Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
Welcome Ant!!!
So glad you found our site and it certainly sounds like you are already on your way to finding your treatment, etc.
Please keep posting........... we love input from all our members.
Shirley
Hello I am a new member
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Barbara, thanks for the tip on the members list. There is soooo much to explore on this site I had not got there yet. My birthday is March 16th - some time before that comes around again. Even though I am a fish (Pisces), Ant is my real family nick name - not just invented for this forum. If I find anyone else with MC in Hong Kong (or anywhere Asia) I am definitely going to tell them about this great community.
Gloria, thank you for your welcome! The discussion on Weaning Off Entocort was the first one I read - with all its ups and downs, it is inspirational and heroic, as well as hugely informative. It tells me what I am likely to face. Of course, I hope I am lucky and get into full remission (without needing meds) sooner rather than later - but thanks to your experience sharing and everyone's contribution, I know it will take time and determination. I hope I have as much character and strength as you and others on this board! On the food elimination / MC symptoms diary, I have just started to use my mac book diary. Is there any standard template that has already been developed for this? It strikes me that if there is, data could be aggregate for different diaries for research purposes
Tex, as you must have guessed I am ethnically European (well - Brit with a US born mother living in Asia, so a bit confusing). I wonder if the comparative lack of MC amongst ethnic East Asians is due - until now - to their (traditional) diet. Will more middle class East Asian, who for the last few years have been lured into western fast food habits (less rice and more pizzas, breads etc.) start showing similar symptoms to Europeans?
Lyn, thanks for the tip on Tamari - Japanese I should be able to get easily in Hong Kong. From the little flag on your post it looks like you are from Australia - nice to be in contact in the same time zone! (well only a couple or hours different)
Shirely, thanks for your welcome - I surely will keep posting.
all best ant
Gloria, thank you for your welcome! The discussion on Weaning Off Entocort was the first one I read - with all its ups and downs, it is inspirational and heroic, as well as hugely informative. It tells me what I am likely to face. Of course, I hope I am lucky and get into full remission (without needing meds) sooner rather than later - but thanks to your experience sharing and everyone's contribution, I know it will take time and determination. I hope I have as much character and strength as you and others on this board! On the food elimination / MC symptoms diary, I have just started to use my mac book diary. Is there any standard template that has already been developed for this? It strikes me that if there is, data could be aggregate for different diaries for research purposes
Tex, as you must have guessed I am ethnically European (well - Brit with a US born mother living in Asia, so a bit confusing). I wonder if the comparative lack of MC amongst ethnic East Asians is due - until now - to their (traditional) diet. Will more middle class East Asian, who for the last few years have been lured into western fast food habits (less rice and more pizzas, breads etc.) start showing similar symptoms to Europeans?
Lyn, thanks for the tip on Tamari - Japanese I should be able to get easily in Hong Kong. From the little flag on your post it looks like you are from Australia - nice to be in contact in the same time zone! (well only a couple or hours different)
Shirely, thanks for your welcome - I surely will keep posting.
all best ant
I suspect that is a real possibility. I don't believe that it will happen overnight, though. As mentioned in the interview with Dr. Green, which was referenced yesterday, in a post by Cara, (jcc), many of us reach middle age, or beyond, before the disease is triggered, suggesting that for many of us, it takes decades of eating gluten, before the body begins to develop levels of antibodies, sufficient to exceed the minimum threshold required for the expression of symptoms. Of course, if most orientals don't have the genes which predispose to gluten sensitivity, then gluten sensitivity should not become a common problem in most East Asian countries. For all I know, those genes might be uncommon in those countries.Ant wrote:I wonder if the comparative lack of MC amongst ethnic East Asians is due - until now - to their (traditional) diet. Will more middle class East Asian, who for the last few years have been lured into western fast food habits (less rice and more pizzas, breads etc.) start showing similar symptoms to Europeans?
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.
-
MaggieRedwings
- King Penguin
- Posts: 3865
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 3:16 am
- Location: SE Pennsylvania
Welcome Ant!
Sorry I am late on my welcome but sometimes I just miss new postings. Old age I guess.
Nice to see another country represented and if I got it right you are a removed Brit living in Japan. How Wonderful for you. My son lives with his family in the U.K.
I think you are onto something there with the rate of MC/CC being low in Asian countries - their diet I feel might play an important part. Now to keep them away from this terrible Western fast food.
Again welcome and feel free to ask anything. We have all been there.
Maggie
Sorry I am late on my welcome but sometimes I just miss new postings. Old age I guess.
Nice to see another country represented and if I got it right you are a removed Brit living in Japan. How Wonderful for you. My son lives with his family in the U.K.
I think you are onto something there with the rate of MC/CC being low in Asian countries - their diet I feel might play an important part. Now to keep them away from this terrible Western fast food.
Again welcome and feel free to ask anything. We have all been there.
Maggie
Maggie Scarpone
___________________
Resident Birder - I live to bird and enjoy life!
___________________
Resident Birder - I live to bird and enjoy life!
Hi again Ant!
Keeping a food diary is a good idea; however, please be aware that different foods can give different reactions. Also, the timing between ingestion and reaction can vary with the food. For example, if I accidentally eat gluten, I'll see a soft stool within about 16-18 hours. If I ingest dairy, I will have "battery acid" diarrhea within 2 hours. Eating beef gives me stiff finger joints the following day.
Some foods may affect you immediately - others may take days. And reactions can be other than GI - for example, you might notice mental fog or fatigue or joint/muscle aches/pains. My advice would be to include more rather than less in your diary. Eventually you will be able to see patterns.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
Love,
Polly
Keeping a food diary is a good idea; however, please be aware that different foods can give different reactions. Also, the timing between ingestion and reaction can vary with the food. For example, if I accidentally eat gluten, I'll see a soft stool within about 16-18 hours. If I ingest dairy, I will have "battery acid" diarrhea within 2 hours. Eating beef gives me stiff finger joints the following day.
Some foods may affect you immediately - others may take days. And reactions can be other than GI - for example, you might notice mental fog or fatigue or joint/muscle aches/pains. My advice would be to include more rather than less in your diary. Eventually you will be able to see patterns.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Tex, thanks for pointing me to the Dr Green interview. I've got a lot to learn!! 
I noticed that Dr. Green said that patients with celiac should not go GF until after testing for gluten intolerance. I have not done any food tolerance tests yet. Does anyone think that this is a valid point for MC patients and also for DF, SF prior to being tested?
Maggie, thanks for the welcome. Asian food is so good, especially Thai, Japanese and Chinese - why they want western fast food beats me!
Polly, I will try and take you advice. With so many variables I can see why it is so difficult to pin down the problem foods.
All best, Ant
I noticed that Dr. Green said that patients with celiac should not go GF until after testing for gluten intolerance. I have not done any food tolerance tests yet. Does anyone think that this is a valid point for MC patients and also for DF, SF prior to being tested?
Maggie, thanks for the welcome. Asian food is so good, especially Thai, Japanese and Chinese - why they want western fast food beats me!
Polly, I will try and take you advice. With so many variables I can see why it is so difficult to pin down the problem foods.
All best, Ant
Well welcome MFB!! As you probably saw on the posting I am a fellow Brit, but miles away in Hong Kong. This site is like an oasis in the desert. Hearts of gold and some fun and attitude too. I am sure Tex will respond to you when you post. I am amazed at the dedication that he and other give to this. Its inspiring! All best ant
MFB, we're glad you found us. Yes, read and read and read some more. 
Ask any questions you want.......Ant,
Unlike the blood tests, the stool tests at Enterolab can detect antibodies due to gluten sensitivity for at least a year after the GF diet is adopted. Actually, these tests can sometimes detect those antibodies up to two years after the diet is started, but after one year, the sensitivity begins to decline. Therefore, beginning the diet before ordering a test kit, is usually not a problem. Tests for the other food sensitivities are different, though. To be sure of getting accurate test results for other foods, (such as dairy, soy, yeast, etc.), those foods should remain in the diet up until the time at which the sample is taken, if they are being tested for. Enterolab keeps samples for up to a year, so additional tests can be ordered up to a year later, without sending a new sample, if you should decide to test for additional foods later.
Hi MFB,
Welcome to our internet family.
Tex (Wayne)
Unlike the blood tests, the stool tests at Enterolab can detect antibodies due to gluten sensitivity for at least a year after the GF diet is adopted. Actually, these tests can sometimes detect those antibodies up to two years after the diet is started, but after one year, the sensitivity begins to decline. Therefore, beginning the diet before ordering a test kit, is usually not a problem. Tests for the other food sensitivities are different, though. To be sure of getting accurate test results for other foods, (such as dairy, soy, yeast, etc.), those foods should remain in the diet up until the time at which the sample is taken, if they are being tested for. Enterolab keeps samples for up to a year, so additional tests can be ordered up to a year later, without sending a new sample, if you should decide to test for additional foods later.
Hi MFB,
Welcome to our internet family.
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.
