Ulcerative Colitis?

carsmakemebeep

I was diagnosed and hospitalized at age 8, had surgery to completely remove my colon. I am now 20. I have just started getting flare ups this year Ive never went to see a GI doctor so I know I have to do that. but other than that I know I need to drink twice as much water or try to get near 16 cups a day, but I dont know what else I can do to my diet. I eat a lot of acidic foods being italian and japanese haha (tomatoes, vinegars, spicy foods) so im trying to slow down on this but will that even help? and what are some good ways to reduce stress? I just got a job which is a pretty stressful one and I need ways to be able to calm down. Also does excercise help or make pains worse?? Please help!

LauriePar

I have had UC for my whole adult life. It had been determined that stress does NOT cause a flare up! During a flare up, try to limit spicy food, cola, and beer and alcohol. During a flare up- go on a low fiber diet and limit your fruit and vegetables as they can make it worse. Dairy is fine if you are not allergic. See a doctor as soon as you get a flare up so he can put you on medication-usually Asacol- to get you back into remission. It may take a while to get into remission again. Hope this is a little help for you!

AmyRhubarb

I know they say stress doesn't cause flare ups - but ask almost anyone with UC and they'll tell ya otherwise! My hubby had it, and there was definitely a connection between stress and his flares.

As for foods - in all my research when he was sick (he finally had to have his colon removed about 5 years ago, and is living with a j-pouch now), different people reacted different or had different trigger foods, or things they needed to avoid during flares. Tomato sauces for one, dairy was an issue for hubby, too much citrus, sugar, high roughage foods, etc.

Laurie's advice above my post is great! Hopefully the meds and eating well will do the trick. And keep taking the meds! Hubby (stubborn man!) would stop taking them when he started feeling better rather than just cutting back the dose, and a few weeks later when I was trying to figure out what was causing him to flare again (what have you been eating, what happened at work, are you stressed, did you stop taking your meds????), it was that he'd stopped.

Hang in there, and I hope you feel better soon! There is a UC group here on the boards, check it out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/848-ulcerative-colitis

carsmakemebeep

Thankyou both of you! Its nice to be able to get some tips. Im going to try these thankyou very much