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I get so tired of this trying to be a detective and wonder what the heck set me off. Maybe you guys can help. Been having watery D all morning, finally took a pepto (always last resort). Yesterday we celebrated my daughters 21st birthday so not a typical Saturday. So here goes
Breakfast: Tried new cornchex with almond milk
Lunch: grilled burger with rice bun (mustard, ketchup, pickle, and onions) and a handful of lays plain potato chips
Went to a Cripple Creek (casinos's in the mountain, thats what she wanted to do,although I hate gambling)
Had numerous vodka and tonics (high fructose corn syrup?)
Got the munchies and could only find a small bag of fritoes to munch on
Got back to Mother in Laws house and munched on tostitoes and salsa (marked gluten free on bottle)
They ordered pizza and I had a left over hamburger (too much beef?) that I brought AND I had two more vodka tonics (not a typical saturday...normally don't drink that much. I usually have up to 3 rum and cokes at a baseball game and fine the next day so don't THINK it alcohol.)
I normally drink rum and diet cokes (aspartme doesn't bother me) but doc took away caffeine. So don't know if the tonic set me off? Also, friday night I was stuck eating at a salad bar since we all decided at the last minute to go to a movie while we were out. I don't usually handle salads very well and was surprised that I was fine on Saturday morning...could the salad have waited for 36 hours?
Sorry, but this drives me crazy when I cant figure it out!
very bad morning
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi Kathy,
Sorry about the rough morning - hopefully, this will pass quickly.
Remember that none of this is chiseled in stone, but here are some possibilities to consider. If you had lettuce in that salad, yes, it could have caused a reaction 36 hours later. Lettuce is very, very irritating to a hypersensitive colon. Many/most other raw vegetables are irritating to a sensitized colon, and can initiate, or prolong reactions, but lettuce is "the mother of all irritating vegetables", for someone with MC, according to our combined experiences. Lettuce always practically turned me inside out, a day or so after eating it. I became so "gun-shy" about it, that I still very rarely eat it to this day, even though it no longer bothers me.
While distilled alcohol is safe, from an intolerance standpoint, (unless it has gluten-containing ingredients blended back into it after the distillation process), alcohol is the primary trigger for the Leaky Gut Syndrome, (LGS). This is connected with MC, of course, but LGS can also cause a reaction independently of MC. For someone with MC, however, it will almost certainly work in concert with the MC, to magnify the symptoms, to cause systemic effects, (neurological effects, arthritis, skin problems, etc.).
My trigger for LGS was sugar, (when I was younger, I ate candy, cakes, soft drinks, pies, ice cream, etc., like there was no tomorrow), and I wound up having to eliminate all but traces of virtually every type of sugar, from my diet, while I was recovering. The only type of sugar that I could tolerant in any significant quantity, was maple sugar, strangely enough.
Here's how LGS works, in a nutshell. Normally, the tight junctions between the cells of the epithelia of the intestines remain closed, except to allow nutrients in the form of amino acids, (or very short polymer chains of only a few amino acids), to pass through into the bloodstream. This is how the nutrients from the food we eat are absorbed, and distributed to the proper cells in the body. If LGS develops, the tight junctions between the cells of the epithelia of the intestines may open too far, (which allows medium to long chain polymers to pass through, into the bloodstream), and they tend to stay open, when they shouldn't, which means that a lot of partially digested food is absorbed into the bloodstream, and is subsequently deposited into other organs, joints, (causing arthritis symptoms), etc. LGS is dose dependent, and progressive. At first, it takes large amounts of a trigger, (usually after continuous heavy use, for many years), to trigger a reaction. Eventually, much less of the trigger is required, in order to obtain the same reaction. IOW, under continued pressure from exposure to that trigger, the tight junctions open more easily, open wider, and stay open longer. It usually takes years for the condition to reach that stage, but it also takes years of abstinence to resolve the problem. After avoiding sugar for about 3 years, I was finally able to start using it again, but I use much less than I used to, obviously, since I don't want to develop that problem again. I suspect it may be what triggered MC for me, in the first place.
The gut is a very complex place, and the chemical reactions that continually go on there, are almost incomprehensible, to the human brain, in their sophistication and their complexity. When something goes wrong - the effects can be incredible, of course, and it's no wonder that no one knows what really goes on with these reactions.
Tex
Sorry about the rough morning - hopefully, this will pass quickly.
Remember that none of this is chiseled in stone, but here are some possibilities to consider. If you had lettuce in that salad, yes, it could have caused a reaction 36 hours later. Lettuce is very, very irritating to a hypersensitive colon. Many/most other raw vegetables are irritating to a sensitized colon, and can initiate, or prolong reactions, but lettuce is "the mother of all irritating vegetables", for someone with MC, according to our combined experiences. Lettuce always practically turned me inside out, a day or so after eating it. I became so "gun-shy" about it, that I still very rarely eat it to this day, even though it no longer bothers me.
While distilled alcohol is safe, from an intolerance standpoint, (unless it has gluten-containing ingredients blended back into it after the distillation process), alcohol is the primary trigger for the Leaky Gut Syndrome, (LGS). This is connected with MC, of course, but LGS can also cause a reaction independently of MC. For someone with MC, however, it will almost certainly work in concert with the MC, to magnify the symptoms, to cause systemic effects, (neurological effects, arthritis, skin problems, etc.).
My trigger for LGS was sugar, (when I was younger, I ate candy, cakes, soft drinks, pies, ice cream, etc., like there was no tomorrow), and I wound up having to eliminate all but traces of virtually every type of sugar, from my diet, while I was recovering. The only type of sugar that I could tolerant in any significant quantity, was maple sugar, strangely enough.
Here's how LGS works, in a nutshell. Normally, the tight junctions between the cells of the epithelia of the intestines remain closed, except to allow nutrients in the form of amino acids, (or very short polymer chains of only a few amino acids), to pass through into the bloodstream. This is how the nutrients from the food we eat are absorbed, and distributed to the proper cells in the body. If LGS develops, the tight junctions between the cells of the epithelia of the intestines may open too far, (which allows medium to long chain polymers to pass through, into the bloodstream), and they tend to stay open, when they shouldn't, which means that a lot of partially digested food is absorbed into the bloodstream, and is subsequently deposited into other organs, joints, (causing arthritis symptoms), etc. LGS is dose dependent, and progressive. At first, it takes large amounts of a trigger, (usually after continuous heavy use, for many years), to trigger a reaction. Eventually, much less of the trigger is required, in order to obtain the same reaction. IOW, under continued pressure from exposure to that trigger, the tight junctions open more easily, open wider, and stay open longer. It usually takes years for the condition to reach that stage, but it also takes years of abstinence to resolve the problem. After avoiding sugar for about 3 years, I was finally able to start using it again, but I use much less than I used to, obviously, since I don't want to develop that problem again. I suspect it may be what triggered MC for me, in the first place.
The gut is a very complex place, and the chemical reactions that continually go on there, are almost incomprehensible, to the human brain, in their sophistication and their complexity. When something goes wrong - the effects can be incredible, of course, and it's no wonder that no one knows what really goes on with these reactions.
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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kscolorado
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:17 pm
Thanks Tex, I also have a very flushed face with non itchy bumps above my lip and cheek. Awhile back a doc thought I may have lupus but I don't. Another thought roseaca but again no diagnoses. food seems to be the culprit such as dairy always giving me a pimple after I accidently have dairy. My husband noticed it after I sent off the post. So I sure got into something! I'm thinking the salad too, but thought maybe 36 hours later was too long. I've heard about LGS, very interesting stuff. I'm betting I probably have that going on too. I also forgot that I ate a gluten free cookie that was in the freezer for when my brother in law who is a celiac was visiting. I didn't have the ingredients but is was a small cookie so possibly that is the culprit, it probably had butter in it or soy in the choc chips. Such a small little cookie though.....sigh
Kathy
Kathy,
Those bumps and flushed facial skin suggest to me that you might possibly have mast cell involvement in your symptoms. Mast cells in the skin, and the esophagus, are what cause anaphylactic symptoms, during severe allergic reactions, but it has recently been discovered that mast cells in the epithelia of the intestines can also be present in excessive numbers, and they can also cause symptoms. They would not be detected in your biopsy samples, unless the pathologist used a special stain, which is now available by special order, but which is not routinely used for biopsy analysis. It is possible to re-stain biopsy samples, however, and search for mast cells, later, if there is reason to suspect that they might be involved. You might find these articles interesting:
http://thefooddoc.blogspot.com/2008/02/ ... demic.html
http://thefooddoc.blogspot.com/2008/02/ ... -i-be.html
Tex
Those bumps and flushed facial skin suggest to me that you might possibly have mast cell involvement in your symptoms. Mast cells in the skin, and the esophagus, are what cause anaphylactic symptoms, during severe allergic reactions, but it has recently been discovered that mast cells in the epithelia of the intestines can also be present in excessive numbers, and they can also cause symptoms. They would not be detected in your biopsy samples, unless the pathologist used a special stain, which is now available by special order, but which is not routinely used for biopsy analysis. It is possible to re-stain biopsy samples, however, and search for mast cells, later, if there is reason to suspect that they might be involved. You might find these articles interesting:
http://thefooddoc.blogspot.com/2008/02/ ... demic.html
http://thefooddoc.blogspot.com/2008/02/ ... -i-be.html
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.
-
kscolorado
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:17 pm
Thanks, I enjoyed reading both articles. Cool that they are by the GI I will see in August so that will make it easy to ask him about it! My mom also gets the rashes on her face. I used to get itchy bumps all over my elbows and backs of my ankles. The doctors always gave me stuff for eczema and psoriasis but they never really worked. I haven't had a rash since going gluten free, it may be related. I feel better today and only have two bumps around my mouth and one on the bottom of my chin. I'm too old to look like a teenager! I think I will look into the Paleo diet as Polly suggested but I don't want to give up potatoes, I have them almost everyday. So maybe a modified version where I still eat potatoes, carrots, and occasional brown rice?
Kathy
You know, I had already forgotten that you're scheduled to see Dr. Lewey in August. 
The rash and bumps are almost certainly gluten-related, (or related to some other food), so he should be the ideal GI doc for you.
There's nothing wrong with modifying the paleo diet to suit your own needs. The foods we have available today are not necessarily identical to the true paleo foods anyway, after they have evolved for thousands of generations, but of course, they are close enough, for all practical purposes. I believe virtually everyone here who follows the paleo diet, modifies it slightly, (at least occasionally), to suit their needs and preferences.
Potatoes seem to be a very safe food - precious few people in the world are intolerant of them. The same goes for rice, and especially brown rice - they're pretty safe. I believe that carrots are considered to be a paleo food, so you have it made, there.
I can't wait to hear what Dr. Lewey will have to say. You'll be the first member here to see him, I believe.
It's good to "hear" that you're feeling better today.
Tex
The rash and bumps are almost certainly gluten-related, (or related to some other food), so he should be the ideal GI doc for you.There's nothing wrong with modifying the paleo diet to suit your own needs. The foods we have available today are not necessarily identical to the true paleo foods anyway, after they have evolved for thousands of generations, but of course, they are close enough, for all practical purposes. I believe virtually everyone here who follows the paleo diet, modifies it slightly, (at least occasionally), to suit their needs and preferences.
Potatoes seem to be a very safe food - precious few people in the world are intolerant of them. The same goes for rice, and especially brown rice - they're pretty safe. I believe that carrots are considered to be a paleo food, so you have it made, there.
I can't wait to hear what Dr. Lewey will have to say. You'll be the first member here to see him, I believe.
It's good to "hear" that you're feeling better today.
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.
I agree with Tex that the eczema-like rash is probably gluten related. Two of my grandkids have celiac disease. Their mom has celiac disease, as have most of her relatives on her mother's side of the family. She simply instituted a gluten-free diet for them since they were born, since she was already on the gluten-free diet and they had a good chance of developing celiac disease too. My 3 year old grandson is very sensitive even though he has been on a gluten-free diet since birth, and will develop a bad eczema-like rash on his head and face if he gets any traces of gluten. He will get the rash before he gets any digestive problems, although he most often gets both. It's hard to avoid with kids in pre-school. For example, play dough is everywhere, made with flour, and even if kids don't actually eat it, traces of the dough on fingers can make it into the mouth. Both he and his 5 year old sister are very aware of their diet and don't have problems with adhering to it, at least so far. Most of their exposure is accidental. Since I'm dairy intolerant, they understand why I can't have certain foods, and it makes them feel like food intolerances aren't that unusual. At least they can have ice cream!
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time………Thomas Edison