Lymphocytic Colitis and Diabetes: What foods can I eat?

I to would like to know this information, I have lymphatic colitis and was proscribed budesonide er, but insurance only gives me 56 pills in a 180 day and always denies approval because they say it's not FDA approved for my systems. When this happens and I don't take the meds it Interferes with other medication absorption. Not sure what to do.

I was diagnosed with LC 6 or 7 years ago after returning from Mexico with diarrhea but testing negative for everything they could think to test for. Eventually had the colonoscopy with micro biopsies. So, back then, I was first told there was “no known cause or cure,” so I had to experiment a lot on my own. Just to confirm, it is definitely a journey, but, yes, I found food makes a huge difference. Occasionally I just reverted to a modified “BRAT diet” for a few days, which was modestly helpful. As might seem obvious, high fiber foods became no-no’s, but it’s really the insoluble fibers that are/were most harmful, and soluble ones less so. So, know you’re fibers!

Also, I was tested for food allergies and am allergic to gluten, some dairy, and a number of others, so I eat no gluten, while find I can have small amounts of others like dairy. You’ll figure it out.

I have taken no drugs for this…until:

After wanting to be able to travel “trouble free,” I took plain old Imodium for a couple months last Spring/summer (just one a day “fixed me”) and eventually tried going back to none.
Voila! With eating about 1/3 of a banana daily, I’ve been fine ever since, with maybe 3-4 diarrhea days in the past 5-1/2 months! (I do still pay attention to what I eat, but now it makes more difference!) Weird! I think the Imodium must’ve just interrupted the cycle my gut had gotten into, which may have been exacerbating the inflammation? Or the break allowed the inflammation to finally heal, at least for awhile?

Who knows, but listening to your body and common sense monitoring of food intake may help a lot with LC management. That’s probably life-long, but gets easier with time, until mostly “second nature.”

I was given this diagnosis last year. What can I do to heal my colon?

Hello, @pruittycat I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Having an autoimmune disease means a lot of time management and coordination. Learn as much as you can so that you can advocate for yourself. Healing your colon means learning about diet, medications, and what to avoid. I’m adding this link to another discussion where you’ll find others talking about colitis. I know it says ulcerative colitis but that’s ok because much of the self-care is the same. Read the discussion and feel free to ask your questions.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ulcerative-colitis-2/. Maybe some members will join the conversation. @joanie45. @helengee @lioness @dval @tahuna
I also found this discussion. It may be old, but worth a read.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lymphocytic-colitis/
Have you also talked with a registered dietician about what foods are safe to eat?

In reply to @pruittycat. I recently learned my lymphocytic colitis was gone on a colonoscopy this past summer (2021) at Mayo. Although everyone is unique, for me, I had to completely stop one of my medications and was advised to avoid all NSAIDS. I happen to follow a gluten free diet and do not drink alcohol or soda. I have a number of health issues, but I try to exercise moderately daily and get good sleep. Did that make it go away? The doctors didn’t know but advised me to keep doing what I’m doing.

Thanks for responding. To my knowledge I try to gluten free foods. I have eliminated dairy products. I am experimenting for a week to not have sugar to see if that will help my bowels. Sugar is my weakness. I am going to try and follow a gluten free diet and try a plant based diet as well.

Hi @pruittycat, you'll see I moved your post to a discussion about Lymphocytic Colitis. I did this so you can connect with others going through a similar experience.

Mayo recommends, "What should I eat if I have lymphocytic colitis? These include applesauce, bananas, melons and rice. Avoid high-fiber foods such as beans and nuts, and eat only well-cooked vegetables. If you feel as though your symptoms are improving, slowly add high-fiber foods back to your diet. Eat several small meals rather than a few large meals." --- Microscopic colitis - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/microscopic-colitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351483

What have your doctors recommended so far?

The doctor referred me to use the FODMAP guide. I have had some hits and misses. I want my colon healed.

In reply to @pruittycat … good luck with your trials. My only suggestion would be to take one thing at a time and give it enough time to see if you experience improved physical response. Besides the colitis, it has been trial and error most of my life with chronic migraines. I would give each individual intervention about six months to see if there was improvement. If so and I could do the intervention (many of them are realistically hard to do), I would try to continue them. Otherwise, I stopped; gave myself a break; before trying something else.

Hi fellow members! I am newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and also have been diagnosed now for several years with Lymphocytic colitis (LC). Wondering if anyone has similar issues and knows how to maintain a good sugar level, while eating properly for the LC issues. Thanks for any feedback.