Can I eat popcorn?

[JoFowler]

My step brother has crohns and his presented as an obstruction. He was eating popcorn and landed in hospital the next day, and it took him days to naturally pass the obstruction.

My question is, is it a rule of thumb for all crohn's people to avoid seeds, nuts, popcorn, etc? Or just a problem to people prone to obstructions?

I am going to see a movie tomorrow, and I'd love some popcorn :thumleft:

 

[KWalker]

I don't know how it works with obstructions but I have crohns and I LOVE popcorn with white cheddar flavoring on top. I could seriously eat it all day lol. Others (like your step brother) can eat it and end up in the hospital. With crohns its always important to keep an open mind how it affects everybody differently. There doesn't seem to be a correlation between between severity and food either because my crohns is considered to be moderate-severe and I can eat mexican, chinese, spicy, nuts, pop corn, cheese, etc while some people with mild crohns has any of those and pay for it later.

Whenever you hear somebody talk about diet its important to keep an open mind that it is solely experience.

 

[Susan2]

There are no rules of thumb for Crohn's, unfortunately, but I think that many Crohnies would have difficulty with these - I do, certainly, except I can eat both walnuts and macadamia nuts as long as they have no skins.

 

[JMC]

My question is, is it a rule of thumb for all crohn's people to avoid seeds, nuts, popcorn, etc? Or just a problem to people prone to obstructions?
:

Popcorn is very hard to digest as the fibrous bits on the corn are not easily broken down. If you have a stoma, then you are advised to avoid anything hard like nuts or difficult to digest foods like sweet corn, pop corn etc. If you have a lot of scarring and are prone to obstructions, then it would also be advisable to avoid these foods. Otherwise, I would say you are pretty safe to eat those things, as I do.

 

[JenniferH]

For me personally, when I am well, I can eat anything....spicy, popcorn, nuts, raw veg etc. when I am not feeling great or am having a flare up, I lay off all that stuff. It really is just a case of listening to your body. What's good for one is definitely not necessarily good for another! Try it, but don't go mad, and see how you feel next day. If you really suffer, than cross popcorn off your food list!!

 

[CrohnsChicago]

I eat popcorn on occasion and love it. But I am picky about how I eat the popcorn and only eat the puffy part, not the kernel lol. It doesn't bother me as far as I have noticed.

I always assumed the no popcorn rule applied to those with obstructions as well...however popcorn is technically a whole gran that is hard to digest and there are many people with crohn's who do not tolerate whole grains very well.

If you are feeling adventurous see if it bothers you, and if it does then you know not to eat popcorn, especially if you are flaring.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

I guess, another way to put it is that each person does their own trial and error as to what does and doesn't work for them.

For me: I don't digest walnuts very well. My husband and I don't eat much popcorn. I can eat it, but it makes my stomach feel weird afterwards. Just gotta find out what works for you...

 

[traci0531]

I know popcorn is on my list of things not to have with a low residue/low fiber diet, but Crohns affects everyone differently. I like to keep a food diary, so I can learn what I can and can't have

 

[Pirate]

Popcorn rips me up. And nuts are out. Not because they tear me up but because the Pred. side effects caused me to have my teeth pulled. Hard to chew.

 

[ctrl z]

I can typically eat anything I want and have gotten away with having some occasional popcorn. With that said, sometime last year I went nuts with popcorn and ate a lot of it for like 3 days in a row and ultimately ended up in the ER! Ever since that I've sworn off popcorn

I also can't have raw almonds.

 

[D Bergy]

I eat about anything, with a few exceptions. I eat popcorn nuts, hot peppers and other things that may bother many people with Crohn's. I avoid Milk, Onions and Malt. They bother me and I can live without them.

When I had an obstruction I ate like this also, and paid a high price for it. One of my favorites was a Cheeseburger with Onions and a Malt. The absolute worse thing I could have put in my gut. Instant swelling. I did not know I had an obstruction so I did not connect it with what I ate. Nor was I aware of the negative effect of Onions and Malt had on me, at the time.

If I had known, I would have avoided popcorn any kind of gloppy food like a cheeseburger, or chunky food such as steak. I also would not have eaten Onions and Malt.

Dan

 

[Scaryman]

This is a perfect example of Crohn's being a cruel disease. I have been addicted to popcorn every time I go see a movie, and cannot miss having popcorn. But when I was told I have three strictures and to go on a low residue diet I felt like I lost a friend (popcorn). It was one of the things I was told to avoid and I work very hard every-time I'm tempted binge on popcorn. I ask myself if its worth the pain that awaits plus the financial consequences. That's why I personally stay away from my all time favorite junk food.

 

[tots]

Popcorn like salad would do me in!

But, like many of the posts above- everyone is different and all our triggers are different!


Lauren

 

[Bond007]

The problem is that the cusp that usually get stuck in your teeth can also inside. So an unspoken rule of thumb is to avoid popcorn. This is pretty widely known. As my GI says, you can get away with it a 100 times, but is it really worth it when you have serious problems after that 1 time in 100. No is my choice.

 

[JoFowler]

*UPDATE*
After thinking about it all day, I went ahead and ate my popcorn at the movie, and it was SO good!

Today, not so good! Running to the bathroom, extremely gassy and tummy in turmoil. I think I'll avoid it from here on in, but still glad I tried and know better now.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

Glad you were able to enjoy your popcorn But, sad for you that you found it best not to continue. At least you found out for yourself!

Been putting together movie baskets for friends for Christmas with all the stuff I shouldn't have in them. Like: chocolate & popcorn. They've turned out pretty cute even though I won't be partaking in them...

 

[JoFowler]

What a great gift idea! That's very good of you to have to handle what you can't have! lol

 

[Dukeis]

*UPDATE*
After thinking about it all day, I went ahead and ate my popcorn at the movie, and it was SO good!

Today, not so good! Running to the bathroom, extremely gassy and tummy in turmoil. I think I'll avoid it from here on in, but still glad I tried and know better now.

I eat popcorn every once in a great while. Sometimes it is no problem at all and other times it does me what you describe here. Hope you get to feeling better.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

What a great gift idea! That's very good of you to have to handle what you can't have! lol

It's easy for me to stay away from some of this. Especially when I know how sick I could get from eating it!

Let me know if any of you guys would like to use this as a gift idea. It's easy to do and I spent less than $10.

 

[Hobbes650]

My step brother has crohns and his presented as an obstruction. He was eating popcorn and landed in hospital the next day, and it took him days to naturally pass the obstruction.

My question is, is it a rule of thumb for all crohn's people to avoid seeds, nuts, popcorn, etc? Or just a problem to people prone to obstructions?

I am going to see a movie tomorrow, and I'd love some popcorn :thumleft:

Actually, it depends on what caused the obstruction to begin with. After my ileostomy surgery I had a few instances just like this. I was told then that the intestine was not narrow in any way, nor was there any infllammation. So,the best guess as to why it happened to me was that my intestine wasn't lying in a great place, that is, it might have got a little kink. Like a garden hose when you first turn on the water- the hose moves around a bit as the water goes through and in my case, things weren't flowing very well. So, I learned to just not eat so much of that stuff and for awhile, avoided all nuts and raw vegetables. But over time, I found I could eat anything in small portions.

Twice this year I was hospitalized for small obstructions- once in January and once in May. In January I never did figure out what I ate that I shouldn't have. The ER kept me for a few hours to get hydrated and then I went home just as I had done during the other rare occasions. In May same thing happened- but this time blood test wasn't right so I stayed in the hospital and was ultimately diagnosed with Crohn's.

So, while it's not a rule fo thumb it is safe to say one should be at least cautious of eating seeds, nuts, etc. If you have any pain, these will only exacerbate things. I pretty much don't eat popcorn no matter how well I feel- not much good comes from eating popcorn nutrition wise so given my srugery, I just avoid it.

 

[SugarberryGA]

I wound up in the hospital about a year and a half ago with a blockage after eating popcorn. Needless to say, I haven't touched popcorn since. :-(

 

[sashaz]

I managed to eat it by making sure you bite the soft white bit and not eating the shell thats very hard. Bit messy but you still get the flavour.


HD