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Well, it might work, but I have no way of knowing if something in the GI tract might tie it up or chemically change it. For example, it has to get through the stomach, (with it's very low pH), before it can get to the duodenum, where it can be absorbed, (assuming that the mucosa of the duodenum chooses to absorb it).
Jenny wrote:Also, these mast cell issues- are they another thing we need to deal with for the rest of our lives or do they go away at some point?
I have to guess, of course, since these are uncharted waters, but I have a strong hunch that once our MC symptoms are all under control, and the gut has time to heal, the mast cell issues will disappear, also, since they're part of the total immune system response associated with MC. IOW, they may always be a part of our MC reactions, but if we get it all under control, and the gut is able to heal, then the mast cell problems shouldn't reappear on their own. I'm less sure about what will happen during seasonal allergy reactions, though - that may be a wild card, for those of us subject to seasonal allergies.
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.
Shirley- I was diagnosed with CC on 3/2/2007 and simply had watery D that would not go away. I rarely have abdominal pain of any kind and at that time it made no differernce in what I ate. I had no other issues/symptoms aside from the D. I have bloating & gas issues (which can be painful) occassionally. I followed steriod treatment for about a year and then became frustrated & angry and stopped prednisone cold turkey (didn't realize at the time it was a dangerous thing to do) and went without GI help until this past summer. I spent the rest of the time untreated and tried at least five other "unconventional" methods to find an answer. None worked & all was out of pocket expense. Last February my health took a very nasty turn and I thought I was going to die (literally). I did not have issues with my sinuses, etc until this time.
Although the NasalCrom and Histame seem to be helping some along with the GF, DF, SF, casein & legume free diet - my major complaint at this time are runny nose, scalloped tongue (which my denist says is due to my overbite- has some legitimacy but is not the whole cause, I believe), congested/"full" feeling in my sinus area, burning eyes, tired and glassy eyes, mild headache & itching and a feeling like there's fuzz stuck in my ears which reduces my ability to hear clearly. The ear thing is new as of a few weeks ago. I don't plan on getting any tests for my hearing because I know the fuzzy feeling is caused by something I'm eating. I know I am not sick or have a sinus infection and my nasal airway is clear which seems to be contradictory to the congested part but that's the way it feels.
I have been persistant with my GI and anyone else who would listen about these issues and they always seem to be acknowleged and then pushed aside. I got a new RX for my glasses but I feel like I still can't see as clearly as I should. Some ask me what do I expect because I'm getting older. I won't accept that one either although there may be some truth there. I was referred to an opthamolgist who did a battery of tests and said my eyes were great but I have dry eye. I got a bagfull of various drops to try and was told to come back in a month. I used the drops but didn't go back. I don't dispute the dry eye but that's not it. The eye burning and pain became so bad that I was unable to wear my contacts for months. I'm starting to be able to wear them again which does wonders for me. I don't like wearing glasses. Have you ever seen someone who was seriously sick and their eyes didn't look quite right? Red, glassy, sick looking? That's what I see when I look in the mirror. The burning and pain became so severe I thought it was going to drive me insane. Even sitting on the couch with my eyes closed offered little relief. I slept a lot to get away from the pain. I never woke up feeling refreshed.
I have a very inflammed feeling about my face including my eyes, sometimes they feel like they're going to explode. I've gotten tired of trying to explain it to the doctors because for the most part everything about my face looks fine it just all feels huge. It would be comparable to the feeling you get when you go to the dentist and have an area frozen- it feels big but it's not.
I do get a rash on my face, usually just on the cheeks that doesn't burn or itch but just feels hot and is very pink. I also get another type of skin reaction, I hesistate to call it a rash because if I look in the mirror I have a normal appearance yet I feel like I'm wearing a mask. It's like the very top layer of skin gets a rough texture. I always thought is was an environmental allergy because I mostly get it seasonally and I'm an avid gardener and absoulutely refuse to give it up. Winter is the only time I'm inside. I am happy when I have dirt between my toes and I'm out in the garden. But I'm feeling that sensation now and it's cold in Wisconsin right now with nothing green out.
I was also referred to a rheumatologist for my fibromyalgia like symptoms. Again I was told I have dry eye and that I needed better sleep and should take OTC sleep meds and RX drugs for sleep & pain if I wanted and to come back in a month. I finally got off prednisone and that took care of my sleep problems and and don't plan on going back.
It all seems very odd to me that this is related to MC and food. I'd love to hear if anyone else has had similiar issues.
Gloria- if there's potential for creating new issues with the use of NasalCrom via the nostril, would it be better to spray it at the back of the throat via the mouth? If
it's not to actually help the sinus area and is left to drip down the throat it's just a minor bypass of the nasal cavity, right? Or are there adverse problems for it being in the mouth?
I have a feeling of déjà vu - I think I've brought this up before, but at the risk of becoming a bore, since it's important, I'll bring it up again. A scalloped tongue can indicate a thyroid hormone deficiency, IOW, hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can cause eye problems, and all sorts of other symptoms, as you are probably aware. The tendency of eyes to burn, and to be dry, is associated with vitamin A deficiency, and people who have underactive thyroid glands are always vitamin A deficient. They cannot convert beta-carotene to vitamin A, nor can they convert vitamin A to the form usable by the eyes.
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.
Wow, you do have a lot of issues. More than I do but some of the same type. I am hypothyroid and on Levothyroxin 0.1 MG. Naturally the tests done by the Dr.'s are always "fine". Mom is the same and she was always forgetting to take her pill and she resists taking it on an empty stomach and waiting to eat. I finally gave up and just put it in her night meds now so she is getting it every day but I don't know if it's being absorbed. Anyway, her tests are always "fine" also. Makes you wonder.......
I appreciate you taking the time to write that post for me. I wish I had some helpful insights but, of course, I don't. I have itchy eyes and sometimes a bit of a burning sensation but not all the time. I do have sinus congestion - no doubt about that - always have.
I don't know if our ear symptoms are similar or not. I have had tinnitus for years and at times it's pretty bad but I was always able to hear just fine in spite of it. Now it just seems like (especially with some people - especially Mom) the words are just a rumble. I also depend on closed captions on TV quite a bit. It really frustrates me when I can't understand the words.
I know I haven't been helpful at all. Sorry.
Thank you, Tex, for the reminder about thyroid and having the patience to do so. You are NEVER a bore. I'm sorry we keep making you repeat yourself but it probably isn't going to change. Chalk it up to human nature, I suppose.
Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
Thanks Tex- we did discuss this and and my thyroid tests were normal. I checked the numbers again and did a bit of reading on what "normal" means. On 5/5/11 my TSH was 0.96 and on 9/2/11 it was 1.39. I don't know at what point the tests become too old and should be redone but if I'm reading correctly, these numbers fall in the middle of the normal range so I'm not borderline. I did read that a more detailed tests could be done for those that fall in the normal range but continue to have symptoms. You do have a good memory, I have complained of having almost all of the symptoms on the typical list for hypothyroidsim. I'm not sure what tests those would be and if I should ask for them. Any idea? Would that be handled through the GI or the family doc? I'm hesistant to approach either one since they already think I'm a hypochondriac but if it's something I should look into, then I will.
Shirley, I am certain that our ear issues are not the same. In another lifetime I was an interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing and was able to take a course on the anatomy of the ear (but claim to be no expert). Your tinnitus and actual hearing loss is different from my hearing problem at the moment. My actual hearing is fine yet I'm having problems with the "fuzz" for some reason- it feels like the hearing loss one may experience when earwax is compacted in the canal from the aggressive use of a q-tip.
Thanks for sharing about your "normal" range with the hypothyroidism, this may be something I need to look into to rule that our for sure. I'm tired of being called "normal," sad to say, it actually makes me feel better to read your comment about having lots of issues. Affirmation is good.
My TSH is always either normal, or below range, but my Free T4 is below range. If I don't take a thyroid supplement, I have a problem breathing - I can't take a deep breath.
If either Free T4 or Free T3 is below range, you're deficient, regardless of what the TSH shows. Doctors use the TSH result as sort of a thyroid test result for dummies. They consider it to be the ultimate criterion for determining thyroid function, but that doesn't work for a lot of hypothyroid individuals. A thyroid problem isn't a GI issue, it's an endocrinology issue, but most GPs can handle the tests. Unfortunately, like most endo's, they worship the TSH results.
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.
By supplement do you mean OTC or an RX to supplement your condition?
So I would be asking for a testing of my Free T3 & 4, sorry if I sound like a dummy because I am when it comes to this. I have no background in this area. I've just nodded and said ok when they told me my results are normal, but I don't have a problem asking my family doc to humor me and do the test if it's probable that I may have issues. They were willing to refer me to Mayo when they made it clear that it would do no good just to satisfy me. I'm glad I found this site because I was planning a trip there to find answers. I don't think I would have been able to handle that disappointment.
An Rx. I've been taking 60 mg of Armour for almost 7 years, now.
Yes, Free T3 and Free T4. My Free T3 is always normal, but my Free T4 is the problem - it's always either borderline, or below range, even after I'm taking the supplement. Most doctors test for TSH, Total T3, and Total T4, and almost never test for Free T3 and Free T4, unless the patient requests it.
I'm assuming that you've already been tested for thyroid antibodies. If you haven't, then you should be tested for those, also, since Hashimoto's disease, (which causes autoimmune hypothyroidism), and Graves disease, (which causes autoimmune hyperthyroidism), are commonly associated with MC, (and other autoimmune diseases).
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.
Deb wrote:Gloria- if there's potential for creating new issues with the use of NasalCrom via the nostril, would it be better to spray it at the back of the throat via the mouth? If it's not to actually help the sinus area and is left to drip down the throat it's just a minor bypass of the nasal cavity, right? Or are there adverse problems for it being in the mouth?
I'm not an expert on the use of NasalCrom, having only tried it last week for two days. The best place to find out more information would probably be on a mast cell website. I have a feeling that's where Arlene got the idea, but she didn't say which website she visited.
DebE13 wrote: I've just nodded and said ok when they told me my results are normal.
I have a problem with that also and the few times I have complained about something and they did a test it has always come back "normal" so then I feel like a hypochondriac which re-enforces my tendency not to challenge anything.
Tex, I meant to ask my Dr. at my last visit to switch me to Armor but it slipped through the cracks of my memory (of which there are many). At my next visit I'll try to charge up my courage and ask for Free T3 & Free T4 tests AND discuss a switch to Armor. I just hope there aren't too many other issues to talk about because that's when I lose track of things I wanted to talk about in the first place. She already thinks i'm a stubborn hardhead because i keep refusing the Lipitor.
Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
Be aware that many insurance policies, including medicare, won't pay for Armour for anyone over the age of about 60, (if I recall correctly). I don't recall the exact details of the reasoning, but it has something to do with a claim that armour can mask certain cardiac symptoms, in some cases. I'm just guessing, but for all I know, there's a good chance that it may mask those symptoms by resolving them. They're certainly not going to waste any time or money researching that claim, since the pharmaceutical industry is always opposed to natural treatments. Mine costs me a little less than 17 bucks a month.
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.
Shirley
i am not sure what the test results look like in the USA, but in Aus it will only highlight the highs and lows in red if it is outside the range.
in the last 4 years, i have only found one doctor that looks at the trends of the levels of all the tests, not just the results of the one i just had, and he doesnt just look for the results that are auto marked as they out of the range, he looks to see if they are close to the high low range.
In Aus another element (or excuse) for a doctor to disregard results close to the high low range, is that in Aus we have two major pathology companies, their range levels are different! so a normal with one companies results can be an outside the range result for another....
It is all quite frustrating and a pain in the ass for those of us that are proactive about our health
I have put my results into an excel spreadsheet with the aim of researching my own what is inside the range and outside the range so i can track the results and any upward/downward trends regardless of which company did the tests and so i can set up some formula's to highlight the results close to being outside the range (does this make sense)
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Sorry you are feeling so badly. I have some very "over the counterish" things that might help with the dry eye and ear until you get the T3 and T4 tested.
I'm pretty sure the cause of my dry eye is different from yours in that I have a pterygiums most likely from years of sailing on the Chesapeake Bay as a child. They are like tiny pimples on the eye that it sounds like I'll have removed at some time decades down the road. That being said the dryness/redness of my eyes was severe during my MC flare of 2011. I was using Systane about every 45 minutes. During the roughest time of about 8 weeks I got relief using a vaporizor in my bedroom at night. That made a big difference.
I went on Entocourt Sept 1. GF October 1 and by Christmas my eyes were better than they had been in a number of years. I was down to using Systane twice a day. The vaporizor at night did help as well as heading towards remission with MC.
Re: the clogged ear thing. (Feels like wax was on your ear) I've suffered from that for several decades, i.e no congestion but simply a clogged ear. If you are not "fragrance free" consider going fragrance free. Use unscented laundry detergents, eliminate dryer sheets and fabric softeners, eliminate perfumes, eliminate hair spray etc. After 8 months of going fragrance free about 20 years ago my clogged ear cleared up except for generally a 8 week period of seasonal allergies when the clogged ear thing returns each year and I use Nasonex. I went to ear surgeon about 20 years ago and he advised he could do some kind of surgery on the turbiditymeters (not sure if that is the right spelling.) He gave me a 30% chance of improvement with surgery, 40 % of no change with surgery and 30% worse after surgery at which point he told me to go fragrance free. So I went fragrance free and after about 8 months my ears actually kind of "popped" and unclogged. I still get about 8 weeks of the clogged ear thing with seasonal allergies in FL and we are in that season right now in FL but this season things seem less severe so I'm hoping for maybe some improvement here long term being GF.
Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
Well, it might work, but I have no way of knowing if something in the GI tract might tie it up or chemically change it. For example, it has to get through the stomach, (with it's very low pH), before it can get to the duodenum, where it can be absorbed, (assuming that the mucosa of the duodenum chooses to absorb it).
