Due to diarrhea for 3+ months and no reason why, I had a colonoscopy, which showed microscopic collagenous colitis.
I had never heard of that before, but it is similar to ulcerative colitis, but not quite as serious.
Interestingly, it can be recurrent, and it is absolutely not any fun. It finally stopped just as abruptly as it started, only 3 months later.
One day, everything is fine, the next day it started and it kept on for 3 months. I was buying Gatorade and eating bananas the entire time so I could replace electrolytes. You have to eat bland, bland, bland, or you hurt. I am sick of rice!
I'm grateful it has stopped, at least for now. Symptoms are: watery "D", painful stomach, bloating, and the other usual tummy ailments.
The only way they know is a biopsy during the colonoscopy. They took 6 biopsies, trying to figure out why the "D". This is actually called microscopic collagenous colitis (MCC). It is a thickening of the colon lining. You'd think they could see it with colonoscopy, but not possible.
Also, I have some gastritis and hiatal hernia. I also had an upper endoscopy to check for H. pylori which turned out to be negative.
I don't know if this is Lyme related, but if anyone has MCC, please let me know how you deal with it. Does anyone know if it is Lyme related?
Thanks,
lifeline
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Yuck.. So sorry to hear! It does sound like something Lyme would do to us!!
Did you find out if it is rare?? Anything you can do for treatment?
Posted by lifeline (Member # 3445) on :
Hi Lymetoo, you're always there when we need a friend.
Mostly, you have to eat very bland, all the things we shouldn't eat, such as white bread, white rice, bananas (they're ok), and white toast, applesauce.
Stuff like that I could handle okay, but, anything you would eat, you ended up in the bathroom 2 hours later. The bland food just made your tummy more comfortable, but you still lost it.
It got hard to leave the house at one point, then you start getting used to it and know your schedule. Mine was every two hours after I ate, so if I had to go someplace, I just wouldn't eat. I did lose weight, about 7 or 8 lbs., but since it stopped, I have gained back a couple lbs.
It is pretty rare they said, and mostly missed unless you have a colonoscopy with biopsies. I am grateful to my gastro doc, who seemed very thorough.
If it does recur, I think I will be more ready and not worry so much, because other than that, you are not really sick...no flu or anything like that. Just somewhat fatigued.
I know two other people who are having similar problems, so I told them about MCC, and they will mention it to their doctors.
I hope noone else gets it.
lifeline
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Bummer. I would be SO SICK with yeast on that diet. Praying I escape that one!!
So there's no treatment, per se?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
They say there's a bit of an unknown connection with celiac disease. Better check it out.
Posted by lifeline (Member # 3445) on :
Oh, you're right. It does look like a connection between CC and celiac. Thanks for the link. As a matter of fact, there is a lot of info on that link that I want to check out. I only just started reading it.
Off topic, but where do you buy those PJ Jeans. I want some!
Posted by lifeline (Member # 3445) on :