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Diets the full answer?

I'm hoping those of you who have been through the process of trying different diets might be able to share your experiences with me on this, and help me make a decision on my next steps.

I was on an elemental diet for 4 weeks, started the LOFFLEX diet and flared after 2 weeks. I did another 4 weeks on an elemental diet and re-started the LOFFLEX diet but much more carefully this time, adding 1 new food a day but only from those on the list of LOFFLEX allowed foods and removing anything that I felt possibly caused me symptoms. Then once I was fairly comfortable with my diet I started to add non-LOFFLEX foods testing each new food for 4 days.

I've been food testing for about 4 months now and have made very little progress. I've only successfully added 2 new foods into my diet and have tested 3 others which resulted in symptoms after 2-3 days of testing. Things have also been delayed because I keep picking up bugs which often lead to a return of symptoms and it can easily take 2 weeks for things to settle down each time.

I feel like the diet has brought me out of the worst flare I have ever had and I'm feeling 95% better, but unfortunately still not in complete remission. It's very clear that diet has a profound affect on my Crohns but it feels like there is still one hurdle to get over in terms of achieving full remission.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, and if so did you manage to overcome things with diet or did you require a medication switch? I'm currently taking Pentasa but my doctor is keen for me to start Azathioprine. I just want to feel like I've really exhausted all the diet options before I accept that it's really not the whole answer for me. Incidentally, my dietitian keeps telling me that I'm very sensitive to food, but then I don't understand why they aren't helping me make a more thorough investigation of my diet instead of taking the easy option and telling me to take the Aza.

Anyway, I was just hoping for some words of wisdom!

Thanks,

Sarah
 
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