Does food make Crohn's worse?

[daisy_dueller]

Ok...so this is something I've been pondering for a while, and can't believe I've never asked anyone about it before...

So, we all have foods that we need to stay away from...BUT if you continuously eat the foods that bother you...can that make the actual CD itself worse? Or does it just bring on symptoms? Weird question...just been going through my mind lately.

 

[D Bergy]

I believe it does based on my own experience. My first Crohn's attack in recent history started when I was eating deep fried Onions. I never recovered completely after that. I now know I cannot eat Onions but the stricture got much worse by my prediagnosis diet.

Now I avoid any Onions and Malt. These will close down my intestines with swelling and I do not see how that could help me out in the long run.

Dan

 

[Stleger88]

I believe it does, when I was eating whatever( cause the docs told me) my crohns was racing out of control but now that im on a diet its slowed WAY WAY WAY down

 

[BWS1982]

I believe a direct worsening of symptoms and an overall worsening of the IBD itself can be one and the same sometimes....if you eat something that irritates the tissue or doesn't agree, it may cause more inflammation and/or bad flora as the body increases antibodies to "mend things its own way" via inflammation (TNF), which will I think in turn compound itself, like a snowball effect. If your immune system is attacking the tissue with the assumption that that will reduce inflammation, yet exacerbates the inflammation, one has to think differently about calming things. I hope that was coherent because I'm wonky from some meds and fatigue.

If I'm not mistaken that's why Elaine Gotschall called her SCD books "Breaking the Vicious Cycle", though since I haven't read her whole book, and just know the basis of why she choose foods that evolution has had time to acclimate to, I could be wrong on her choice of title.

 

[Stleger88]

that book is my bible its where I get my diet from

 

[shootingstar]

I recently did some food sensitivity testing and I have been feeling so much better since I cut out the foods that I tested sensitive to (these included gluten, dairy, casein, sugar etc) I'm in my fifth week and I've noticed a significant improvement in how I'm feeling day to day. I'm not feeling bloated and gross and I've only had one day of pain (vs. almost every day)

 

[Mark33180]

i found out night before last that waffles and maple syrup makes me go lots

 

[daisy_dueller]

Some foods totally turn my stomach too...but will it make the actual inflammation worse??

BWS....that wasn't incoherant at all!! It's way past my bedtime, and I still understood!

 

[drew_wymore]

Well, if you look at it this way. If you eat a food which bothers you, you're effectively forcing a response from your body. So I would say yes, it makes it worse. If apples bother you and you eat an apple, your body reacts to it as Benson said, by increasing the immune response which then causes additional inflammation.

Funny how inflammation as a byproduct of the immune response is a form of healing yet in cases of IBD is the whole problem.

 

[~TN~]

Pizza rather pizza in the traditional sense (loads of mozz, greasy pepperonni & sausage with onions & other undigestable veggies) is a big trigger for me. As well as most cheeses, red meat, hard liquor & most processed foods.

 

[BWS1982]

An odd but astute analogy would be an itch: You scratch it to make it feel better, but in the long run, it makes it worse and itch more. I think....

 

[fenway1971]

Interesting post and replies. I've wondered about this too. Also wonder if there is a tie between CD and allergies. . .

 

[Yanick]

I am on SCD, so clearly, I am of the opinion that there is some connection between food and CD. However, one of the first things that my doctor (leading Dr. in this field in Twincities, MN) told me was that no matter what I eat, I can't make the disease better or worse. So here is what I figured out:

1. Your disease can be active, but you may experience very few symptoms based on your diet. Since there is no cure, this may be a happy option for many of us.

2. Eating things that bother your gut may not impact your disease directly... however, it may escalate some complications as a result of having a very inflamed tissue for extended periods of time. Also, if you are dealing with anemia, it will likely get worse.

3. By reducing the symptoms and improving the overall quality of life, emotional well-being helps stimulate the body into healing better and faster, causing quicker recovery from flares.

So, by following the logic above, food can have an impact on the path of the disease, without directly having anything to do with the disease... this makes sense in my head anyways...

-- Yanick

 

[teeny5]

I think of it like my intestines are already angry. Put something in there that is irritating to a normal tummy and it gets even more angry. Put too many irritating foods in there and the anger gets out of control. Not that the food is what made it angry but it just makes it worse or escalates the situation. However, some foods do trigger inflammation in the intestines anyway so naturally that would aggravate the situation more.

 

[BWS1982]

Kev said it's akin to a sunburn, and my GI also made that analogy recently. The lining is like a bad sun burn, and think of sandpaper (fiber) rubbing along it all day...low residue makes more sense in that light.

 

[kello82]

the sunburn analogy is really clear, i like it.

 

[BWS1982]

SPF 45 tastes creamier than SPF 15, but gives you worse breath. Beach breath, I call it.

 

[daisy_dueller]

I prefer the texture of spf 60 myself...something about it just makes my mouth water.

 

[My Butt Hurts]

If you eat the sunscreen sport variety it coats the intestines with the extra grease/water repellant so it helps the food slip through better.

Back to the thread topic. I had beef twice yesterday, mmmmm a beef brisket grilled cheese for lunch, and a cheeseburger for dinner. I had bleeding today like I haven't seen in months.

My intestines need an anger management class this morning.