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I have no idea if one comes before the other.. but I do know.. if you can keep yourself symptom free... you are way ahead of the game:)
grannyh
New here, newly diagnosed, no symptoms
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
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misswillow
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 8:10 pm
Thanks!
Thanks everyone for all the great information! My doctor sort of just sent me on my way, telling me what sort of medication I could take if I ever started having symptoms, but not much further information of what I may expect or how I should try to control this. She did some blood testing for celiac, but apparently that was negative. Now that I think back, years ago, in my early 20s, I did have a period of about a year or so where I would have sudden diarrhea, which I usually attributed to something I had eaten and figured I probably had IBS. Now I wonder if I had the colitis way back then.
It's interesting to hear that periods of high stress have caused many to have their first onset of symptoms. I consider myself a pretty anxious person, and my stress goes straight to my stomach. So I will definitely keep an eye on this, and also start watching my diet. Oh -- my gastroenterologist was pretty adamant that I take Benefiber every day, but I read something that said that fiber may not be a good idea for MC? It's also good to know about NSAIDs (I take a lot of Advil sometimes), and have taken antidepressants in the past, but never found them too helpful anyway.
Thanks again! I love that there is so much info here and everyone is so helpful.
It's interesting to hear that periods of high stress have caused many to have their first onset of symptoms. I consider myself a pretty anxious person, and my stress goes straight to my stomach. So I will definitely keep an eye on this, and also start watching my diet. Oh -- my gastroenterologist was pretty adamant that I take Benefiber every day, but I read something that said that fiber may not be a good idea for MC? It's also good to know about NSAIDs (I take a lot of Advil sometimes), and have taken antidepressants in the past, but never found them too helpful anyway.
Thanks again! I love that there is so much info here and everyone is so helpful.
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MBombardier
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1523
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:44 am
- Location: Vancouver, WA
I had come to the same conclusion, Zizzle, because I have read that CC has the lymphocyte infiltration, too. But I don't know.
It seems like every time I come on the forum there is something I have done, like NSAIDs, without knowing the consequences of it. I'm just so tired of this crap. I think I've hit the depression stage of grief. It's too bad we can't just go through the stages once, or I'd be almost done.
It seems like every time I come on the forum there is something I have done, like NSAIDs, without knowing the consequences of it. I'm just so tired of this crap. I think I've hit the depression stage of grief. It's too bad we can't just go through the stages once, or I'd be almost done.
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
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natythingycolbery
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 590
- Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 5:23 pm
- Location: York, United Kingdom
From what I have heard about LC and CC they think they are the same thing, but they are unable to prove it, or something like that.
'The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be.' Horace Bushnell
Diagnosed with MC (LC) Aug 2010
Diagnosed with MC (LC) Aug 2010
Zizzle,
To add to the confusion, gender statistics for CC show a female to male predominance of approximately 4:1, (approximately 4 times as many females, as males, develop the disease). LC is usually considered to be non-gender specific. However, various studies show differing gender ratios, suggesting that diagnostic demographics may be affected by location, and prevailing local diagnostic conventionality. For example, some doctors consider the presence of both markers to be evidence of CC, whereas others describe that situation as MC. Some pathologists, upon the determination of sufficient lymphocytic infiltration to justify a diagnosis of LC, don't even bother to check for collagen band thickness. IOW, either marker is sufficient for a diagnosis, and the details are sort of a moot point.
Tex
To add to the confusion, gender statistics for CC show a female to male predominance of approximately 4:1, (approximately 4 times as many females, as males, develop the disease). LC is usually considered to be non-gender specific. However, various studies show differing gender ratios, suggesting that diagnostic demographics may be affected by location, and prevailing local diagnostic conventionality. For example, some doctors consider the presence of both markers to be evidence of CC, whereas others describe that situation as MC. Some pathologists, upon the determination of sufficient lymphocytic infiltration to justify a diagnosis of LC, don't even bother to check for collagen band thickness. IOW, either marker is sufficient for a diagnosis, and the details are sort of a moot point.
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.
misswillow,
Fiber is a conventional "treatment" for IBS. While it is definitely contraindicated for someone with active MC, (though most doctors are unaware of that fact), it shouldn't be a problem for someone with MC in remission. As long as the gut is not inflammed, then fiber can usually be tolerated. However, if your biopsies showed an elevated lymphocyte infiltration count, then it might be better for you to minimize fiber to some extent, since it could tend to irritate an already-inflammed mucosa.
Tex
Fiber is a conventional "treatment" for IBS. While it is definitely contraindicated for someone with active MC, (though most doctors are unaware of that fact), it shouldn't be a problem for someone with MC in remission. As long as the gut is not inflammed, then fiber can usually be tolerated. However, if your biopsies showed an elevated lymphocyte infiltration count, then it might be better for you to minimize fiber to some extent, since it could tend to irritate an already-inflammed mucosa.
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.
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Linda in BC
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:39 am
- Location: Creston British Columbia
I don't know about LC being not as severe. I have only ever been told I had LC, and at my sickest I was on on the pot more than 30 times a day... But it is an interesting question. I had two colonoscopies early on in my illness and then another one about six years later and it still showed LC. However, what if I had gotten one at year 12 or 13??? which I didn't. Maybe it would have shown CC by then... I guess after a while those of us who have had it for a long time and are not getting any better, just stop getting colonoscopies, because what's the point?
Incidently, my sickest was actually in those first 6 years. Once I identified casein as an intolerance and cut it out, I got somewhat better. (I thought it was my ONLY intolerance but could not figure out why I was still sick.. until I found this board at year 12 or 13...)
Linda
Incidently, my sickest was actually in those first 6 years. Once I identified casein as an intolerance and cut it out, I got somewhat better. (I thought it was my ONLY intolerance but could not figure out why I was still sick.. until I found this board at year 12 or 13...)
Linda
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
The 13th Dali Lama
The 13th Dali Lama
Changing my diet has been the best medicine for me. No, I'm not cured, but so far it beats all (well, almost all) advice and medication from the doctors I've seen. I figured some of it out before I got here, but thankfully I found this forum and have you all to lean on and learn from. And one of the things I learned is to try cutting back on fiber, instead of increasing it, which sure seems to be helping me.
Robbie
