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Hello again Potty People,
I feel so fortunate to have found this site; the support and advice is already a big help. It's great to hear the success stories.
I'm on my 4th or 5th day of increased D and am pretty discouraged. I am trying to eliminate gluten (the obvious first as recommended). And I'm already in the habit of checking all labels! I would love to get the Entorlab testing, however money is an issue (I work and have insurance, but am stressing about how I'm going to pay for what's been done so far), so for now will have to try it on my own. I"m wondering if my severe stress right now is playing a part in more D again. Not looking for sympathy, but my financial status if very bad right now. I'm wanting to get to the health food store to see what I can get there, but will have to wait on that. I"m going to check out the recipe web sites that many of you have shared and will continue to read everything I can about MC. Tex, my question "can I be done now" is my weird sense of humor meaning - I've tried Colitis, am not liking it so I want to be done.............. I may request Entrocort and see if it helps more that Asocol seems to.
Thank you all.
Recently diagnosed and very overwhelmed already
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
I can only speak for me but stress certainly played a part in pushing me into full blown MC. It seems I've had MC for a while (several years) and had D problems a lot, but not the gluten problem until this year. My MIL was very ill, aged 92 with end stage dementia which in itself was very difficult, but she got C Diff and was hospitalised. My SO and I and my SIL did 24 hr care for her as the nurses do medical work not sitting with patients. I got very tired, missed meals, and had to cope with her D and her dementia. She passed away in May.
My GI believes the stress of this was what caused my immune system to go totally nuts. I first got stabbing pains then loose bms, then D, then worse pain, then D all day then explosive D. I kept a food and poo diary (which I still do - it's invaluable) and when I look back, I can see the symptoms getting worse and worse until I was incapacitated. Of course, at first I thought I'd caught C Diff from her.
So certainly the stress did me in. I should also add that earlier in the year my stomach was so bad that I started Prevacid for my GERD and guess what? That product is implicated in causing MC / making MC worse. Double whammy.
My GI believes the stress of this was what caused my immune system to go totally nuts. I first got stabbing pains then loose bms, then D, then worse pain, then D all day then explosive D. I kept a food and poo diary (which I still do - it's invaluable) and when I look back, I can see the symptoms getting worse and worse until I was incapacitated. Of course, at first I thought I'd caught C Diff from her.
So certainly the stress did me in. I should also add that earlier in the year my stomach was so bad that I started Prevacid for my GERD and guess what? That product is implicated in causing MC / making MC worse. Double whammy.
Maxine
Dear Hustonvw,
When I first went GF, DF and SF I went to the health food store and bought all sorts of expensive gluten, dairy and soy free biscuits, sauces, snack bars and stuff -- which as well as being expensive probably contained other ingredients I was intolerant to.
But I have stopped doing that and now buy plain nuts (but not peanuts), white rice in bags, good meat and fish and some vegetables for steaming from an ordinary grocery store. My food bill is down. Also I just invested in a rice cooker which makes meals even easier.
Wishing you the best, Ant
When I first went GF, DF and SF I went to the health food store and bought all sorts of expensive gluten, dairy and soy free biscuits, sauces, snack bars and stuff -- which as well as being expensive probably contained other ingredients I was intolerant to.
But I have stopped doing that and now buy plain nuts (but not peanuts), white rice in bags, good meat and fish and some vegetables for steaming from an ordinary grocery store. My food bill is down. Also I just invested in a rice cooker which makes meals even easier.
Wishing you the best, Ant
Ant, you are so right about avoiding expensive health food store items. I'll bet that all too many of us have stashes of stuff that looked good at the time, but conatained other ingredients we found out that we were sensitive to. Maybe not permanently, but too irritating in the early going while our gut is healing. The key for me (and probably most others) is to find a routine of foods that are OK for us, and make extra so that there are lots of leftovers for additional meals. I have about 10 dinners that I can rotate for variety, and often use as leftovers for lunch. For breakfast I almost always have rice cereal with rice milk, topped with a sliced banana and chopped toasted nuts. Like you I buy the raw nuts and chop and toast them myself, as it's just a few minutes to chop and 7 minutes to toast. It's pretty yummy and has a decent number of calories.
hustonvw, good luck with your new diet. It's hard at the start, but when you start seeing impovement the motivation to continue kicks in.
Rosie
hustonvw, good luck with your new diet. It's hard at the start, but when you start seeing impovement the motivation to continue kicks in.
Rosie
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time………Thomas Edison
I do so agree with Rosie and ant about the gluten/dairy and whatever free products from the expensive health (and most of the time here also organic) stores. And not forget to mention the special departments for these products in supermarket (most of the time the same as in the organic/health stores). Expensive yes, and most of the stuff still causes me problems. Partly it is my own mistake. I should have waited for the Enterolab results and partly I think it is just part of the whole process we all go through. Finding out we have the disease, first start with the pills, finding this support group and hear about the influence of food on MC. Than step by step changing food habits. Trying out the special products and what you like, what does give you problems and what not.
I've cleared out my kitchen cupboards yesterday. Everything with gluten, dairy or soy out!!! Result, I have to boxes of left over food, one box with and one without gluten. I don't want this food stare in my face, I still will be temped to eat it. Now I am looking for a good destination for the two boxes.
With multiple food intolerances, I'm more and more convinced that fresh simple plain food is the best answer to deal with this disease. You know, the "one"ingredient products like fruit, vegetables, meet, fish, rice, herbs nuts, seeds. At least than I know exactly what is in it. Also at the moment I am very careful what I buy and how much I buy. Two boxes of not used food is enough.
For sure I am not there yet
I've cleared out my kitchen cupboards yesterday. Everything with gluten, dairy or soy out!!! Result, I have to boxes of left over food, one box with and one without gluten. I don't want this food stare in my face, I still will be temped to eat it. Now I am looking for a good destination for the two boxes.
With multiple food intolerances, I'm more and more convinced that fresh simple plain food is the best answer to deal with this disease. You know, the "one"ingredient products like fruit, vegetables, meet, fish, rice, herbs nuts, seeds. At least than I know exactly what is in it. Also at the moment I am very careful what I buy and how much I buy. Two boxes of not used food is enough.
For sure I am not there yet
Harma,
What you said about "one ingredient products" is so true, and that's excellent advice. I don't remember if it was Matthew, or Polly, or someone else, who once said that if a product has more than 5 ingredients listed on the label, they pass it by, and don't even consider buying it. I've found that to be very good advice. Like you, I mostly buy "one ingredient products", but early on, I was always trying gluten-free this, and gluten/dairy/soy-free that, and most of the time, they made me sick, and I never could figure out why, but they had an ingredient list as long as my arm.
Anytime we buy a product with more than a few simple ingredients, we're asking for trouble. If we have to look up an ingredient, because we don't recognize it, we probably shouldn't be buying that product. The key to achieving remission, and maintaining it, is to buy simple foods, and cook them at home. It's cheap, and it's by far, the safest, healthiest way to eat.
Tex
What you said about "one ingredient products" is so true, and that's excellent advice. I don't remember if it was Matthew, or Polly, or someone else, who once said that if a product has more than 5 ingredients listed on the label, they pass it by, and don't even consider buying it. I've found that to be very good advice. Like you, I mostly buy "one ingredient products", but early on, I was always trying gluten-free this, and gluten/dairy/soy-free that, and most of the time, they made me sick, and I never could figure out why, but they had an ingredient list as long as my arm.
Anytime we buy a product with more than a few simple ingredients, we're asking for trouble. If we have to look up an ingredient, because we don't recognize it, we probably shouldn't be buying that product. The key to achieving remission, and maintaining it, is to buy simple foods, and cook them at home. It's cheap, and it's by far, the safest, healthiest way to eat.
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.
Hi hustonvw!!
After seeing this:
( I may request Entrocort and see if it helps more that Asacol seems to) I had what I'll call an
AH! HA!! Moment..
If by chance you are casein intolerant (dairy) and you are taking Asacol, it has dairy in it!
A few years back my GI had me on Asacol+Entocort EC at the same time and I couldn't figure out why I kept having the D.. At the time, I was planning a flight to Florida and decided to stop the Asacol.
Within a few days after stopping it and just taking the Entocort EC, the D stopped and I was goiing normal and only 1 time a day.
Just something to think about.
Dee~~~
After seeing this:
( I may request Entrocort and see if it helps more that Asacol seems to) I had what I'll call an
AH! HA!! Moment..
If by chance you are casein intolerant (dairy) and you are taking Asacol, it has dairy in it!
A few years back my GI had me on Asacol+Entocort EC at the same time and I couldn't figure out why I kept having the D.. At the time, I was planning a flight to Florida and decided to stop the Asacol.
Within a few days after stopping it and just taking the Entocort EC, the D stopped and I was goiing normal and only 1 time a day.
Just something to think about.
Dee~~~
"What the heart gives away is never gone ... It is kept in the hearts of others."
Appreciate the replies and the information. We've had a carry in chili luncheon at worked planned for awhile for today. I had offered to make green chili. I used rice flour to thicken and checked the other (except for one) ingrediants and was excited that I could eat it. After I ate a bowl of the chili, I remembered that I hadn't checked the enchilada sauce - of course it had two no-no's in it............ A co-worker made white chicken chili and as she was sharing what was in it, I was excited until..... bouillon (which I found out awhile ago has wheat in it). So I will have to make the decision as to whether I"m just going to eat grapes that someone brought or enjoy the lunch.......Think that I'm fighting the possiblility of being casien intolerant (since a lot of you seem to be) maybe more than the gluten. Really wished I could get the test you mention that would tell me what sensitivities at least I have. Since I'm still having increased D, it's hard to tell what I'm reacting to. I will take all of your advice and not stock up supplies from the health food store though will use the rice flour as it seems to be something necessary. Interesting that the Asocol had bad stuff in it......... Supposed to call the doc next week to share how I'm doing. She had said that we might look at weaning me off the meds; however since I'm not doing as well anymore, don't know what she will recommend.
Anyway, best wishes to all of you in your quest for wellness. Till the next time.
Anyway, best wishes to all of you in your quest for wellness. Till the next time.