Crohn's Disease

love22step

You probably know some of the foods that are causing you distress. My twins (age 30) were diagnosed with Chron's a few years ago. They pretty much know what foods will cause them trouble, but they're occasionally willing to pay the price. You might want to try the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) for a few days. If those foods don't cause problems, you could gradually add other foods to determine which foods are causing problems. Avoiding processed foods, especially foods containing MSG, should help. Raw vegetables and certain kinds of cooked vegetables (e.g., broccoli family) are a problem for some. Good luck.

becka63

I don't have Crohn's disease, but I have lived with ulcerative colitis for 35 years. It's pretty much the same, except UC is in the large intestine. I took meds for it for almost 10 years, but the thing that enabled me to quit meds and have very few flare-ups is the fact I quit drinking over 20 years ago. Just one "night out" can cause a flare up that lasts for nearly a month. Fortunately, the food I eat makes no difference. From the beginning, the doctors have tried to talk me into getting a colonectomy, but it would have to be totally disabled by the UC before I would even consider getting my insides all hacked up. I'm retired now, but I was lucky throughout my working life to have jobs where it could be managed although sometimes I was in such pain I just wanted to curl up and die. I know being young and giving up drinking (if it's a good part of your life) can seem so unfair. If you do give it up, you will be thankful. Whenever I think of it, I think "wow, I am so, SO, glad I quit drinking!" Hopefully your hubby/significant other will be supportive and help you find other activities to replace the party scene.

Your answer may not be here, but I hope my story gives you some insight into what you will do in the future.

Good luck!

Whilst that's great that it worked for you, it may not be the answer, short term or long, for the OP and their Crohn's disease.

Geez, I am just relating what worked for me and it may work for someone else as well. I didn't say it would CURE anything. Let people express and opinion, okay? And.. almost every article on alcohol and Crohn's or UC will say alcohol can irritate the intestines and cause symptoms to be worse or initiate a flare up and they advise to limit consumption of alcohol.

Yes and you implied she would be thankful that she did. Most articles I read from Crohn's and colitis UK, and consultants I have talked to have given the same advice as the general public get regarding alcohol: all in moderation. The point I was making in my first two posts was that it is really a very personal thing, whatever food, if any, needs to be eliminated.

sw0301

My mom has crohn's disease. They say no alcohol but beer actually helps settle her stomach. Things that cause her flare ups are seeds (ex: sesame seeds) and things with a skin (tomatoes, squash, etc), there are others but these are the main ones. She can eat some things in moderation and some things she has to stay away from. Stress also seems to be a major factor. Be careful with any antibiotics as well, she's had certain meds that have caused a flare up. Over the past year she has managed to get hers pretty much under control without having to take a daily prescription. She does take a daily probiotic and a variety of vitamins. I think that's the most important part since Crohn's affects your body's ability to absorb nutrients. Definitely don't stress over it, just take control. It will be a learning process that will have it's down times but I'm sure it won't take long before you figure out what your body won't accept!

neverstray

Just Google it. You can probably learn more in a few hours on Google than you will anywhere else.

MrsLVF

I found theses tips in a book "The New Eating Right for a Bad Gut, the complete nutritional guide to Ileitis, Colitis, Crohn's Disease, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease" Now I only have issues when i cheat and have something on the "list" .
it also said its common to need more protein than most people.

don't eat:
high fiber cerals
corn
Red meat
organ meats
fried food
animal fats
nuts
dairy
processed poultry(lunch meats)
any type of skin (on meat, fruit, or veggies)

medaglia_06

Just Google it. You can probably learn more in a few hours on Google than you will anywhere else.

Hmmm, not so much. Normally I would agree with you on Google, but Crohn's is different for everyone that has it so unfortunately, Google might be able to give you some things to try, but it won't give you the end all answers... basically the same thing as people are posting here. Look for answers where ever you think to, but in the end it's trial and error.

medaglia_06

Red meat in moderation... I switched to lean ground turkey instead of lean ground beef for my fiancé which is also helping me in the weightloss department :happy:

Some of the things you will have to change up will be for the better anyways so it isn't all bad!

rbear713

My wife was diagnosed with Chron's about 18 years ago. She had about 6 inches of intestine removed then, but has spent most of the last ten years medicine and (mostly) attack free!

You will most definitely have to figure out what foods work and dont work for you - for Becca, gluten was no big deal - it was seeds, nuts, veggie skins, and the like that caused her problems...

Oh yeah - not sure you want to hear this, but she stopped drinking alcohol as well - you should DEFINITELY consider that - it helped her a GREAT deal. (I did too, by the way - not as much fun without her!).

hit me with a msg on here with an email address i can give her - maybe it would help a little for you to talk to her directly!

Hang in there - you CAN live with Chron's!

Russ

schmetterling1

My grandfather, cousin and mother have it. I also worked with someone who was diagnosed with it at 9 years. My friends husband has Crohn's as well. Do you have anyone in your family who has been diagnosed wth this. A local support group also would help you. They have come a long way in treating and maintaining Crohn's since my grandfathers time. The people on here are very supportive too. As they have said you have to listen to your body and see what works for you. Take care.:flowerforyou:

Metsfn4life

Thanks for all the helpful comments. I appreciate it.

AmyRhubarb

My husband had ulcerative colitis (finally had his entire colon removed a few years ago and is now living with a j-pouch) and found that some foods did trigger problems for him. Stress was the biggest trigger of a flare (and he was a cop - BAD combination! ), but as others have said, seeds, nuts, high fiber foods and most dairy bothered him.

And I agree with what a lot have said - unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an exact formula of what to do and eat or not do and eat - we found it really varied from person to person. I found a message board that was helpful - http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=17 They have a forum just for chohn's, and it was a great place to glean tips and info of what did work for others. And sometimes you just need a place to talk with people going through the same thing you are. They will understand you more than anyone else!

Since having the surgery the hubs is off all the UC meds, but does suffer through bouts of "pouchitis" a few times a year. It's treated with antibiotics and no fun at all, and he hasn't figured out if there's a trigger for that. He still has to be careful with certain foods - high fiber is out, still has issues with most dairy, but he can eat yogurt and mozzarella cheese. Salads and pretty much all raw vegetables are out, and many cooked ones as well - they just go right through him without having a colon to break things down.

I hope you can find what works for you! Still hoping and praying for a cure for these diseases! :flowerforyou:

tamicando

Well I was diagnosed with early onset stages of Chrons, and it seems everything I ate made me flare, so I cut down on how much I ate, cut out dairy. Then I started taking a good calcuim/mag. vitamin, it was like a Miracle for me. Its like what CHRONS, I can now eat anything I want, fruits with seeds, drink Almond Milk, and other dairy products. I know everyone if different. But thats my story, hope it helps.

eylia

I actually agree with an earlier poster that recommended you see if gluten is a trigger, I've been diagnosed with UC since the age of 7 (about 14 years now) and a year later they discovered I was also Ceoliac. Unlike that person, my understanding is that doctors often look for this as a possibility as many of the symptoms are similar. Its fair enough to say they aren't linked, but they quite commonly come hand in hand (it could even be the fact that 'bread' is often a very processed commodity; I know someone very intolerant that can stomach spelt, so everyone's different).

Personally, I find large amounts of dairy give me discomfort/bad reactions, mostly milk. I also need to limit my intake of spicy food. Raw foods (namely vegetables), nuts and seeds are also things I have to avoid as much as I can-a little is okay. Tomatoes are one of my worst; the seeds and the skin (this is the worst). Things that are really processed, or high in sugar and fats. And pork too, I avoid it at all costs.

I remember when I was first diagnosed, the way they explained it to me was er, suited to my age at the time; think of the ulcers as a scrapped knee, or a scab. Things that can catch and cause harm (nuts ect) are best avoided in a flare up. Well cooked, soft things are less likely to cause harm. My parents were told to mash things when I was at my worse.

I don't drink much, and find some drinks cause a worse reaction to others. I do sometimes make a conscious decision to have something I 'shouldn't', but only when I know I'll be able to deal with it afterwards. If I were travelling or had a big week at work coming up, I can always resist. As for how quickly I experience reactions, I often get cramping and discomfort first, maybe bloating. The rest, shall I say, usually a few hours later, maybe around 4. It all depends on what, how much and the condition my body and health was to begin with. Some of my flareups have lasted months, as the sad fact is diet only controls so much.

No one else can say what you can and can't have, all our bodies react differently. But if you're having a lot of trouble, I'd say start with some soft, bland kind things and see if you have any improvement and go from there; eliminate one possibility at a time, and see what you do and don't react to. I hope things improve =]

shrinkingkiwi

I have Coeliac so can't comment specifically on Crohn's. However I can say just take the time to experiment and get your diet so it suits you. Once you have it nailed it will eventually become second nature.

I have become really good at reading labels and asking Chefs to avoid the problem ingredients.

Really worth putting the time in upfront.