Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
Can anyone tell me the differences between Ulcerative Colitis and these types? I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Proctitis 2 months ago, given Canasa suppositories and symptoms went away immediately. However, a flare and what a flare I've been in for the past week. I can't imagine this is proctitis and not colitis since I'm bloated, abdominal pain, gassy, frequent potty, horrible cramping and now bleeding to add to the fun. I am currently breastfeeding my wonderful 6 month old and do not want to stop especially cold turkey or when swine flu is 15 miles from my house.
I have cut out gluten, almost out sugar, almonds, bananas, dairy, eggs, fresh veggies...well, right now I'm down to only eating gluten/casein/egg/dairy/wheat free pretzels, creamy natural peanut butter, tsp/day of reduced sugar strawberry jelly, salmon and avacado
any suggestions are helpful!
thanks! Melissa
Newbie here-compare UC and info here
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Hi Melissa,
Welcome to our internet family. I'm sorry to hear that you're having such a bad flare, especially at such an inconvenient time, (as if any time is convenient).
LC and CC affect only the epithelia of the colon, IOW, only the surface of the mucosa. The diagnostic marker for LC is increased numbers of intraepithelial lymphocytes, whereas the diagnostic marker for CC is a significant thickening of the collagen layers in the lamina propria. If both markers are present, the condition is commonly referred to as simply MC. Note that these diagnostic markers are only visible under a microscope, therefore biopsy samples must be taken during a colonoscopy, and sent to a pathologist for sample preparation, and analysis. IOW, the diagnosis is normally made by a pathologist. No lesions are visible to the unaided eye, during a colonoscopy exam, with any form of MC.
With UC, on the other hand, the lesions are normally clearly visible to the unaided eye, during either a colonoscopy, or a sigmoidoscopy exam. The lesions can affect not only the epithelia, but also sub-epithelial regions, though not the entire thickness of the mucosa, as is found with Crohn's disease. UC always begins at the distal end of the colon, and proceeds upward, though I believe it is usually confined to the sigmoid colon and below, except in severe cases. MC, on the other hand, can be found anywhere in the colon, and in fact, like Crohn's disease, it can affect any portion of the entire GI tract, from mouth anus, though it is most commonly found to be most prominent in the ascending colon. Bleeding is quite common with UC, whereas bleeding never occurs, due to MC. There are other UC markers, which can be noted during an examination of biopsy samples, but I'm not familiar with them. Anyway, these are the basic differences.
Ulcerative Proctitis is the same disease as UC, except that it is confined to the rectum, and often only the distal part, but yes, it does mean that you have ulcerative colitis. It is simply in an early stage. It does seem kind of odd, though, that your symptoms would be so severe, if the disease is confined to the distal end of the colon. If biopsy samples of at least the descending colon, were not taken during your endoscopy exam, it's certainly possible that you might have an undiagnosed case of one of the forms of MC, in addition to UC.
You should be able to eat most types of meat, (some of us have to avoid beef), potatoes, and rice, for example. It is extremely rare for someone to be intolerant of potatoes and/or rice. Non-injected chicken or turkey should be safe, (such as Sanderson Farms poultry). Most of us do have to avoid most of the foods that you named. We also have to avoid fruits, due not only to the fiber, but to the sorbitol content, (and fructose, in some cases). About half of us have to avoid all sources of soy.
I hope this helps. Again, welcome aboard. We have at least a couple of members with both MC and UC, I believe, though they may not post regularly.
Tex (Wayne)
Welcome to our internet family. I'm sorry to hear that you're having such a bad flare, especially at such an inconvenient time, (as if any time is convenient).
If you mean the differences between UC and LC/CC, here goes:Melissa wrote:Can anyone tell me the differences between Ulcerative Colitis and these types?
LC and CC affect only the epithelia of the colon, IOW, only the surface of the mucosa. The diagnostic marker for LC is increased numbers of intraepithelial lymphocytes, whereas the diagnostic marker for CC is a significant thickening of the collagen layers in the lamina propria. If both markers are present, the condition is commonly referred to as simply MC. Note that these diagnostic markers are only visible under a microscope, therefore biopsy samples must be taken during a colonoscopy, and sent to a pathologist for sample preparation, and analysis. IOW, the diagnosis is normally made by a pathologist. No lesions are visible to the unaided eye, during a colonoscopy exam, with any form of MC.
With UC, on the other hand, the lesions are normally clearly visible to the unaided eye, during either a colonoscopy, or a sigmoidoscopy exam. The lesions can affect not only the epithelia, but also sub-epithelial regions, though not the entire thickness of the mucosa, as is found with Crohn's disease. UC always begins at the distal end of the colon, and proceeds upward, though I believe it is usually confined to the sigmoid colon and below, except in severe cases. MC, on the other hand, can be found anywhere in the colon, and in fact, like Crohn's disease, it can affect any portion of the entire GI tract, from mouth anus, though it is most commonly found to be most prominent in the ascending colon. Bleeding is quite common with UC, whereas bleeding never occurs, due to MC. There are other UC markers, which can be noted during an examination of biopsy samples, but I'm not familiar with them. Anyway, these are the basic differences.
Ulcerative Proctitis is the same disease as UC, except that it is confined to the rectum, and often only the distal part, but yes, it does mean that you have ulcerative colitis. It is simply in an early stage. It does seem kind of odd, though, that your symptoms would be so severe, if the disease is confined to the distal end of the colon. If biopsy samples of at least the descending colon, were not taken during your endoscopy exam, it's certainly possible that you might have an undiagnosed case of one of the forms of MC, in addition to UC.
You should be able to eat most types of meat, (some of us have to avoid beef), potatoes, and rice, for example. It is extremely rare for someone to be intolerant of potatoes and/or rice. Non-injected chicken or turkey should be safe, (such as Sanderson Farms poultry). Most of us do have to avoid most of the foods that you named. We also have to avoid fruits, due not only to the fiber, but to the sorbitol content, (and fructose, in some cases). About half of us have to avoid all sources of soy.
I hope this helps. Again, welcome aboard. We have at least a couple of members with both MC and UC, I believe, though they may not post regularly.
Tex (Wayne)
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.
Boy, we really are increasing in number's but the day it seems.
I'm so sorry you have to deal with all these symptoms at a time when you just just be enjoying and adjusting to your new little one. Congratulations on that, by the way.
I do hope you'll be able to expand your diet soon. Please try some of Tex's suggestions unless you already know you can't eat something. Gluten and Soy seem to be included in almost all our processed foods. I feel lucky to find something that doesn't contain some version of them.
So glad you posted and please keep reading and asking questions.
Shirley
I'm so sorry you have to deal with all these symptoms at a time when you just just be enjoying and adjusting to your new little one. Congratulations on that, by the way.
I do hope you'll be able to expand your diet soon. Please try some of Tex's suggestions unless you already know you can't eat something. Gluten and Soy seem to be included in almost all our processed foods. I feel lucky to find something that doesn't contain some version of them.
So glad you posted and please keep reading and asking questions.
Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
-- Winston Churchill