I was recently diagnosed, but I can pinpoint the day symptoms started 4 months ago. I was told that this was probably not food related, but I’m following the FODMAP diet anyway.
Has anyone else had success avoiding relapses of symptoms without taking steroid drugs?
The low-FODMAP diet includes many foods that will aggravate many microscopic colitis patients' symptoms. I tried it unsuccessfully for four months. My 10 to 15 bouts a day of watery D weren't cut back until I switched to a diet in which I ate only 5 or 6 foods daily that were safe for me - those I was sure would not worsen or sustain my poor condition. My success came from eating five to seven meals a day mostly made up of yellow or gold potatoes and clean meat protein - baked organic chicken, pork tenderloin, and steak (helpful even though it is fatty because if you are going to eat mostly protein it is important to still include fat in your diet). I now follow the suggestions offered by Wayne Persky in his book "The Microscopic Colitis Diet." It includes advice about foods that seem to work for MC patients and why you should include magnesium and vitamin D supplements and many more useful details - all based on previous patients experiences. This was the most helpful to me, but if you still have an acid gut asking your doctor to prescribe cholestyramine (a bile acid sequestrant) is also quite helpful. You should read online research about Bile Acid Malabsorption. Also read about Histamine and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome - many MC patients are being helped by daily use of histamine blockers - for example H1 blocker OTC Allegra can be effective against diarrhea and H2 blocker OTC Pepcid seems to help reduce gastric acid secretion. There are tons of details online about this. Also, if you haven't already done so, I suggest you may find helpful suggestions in the Facebook group Microscopic Colitis Support Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/microscopiccolitis/
I was recently diagnosed, but I can pinpoint the day symptoms started 4 months ago. I was told that this was probably not food related, but I’m following the FODMAP diet anyway.
Has anyone else had success avoiding relapses of symptoms without taking steroid drugs?
Good morning @cgc57 I’m so sorry I didn’t see your posting until today. How long have you had this and how are you being treated? I’ve included a link to the Digestive Health group where i think you’ll find much more information. I’m also going to ask some other members @migizii and @pruittycat and @joanie45 , who have commented on lymphocytic colitis, to see if they can help. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/digestive-gastrointestinal-problems/
How have you been able to manage the colitis so far?
The symptoms started august 19th. I think I must have had a bout of food poisoning, but then the diarrhea, urgency, incontinence continued through September and early October. I took gabapentin for a week which calmed it down. Im not back to normal, but am hoping I can manage without drugs.
@gcg57. There is a lot of information on The Mayo Clinic website. If you scroll to the bottom of this page, in the blue section on the left, there is a link to Mayoclinic.org. You can simply enter lymphocytic colitis in the search space that comes up. Hopefully, you’ll find what you need. The link to the discussion, that i gave you before, also has a lot of good information. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/microscopic-colitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351483
Will you let me know what you can learn?
Yes, I’d already read that information. Thank you. I was hoping for a deeper dive regarding diet…for example, how to maintain a healthy gut biome. I was following Dr. Gregor’s “How Not to Die” diet for 2 years and then in one day everything changed.
I had lymphocytic colitis several years ago, due completely to a prescription reflux med my gastro had prescribed. Was on the med for nearly a month with no problem, and then started losing bowel control. Once off the med, it cleared up in less than two weeks. But what a long, miserable time until we figured out the cause! I wish I could remember the name of the med I was on -- think it started with a "D," but that's the best I can recall. Wishing you good luck with this.
Connect
Connect
Like
Helpful
Hug
The low-FODMAP diet includes many foods that will aggravate many microscopic colitis patients' symptoms. I tried it unsuccessfully for four months. My 10 to 15 bouts a day of watery D weren't cut back until I switched to a diet in which I ate only 5 or 6 foods daily that were safe for me - those I was sure would not worsen or sustain my poor condition. My success came from eating five to seven meals a day mostly made up of yellow or gold potatoes and clean meat protein - baked organic chicken, pork tenderloin, and steak (helpful even though it is fatty because if you are going to eat mostly protein it is important to still include fat in your diet). I now follow the suggestions offered by Wayne Persky in his book "The Microscopic Colitis Diet." It includes advice about foods that seem to work for MC patients and why you should include magnesium and vitamin D supplements and many more useful details - all based on previous patients experiences. This was the most helpful to me, but if you still have an acid gut asking your doctor to prescribe cholestyramine (a bile acid sequestrant) is also quite helpful. You should read online research about Bile Acid Malabsorption. Also read about Histamine and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome - many MC patients are being helped by daily use of histamine blockers - for example H1 blocker OTC Allegra can be effective against diarrhea and H2 blocker OTC Pepcid seems to help reduce gastric acid secretion. There are tons of details online about this. Also, if you haven't already done so, I suggest you may find helpful suggestions in the Facebook group Microscopic Colitis Support Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/microscopiccolitis/
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsHi Indigo, I moved your message to this existing discussion:
- Lymphocytic colitis: Any diet-related causes or treatments? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lymphocytic-colitis-4/
You may also be interested in this related discussion:
- Fodmap Eating Plan https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/fodmap-eating-plan/
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThe symptoms started august 19th. I think I must have had a bout of food poisoning, but then the diarrhea, urgency, incontinence continued through September and early October. I took gabapentin for a week which calmed it down. Im not back to normal, but am hoping I can manage without drugs.
Yes, I’d already read that information. Thank you. I was hoping for a deeper dive regarding diet…for example, how to maintain a healthy gut biome. I was following Dr. Gregor’s “How Not to Die” diet for 2 years and then in one day everything changed.
I had lymphocytic colitis several years ago, due completely to a prescription reflux med my gastro had prescribed. Was on the med for nearly a month with no problem, and then started losing bowel control. Once off the med, it cleared up in less than two weeks. But what a long, miserable time until we figured out the cause! I wish I could remember the name of the med I was on -- think it started with a "D," but that's the best I can recall. Wishing you good luck with this.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction