Your tips on how to live with Lymphocytic Colitis/Collagenous Colitis

Posted by mpratto @mpratto, Nov 30, 2016

I have been fighting Lymphocytic Cholitis for a long time and it is getting worse. I really need some advise on how to live with this.

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@kanaazpereira

Hi @aithnie,

Welcome to Connect. Thank you so much for joining in and sharing your history.

Lymphocytic colitis can be so debilitating, both physically and emotionally; here is some more information from Mayo Clinic, about this kind of colitis: http://mayocl.in/2pJVRFm
I hope @mpratto @cindyc @ekoltun6 @mjgarr @mkzpony and others will return with their insights, as well.

If I may, I'd like to introduce you to @epvb,@sodonnell, @shosh37 who have discussed collagenous colitis, and would also sincerely encourage you to view this conversation,"Muscular Dystrophy & Diverticulitis" http://mayocl.in/2rTRzJU, where you will meet @gailfaith, @dbwhitted and one of our wonderful Mentors, @hopeful33250.

@aithnie, it's good to know that your diet provides some relief; do any medications help?

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Thank you for the welcome and yes I wrote a rather long piece about my experience with MC. sorry no meds for me only pesto-bismal and sometimes a swig of Mylanta.

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@aithnie Thanks for sharing your history of this disorder with us. It sounds like you have been through many difficult times with this problem. I am glad to hear that you will be going to Mayo in August. We have had some discussions regarding choking while swallowing liquids, please see the following Achalasia: http://mayocl.in/2md3M8t. I will be thinking about you and wish you well. Teresa

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Thank you Teresa, I'll check that link. All help is welcome. Bless you, Gail

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@kanaazpereira

Hi @aithnie,

Welcome to Connect. Thank you so much for joining in and sharing your history.

Lymphocytic colitis can be so debilitating, both physically and emotionally; here is some more information from Mayo Clinic, about this kind of colitis: http://mayocl.in/2pJVRFm
I hope @mpratto @cindyc @ekoltun6 @mjgarr @mkzpony and others will return with their insights, as well.

If I may, I'd like to introduce you to @epvb,@sodonnell, @shosh37 who have discussed collagenous colitis, and would also sincerely encourage you to view this conversation,"Muscular Dystrophy & Diverticulitis" http://mayocl.in/2rTRzJU, where you will meet @gailfaith, @dbwhitted and one of our wonderful Mentors, @hopeful33250.

@aithnie, it's good to know that your diet provides some relief; do any medications help?

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The Mayo MD put me on milk of magnesia with no help.

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@aithnie

I have had issues with my colon for decades - when I was a teen they called it spastic colon; then it was just my gallbladder which was removed. Later doctors said it was irritable bowel syndrome. In the 90's I was either constipated or had explosive diarrhea and first experience with fecal incontinence.. The doctor said it was a vitamin B deficiency. All quiet for over a decade with constipation/diarrhea still bothering me if I ate fatty foods (perhaps certain restaurants/fast food joints didn't change their cooking oil as often as they should). Six years ago everything flared up big time, white blood cells soaring, diarrhea many times a day and the humiliating bowel incontinence was back to the point I did not want to leave the house and did not know what to eat or not. A colonoscopy was performed and the doctor decided to take 8 biopsies and all showed lymphocytic colitis. Treatment as Pepto-Bismol. Thank you North Dakota doctor. I used the internet to research microscopic colitis and eventually found a book through Amazon - "Microscopic Colitis - What Really Causes Microscopic Colitis, Celiac Disease, and other Autoimmune Diseases?" by Wayne Persky. Also check out Dr. Kenneth Fine (www.finerhealth.com).
If I do not cheat on my diet, do my Hatha Yoga for stress reduction, drink plenty of good water (ro), walking it stays in remission. Last year their was a lot of stress in the family, plus eating out too many times and the disease came roaring back; I could not get it to go into remission. The doctors here decided to do another colonoscopy - yeah I now am the happy recipient of another microscopic colitis - collagenous. No treatment other than to reiterate the taking of Pepto-Bismal and watch what I eat. Nothing has improved so I contacted Mayo Clinic just a couple of weeks ago for this medical problem as well as several others and will be going to Consultative Medical Practice in August.
Just a few days ago back to the doctors and was finally tested for H.pylori and it came back positive so I'm on mega antibiotics and miserable; however in the aforementioned book, bacteria is mentioned as a possible precursor to microscopic colitis. H. pylori bacteria testing has never been checked and I understand this little bug can live in the stomach for years and years. Why don't doctors automatically check patients when there is a bowel issue?
Anyway, I'm sorry for being so wordy and look forward to any comments regarding this and other digestive problems like choking while swallowing liquids and sometimes just normal spit.

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I have no Help pylori. I enjoyed your article. I think MDs are using IBS for everything.

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I was diagnosed with IBS 20 years ago, after having a normal digestive system. I have chronic UTIs, which resulted in 10 years of chronic CDIFF. I have had this distension, puffy, painful for a year. I cannot wait to go back to Mayo Clinic , hopefully to find out if they can do anything for distension. I also had toxic mega colon and in Dec. Sepsis. I have hope in Mayo Clinic...It's been a tough go.

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@aithnie

I have had issues with my colon for decades - when I was a teen they called it spastic colon; then it was just my gallbladder which was removed. Later doctors said it was irritable bowel syndrome. In the 90's I was either constipated or had explosive diarrhea and first experience with fecal incontinence.. The doctor said it was a vitamin B deficiency. All quiet for over a decade with constipation/diarrhea still bothering me if I ate fatty foods (perhaps certain restaurants/fast food joints didn't change their cooking oil as often as they should). Six years ago everything flared up big time, white blood cells soaring, diarrhea many times a day and the humiliating bowel incontinence was back to the point I did not want to leave the house and did not know what to eat or not. A colonoscopy was performed and the doctor decided to take 8 biopsies and all showed lymphocytic colitis. Treatment as Pepto-Bismol. Thank you North Dakota doctor. I used the internet to research microscopic colitis and eventually found a book through Amazon - "Microscopic Colitis - What Really Causes Microscopic Colitis, Celiac Disease, and other Autoimmune Diseases?" by Wayne Persky. Also check out Dr. Kenneth Fine (www.finerhealth.com).
If I do not cheat on my diet, do my Hatha Yoga for stress reduction, drink plenty of good water (ro), walking it stays in remission. Last year their was a lot of stress in the family, plus eating out too many times and the disease came roaring back; I could not get it to go into remission. The doctors here decided to do another colonoscopy - yeah I now am the happy recipient of another microscopic colitis - collagenous. No treatment other than to reiterate the taking of Pepto-Bismal and watch what I eat. Nothing has improved so I contacted Mayo Clinic just a couple of weeks ago for this medical problem as well as several others and will be going to Consultative Medical Practice in August.
Just a few days ago back to the doctors and was finally tested for H.pylori and it came back positive so I'm on mega antibiotics and miserable; however in the aforementioned book, bacteria is mentioned as a possible precursor to microscopic colitis. H. pylori bacteria testing has never been checked and I understand this little bug can live in the stomach for years and years. Why don't doctors automatically check patients when there is a bowel issue?
Anyway, I'm sorry for being so wordy and look forward to any comments regarding this and other digestive problems like choking while swallowing liquids and sometimes just normal spit.

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I agree with you; IBS for everything, or if they discover MC the doctors in my neck of the woods seem to be clueless on how to treat.

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@aithnie

I have had issues with my colon for decades - when I was a teen they called it spastic colon; then it was just my gallbladder which was removed. Later doctors said it was irritable bowel syndrome. In the 90's I was either constipated or had explosive diarrhea and first experience with fecal incontinence.. The doctor said it was a vitamin B deficiency. All quiet for over a decade with constipation/diarrhea still bothering me if I ate fatty foods (perhaps certain restaurants/fast food joints didn't change their cooking oil as often as they should). Six years ago everything flared up big time, white blood cells soaring, diarrhea many times a day and the humiliating bowel incontinence was back to the point I did not want to leave the house and did not know what to eat or not. A colonoscopy was performed and the doctor decided to take 8 biopsies and all showed lymphocytic colitis. Treatment as Pepto-Bismol. Thank you North Dakota doctor. I used the internet to research microscopic colitis and eventually found a book through Amazon - "Microscopic Colitis - What Really Causes Microscopic Colitis, Celiac Disease, and other Autoimmune Diseases?" by Wayne Persky. Also check out Dr. Kenneth Fine (www.finerhealth.com).
If I do not cheat on my diet, do my Hatha Yoga for stress reduction, drink plenty of good water (ro), walking it stays in remission. Last year their was a lot of stress in the family, plus eating out too many times and the disease came roaring back; I could not get it to go into remission. The doctors here decided to do another colonoscopy - yeah I now am the happy recipient of another microscopic colitis - collagenous. No treatment other than to reiterate the taking of Pepto-Bismal and watch what I eat. Nothing has improved so I contacted Mayo Clinic just a couple of weeks ago for this medical problem as well as several others and will be going to Consultative Medical Practice in August.
Just a few days ago back to the doctors and was finally tested for H.pylori and it came back positive so I'm on mega antibiotics and miserable; however in the aforementioned book, bacteria is mentioned as a possible precursor to microscopic colitis. H. pylori bacteria testing has never been checked and I understand this little bug can live in the stomach for years and years. Why don't doctors automatically check patients when there is a bowel issue?
Anyway, I'm sorry for being so wordy and look forward to any comments regarding this and other digestive problems like choking while swallowing liquids and sometimes just normal spit.

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Did they inform you about cdiff with all the antibiotics

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@aithnie

I have had issues with my colon for decades - when I was a teen they called it spastic colon; then it was just my gallbladder which was removed. Later doctors said it was irritable bowel syndrome. In the 90's I was either constipated or had explosive diarrhea and first experience with fecal incontinence.. The doctor said it was a vitamin B deficiency. All quiet for over a decade with constipation/diarrhea still bothering me if I ate fatty foods (perhaps certain restaurants/fast food joints didn't change their cooking oil as often as they should). Six years ago everything flared up big time, white blood cells soaring, diarrhea many times a day and the humiliating bowel incontinence was back to the point I did not want to leave the house and did not know what to eat or not. A colonoscopy was performed and the doctor decided to take 8 biopsies and all showed lymphocytic colitis. Treatment as Pepto-Bismol. Thank you North Dakota doctor. I used the internet to research microscopic colitis and eventually found a book through Amazon - "Microscopic Colitis - What Really Causes Microscopic Colitis, Celiac Disease, and other Autoimmune Diseases?" by Wayne Persky. Also check out Dr. Kenneth Fine (www.finerhealth.com).
If I do not cheat on my diet, do my Hatha Yoga for stress reduction, drink plenty of good water (ro), walking it stays in remission. Last year their was a lot of stress in the family, plus eating out too many times and the disease came roaring back; I could not get it to go into remission. The doctors here decided to do another colonoscopy - yeah I now am the happy recipient of another microscopic colitis - collagenous. No treatment other than to reiterate the taking of Pepto-Bismal and watch what I eat. Nothing has improved so I contacted Mayo Clinic just a couple of weeks ago for this medical problem as well as several others and will be going to Consultative Medical Practice in August.
Just a few days ago back to the doctors and was finally tested for H.pylori and it came back positive so I'm on mega antibiotics and miserable; however in the aforementioned book, bacteria is mentioned as a possible precursor to microscopic colitis. H. pylori bacteria testing has never been checked and I understand this little bug can live in the stomach for years and years. Why don't doctors automatically check patients when there is a bowel issue?
Anyway, I'm sorry for being so wordy and look forward to any comments regarding this and other digestive problems like choking while swallowing liquids and sometimes just normal spit.

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No, they didn't; all they checked for was the h.pylori bacteria and the rotovirus (haven't heard anything about this little gem so I hope that means I don't have it). I really appreciate your comment and will ask my dr if that is also a possibility especially since I'm currently choking, vomiting, etc.

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@shirleyfoggepiazza

I was diagnosed with IBS 20 years ago, after having a normal digestive system. I have chronic UTIs, which resulted in 10 years of chronic CDIFF. I have had this distension, puffy, painful for a year. I cannot wait to go back to Mayo Clinic , hopefully to find out if they can do anything for distension. I also had toxic mega colon and in Dec. Sepsis. I have hope in Mayo Clinic...It's been a tough go.

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@shirleyfoggepiazza Thanks for sharing your story and posting at Mayo Connect. I hope that you are able to get some answers for this long-term problem. Best wishes, Teresa

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