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Microscopic Colitis?


Rebecca92

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Rebecca92 Apprentice

I've been having some digestive issues lately so I decided to see a gastro doc. A little background info though: I was diagnosed with celiac through a blood test about three or four years ago, and she never did a biopsy to confirm the diagnoses.My symptoms have improved significantly with the gluten free diet so I do really think that it is celiac disease. but the symptoms haven't completely disappeared. Sometimes it is my fault because I accidentally contaminate myself (I live in a gluten eating household although they try their best to keep things safe) but sometimes I have done everything I can think of to make sure it's safe and I'm still having issues. Within the past couple of weeks I have been experiencing extreme nausea sometimes followed by vomiting, my stomach is really tender to the touch on the left side, my stools have often been yellow and thin with mucus or undigested bits of food (TMI I know I'm sorry!) and it often takes me 5-6 bowel movements to feel like I'm "empty" and sometimes it's just mucus that comes out when I try. This is different from when I get glutened because their isn't a whole lot of stomach pain (some but not the intense stabbing pain of glutening) The doc seems to think it could be Microscopic Colitis which is apparently another autoimmune disease that goes hand in hand with celiac. Does anybody else here have this? Were you having similar symptoms? 

He also mentioned a condition that effects about 3% of people with celiac. It quickly can cause a kind of cancer in the colon I think he said, but I can't remember the name of the condition to save my life, but he did say that if it turns to cancer that nobody survives. He says it's most likely not that but it could be. If anyone has any idea what I'm talking about I'd appreciate the name of it, I had so much information to take in from him at once the name has slipped my mind.

In august I had an endoscopy (done by a different doctor) that found inflammation in my stomach and a small mild ulcer in my stomach (probably caused from use of ibeprofen plus stress), they prescribed sucralate (which my new gastro doctor said wasn't a very good med to give for ulcers.) My new gastro doctor gave me dexilant (an acid blocker) to take for two weeks and see if that improves the symptoms. If it doesn't after those two weeks were going to do an endoscopy to get a biopsy of the duodenum and a colonoscopy to get a biopsy of the colon to check for microscopic colitis. I'm hoping this medication resolves it. I was under the impression that a endoscopy after you go gluten free is useless, but he told me that it is rare for someone with celiac disease (assuming they haven't been gluten free for a long long time) to have a completely healed intestinal tract and that he should still be able to see villi damage.  

This has been such a frustrating process, and I am getting so sick of not feeling good whether its diarrhea or extreme nausea it never seems to stop. I just want some for sure answers. I am hoping that someone here has had similar issues or if there's anyone here with microscopic colitis, and how they manage it all the information I found online said there was no real treatment... I'm sorry this is long and probably rambles quite a bit, but hopefully someone out there has had the same issues!


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mommida Enthusiast

Sorry I can't help you much.  You are at the bottom of new posts on my screen so

 

BUMP

 

if you aren't familiar with what that means, I have put your post back up to the top for ((hopefully)) that right person will take notice and answer. :)

 

Usually a gluten free diet is helpful for colitis

cahill Collaborator

The only thing I know about microscopic  colitis is that when I had my  colonoscopy my GI doc did a biopsy to check for it. He said it is sometimes a "complication" of celiacs . My biopsy was negative so I have done no further research

Have you considered the possibility of other  food intolerances ? or diverticulitis ?

I hope you find some answers soon .

cahill Collaborator

:D

  • 4 months later...
motheroftwins2010 Rookie

Did you ever get an answer? I have a colonoscopy tomorrow because after being diagnosed with a biopsy with celiac  and most of my symptoms rapidly got worse and my weight dropped dramatically in the first 10 days and I haven't improved or maintained any weight gain since Jan 3. They are looking for microscopic colitis first and foremost but I'm very concerned about crohn's or ulcertive colitis or i guess less concerned but still thinking about cancer.

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