Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
Mandy,
You're correct about the acronyms.
Yes, until you know for sure what your food-sensitivities are, it's safest to avoid those three common problems, because anyone of them can cause a reaction. Sometimes, early on, we can achieve remission by avoiding gluten only, but after the antibody levels begin to settle down, we almost always begin to react to dairy, and eventually to soy, (if we are sensitive to soy). Yeast is usually not a major problem except for a few individuals.
Here's a combined list of foods and ingredients to avoid, if you want to go GF, DF, and SF:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=737
Tex
Newly Diagnosed Newbie
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
I am also trying to figure out the foods I can eat. And to understand what everything means.
Go to the home page and look through all the threads. Just about everything you can think of is on there. And then some. And if you still have questions, as I always to, just ask them. More experienced members will explain and help.
I went gluten free, then bovine dairy free, then completely dairy free, then egg free too. I was mostly eating chicken and rice. I did the enterolab test, by which time I was eating ONLY chicken and rice for the 3 weeks, until I got the results - and found I am intolerant of chicken and rice, among many other things.
So right now I am eating meat and potatoes, potatoes and meat morning noon and night. In the last 2 days I added a couple of green veggies and a yam. Mistake. Back to square 1. Feeling terrible.
I don't know exactly what did it because I made the mistake of adding more than one thing, and seeing if I can tolerate it for a few days.
I haven't even begun to heal yet, so I can't give you much in the way of advice, except - read on this site, and ask. You will find you are among friends and you will be helped!
My motto, right now? Hope springs eternal!
Go to the home page and look through all the threads. Just about everything you can think of is on there. And then some. And if you still have questions, as I always to, just ask them. More experienced members will explain and help.
I went gluten free, then bovine dairy free, then completely dairy free, then egg free too. I was mostly eating chicken and rice. I did the enterolab test, by which time I was eating ONLY chicken and rice for the 3 weeks, until I got the results - and found I am intolerant of chicken and rice, among many other things.
So right now I am eating meat and potatoes, potatoes and meat morning noon and night. In the last 2 days I added a couple of green veggies and a yam. Mistake. Back to square 1. Feeling terrible.
I don't know exactly what did it because I made the mistake of adding more than one thing, and seeing if I can tolerate it for a few days.
I haven't even begun to heal yet, so I can't give you much in the way of advice, except - read on this site, and ask. You will find you are among friends and you will be helped!
My motto, right now? Hope springs eternal!
-
Robin.booboo
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:44 pm
- Location: Goodyear, AZ
Hi Mandy! Yes, we Zonie girls need to stick together. :) Maybe we can get together in a few weeks and compare notes? Best of luck with your stressful situation tomorrow! Maybe try some yoga before you have to go? I take Ativan for anxiety, but only rarely - the prescription usually expires long before I need to refill it. I generally take it only before flying. Sadly, I have an on-call job where I can be paged anytime during my on-call weeks and I have to get up, so I don't usually take it for anything else (I have to be able to wake up when I am paged).
Thanks all, those acronyms make sense. I kept trying to make something fit with "casein free" and it wasn't happening... I didn't see any CF - but now Dairy free makes sense. I didn't even consider Soy free, although, funny thing, my biggest rumblings for the longest time would come right after I had eaten Morningstar Farms soy breakfast sausages (which I grew up on and they never used to bother me).
Leslie - I'm so sorry, how frustrating! So you were eating chicken and rice to eliminate the problem foods and then wound up finding out you are intolerant of chicken and rice?? Oh NO! That is very discouraging.
All - So the Enterolab is very detailed, for all food intolerances? What is the difference between the Entero labs and the MRT labs? What does MRT stand for?
I suppose I will try gluten free and dairy free to begin with. Before, while I was trying to get diagnosed, I tried removing glutens, but I'm not sure that I was 100% vigilant, and I didn't try taking dairy out of my diet at all. In fact, in the past, my smaller flares (for which I never sought treatment) seemed more linked to greasy meats - so I suspect that fat mal-absorption, that I have heard mentioned around, probably applies to me too.
Hugs everyone! And thank you for all the help!
Robin
Thanks all, those acronyms make sense. I kept trying to make something fit with "casein free" and it wasn't happening... I didn't see any CF - but now Dairy free makes sense. I didn't even consider Soy free, although, funny thing, my biggest rumblings for the longest time would come right after I had eaten Morningstar Farms soy breakfast sausages (which I grew up on and they never used to bother me).
Leslie - I'm so sorry, how frustrating! So you were eating chicken and rice to eliminate the problem foods and then wound up finding out you are intolerant of chicken and rice?? Oh NO! That is very discouraging.
All - So the Enterolab is very detailed, for all food intolerances? What is the difference between the Entero labs and the MRT labs? What does MRT stand for?
I suppose I will try gluten free and dairy free to begin with. Before, while I was trying to get diagnosed, I tried removing glutens, but I'm not sure that I was 100% vigilant, and I didn't try taking dairy out of my diet at all. In fact, in the past, my smaller flares (for which I never sought treatment) seemed more linked to greasy meats - so I suspect that fat mal-absorption, that I have heard mentioned around, probably applies to me too.
Hugs everyone! And thank you for all the help!
Robin
Hi Robin (love your name)
I am new to this MC too! However, they only way I could have gotten to where I am today is from this forum! To know I am not going crazy and to hear that so many others are in the same boat (not that I want them to be) is very humbling to me. I NEVER wanted to talk about my bathroom habits (not even to my husband) I was to embarrassed. But here you NEVER have to be embarrassed to say anything or ask any question. Has for your partner and father they need to have more knowledge about the disease. So you need to discuss with them about what is going on. My husband in the beginning was like....you cant eat this or that , He was always questioning why I was doing and eating what I was. I finally printed out a lot of information and put it in the bathroom so he would have something to read when he was on his thrown
. I now tell everyone that I am not on some fad DIET, this is a way of life! Once you see that you can heal yourself with the food you eat you will believe it too(and so will your family).
Lots of good health
Robin
I am new to this MC too! However, they only way I could have gotten to where I am today is from this forum! To know I am not going crazy and to hear that so many others are in the same boat (not that I want them to be) is very humbling to me. I NEVER wanted to talk about my bathroom habits (not even to my husband) I was to embarrassed. But here you NEVER have to be embarrassed to say anything or ask any question. Has for your partner and father they need to have more knowledge about the disease. So you need to discuss with them about what is going on. My husband in the beginning was like....you cant eat this or that , He was always questioning why I was doing and eating what I was. I finally printed out a lot of information and put it in the bathroom so he would have something to read when he was on his thrown
. I now tell everyone that I am not on some fad DIET, this is a way of life! Once you see that you can heal yourself with the food you eat you will believe it too(and so will your family).Lots of good health
Robin
Robin & Desertrat,
I know this sounds like a life sentence when you are first absorbing it, it's A LOT to think of changing, but you can do it and the better you feel, the less you will miss foods that you can't digest.
I have no problem with rice or quinoa and there are lots of recipes here in Dee's kitchen for tasty foods. I know it sounds overwhelming, but eliminating gluten, which is the #1 problem for the majority here, was very easy and I'm a baker, baked homemade bread for my family and grew up with it as a kid. If you want a sandwich you can ask for it w/o bread and w/extra lettuce and just use the lettuce for bread.
Once you know that gluten is the villain that has made you sick all this time, it's pretty easy to not want to eat it. DF is Dairy free, SF is Soy Free, YF is Yeast free. It really isn't that overwhelming to read labels and food packaging increasingly prominently says if it is GF. If there is soy sauce in it - it's not. I've found few bread substitutes at grocery stores that are worth the exorbitant cost, it's best to just mentally let bread, bagels, muffins, etc. go, IMO. WOW cookies are delish, as are their cake mixes, which you can adapt to make into spice cake, bundt cakes, etc. I haven't experimented w/pie crust substitutes yet, but imagine others have.
I highly recommend the Enterolab tests, as they will tell you if you need to be DF,SF,YF or if you're reacting to anything else. My oldest daughter doesn't do Rice or Corn, my youngest daughter doesn't eat Corn, I can eat both rice and corn, we all share the 501 gene, but a different 2nd gene.
We've all been there, you are in the right place.
Connie
I know this sounds like a life sentence when you are first absorbing it, it's A LOT to think of changing, but you can do it and the better you feel, the less you will miss foods that you can't digest.
I have no problem with rice or quinoa and there are lots of recipes here in Dee's kitchen for tasty foods. I know it sounds overwhelming, but eliminating gluten, which is the #1 problem for the majority here, was very easy and I'm a baker, baked homemade bread for my family and grew up with it as a kid. If you want a sandwich you can ask for it w/o bread and w/extra lettuce and just use the lettuce for bread.
Once you know that gluten is the villain that has made you sick all this time, it's pretty easy to not want to eat it. DF is Dairy free, SF is Soy Free, YF is Yeast free. It really isn't that overwhelming to read labels and food packaging increasingly prominently says if it is GF. If there is soy sauce in it - it's not. I've found few bread substitutes at grocery stores that are worth the exorbitant cost, it's best to just mentally let bread, bagels, muffins, etc. go, IMO. WOW cookies are delish, as are their cake mixes, which you can adapt to make into spice cake, bundt cakes, etc. I haven't experimented w/pie crust substitutes yet, but imagine others have.
I highly recommend the Enterolab tests, as they will tell you if you need to be DF,SF,YF or if you're reacting to anything else. My oldest daughter doesn't do Rice or Corn, my youngest daughter doesn't eat Corn, I can eat both rice and corn, we all share the 501 gene, but a different 2nd gene.
We've all been there, you are in the right place.
Connie
Resolved MC symptoms successfully w/L-Glutamine, Probiotics and Vitamins, GF since 8/'09. DX w/MC 10/'09.
Oh my goodness, Mandy...
"Bueller? Bueller... Bueller?" has for some reason been my husband's favorite joke recently - out of the blue. It even came up in our local doggie Halloween contest.
(To answer the substance of your question - some folks hit the jackpot by eliminating gluten, and their other intolerances are so relatively less troublesome that it's not so hard to figure them out in time... I could not wait around for that - I wouldn't have waited around for Bueller, either! - so attempted to cut all the likeliest suspects at once... if someone comes to me when I'm 90 and says I could have eaten milkshakes all along... I will still doubt it, actually - and feeling good for those decades will have been worth it!)
"Bueller? Bueller... Bueller?" has for some reason been my husband's favorite joke recently - out of the blue. It even came up in our local doggie Halloween contest.
(To answer the substance of your question - some folks hit the jackpot by eliminating gluten, and their other intolerances are so relatively less troublesome that it's not so hard to figure them out in time... I could not wait around for that - I wouldn't have waited around for Bueller, either! - so attempted to cut all the likeliest suspects at once... if someone comes to me when I'm 90 and says I could have eaten milkshakes all along... I will still doubt it, actually - and feeling good for those decades will have been worth it!)
Enterolab results. They are apparently more detailed than they used to be, but MRT tests more foods.
If you look in this part of the forum:
Food Sensitivity Testing, and Member Test Results
you will see different results for different members.
Yes, it was VERY disheartening to find out that I am sensitive to just about EVERYTHING, so meal making is very difficult. I am spending more time in the kitchen than I like to, and still only eating meat and potatoes. It's not much fun, especially since I LIKE food, I enjoy eating. My diet was based on F&V, mostly fresh, eggs, fish, dairy and meat occasionally, more chicken than red meat.
Starting with gluten and dairy is pretty good. Some people have success with doing only that. Or even only gluten. If things don't improve you know you have to cut something else. Soy and or corn would probably be the next step, then eggs. And so forth. Corn is difficult. It's in so many things.
No, or very little, fiber. Peel and cook all F&V you eat. Overcook them! Very hard for me to do, loving it fresh as I do.
I am hoping, when I heal, to reintroduce some F&V.
Protein fats - you might be sensitive to oils, but you may need some fat in your diet. You definitely need more protein in order to heal. Stick to that.
When none of those helped I went to rice and chicken, and did the enterolab tests.
If you look in this part of the forum:
Food Sensitivity Testing, and Member Test Results
you will see different results for different members.
Yes, it was VERY disheartening to find out that I am sensitive to just about EVERYTHING, so meal making is very difficult. I am spending more time in the kitchen than I like to, and still only eating meat and potatoes. It's not much fun, especially since I LIKE food, I enjoy eating. My diet was based on F&V, mostly fresh, eggs, fish, dairy and meat occasionally, more chicken than red meat.
Starting with gluten and dairy is pretty good. Some people have success with doing only that. Or even only gluten. If things don't improve you know you have to cut something else. Soy and or corn would probably be the next step, then eggs. And so forth. Corn is difficult. It's in so many things.
No, or very little, fiber. Peel and cook all F&V you eat. Overcook them! Very hard for me to do, loving it fresh as I do.
I am hoping, when I heal, to reintroduce some F&V.
Protein fats - you might be sensitive to oils, but you may need some fat in your diet. You definitely need more protein in order to heal. Stick to that.
When none of those helped I went to rice and chicken, and did the enterolab tests.
Robin.booboo,
The basic difference between those two tests are that the Enterolab tests are IgA-based ELISA tests of stool samples, whereas MRT stands for mediator release testing, which is a blood test that measures a wide spectrum of blood chemical mediator responses to various foods, ingredients, and chemicals. The Enterolab tests are very specific, (IOW, if a food tests positive, you avoid it), while the MRT results are a general guide which tabulates groups of items to which you are very reactive, intermediately-reactive, and non-reactive. You have to follow up the MRT results with actual dietary trials of those foods, (with the help of a dietitian), to confirm your actual responses, because the results are only guidelines, not specific.
Most members start with the Enterolab tests, and if they aren't able to reach a satisfactory state of remission after a reasonable length of time by eliminating those foods, they follow up with the MRT to track down other possible problems in their diet.
It's possible to discover for yourself which foods are problems, by trial and error testing, starting with an elimination diet, but the Enterolab tests usually save a lot of time and uncertainty.
Tex
The basic difference between those two tests are that the Enterolab tests are IgA-based ELISA tests of stool samples, whereas MRT stands for mediator release testing, which is a blood test that measures a wide spectrum of blood chemical mediator responses to various foods, ingredients, and chemicals. The Enterolab tests are very specific, (IOW, if a food tests positive, you avoid it), while the MRT results are a general guide which tabulates groups of items to which you are very reactive, intermediately-reactive, and non-reactive. You have to follow up the MRT results with actual dietary trials of those foods, (with the help of a dietitian), to confirm your actual responses, because the results are only guidelines, not specific.
Most members start with the Enterolab tests, and if they aren't able to reach a satisfactory state of remission after a reasonable length of time by eliminating those foods, they follow up with the MRT to track down other possible problems in their diet.
It's possible to discover for yourself which foods are problems, by trial and error testing, starting with an elimination diet, but the Enterolab tests usually save a lot of time and uncertainty.
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.
Well put guys and gals. Thanksgiving is coming up fast and I need to keep in mind that I do better when I eat 'safe' foods. My daughter is being supportive and excited about making a cranberry soup that she will put through a strainer. I'm really lucky. I have not perfected 100% diet control and so I'm only 50% better but I can see where this is heading. Up, up and away.
CoryGut
Age 71
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis Sept. 2010
On and off Entocort(Currently Off)
Age 71
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis Sept. 2010
On and off Entocort(Currently Off)
-
Robin.booboo
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:44 pm
- Location: Goodyear, AZ
Hey Everyone,
Woot woot!
I just found out that hominy and hominy grits contain corn gluten, which supposedly celiacs do not react to (so presumeably neither do we)!
I am compiling my list of Safe Foods. :)
Leslie - I love fresh veggies, so I totally feel your pain. That is going to be tough. I'm not looking forward to that part at all.
Robin - Hiya! We even spell it the same way, yay for us! I think you are in Canada, right?
Tex et all - thanks again for all the great info! I think I would like to do the enterolab tests. Maybe after Christmas. I have kids I need to spoil first. :)
Thanks,
Robin
Woot woot!
I just found out that hominy and hominy grits contain corn gluten, which supposedly celiacs do not react to (so presumeably neither do we)!
I am compiling my list of Safe Foods. :)
Leslie - I love fresh veggies, so I totally feel your pain. That is going to be tough. I'm not looking forward to that part at all.
Robin - Hiya! We even spell it the same way, yay for us! I think you are in Canada, right?
Tex et all - thanks again for all the great info! I think I would like to do the enterolab tests. Maybe after Christmas. I have kids I need to spoil first. :)
Thanks,
Robin