Diet or no diet? That is the question.

[james]

diet or no diet? That is the question.

Just want to hear everyones opinion of this. If there was a proven diet say such as the specific carbohydrate diet that 100% guaranteed putting crohn's into remission, would you stay on the diet indefinitely and not be able to eat and drink whatever you want or would you take medication and eat and drink whatever you want?

 

[jed]

it'd have to pretty bad for me not to want to not eat anything but.

remission would be nice thanks, i'll take a plate of that.

 

[teeny5]

Oh, to really enjoy food again would be nice!

 

[merrywidow]

would have the diet for 2 weeks and then binge on the all the "bad food" then suffer for it for the next 2 weeks!!!! regrads sharon x

 

[fenway1971]

LOL, Sharon. I'd be the same way.

Healthy, healthy, healthy....CANDY CANDY CANDY....

 

[Isla]

I think the only way I could stick to any kind of diet is having an NG tube, otherwise I would end up cheating everyday. It is just too easy with a lil'n running around.

 

[pnp26]

I am currently on the SCD diet for about a month and let me tell you this is the only thing that seems to help me, so my answer is yes, this diet helps and as long as it helps I will be on it and I really don't miss the other foods, they cause pain and flareups and gas, who would miss that

 

[james]

I am currently on the SCD diet for about a month and let me tell you this is the only thing that seems to help me, so my answer is yes, this diet helps and as long as it helps I will be on it and I really don't miss the other foods, they cause pain and flareups and gas, who would mis s that

a couple questions though.

how old are you?

do meds work for you and to what degree?

For me the meds work but i just would rather not have to take them or as much, but im 24 and the diet would just put such a damper on my social life that im not sure if its even worth it right now. I think it would be easier the older you get. I know i want to do a natural approach, i might just wait a couple years.

 

[My Butt Hurts]

If the choice is take meds and eat how I want and feel fine or feel fine by controled diet, either way I feel fine - right? I'd do it with meds as long as the sides weren't too bad - it just seems easier that way and more enjoyable too. Wow - that would be nice!

Right now, I'm taking meds AND trying to control it with diet - low residue diet. It's only working almost okay. I'm still on pred though. The diet is not too awful, but I miss a lot of things. I haven't been cheating every day, I had my first soda in 3 weeks, diet and caffeine free. It sucked, but the first few sips were amazing. At least it was Dr. Pepper. I miss sugar. I had a nectarine today without skin. Just not the same.

 

[mommy1st]

I would do the diet. I would go without just to be in remission. At least I wouldn't have to worry about what the meds would be doing to me.

 

[james]

If the choice is take meds and eat how I want and feel fine or feel fine by controled diet, either way I feel fine - right? I'd do it with meds as long as the sides weren't too bad - it just seems easier that way and more enjoyable too. Wow - that would be nice!

Right now, I'm taking meds AND trying to control it with diet - low residue diet. It's only working almost okay. I'm still on pred though. The diet is not too awful, but I miss a lot of things. I haven't been cheating every day, I had my first soda in 3 weeks, diet and caffeine free. It sucked, but the first few sips were amazing. At least it was Dr. Pepper. I miss sugar. I had a nectarine today without skin. Just not the same.

yea, that is the question. also, dont know if you know this but ive read that the artificial sweetner in diet soda's is bad for crohn's.

 

[pnp26]

To answer your questions I am only 26 years old married and work a full-time job as a nurse practitioner in pediatrics, so I am busy and running around all day long so when my crohn's acts up it makes working very difficult which is probably why I stay on the diet.
And the questions about medications, well I was recenlty on cimzia but it did nothing for me, remicade stopped working and now I am going to be put on humira weekly to see if that works. I don't mind taking medications as long as they work and I am not doing the diet to get off medicine I am doing it to make my life more normal so I can function at work like everyone else does.
The diet is a life altering thing, I tell myself that this keeps me healthy and without it I would end up in the hospital, but everyone is different the diet is a challenge for some people but I enjoy fruits and veggies a lot so to me I am pretty content on it and feel better then I ever have. I am skinner than I have been, not bloated, have more energy and everyone tell me my skin is clear and refreshed looking, not too bad to me

 

[ladyB]

I'd take the meds and eat REAL food...



Father, forgive me it's been 19 years since I last indulged in food.

 

[ozguts]

I'd do the diet....I'm already on a gluten-free diet due to having coeliac. You get used to it even when it is a pain, and drugs always hit me with side-effects....plus long term, who knows how good they will be for you.

 

[amor151]

if the diet cud get me into remission then yesssssss please id definately do it but if i had to continue the diet for the rest of my life in order to stay well? bring on the Mcdonalds with a side order of meds!

 

[Mazen]

Diet of course. Who knows what the long term side effects of the meds will be? Also it seems that no medication is successful in keeping us in remission all the time......

 

[rosie]

Id take the meds! would prefer a cure better tho

 

[Agent X20]

Absolute no-brainer! I'd do the diet (assuming it was a healthy diet anyway). Even now I look at food I'd quite like to eat, then think what it did to me last time I ate it... and no thanks! No drugs, no side effects... healthy (but possibly boring) diet. No problem!

 

[luckoftheirish]

haha great thread, im in the middle of one of those diets right now and after eating about 99% of the rice in China all i can think of is a MacDonalds bacon double quarter pounder with cheese'! Id take the meds option anyday if it would work out for me :|

 

[ErinDF]

I'd definitely take the meds. I've never had any serious med side effects and I have NO self-control when it comes to food. I once had to be on the BRAT diet for about a month and it was the worst thing in the world (plus I couldn't cheat because when I cheated I threw up...SUCKED). Bring on the modern medicine.

 

[jmcgonigal]

DIET! I've been doing the SCD for just over a year. It is extremely inconvenient at times, and yes, I crave the carbs occasionally, but it's better than the alternative, and oh yeah, I feel SO much better!

 

[My Butt Hurts]

yea, that is the question. also, dont know if you know this but ive read that the artificial sweetner in diet soda's is bad for crohn's.

I have heard that about artificial sweeteners. It can leech out extra water into your intestines causing diarreah (or something like that). I just really wanted a soda. Sugar causes inflamation, artificial causes excess liquid. I guess they both suck.

 

[katiesue1506]

Yeah I've noticed that I can't handle artificial sweeteners. I'll put it in coffee, but anything I just can't do it. It seems to cause more pain... kind of a sour stomach feeling.

 

[james]

Yeah I've noticed that I can't handle artificial sweeteners. I'll put it in coffee, but anything I just can't do it. It seems to cause more pain... kind of a sour stomach feeling.

are you sure its not the coffee that bothers you? coffee is very acidic and the caffiene bothers some people. I know it bothers me atleast