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I'm starting to believe this is a significant factor in my MC. Certainly C. difficile was found in my original round of testing, back in 1997... and my late mother had recurrent C. diff infections, which means I could have been recolonized at some point.
I started taking the remainder of the Saccharomyces boulardii supplement I had on hand in early July, thinking I'd take it till it ran out. (Foolishly, I didn't know when it ran out...) I've been having some deteriorating symptoms, increased D, some nausea... and of course, that made me focus on what food I've been eating that I'm developing a new intolerance. Now I'm wondering whether I gave away that delicious sunflower-seed butter prematurely... I even smell different. One of the odd beneficial effects of fixing my diet has been that my underarms are noticeably less pungent... which meant I could be outside all day and not feel I absolutely had to shower before dinner or bedtime - better for Vitamin D production! Now, I enjoy being in the same room with myself less, fragrance-wise, after a hot, active day
I'm heading out today to re-start the S. boulardii supplements. Very interesting, what a full-body experience this is. I cannot say for sure that I'm right about there being some evil bug that the good S. boulardii was keeping in check, and if there is a bug, I can't swear that it's C. diff. But it's worth a try. I am guessing it will take some time for 'balance' to be restored in the gut colonies. My current plan is to give this a 3-month try.
I know not everyone can tolerate any yeasts at all. I realize I may *also* have a new food intolerance or two making itself known... I'm crossing my fingers and hoping this will help.
Sara,
I *know* I have a bug involved too. And I've been deteriorating to frequent greenish D lately, not my usual orange. I finally broke down and bought Dr. Mercola products - his probiotic, spray vit D, himalayan sea salt, and coconut oil. I'm starting the probiotic tonight. I've been forgetting my supplements lately (fish oil, D, low dose cal-mag, b-complex) and I often notice my symptoms get worse when I stop for several days. Not sure if there is a connection, but there seems to be one in my head at least. I need to get back with the program.
Let's compare notes about our reactions to the probiotics.
I reckon now we'll have to add armpit-sniffing to our routine practice of bowl-watching, in order to properly monitor our general health - talk about a bunch with some disgusting habits.
Seriously, you're right, of course - gut bacteria do apparently affect virtually all emissions of the body, whether gaseous, liquid, or solid.
IMO, the effect is probably caused by altered digestion efficiency, or completeness, whether or not pathogenic bacteria are present. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the probiotic to turn things around.
Love,
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 hear that loud and clear - I am great with whatever's already a routine, and that means my morning supplements, and everything else is iffy. (Currently working on my "end of day" routine in several ways.)
Let's compare notes about our reactions to the probiotics.
Sounds like an excellent plan. I am now taking quercetin, Vitamin D (dose to be tinkered with after my f/u visit with my doctor), B-vites plus extra B-12, Vitamin K, fish oil (not every day), and Rhodiola. I also take a half Claritin - not consistently enough to be sure it helps. My plan was 1/2 pill every day. My execution, not so much.
I had also stopped using my home-brew magnesium oil on a regular basis, and had leg cramps this morning. So that needs to go on the ongoing/keep-doing list.
I'm going to add back my probiotic this evening, and plan to take 500mg BID. I was thinking of taking cinnamon, and am randomly adding it to dishes here and there, but probably not enough for any serious antibacterial help. (Tasty, though!)
Hope your order comes soon, and the products are helpful.
Good point that shifting odors may not be a direct result of the makeup of the bacterial colonies... hadn't thought of that.
I almost hesitated to post that little gem about underarms, and then I remembered who we are
Years ago, my husband loved oregano oil, which I think I was taking around the time of my first (not-yet-diagnosed) MC episode. He claimed it made his armpits less stinky, and that, too, could have been related either to a change in the microbial population OR to the effect such a change, or the oil itself, might have on digestion.
Sara,
I wanted to try oregano oil, but it's EXPENSIVE for an herb I can grow for free!! I just can't justify the expense unless I KNOW it's going to do something worthwhile. I've got my Mercola products, and I recall an article where he recommends taking probiotics in the morning before food, so I plan to try that. I take most of the other supplements before bed, mostly because it's the onlly time I remember. I'm such a bad pill taker!! That's part of the reason I avoid prescriptions - I just can't adhere. Although I was good with birth control pills for years. I guess pregnancy avoidance is a bigger motivator than D avoidance!!
I think BC pills are easier to tie to a particular habit - tooth-brushing, maybe. I am seriously working on a checklists for almost everything, including evening routine AND my 'purse-restocking' list. I really don't want to be feeling sick somewhere without Pepto in my bag, and whatever my edible/portable snacks turn out to be, and flushable wipes, and Histame and and and... Maybe I should add my probiotic to that list, so if I'm ever out of the house in the evening, it doesn't get forgotten. As I recall, S. boulardii can be taken either with a meal or on an empty stomach.
Oregano oil *is* expensive, but bottle does last quite a while. And it tastes like oregano (!), which I also grow and use. I wish I knew whether it was worth it or not.
Well after finding my undigested vietnamese dinner (rice vermicelli with grilled shrimp and veggies) in the toilet at work today, I'm reaching into my purse for Pepto.
Zizzle wrote:I recall an article where he recommends taking probiotics in the morning before food, so I plan to try that.
I didn't read that article, but I would expect that stomach acidity would be at a minimum before breakfast, (IOW, the pH would be highest, because no food has been available for hours, to stimulate the production of gastric acid), therefore the probiotic bacteria might have a better chance of making it through the stomach alive.
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 didn't mean to imply that the effect on emissions by bacterial populations was inferior to digestive efficiency - I was just pointing out that they're not the only cause. Obviously, they do have a strong effect, because certain breath tests are used to detect SIBO, fructose intolerance, etc. Also, remember that trained dogs can detect cancer and who-knows-what-all, by odor alone.
Love,
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 see what you mean. Like so many things related to health, there can easily be more than one thing going on at the same time (more than one cause, more than one effect...) That's why it's so hard to reduce the thinking process to a flow-chart, to figure out what's going on.
Sara wrote:That's why it's so hard to reduce the thinking process to a flow-chart, to figure out what's going on.
And that's why so much, (maybe most), medical research is bad science. In order to simplify and isolate certain parameters, researchers often have to make so many assumptions that they go astray, and channel the results in the wrong direction. Conversely, they often overlook factors that totally confound their results, without them even realizing it, (or they realize it, and decide to ignore it and go ahead and write up the results anyway, to reflect the goals that they were trying to prove.
Love,
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'm so sorry you're feeling icky. I hope your probiotics help you get back on track.
The discussion on purses and resources to take along has me thinking I need to prepare better for when I am out and about, not to mention going on trips.
I bought B-100 complex, Vitamin D3 5000 IU, and Vitamin B-12 yesterday. I added them into my diet today, along with my multivitamin, calcium citrate and biotin. I'm out of my Florastor probiotic. I am interested in seeing how these additional vitamins will affect me. Obviously, hoping for the best.
Thanks - I'm only feeling semi-icky, but it really got me to put my thinking-cap on. Of course, the store I went to was out of my specific probiotic... I'll get my hands on it elsewhere tomorrow. Best of luck with your new regimen - Bluebonnet and NOW have both been good brands for me. (So far.)
Tex,
It is amazing how frustrating a bunch of facts can be, to the holder of a good theory... Funny that researching for a living can lead to suppressing the instincts that led folks to go there in the first place.
As I pondered this thread, I have become aware that my weird 'itchy eyebrows' symptom is back. It's not hives (because they are invisible), and it's usually left-eyebrow only. I am beginning to hatch another batch of wild speculating to explain why sometimes I have concerning mast-cell symptoms... and sometimes, not so much. I'm sure you know exactly where I'm heading with this, but it's going to take a little pondering before I can get it "on paper" (or on-line). Innnnteresting - it will take a while to shake this idea out of my head, and longer to get a sense of whether I'm on the right track, but this has been a very useful topic for me!
Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
