Preparing for Phase 1- Feedback Welcome!

[Spsmyth1919]

I have had MC since 2014 experiencing WD the entire time. I have tried Budesonide, Pepto protocol, and dietary changes (gluten free 1.5 years, mostly dairy, soy, eggs & corn free for the past year) but have never been able to stay in remission. My GIs (there have been a few over the years) left it at there aren’t any more options, just keep taking psyllium husk & Pepto, the only things that help my quality of life. Oddly enough, my MC did clear up the last 3 months of my first pregnancy & first 3 months postpartum (further proving that bodies are a total mystery). For a little more medical background: as with others, I have had eczema before (cleared up now), developed lichen sclerosis 2 years ago (under control now with medication), and was hospitalized with acute pancreatitis in 2015.

I got the Entero testing done last year and hit on every single thing I was tested for.

Entrolab Results:
Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA 95 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA 27 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA 17 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-soy IgA 15 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)

Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods 30 Units
+1: Rice
+2: Oat, Chicken, Pork, Beef, Almond, Cashew, White potato
+3: Corn, Tuna, Walnut

I’m in my early 40s, have 2 elementary age kids, a spouse, a full-time job (working from home, thankfully!) and hobbies and commitments. I tried a version of the Phase 2 diet last year, thinking that was manageable with everything going on in my life, but didn’t stick to it long enough. I now realize I just need to do it right: start at Phase 1. It’s really intimidating to try to take on this strict diet with such a busy life, but I would love to be able to enjoy my children’s teenage years and retirement without feeling awful and running to the bathroom all of the time.

The information in this forum has made me so hopeful and already helped so much, I am endlessly grateful for it. Part of why I’m here is that if I can plan, prepare and feel confident in what I’m doing I’ll have the greatest chance of sticking to the Phase 1 diet and hopefully working my way towards improved quality of life and my version of remission. I know that Phase 1 can vary person to person, but I would love any feedback on what I plan on eating to see if there are any issues. This information is based on what I’ve read on the forum. Below are the foods and supplements I plan to take during Phase 1. All will be additive-free.

Food:
Meat (what I have access to): Lamb, duck, elk, venison, shrimp, turkey (if I can find one with no additives, no luck so far)
Veg: Sweet potato, peeled squash, canned pumpkin, cassava
Drinks: Coffee, green & black tea (organic, loose leaf), coconut milk
Fats: Coconut oil, olive oil
Spices: salt

Supplements:
Slippery Elm herbal tea (organic, loose leaf)
Psyllium husk
Vitamin D3 (5000 IU)
Magnesium lysinate glycinate (400 mg)
B12 (1500 mcg)
Iron (65 mg)
L-Glutamine (1500 mg)
Boswelia Phytosome (700mg)

Gameplan:
Big batch cooking on Sundays and Wednesday evenings: roasted whole sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potato chunks, roasted squash, meatballs, cooked ground meat and cassava flour tortillas or biscuits (cassava flour, water, salt & oil). I think the tortillas will be a huge help, psychologically. I’ve already tested them out the past few weeks and they make me feel like I’m eating carbs, fill me up & are good on-the-go snacks to grab. Also, since I'm on the move a lot, I'll travel with a small cooler with an extra meal or 2 in there so I don't get stuck starving and without options. Additionally, I will try my best to manage stress, workout and sleep well.

I’ve had this awful disease for 12 years now, so I know it will take my body time to heal. I plan on sticking to this for 3 months and then reassessing. If I’ve been improving for weeks by then I may start to introduce new foods. If not, I’ll go for 6 months and see where I'm at then.

If anyone has any feedback on if this diet plan looks good or they see any red flags, I would really appreciate you sharing! Two big questions I have are if pure stevia and coconut water are OK to have? I can do without, but more safe options are always welcome! I hope this post helps others out there as so many other people's posts in this forum have helped me. Thank you in advance!

[jbrohlr]

Welcome to the forum,

Your diet looks pretty good to me. Me personally, I cannot ingest coffee, tea or shrimp because of my histamine intolerance - technically not an immune reaction but diarrhea causing none the less, as well as itchy skin.

Supplement-wise, I won't take iron supplement - it's hard on the gut. You can get iron from the meat, especially lamb. I avoid fiber as well, except what I get from sweet potatoes and beets (and an occasional baked apple). Also, please learn from the mistake I made on supplements - read the ingredients, especially the inactive ingredients.

Your vacation from MC during pregnancy is certainly something to look into. The hormonal issues involved with MC is way over my head, maybe it's a methylation issue??? There are plenty of people on this site who have experience with your situation in that regard.

Good luck Spsmyth, I know you will have a long row to hoe to get into remission. You have had over 12 years of possibly ingesting foods/medicines that cause an immune reaction so there is probably a lot of time needed for your immune system to calm down and your gut to start healing. Once I got my diet right the incessant diarrhea stopped pretty quickly, but the setbacks were numerous and frustrating.
John R.

[Spsmyth1919]

Hi John, I appreciate your feedback! What you say about iron makes senses. I've had anemia in the past, but given how much meat I'll be eating no need to supplement. I am using all supplement brands I've seen advised on here- Doctor's Best and Thorne. I realized a few weeks ago a D3 supplement I'd been taking had soybean oil in it. Like you said, just going to have to read all ingredients lists for EVERYTHING. One of these days I will do the deep dive on histamine response/ MAS. Really hoping I can keep my coffee! I'll have to look into methylation, too, I hadn't heard of that. I assume it's hormones. Hormones are so powerful and such a mystery. Thank you for reiterating that this will take time. I'm glad to hear you were able to resolve things quickly once you figured out what worked for you. Fingers crossed I have the same experience, even with the setbacks. Thanks again!

[tex]

Hi, and welcome to the group. In addition to what John posted, as I recall, more than a few women have been able to supplement their iron needs by cooking in cast-iron pots or skillets. You can search for some of the discussions about that by searching for the proper keywords.

Also, a fairly high percentage of MC patients who are not able to maintain remission by strictly managing their diet, are suffering from bile acid malabsorption (BAM). If you haven't read it already (or review it carefully, if you've already read it), I suggest you read the most recent newsletter published by the Microscopic Colitis Foundation. For your convenience, here's a link where you can either read or download a copy:

https://www.microscopiccolitisfoundatio ... n_2026.pdf

In fact, you might benefit from reading the previous 2 newsletters, also, at the following links:

https://www.microscopiccolitisfoundatio ... ea8821.pdf

https://www.microscopiccolitisfoundatio ... 94b8f5.pdf

I hope this helps,

Tex

[Spsmyth1919]

Hi Tex, thanks for your input, as well. I will definitely look more closely at BAM. I already contacted my GI to talk about getting on Cholestyramine. I figure it couldn't hurt to try it again while I work through my elimination diet. Thank you!