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I was just wondering what seemed to trigger MC in most of you. Mine seemed to
happen as I found out a dear friend was terminal so I'm thinking it was mostly
due to stress. I wasn't ill before or after and hadn't been on any meds.
Also, how did you determine your food allergies/sensitivies besides specific tests?
Is is based solely on cramping and diarrhea or does bloating, gas, heartburn, gurgling, etc. make you decide a particular food is not a good choice? I can gurgle with water. :(
Sensitivities and the onset of MC
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
In my case, it has been heavy stress on top of some long term light food sensitivities.
If you look up in the diet info section, you will find a description how the elimination test works. However while you have the inflammation, it is difficult to establish your sensitivities to specific foods, because your prime sensitvity will be to anything which can irritate the gut - namely most of the common foods. I get pain if I eat even the smallest amount of fiber, and I have been on a very restrictive diet for some time already.
The Entero Lab test is useful, because if you are lucky, you can trace at least some of your sensitivities right away. I recommend you to do the test, and also to ask your doctor if you can have the entocort treatment. While on treatment, you will be well advised anyway, to eliminate any potentially offending food, and also eliminate fiber. In practice, you should eat as much overcooked and easily digestible foods as possible, till you heal to the point where you could introduce fiber and raw foods again.
If you look up in the diet info section, you will find a description how the elimination test works. However while you have the inflammation, it is difficult to establish your sensitivities to specific foods, because your prime sensitvity will be to anything which can irritate the gut - namely most of the common foods. I get pain if I eat even the smallest amount of fiber, and I have been on a very restrictive diet for some time already.
The Entero Lab test is useful, because if you are lucky, you can trace at least some of your sensitivities right away. I recommend you to do the test, and also to ask your doctor if you can have the entocort treatment. While on treatment, you will be well advised anyway, to eliminate any potentially offending food, and also eliminate fiber. In practice, you should eat as much overcooked and easily digestible foods as possible, till you heal to the point where you could introduce fiber and raw foods again.
I developed post-infectious IBS 10 yrs ago after a severe bout of traveler's diarrhea overseas. I realize now that was probably the start of my LC, but the massive D started a year and a half ago. The PI-IBS probably created the leaky gut, which led to the food intolerances, which led to autoimmune activation after the birth of my first child. I also have one gluten sensitivity gene, so a number of factors seemed to collide into this perfect storm. I had Enterolab testing, but I probably should have known I was dairy intolerant given my extreme lactose intolerance. I surely would have discovered the gluten intolerance had I tried a 10-day gluten-free trial. Cutting out gluten was life-altering within the first 5 days. Elimination diets can always be done instead of testing, but you should start by taking all the big ones out first - gluten, dairy and soy, then working them back in one at a time.
So far I'm doing pretty well just by eliminating gluten though I had a bout
of D again and the only food I could determine that was different was brussels
sprouts. I've seen that some of you have them listed as well. Some foods (corn
chips for instance) will give me heartburn. Previously I had ignored things like
that, not directly attributing it to a specific food. Do you come to believe that every
food, that just does not feel "just right" is something to avoid or must it give you
major symptoms before you eliminate it?
of D again and the only food I could determine that was different was brussels
sprouts. I've seen that some of you have them listed as well. Some foods (corn
chips for instance) will give me heartburn. Previously I had ignored things like
that, not directly attributing it to a specific food. Do you come to believe that every
food, that just does not feel "just right" is something to avoid or must it give you
major symptoms before you eliminate it?
Deb,
If a few corn chips cause heartburn, you might be sensitive to the primary protein in corn, zein. However, if it takes a significant amount of corn to cause that effect, they you may simply be reacting to the fiber. We are sensitive to certain proteins, (such as gluten, casein, soya, egg albumin, etc.), and these can cause an autoimmune reaction for many of us. On the other hand, our gut is also easily irritated by other food components, such as fiber, artificial sweeteners, sugar, etc., when it is inflamed, and therefore in a hypersensitive state. These "irritating" foods can make reactions worse, or prolong them, or in some cases, simply cause minor symptoms such as heartburn, gas, bloating, etc.
One of the features that helps to distinguish between foods to which we are actually sensitive, (proteins), and those which simply irritate the gut, are the dosage required. Most sensitivities require very small amounts, (even tiny crumbs, in some cases), whereas irritatants require larger, (significantly larger), doses. IOW, most irritants are pretty much dose-dependent. We can tolerate limited amounts, but if we overdo it, we may react.
All those symptoms you named, can be signs of a food sensitivity.
In my case, it's difficult to say what brought on the problem, because it developed somewhat slowly. It may have been due to the leaky gut syndrome, (brought on by a lifetime of too much sugar in the diet), untreated celiac disease, or it could have been the result of an infection due to acute diverticulitis.
Tex
If a few corn chips cause heartburn, you might be sensitive to the primary protein in corn, zein. However, if it takes a significant amount of corn to cause that effect, they you may simply be reacting to the fiber. We are sensitive to certain proteins, (such as gluten, casein, soya, egg albumin, etc.), and these can cause an autoimmune reaction for many of us. On the other hand, our gut is also easily irritated by other food components, such as fiber, artificial sweeteners, sugar, etc., when it is inflamed, and therefore in a hypersensitive state. These "irritating" foods can make reactions worse, or prolong them, or in some cases, simply cause minor symptoms such as heartburn, gas, bloating, etc.
One of the features that helps to distinguish between foods to which we are actually sensitive, (proteins), and those which simply irritate the gut, are the dosage required. Most sensitivities require very small amounts, (even tiny crumbs, in some cases), whereas irritatants require larger, (significantly larger), doses. IOW, most irritants are pretty much dose-dependent. We can tolerate limited amounts, but if we overdo it, we may react.
All those symptoms you named, can be signs of a food sensitivity.
In my case, it's difficult to say what brought on the problem, because it developed somewhat slowly. It may have been due to the leaky gut syndrome, (brought on by a lifetime of too much sugar in the diet), untreated celiac disease, or it could have been the result of an infection due to acute diverticulitis.
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
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My MC seemed to have been triggered by extreme stress ( divorce) at 43... severe D. just started suddenly one day and never stopped. However, looking back, when I was 17, I had a severe case of dysentry caught while travelling in Morocco, and that, combined with my two gluten sensitive genes, may have all contibuted. Maybe this was brewing for years as I know I have had D. off and on all my life. I just never thought anything of it as it was always shortlived.
It has taken me months to figure out my other intolerances, besides the ones discovered thru the Enterolab testing, before I started the Entocort. I did it through trial and error, taking note of when I had more severe D. than usual. Since starting the Entocort, it has been much, much easier to figure out when something bothers me. I get slightly looser stools but don't other wise. Before, I had D. basically all the time, even after going GF, DF, SF and Corn free.. When I had a norman that was when I went "Hey! what did I eat that caused that!!!???"
Linda
It has taken me months to figure out my other intolerances, besides the ones discovered thru the Enterolab testing, before I started the Entocort. I did it through trial and error, taking note of when I had more severe D. than usual. Since starting the Entocort, it has been much, much easier to figure out when something bothers me. I get slightly looser stools but don't other wise. Before, I had D. basically all the time, even after going GF, DF, SF and Corn free.. When I had a norman that was when I went "Hey! what did I eat that caused that!!!???"
Linda
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
The 13th Dali Lama
The 13th Dali Lama
It seems that I had experienced every possible "trigger" for MC prior to having acute symptoms. I believe now that I had warning symptoms prior to that but didn't realize that anything was wrong.
I did have severe stress for a few months prior to the symptoms. Caused by three relatives being in a severe automobile accident, my Dad going into a nursing home (alzheimers disease), my husband (now deceased) having a quadruple heart bypass operation, My Dad's death, and quitting smoking (not my choice at that time but my husband managed to quit after his operation and of course, I did also). All this happened withing a 4 month period. A couple months later I had my first acute attack of MC but it was blamed on food poisoning.
The other things I've heard are "triggers" are using too many NSAID's and use of PPI's. Seems like there were more but I can't remember right now.
Anyway, that's my story of what may have triggered MC. Could have been any or all, I'm sure.
Love, Shirley
I did have severe stress for a few months prior to the symptoms. Caused by three relatives being in a severe automobile accident, my Dad going into a nursing home (alzheimers disease), my husband (now deceased) having a quadruple heart bypass operation, My Dad's death, and quitting smoking (not my choice at that time but my husband managed to quit after his operation and of course, I did also). All this happened withing a 4 month period. A couple months later I had my first acute attack of MC but it was blamed on food poisoning.
The other things I've heard are "triggers" are using too many NSAID's and use of PPI's. Seems like there were more but I can't remember right now.
Anyway, that's my story of what may have triggered MC. Could have been any or all, I'm sure.
Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
-- Winston Churchill
I believe that my MC was triggered by an herbal supplement that I used when I was trying to get off hormone replacement therapy. I can't prove it, but when I stopped using that supplement, the D decreased noticeably, although it didn't stop completely.
I did take a lot of ibuprofen for headaches for years before I got MC, but I can't link any specific NSAID use to the start of MC.
I did take a lot of ibuprofen for headaches for years before I got MC, but I can't link any specific NSAID use to the start of MC.
Martha
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Gabes-Apg
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- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
based on the wisdom gained from the wonderful people here reviewing aspects of my life....
i had a stressful 3 year divorce process, then i distracted myself with 80 hours a week plus job and add a fair bit of doxycycline (as a malaria preventative) into the mix and viola, MC
(mindful prior to this i had birth defects to my bowels, 3 x bowel surgery, minor digestion issues my whole life and a mother with crohns)
i had a stressful 3 year divorce process, then i distracted myself with 80 hours a week plus job and add a fair bit of doxycycline (as a malaria preventative) into the mix and viola, MC
(mindful prior to this i had birth defects to my bowels, 3 x bowel surgery, minor digestion issues my whole life and a mother with crohns)
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama