Confused about "trigger" foods

[Deadstar]

Hello everybody! Hope you are managing your crohns and you are doing ok.
I have been diagnosed 4 months ago and currently my blood exams are really good (crp at totally normal levels) and I have tapered down cortisone gradually from 30mg to 10mg. My GI told me to also start AZA today.

The last couple of weeks bleeding had stopped and bowel movements are almost as good as before the diagnosis. Some days though, maybe once or twice every two weeks I see looser stools but no diarrhea (even in those days I dont visit the restroom more than once a day). So my question is do you think that is is caused to certain foods that I am eating? How long after you eat you get the results from food triggers?Do you get pain?

I am really confused because I eat with no problems (maybe a bit of stomach growling sometimes) but I never feel the urge to go to the restroom until at least 9-10 hours since my last meal.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ronroush7]

Are you keeping a food diary or see which foods might set it off?

 

[Clash]

Its more than likely that even though your CRP is normal you have not reached deep, stable remission maybe only clinical remission.
Prednisone dampens the inflammation but as you taper it is common that the inflammation returns. It takes AZA a couple months to reach therapeutic levels as well. So it could be that foodstuff are still aggravating the inflamed area. For some people it's individual things while for others foodstuff in general traveling over the inflamed area causes issues.

A food diary would be prudent but as you come off the pred the symptoms may persist or escalate until your maintenance med kicks in. If you have continued symptoms or escalating symptoms keep your GI informed they will sometimes increase the pred dose and take a slower approach to tapering it.

Edit to add:

This is not to say you haven't reached deep stable remission which includes clinical, endoscopic and histological with mucosal healing in four months because you may have just to say it may take a bit more time.North is it to say that some don't have issues in remission due to scar tissues or even food intolerances.

 

[ronroush7]

I meant do you keep a diary to see which foods set you off? Sometimes, it can be pretty quickly after I eat before I feel the urge. Sometimes, it might be a couple of hours. Lately, every couple of weeks, I feel some pain in different sections of my stomach. Let us know how you are doing.

 

[teeny5]

Your symptoms sound pretty similar to mine. I am in remission, but do still occasionally get looser stools and pain. My GI says some foods my always be an issue. Even scar tissue can cause pain at times. I do find that it is the same foods that do it to me...so I guess those would be trigger foods? I think of trigger foods being ones that send me into a flare...lots of pain and diarrhea.

Sorry I don't have any advice, but thought it was interesting you have the same issues I do.

 

[ronroush7]

Yes,concerning the foods. Just sharing my own story right know.

 

[ronroush7]

Even when in remission, I am still careful about the foods I eat.

 

[Deadstar]

Ronrush I have not started a food diary but I will start tonight. It is important to have a specific idea although I could not identify any trigger foods those months.

Clash I do believe the same thing. That I am not in full remission but maybe in a transitional stage. Tapering happened pretty slowly with lots of blood exams to check inflammation levels in between and so far did not have a problem (of course now I am reaching the low numbers under 15 mg so hopefully hell wont break loose).

Teeny5 I have not felt pain at all (even not in my diagnosis). Also loose stools happen many hours after the possible? food trigger and time wise or urgency wise they dont differ from any other day. They only thing that changes is the consistency which remains relatively formed but looser than the good days.

This disease can be such an emotional rollercoaster. Once its the syptoms, then stress about the blood exams, then the stress about not having food triggers, then not knowing whats happening... Its hard man.

 

[teeny5]

Usually if a food sets me off I know right away...within an hour.
It is a hard disease!

 

[Deadstar]

Yeah this is pretty fast. This is what I have read about most trigger foods. That they dont joke around!

 

[ronroush7]

Yeah this is pretty fast. This is what I have read about most trigger foods. That they dont joke around!

Amen