Cause of LC? Can it be just stress?

[humbird753]

Hi again -

I (like all of us) am trying to understand what is happening to my body. If it's okay, I'd like to share my story...

I have no health issues other than having D for about 2 yrs and 4 months. Which then, of course, led to a diagnosis of "mild lymphocytic colitis" in 6/2010. The diagnosis came from a colonoscopy I had and a SED rate test taken with a result of 26. I was 56 yrs old when this started and have never taken prescription drugs in my life, so it was surprising when the doctor told me he wanted to prescribe Entecort EC. After he listed off all of the possible side effects associated with the drug, I told him, "I need to think about this for awhile." I then went online to mayocllinic.com and read that a normal SED rate for a woman was 22 to 29. My healthcare provider, by the way, is Mayo Health Care System. I have absolutely no medical knowledge. But with that little information I decided the doctor must be selling meds for a trip to the Bahamas or someplace else.

The only thing that preceded the D symptom was extreme stress related issues that had been ongoing for 8 months. I just woke up one morning (8/3/2009) with D and it has not stopped.

I continue to see my primary physician for annual check-ups; however, I began seeing a naturopathic doctor the end of April, 2011 (this too is a first for me). In reading about the regimen she has had me on, I believe she is on the right course. The current step is for me to go on a gluten-free diet to see if this will alleviate the symptoms. The results of blood tests taken in October of this year to check to make sure I am not becoming deficient or anemic show that everything is in perfect range. The SED rate is now 24 (which she says she would like to see at about 14). I am beginning to understand there is a difference between intolerance and allergies from a previous question I posted. But I wanted to add that the naturopathic doctor also tested me for food allergies and was and still is surprised that I have none.

I guess my question would be, "can stress cause this"? Does anyone else have a similar situation?

I realize we all have "very" similar symptoms that are very life altering. I would like to share what this naturopathic doctor has me taking. I will try to explain what each one is for (but not promising that I fully understand it).

Herbulk and Endefin (both powders) mixed together with water - the Herbulk to thicken the stool, and the Endefin to help heal the cell lining of the intestines (although she tells me the cells rejuvenate themselves every 3 to 7 days). I take 2 times a day - a.m. and p.m. meals.

Digestin - to help slow digesting of food. 2 capsules at each meal.

Multivitamin - a.m. and p.m. meals
B Complex - a.m. meal
Calcium with D - a.m. and p.m. meals

and most recently added:Lipogen and Phosphorex - to support gallbladder and liver health. Lipogen is taken caplet form 2 at every meal. The Phosphorex is a liquid and I take 20 drops in water in the a.m.

UltraFlamX - a powder mixed in water for reduction of inflamation. Taken 2 times a day - mid a.m. and mid evening about 1-1/2 hours after evening meal.

Gluten-free diet.

I believe that is everything. It is quite a regimen so I may get home and look at my list to find something I forgot to mention.

I have only been a member of this site for a couple of days, and am already seeing that each of you has had to do a lot of research as well to educate yourselves. (If I knew this I would have made it easier on myself and gone to medical school earlier in life, rather than taking this crash course.)

I already look forward to the book Tex is writing.

I hope everyone is having a good day.


Paula

[humbird753]

Oh - I did forget something...

I also take probiotics - 2 capsules 6000 i.u. at evening meal


Paula

[coryhub]

Hi Humbird,
I too await Tex's book!
Many of us on this site have agreed that stress often triggered our colitis. I was diagnosed at 58 years old and at the time was under great stress at the work place, everyone was looking at budget cuts and many of us were axed. I was trying to hide the fact that I was running for the toilet 8 - 10 times a day.
Thank you for sharing your story and it does sound like your naturalistic doctor is more knowledgeable about your dietary needs than a GI.
Good luck with staying the course. Land-ho!

[karenswans]

Hi Paula,

Stress definitely triggered my major flare. But, giving up gluten, dairy, soy, and eggs fixed it extremely quickly. Then, when I had another terribly stressful event this month (my father died), I did not have a flare.

So, while I think stress triggered my disease I don't think it's the sole cause of MC. I also think once MC is triggered it is "maintained" by diet.

By the way, I have added back dairy and eggs. Gluten and Soy are my real culprits.

[sarkin]

Stress cannot cause LC on its own, but it's often a factor, or a trigger, when our symptoms begin.

And now - how are you feeling?

If you are still having D, I would eliminate many (maybe all?) of those supplements, until you're more healed. While there are cells replaced every 3 to 7 days, the kind of deep healing for MC is many layers deeper, and takes a whole lot longer. Maybe a year - or several.

In the meantime, if you are taking that many products, each of each has quite a few ingredients, it will be virtually impossible to figure out what you are reacting to. (And obviously, if you are having D, expensive products are rushing through you without doing you any good... better to get the D stabilized, and then add potentially useful supplements - after evaluating ingredients - and see how they help, when they're able to stay on board long enough to make a difference.)

When you're having D, you don't need to "bulk up" your stool. You need to stop the D. Fiber is like scrubbing a sunburn, when our insides are as inflamed as they usually are, when we find our way here to this forum.

Some people have had bad experiences with digestive enzymes such as those in Digestin. But not everyone. Same with probiotics - some people have had good experiences with some, bad with others - and not all of us respond to the same ones, either positively or negatively.

The UltraFlamX has some ingredients that sound as though they might help, but others that some of us have trouble with. (See how confusing?) In the meantime, if you keep eating foods that cause inflammation, then no supplement (and no medication) will be able to overcome the underlying source of the problem.

So - you're off to a great start with eliminating gluten - good for your ND. To increase and speed your success, I would eliminate dairy as well, since almost all of us react. You can always retest it later, and then you'll know for sure.

I had to replace many of the supplements I used to take, and I was able to get to the bottom of that by taking a vacation from them all, and starting again slowly, till I was back on track. I also dropped all grains except occasional rice, as well as dairy and soy. (I was quite ill, and pretty desperate to get my symptoms under control, and the hard shortcut was the right decision, for me.)

But each of us is different, and you have to navigate your own path. If those supplements are working well for you, and you're making clear progress toward remission, reduced symptoms, and improved well-being... then I take it all back.

Hope you're soon feeling better, in any case!

Sara

[Deb]

Paula, I believe my LC was triggered by stress (learning a dear friend was dying of breast cancer). I also believe
I was having symptoms of "something else" for years prior to that, in my case an intolerance of gluten. I quit eating gluten and my D and most of my digestive issues cleared up. I didn't have a recurrence when my friend died a year later. Many on here have had to eliminate dairy and possibly soy to attain remission though. YMMV (Your mileage may vary). Deb

[tex]

Cause of LC? Can it be just stress?

I tend to agree with Karen and the others that certain other additional conditions are almost always necessary, but stress can certainly be "the straw that broke the camel's back", to trigger the disease initially. For some individuals, it appears that stress alone can trigger a relapse, though that obviously doesn't apply to every one of us.

The GF diet is obviously a step in the right direction. I have absolutely no idea about any of the supplements named. Typically, as Sara has pointed out, we find it easier to reach remission if we restrict any and all supplements to a bare essential minimum, because many of us react adversely to many supplements, and even though many supplement manufacturers voluntarily list inactive ingredients, they are not required by law to do so, so they aren't as likely to take the accuracy of those listings as seriously as their customers with intolerances might.

I'm kind of surprised that your doctor would suggest the use of a corticosteroid if he thought that you had a "mild" case of LC.

Of course, there was no way that he could have determined that you had a "mild" case, anyway, since research shows that there is absolutely no correlation between the diagnostic markers of LC, and the severity of symptoms. Many doctors make the mistake of assuming that a relatively low lymphocyte count indicates a "mild" case, but they're just guessing, and they're virtually always wrong, whenever they make such a guess. If you're still having symptoms, more than a year later, obviously you don't have a mild "case".

But I wanted to add that the naturopathic doctor also tested me for food allergies and was and still is surprised that I have none.

I have no idea whether that was was a skin test, or a blood test, but I can guarantee those test results are worthless for determining the type of food-sensitivities that are associated with MC. Only an IgA stool test will reliably detect food-sensitivities in the gut.

Tex

[Joefnh]

Hi Paula it sounds like you have already gotten off to a great start in dealing with MC by finding a naturopath and by pursuing the probiotics and a GF diet (very important) As far as the question if stress can cause MC, I'm not sure of that directly, but I can say that stress can play a BIG part in this disease.

I have been taking meds and following a GF, SF and DF diet for about a little over year now since diagnosis and have been doing fairly well, but after dealing with a very emotional and stressful time recently, it sent the symptoms back into overdrive. Things are settling down now after a tough time, but the lesson learned is that stress most certainly does play a key part in MC and I suspect most health issues are affected by stress as well

Best wishes Paula

Joe

[Kari]

Hi Paula,

It sounds like you're moving in the right direction with your treatment plan. Eliminating gluten is a great first step, and might just by itself give you relief. I agree with others here that while you're in the early stages of healing, it's generally not a good idea to take supplements, since your system is super sensitive.

I have been healing by diet alone for over a year now (after living with relentless D. for 10 years), and am feeling great in general. It seems that whenever I take any kind of supplement, including probiotics, I have a reaction, so I'm still staying away from them. I plan to eventually take vitamin D3, B12 and folic acid, but I'm in no great hurry, as they have given me trouble in the past.

It seems that keeping the diet very simple, with home cooked meals from fresh, unprocessed ingredients works the best while healing. This is what I've been doing, and I'm learning how to cook in the process. That's a big deal for me, since it was something I always wanted to do, but somehow never got around to.

I wish you a speedy recovery, and look forward to hearing about your progress. There are lots of people here to help you on your journey back to health. We have discovered that what works for one does not necessarily work for someone else, but sharing our personal experiences here give all of us lots of ideas of what to try in our own treatment plan.

Love,
Kari

[humbird753]

I want to thank all of you for your comments, but at the same time I have to admit that I don't fully understand what you have said. It is all pretty confusing.

Are you saying there were symptoms of MC prior to the D that I may not have noticed? I can understand why comments would be made about ALL of the supplements, etc. I am taking. It would make more sense to simplify and start with the basics (meaning diet changes).

How am I feeling? Well, I still work full time. I have always enjoyed being physically active, but the D makes it difficult because when I try to go for walks it is always interrupted by the need to get to a bathroom (unless I choose not to eat prior to walking). I still golf but now take a driving cart with me in the event I need to get away quickly. I have never had any pain. My D has been as often as 20 or more times a day. It has now subsided to 6 to 8 times a day. I am more tired than I usually was but I have contributed that to the inability to be as physically active as I would like to be (but I know I could be wrong in that assumption). My overall weight loss has been about 9 lbs. This is all very frustrating, confusing, depressing, and often makes me angry. I just want my life back. When I read all of the comments I am seeing the word "symptoms." I am wondering what other symptoms there would be other than the constant D....

My diet consists of fresh vegetables, fruits, beef, chicken and fish, potatoes, gluten-free breads and brown rice. No cereals. I do not drink milk, but still continue to eat eggs, use butter, and eat cheese occasionally. I do not use any canned soups, and if vegetables are not fresh I use the frozen vegetables. I have rarely appreciated foods other than in their natural state.

When mentioning "symptoms," it makes me wonder what other symptoms anyone would refer to other than the constant D....

Your comments are all welcome and appreciated. It does, however, give me a lot to think about and sort through.

I am sorry - I feel I am rambling on here tonight.



Take care,
Paula

[humbird753]

I want to add that if I was feeling confident about the path of healing I am on, I would not have continued my search which led me to this site.

Paula

[tex]

Paula,

You apparently have "pure" MC, without any satellite issues. Lucky you. Most of us also have the leaky gut syndrome along with MC, which makes us feel as though we have a severe case of the flu, or food poisoning, with all of the appropriate symptoms. Those are the other symptoms we're referring to. They include, but are not limited to, joint and muscle aches and pains, headaches, backaches, migraines, abdominal pains, cramps, arthritis symptoms, and some of us have nausea and vomiting, as well. When you have all of those symptoms, on top of the D, it can really ruin your day.

Tex

[humbird753]

Thank you, Tex, for clarifying "other symptoms." No - I don't have any of those symptoms. So, if I am understanding correctly, it is possible to have "pure" MC?

I was trying to read between the lines on the original responses, and it had me wondering if I have other severe illnesses going on that I am not aware of. Hope not.

Anyway, I will go forward having in mind that I have MC with the D symptom, and will work much harder on a gluten-free diet for now. The term "leaky gut" was mentioned by the naturopathic doctor I go to, as the stool does not resemble anything normal at all - very watery with shredded foods.

I have never been a good cook. I grew up with my mother and 4 sisters, and I was the only one who enjoyed the cleaning, laundry and ironing. They were all very pleased that I enjoyed doing those chores, and so my 4 sisters were more than happy to cook (learn how anyway), since I would do everything else. I love cleaning, yard work, and even shoveling snow compared to cooking. It's not that I never cooked. After moving to rural Wisconsin from Chicago in my early 20's, I did learn how to cook the meat, potatoes, etc. types of meals that are pretty traditional for this area. I have also been fortunate in that my husband "loves" to not only cook, but is often in the kitchen experimenting with new ideas. Unfortunately, it appears God's plan for me now is become a cook! OR, maybe God's plan is for him to learn to cook another way??!!

Well, I am getting ready to go to work, just popped in to see if there were any additional responses from anyone since last night. Your comment, Tex (if I am understanding it) gives me more comfort than I had last evening after reading everyone's responses.

Have a great day everyone.


Paula

[humbird753]

I meant to say, that with the D (and those other symptoms you refer to) I can understand how that would ruin anyone's day. Just the D ruins my days as it is very life altering. I also know that if it is left untreated, it is also compromising my health and other issues would begin to surface.

Paula

[Kari]

Hi Paula,

First of all, having brought the number of BM's down to 6-8 a day is great, and with further diet tweaking you should see that number keep going down. Like you, I have always gotten my energy from physical exercise, and when I do not exercise enough, there is a noticeable decrease in my energy level. However, at this point in time, I don't have the restrictions that living in fear of not having a bathroom nearby used to place on my life. It didn't happen over-night, but has been a slow and steady process with ups and downs along the way.

A couple of suggestions for you:

- Minimize veggies while healing and make sure they are very well cooked (the fiber is very irritating to an inflamed gut)
- Same goes for fruit (I boil apples and pears with cinnamon)
- Eliminate all supplements and keep 100% gluten free (fortunately for you it seems like you don't buy processed foods, but if you do, make sure to scrutinize labels for hidden gluten).
- Keep a log of everything you eat, as well as your frequency and type of BM's (that way you'll be able to link your reactions to what you ingest, as well as gage your progress). We call this "keeping a winning the poo log:)". This was a key component in my recovery.

If you do this and there is still no improvement, try to eliminate the next big potential food problem: "DAIRY", and continue with the process.

Some of us have discovered that we have many more food sensitivities than just gluten and dairy (soy being the next large culprit), but hopefully that's not the case for you. However, after substantial healing takes place, we are often able to reintroduce food that we were sensitive to.

I know this is all very overwhelming for you, but with persistence and patience, I have no doubt you'll figure it out and get back on track to radiant health. Speaking for myself, I consider it nothing short of a miracle that I have gotten my health back through diet alone after suffering constant D. for 10 years.

Sorry you had to find us, but now that you're here, take your time, read lots, ask lots of questions, and I'm sure you'll figure out the right path to reclaim your health.

Love,
Kari