Possible Colitis...Afraid to eat

Most people have different trigger foods with Colitis. It's best to start with the bland basics and gradually add foods one at a time to see what works. The most common trigger is alcohol. Also, if it's possible, cannabis is an excellent medicine for GI disorders. The THC helps the symptoms, while the CBD heals the gut lining. My husband has Crohn's and has been in remission for the last decade. Best of luck to you. :flowerforyou:

If you have colitis, you will find some foods agree and others do not. It is a learning process. My husband has ulcerative colitis and some days things bother him and then a week later the same food may not.

If he is feeling weak, he drinks an Ensure to help get him nutrients and energy. I recommend researching the internet and they even have a website for people with colitis. Check it out and look for some ideas. Good luck.

Although I don't have UC, I hear how many patients are suffering from my mom, She runs a GI clinic for a Dr here in our city.
Your specialist may have recommended you keep a diary, not only of what you eat on a daily basis but also how you reacted. It helps in identifying triggers as well as food combinations that might set you off.

Generally to be avoided, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee, fats (fried foods, greasy foods), dairy, (and more)
Usually safe (but everyone is different) Potatoes, rice, bananas, vegetables that a well cooked, white pasta (not whole wheat) chicken, healthy fats.

Also suggested, eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day and possibly look into a low residue diet. Some people see benefits from it.

I don't have colitis but I do have digestive issues. Some days it seems like anything I eat upsets my stomach, and other days I can eat almost anything. Today my stomach is upset because of something I ate yesterday. I find that while it can be scary to eat when you don't know what is going to happen afterwards, that if I go too long without something that it makes matters worse. Eating a smaller meal every few hours helps things but certainly doesn't prevent anything. Maybe try boiled potatoes, applesauce, crackers, or maybe even some chicken broth to at least get some sort of substance in there. Good luck with your testing, and I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks for the support and advice! I didn't even think about potatoes I will try them tonight. Meat and veggies don't settle well. I have been eating apples because they are filling but those aren't the best either.

I am trying to branch out but everything keeps backfiring. I'm keeping a food diary but it seems like anything I eat causes issues. I've been having GI issues since January but there are definitely good weeks and bad weeks. Hopefully this period of bad weeks doesn't continue for much longer.

I hope your doctor will help you figure this out... Maybe something is wrong with your intestinal flora.

I've had ulcerative colitis for 10 years but my new doc is suspecting it could actually be Crohn's. Been having a couple month-long flare up and started Humira 6 weeks ago - seems to be helping but not quite back to normal yet, it takes awhile.

As for foods, when I've been in remission periods I can eat pretty much anything but I've noticed greasy fast foods can make me sick, so I avoid those -- for general health reasons as well. Right now in the flare I'm avoiding high fiber foods (all those fruits and veggies I was trying to eat to be healthy!) and fatty meats (which I don't eat much of anyway).

I haven't been able to tell if things like dairy set me off, but I may experiment when I'm back to normal functioning. Right now my movements are not good no matter what I eat. I'm getting enough calories based on what I'm trying to achieve on here, and actually lost weight (finally) once I was put on steroids again since I got more serious about the calorie counting, eating healthy and trying to avoid weight gain on those drugs.

I have Crohns, and the foods you'll be able to eat are different for everyone. I have very few "safe foods", even though things are "under control" right now. But there are others who can eat anything they want with no issues. It's all experimentation at the beginning. Lots of people swear by the SCD diet.

Www.crohnsforum.com is a great place if you want others to chat with. There is a colitis group there too.

I was diagnosed with a microscopic form of colitis (called lymphocytic colitis) in June 2012. For years I'd gone through periods of being "clogged up", only to be hit with lengthy episodes of anything/everything running right through me. The ran me through a battery of tests/bloodwork, but it was only after the colonoscopy did the biopsy results show the condition (which is "less severe" than UC or Crohn's).

To date, I've tried several different methods of weaning out trigger foods, with limited success. I was never a big dairy person, so that was easy to discard (switching to almond milk). I've also tried decreasing gluten intake, with no measurable success. I seem to go into remission for 3-6 months, followed by a "flare" for 3 months (ish). While in the latter, I just try to get as much nutrition and calories into me as possible, since I really don't keep food in me for long). As such, my biggest concern is actually losing TOO MUCH weight, which is quite frustrating (and unhealthy).

I know everyone is different, but it's re-assuring to know there are others out there who understand what this is like.


Alan

Been there! Gut is super delicate, and when irritated, it reacts to EVERYTHING. My suggestion is to go on clear liquids for a couple days, just to allow the gut a break from the food passing over that irritated lining. My personal fix for it was to water-fast for a few days, but often people are afraid/unfamiliar with that.
Sorry you are experiencing that, it's really not fun, I know that!

Sorry I haven't read all the other responses yet, but my dh had colitis for many years and for the longest time he only ate very bland things like:

canned chicken
rice cakes
white rice
cream of wheat
white potatoes
white bread
soda crackers

Stay completely away from milk and milk products. He could not even eat anything that had whey in it he became so lactose intolerant. The doctor told him that most people with colitis are also lactose intolerant.

This went on for years, but he is cured now and doing fine, except he is still lactose intolerant.

Good luck

My fiance's dad has Crohns and my fiance most likely has it as well. His dad likes to eat yogurt and handles it well. I seen where someone said walnuts? NO. Nuts are not a good choice because if you are having inflammation, nuts can get stuck in the folds in your intestines and cause issues. My fiance's dad is not supposed to ever eat nuts (but he doesn't listen).

You will likely need to become your own research project. You should keep records of what you eat. MFP will help with that since you're tracking all of your foods anyway. Then make yourself a blog, chart, or diary, and note how you feel after eating XYZ. If you have digestive upset after eating X, avoid it for a while, and try it again. If you keep on having a negative experience with X, eliminate it.

I was once diagnosed with colitis, but never ulcerative anything. The colitis diagnosis was accompanied by tranquilizers. I had a roomie from Saudi Arabia at the time who'd gone to school with several women whose symptoms matched mine. She said they were allergic to milk. I quit taking tranquilizers and quit drinking milk. My symptoms improved. Now I know I am lactose intolerant, not allergic. I can have moderate amounts of cheese because the enzymes that turn milk into cheese solve my digestive problem for me. Butter is my enemy. This took a long time to understand. Later I developed another digestive problem and was advised by a doctor to avoid nuts. More experimentation on my part led to the conclusion that I can eat nuts, but need to limit the quantity.

Medical understanding of digestive intolerances has increased over the years, and you may find a doctor who can help with your situation. Your own body will be the final arbitrator on many things. Good luck.

Are you taking birth control? I had the same issues last year and was about to get tested for Crohn's until I went on vacation and forgot my pills. All of the symptoms (diarrhea , inflammation, bloody and mucousy stools and weight loss) went away.