. I don't believe that they post them to their website, at least I've never noticed that they do. I received my results on a Sunday afternoon, so apparently they put in a lot of hours each week.
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.
Sheila,
Tex is right - Dr. Fine's research is excellent, and it definitely was true for me. I had been eating mostly GF for almost 3 months when I did my test, and they still came up very strongly positive - not a shred of doubt. My casein test was also strongly positive, though it had been about 3 months since I last had dairy as well.
Some of us can enjoy a glass of wine - I don't have any dramatic reaction to it, but it is a potential issue with mast cells issues, which I may also have. I usually take a Histame if I'm going to have a glass of wine, but have not been methodical about figuring this out for myself. Arlene (TooManyHats) is a master in this area of personal experimentation; Mary Beth is expert both as a professional dietician and has personal experience with mast cells. You will see a recent thread about this with an update from Arlene today - if you scroll back, you'll see some of her excellent process and reasoning.
I know exactly what you mean about confusion... the Enterolab test results should bring your obvious, major-issue foods into focus. You will still have the normal detective work to do, but I felt a lot of clarity and relief from the overwhelm when I got my results.
The results are emailed to you, and you can also view them online, when they are done. They have been swamped lately but are very diligent about getting the results back to you as fast as possible (w/in 3 weeks - faster if they can). They truly understand what is at stake.
Sara
Tex is right - Dr. Fine's research is excellent, and it definitely was true for me. I had been eating mostly GF for almost 3 months when I did my test, and they still came up very strongly positive - not a shred of doubt. My casein test was also strongly positive, though it had been about 3 months since I last had dairy as well.
Some of us can enjoy a glass of wine - I don't have any dramatic reaction to it, but it is a potential issue with mast cells issues, which I may also have. I usually take a Histame if I'm going to have a glass of wine, but have not been methodical about figuring this out for myself. Arlene (TooManyHats) is a master in this area of personal experimentation; Mary Beth is expert both as a professional dietician and has personal experience with mast cells. You will see a recent thread about this with an update from Arlene today - if you scroll back, you'll see some of her excellent process and reasoning.
I know exactly what you mean about confusion... the Enterolab test results should bring your obvious, major-issue foods into focus. You will still have the normal detective work to do, but I felt a lot of clarity and relief from the overwhelm when I got my results.
The results are emailed to you, and you can also view them online, when they are done. They have been swamped lately but are very diligent about getting the results back to you as fast as possible (w/in 3 weeks - faster if they can). They truly understand what is at stake.
Sara
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TooManyHats
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Sheila
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wine and another question
I gave up vodka years ago and was very happy with wine. It is a thought, however, that I'll file away for a really stress filled day. My mother also had CC and drank her vodka and diet coke cocktails daily up until her death at 92. Her only concession to her age was to drink her cocktails in bed while watching TV instead of sitting up in the den.
This question may be silly, but here goes. I have been going to the chiropractor for a neck problem. He's is wonderful at fixing necks and backs that are acting up. However, he is pressuring me to have my hair analyzed in order to detect nutritional deficiencies etc. I'm sure I'm vitamin deficient at this point after having diarrhea off and on for two years and mostly on for the past 5 months. Some of you have either medical, scientific, or nutritional backgrounds and perhaps can tell me if this is something to consider. I always thought it was quackery, but what do I know? Aside from that, my hair has been bleached for many years and certainly isn't natural. Thanks for any input you may have.
Sheila
This question may be silly, but here goes. I have been going to the chiropractor for a neck problem. He's is wonderful at fixing necks and backs that are acting up. However, he is pressuring me to have my hair analyzed in order to detect nutritional deficiencies etc. I'm sure I'm vitamin deficient at this point after having diarrhea off and on for two years and mostly on for the past 5 months. Some of you have either medical, scientific, or nutritional backgrounds and perhaps can tell me if this is something to consider. I always thought it was quackery, but what do I know? Aside from that, my hair has been bleached for many years and certainly isn't natural. Thanks for any input you may have.
Sheila
Arlene, I'm filing that cocktail recipe away! I bet it's an intriguing color as well. I've enjoyed a lot of the 'just' juices in the past - at the moment blueberry is the one I'd be most comfortable reintroducing. Surely diluting it with potato vodka would prevent any potential reaction...
Sheila,
A friend's friend is doing that hair analysis - I also have always had a low opinion of it (but I didn't say so - MC is definitely teaching me something)... I'll be interested to know what the collective smarts here have learned.
--Sara
Sheila,
A friend's friend is doing that hair analysis - I also have always had a low opinion of it (but I didn't say so - MC is definitely teaching me something)... I'll be interested to know what the collective smarts here have learned.
--Sara
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Sheila
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Hair analysis
I'm leaning toward having it done simply to satisfy my curiosity. At this point, I don't think there is such a thing as too much information. If, however, the hair analysis test is bogus it is potentially dangerous. I will put my faith in Dr. Fine and the results of those tests and look at the hair analysis as something extra that may or may not be relevant.
Never heard of potato vodka but will get some in just in case..........
Sheila
Never heard of potato vodka but will get some in just in case..........
Sheila
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TooManyHats
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I've HEARD that gluten does not survive the distilling process, but I'm not taking any chances. I only use potato vodka.
That blueberry juice is so potent that is stains the glass bottle. It's not sweet, but has more of a tang/true blueberry taste. And, do not spill it, whatever you do, it will stain! LOL! Plus, I don't use much, maybe half and half with the plain seltzer. That way it has a nice fizz, too.
That blueberry juice is so potent that is stains the glass bottle. It's not sweet, but has more of a tang/true blueberry taste. And, do not spill it, whatever you do, it will stain! LOL! Plus, I don't use much, maybe half and half with the plain seltzer. That way it has a nice fizz, too.
Arlene
Progress, not perfection.
Progress, not perfection.