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Crohn's Disease Forum

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katyboog~

Joined
Oct 17, 2009
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UGH~! I've been recently diagnosed with a really severe case of Crohn's and am currently working my way off steroids. I know they increase your appetite, but I feel hungry ALL THE TIME. I don't want to get fat because of them, and I'm scared I might by the way I'm eating. Does anyone know any ways to help curb hunger, or should I just eat? Help please!

Please note that I'm only 14! I have no car or money (yet =P) and my mom won't drive me. I also don't have access to fresh ingredients. I guess that's not surprising though when you have a family of four with two brothers. XD

Thanks in advance to anyone that replies. Your post is really appreciated. :)
 
Hi Katy,

I am tapering prednisone too and at the start i had a HUGE appetite and couldn't stop eating. If someone had handed me their head on a plate I likely would have eaten it!

I have found that as the dose goes down, so has my appetite and since mid July I have only put on 3-4 kg (about 8 pounds I think), which i needed to anyway!

I know steroids increase your appetite, but i also feel that your body is likely just so hungry as you have been sick - had you lost weight from the Crohns? I lost quite a bit and I think my body was just catching up for a few weeks.

Just make healthy choices and if you feel you are eating too much, try having a drink instead when you feel hungry.

Hope the pred is helping and you feel better soon

Shaz
 
It's quite a list, or it feels like it. but here goes. Currently 4:73pm here

- 4 organic cherry pomergran poptarts
- 2 ham sadwiches w/mayo & a slice of provolone cheese
- 2-3 cups of a hashbrown and eggs mix (2 eggs used)
- half a bag of SmartPop popcorn
- 1 Orange&Cream fruit pop

The only problem food that I know of right now is red meat. Any red meat will really aggravate my stomach. Other than that, I'm not sure since I haven't been diagnosed for very long.

My mom and brothers eat basically the same, just less and less often. >_< Maybe it's just my paranoia, since I'm eating all the time but they're not...Thanks for helping me. :D
 
@shazamataz:

Yes, I lost a ton of weight. About 80 pounds, but as of last Monday I am currently 102.6 pounds (I think 43kg exactly.)

I'm currently working myself, by doctor's orders of course, of prednisone but I still feel hungry. I'm glad to know the constant need to eat will go down. Thanks for the drink tip!
 
ooooh, lookin at your list I have to say that POPCORN is NOT a good idea!
Just imagine your insides are all a bit red and tender and swollen and popcorn is full of SCRATCHY bits!

Best not to eat it or anything else too 'rough'.
 
Yes. I'm not sure which don't work for me, but I have canned corn,green beans, and peas. There's also a head of cabbage in the fridge, but I haven't ever had any. Fruit isn't something I really can have, for finacial reason, but watermelon, apples, cantalope, honey dew melon, and strawberries don't cause me pain. Oranges whole do, but not orange flavored things.

I'm sad now to know I should stay away from popcorn. XD I love it so much, but that's a good thing to know.
 
How much water do you drink? Most people don't drink enough and it is so important because it helps regulate many of the body's functions. Drinking plenty of water can help curb some of the hunger. Try drinking a glass when you wake up, at each meal and sip water throughout the day. That is what I do and it works for me.

Can you exercise? Exercise will help burn off calories and help improve your over-all fitness. If your not up to vigorous exercises, taking a walk or some other activity you enjoy would do also.

I know at 14 you don't have a lot of control over your diet. You eat what your parents buy, right? I might suggest that at your next doctor's appointment bring up the subject with your doctor and ask for a referral to a nutritionist. The nutritionist could give both you and your parents some good information about a sound diet for you.
 
Like Joe said, if you want to help curb hunger drink more water. I'm not sure the recommended daily amount, but I think it's somewhere around 6-8 glasses a day. Plus the water is good because our stomach "problems" can give us some dehydration.
 
Hi there and welcome. Wow you eat alot of risky stuff! Popcorn as everyone says is a no no, I ate it last year thinking noooooooo problem big mistake it got stuck and I ended up in emergency. I havent had corn in about 15 years, and anything with corn is very hard to digest and not much nutritional value. I am also with the rest of the people here, I am a water drinker, and it is very important to drink. Most times when we think we are hungry we are actually thirsty, also brushing your teeth more often helps. I gained quite a bit of weight because of the pred, now I am trying to lose it, trust me it isnt easy. When you taper it will die down, you will be back to normal, what ever your normal is! Great that you found the forum and joined us!
 
Katy~
I think it is great that you are trying to figure out what is ok and what is not. You will find that it is different for everyone. I can understand the financial strain your family must be going through. When I was twelve I was diagnosed and my family really struggled with the huge medical bills they incurred from it. I have to say though if you are able to eat the right foods you will feel better and thus less expense from doctors. I do think that the nutrionist is a GREAT idea. I have been on and off very high doses of pred. and at first my husband kept asking are you ok? I was eating things I have never eaten before. I seemed to crave salty stuff. Maybe that is the reason for all of the ham sandwiches. I also must say the same as the others... water water it is sooo important. My GI doctor said when we are having a flare we wake up in the morning about a liter short on water. So that means eight glasses of water for the normal person but even more for those of with crohns. It is really hard but try not to worry about the weight gain. When you begin to taper the cravings will get better. My doctor says it takes about six months for your metabolism to start getting back on track after you are off the pred. Sorry I have been soooo long winded :) Take care and keep reading you can find so much info on here. Best of luck and hugs to you~
 
Seeing as how you recently lost 80 lbs. I'd be hesitant to tell you to exercise or cut back too much (unless it's a problem food for the disease or a really food as far as value). I wouldn't say corn has no nutritional value, but it's low compared to actual vegetables (some consider corn a grain, sometimes it's a veggie, depends on who you ask or how it's prepared)...but yes, popcorn is generally a bigger no-no unless you're in remission, and even then, go easy at first.

You're 14, but 103 pounds is kinda light. You're still young enough to be growing (though I know males still grow up until late teens, females can stop a little sooner)...so I'm still trying to gather what your current build is. Do you happen to know your bodyfat, or can you give your height? I'd even at this point use your BMI, as useless as it is, just as a vague idea of your stature and size. I would venture to guess you're far from becoming "fat" but you can always control the eating just a little or replace it with something filling and healthy.

Water is a good filler, and thirst and hunger are often the same signal when interpreted by the brain. Brushing teeth like Jetta (Pen, I know it's you) said as well is good, a clean mouth helps satiate the concept of food and cleans the pallet. Eating more protein (like the ham and cheese) will help blunt your appetite, as when you eat poptarts and the likes it will just spike your insulin.
 
He's right. Corn is no good. In fact, it's a starch. If you're worried about weight, you need to stay away from starches and up the lean proteins.

Just try to gently remind your family that this disease is very serious. It's more like the whole family gets sick and not just you, so you need their support and help. The last thing you want is to feel isolated in your own family. They love you, so they will understand and do whatever it takes to make you healthy and happy.

Organize a family game night. It will give you forum to really talk to them and be a light atmosphere. Once you communicate your needs and how you feel, they will rally. Trust me- my dad and I never got along. IBD was the best thing that ever happened to our relationship.
 
hi Katy & welcome :) really glad you've joined us.

you've had some great advice here.. i was also going to suggest steer clear of popcorn and sweetcorn - in fact anything which you think may be hard to digest like apple skins, baked potato skins, raw veg etc. spicey foods can hurt us too, and gassy drinks like coke can really feel like sharp edged bricks as they go though our tender Crohn's areas..

good things to eat which aren't too fattening are soft bananas (if you can tolerate them), rice, mashed potato, eggs, chicken, bread, soups etc.

it's a massive learning curve for you right now, finding out what is beneficial and what is not, and what hurts you personally as we're all sensitive to different things.. but once you know, your changed diet actually becomes 2nd nature, and i don't even crave the things i know i can't have anymore.

try not to get too obsessed by your weight.. it's very easy especially at your age to focus on what you look like, but what you FEEL like is more important right now. if eating well makes you feel better, even if it means an extra few pounds, that is so much more important than denying yourself foods and feeling miserable and hungry.
 
Oh I remember the pred hunger... Don't you think it is such a wonderful thing tho after being so ill and thin and not being alble to eat, to just pig out!!
I put on alot of weight too, it was nice! :)
xxx
 
To every single person who replied to me,

Thank you so much! You probably have no idea how much you guys really did help me out. All of the advice, especially the water one ;) influenced me a lot.

To dingbat, you were very right when you said my changed diet would grow to be like a second nature. It most definately has!

To shazamataz, thank you for your support. I've always tried to eat as nutritiously as possible, and your encouragement managed to boost my self confidence pertaining to eating. :)

To GI JOE, the fitness tip was also very helpful! I managed to persuade/force my dog to walk about my neighborhood every day to at least get a little bit of excersice and we love it. It's a bit harder to get it in during school, but sports and gym every day help out.

To Jared, I didn't realize that people with Crohn's are more dehydrated then others. I'm glad to you gave me a REALLY good reason to drink lots of water instead of "Just drink water, and lots". :) The water tip is my personal favorite.

To Pen, I'm sorry that you had an emercency. I kind of have been ignoring the whole "don't eat corn" thing, but I guess I should think twice! The only thing I really eat with corn is popcorn and that's rarely. Good-bye corn, I guess!

To la la, Medical bills are probably going to be the worst part when I am on my own. Okay, I think I get it now, LOTS OF WATER! :) In all seriousness, I honestly didn't even connect the two. I guess I need to go out and buy a huge water bottle then.

It's been over a year since I first posted on this forum and since then, life has gotten to be much better. I'm currently getting IV infusions every six weeks with Remicade and I've been doing absolutely fabulous. If anyone else is haven't problems, I would recommend it. At first I was getting Cimzia shots every month and it wasn't working out, but that doesn't matter any longer.

I plan to get to the rest of you all, but for now I must go. Once again, thank you everyone. I hope I can refer to this forum whenever I am in doubt about something, or if I'm looking for more advice. Who knows, maybe I can even relay what you guys have told me to another? I hope I can help someone, like you have with me. God bless!
 
Hi Katy!

Welcome back and sooo glad you are doing better :)
I bet you could help people who are going through the same - so glad the remicade is working for you
from another pop-tart fan!
(we don't have pomegran flavour here!!)

take care
Wendy
 
You're not alone honey! I have had the appetite while on the Prednisone, too. Always have.

I have a trick to fool my body: eat small meals/snacks throughout the day instead of big meals, OR only eat a little bit at a time. Cook yourself a meal sized portion but only eat half of it and then wait until you're starving again to eat the other half. It sounds strange but both of those techniques work for me :)
 
I was dreadful with eating when on Pred and still haven't lost all the weight I gained :eek:

They say fennel is an appetite suppressant and sometimes I burn the aromatic oil, I'm not totally convinced though :rolleyes:

I find drinking Bovril quite appetite satisfying and if you can go out for walks it will give you some exercise and is good for blood flow :thumleft:
 

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