Clueless

[Mercman28]

So I'm new to this site....I have recently been diagnosed with Crohn's and I'm currently on pentasa 1000 mg twice a day and zofran as needed. I have had these problems with my gut for years but never knew why. Is there any kind of diet I can be on to help prevent flair ups....I already lost on job to missing to many days but it's hard to work construction when your stomach is swollen....and is this hereditary? I am expecting a child in April and would like a bit of heads up if there is a chance that he or she(hopefully he) will end up with it

 

[my little penguin]

There have been genes identified that are associated with Crohns
However some have the gene and get the disease while other don't
Family medical leave act can protect you from losing your job
Once you have worked at a place over a year (more than 50 employees)
Then the doc fills out a form for intermittent leave so you can take off due to flares or doc appointments
Up to 12 weeks a year
It's a federal law in the US

And it can be renewed every year


Food triggering flares is very individual
What triggers you may not be the same as someone else

Friend Ds was dx at age 7
And there is no family history of Crohns
So it's all hit or miss

Pentasa is a 5-asa which only treats the top layer of the intestine
Crohns however affects the full thickness of the intestine
As a result it is not FDA approved for Crohns
And most do NOT. Use as a monotherapy but can be combined with other meds

If your pregnant then drugs choices become very slim
So you may have to wait till you give birth
We do have a section on pregnancy and Crohns so others may have posted on various drugs there


Good luck

 

[Mercman28]

The pregnancy thing was just curiosity since my girl is pregnant not me lol that would be another story...but thank you for the information I greatly appreciate it

 

[shamrock15]

As you are starting out it is always a good idea to start a food diary. Literally log everything you eat and drink, including water and alcohol, and the time that you take it. It really forces you to look at your diet and it should give you some indications as to what foods are safe for you and which to avoid. Unfortunately all of us are different in that regard.

It is said that there is a stronger familial link for crohn's, however I don't think it is by any means a necessity. My daughter is approaching 10 years old and I haven't seen a sign even at my most paranoid!

Best wishes for you and your child.

 

[Mercman28]

Ok I will start doing that....also with pentasa I can show up in stool does that mean it's not getting absorbed for some reason or just part of it

 

[shamrock15]

Pentasa didn't work for me at all. I think about the time I was taken off of it I was passing pretty much every capsule. It wasn't doing me any good at all. If you are only seeing fragments and you are feeling improvements I would say stay the course. If you are passing all of them it may be time to chat with your doc. I would certainly take that as a sign that there is at least a significant amount of inflammation that is causing fast transit times.

 

[ronroush7]

Agree.

 

[Mercman28]

Well the past to days I've been swollen I guess you could say but it hasn't been horrible....I have recently began to stop smoking to see if that will help. I dont wanna be on a medication that will mess with my immune system and make catch every bug out there

 

[Magnolia24]

Regarding diet, I would encourage you to look into the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, Autoimmune Paleo, IBD-Aid, etc. Don't expect diet to be a cure...This is an ongoing journey...but I believe diet plays a huge role in managing this illness. scdlifestyle.com is a good place to start.

 

[Mercman28]

My issues have never been food specific....I've worked and worked at finding a common ground and there is nothing there. The flair ups are just at random which makes no sense

 

[Magnolia24]

For the most part, I couldn't tie reactions to specific foods either. The diets I mentioned above are based on the idea of changing the balance of gut bacteria that contributes to the illness on a deeper level than eliminating foods that cause an immediate reaction.