Fish for Crohn's Disease?

[GeoGiGi]

My doctors (GI and colorectal surgeon) have been very encouraging of trying to change my diet to control Crohn's. I don't do dairy, try to avoid very acidic foods (including coffee, soda, tomato sauce), high insoluable fiber foods (beans, strawberries) and had to cut out caffine (that was rough). These changes in diet generally improve my symptoms but sometimes I cheat a little bit and it's ok, other times it has me running to the bathroom-- but at least I know I'm taking that risk ahead of time. And sometimes moderation is the key.

My question is-- do other Crohns patients have trouble with fish? I think it may just be a GI allergy, but I'm curious. Within two hours of eating fish I am puking the rest of the night and get diarrhea. And if I eat Thai food that has a lot of fish sauce in it, I get real sick like I got food poisoning. I figure it's some allergy unrelated to Crohn's but just wanted to ask if other people had problems like this, particularly with fish?

 

[GNC Crohn's Man]

No problems with fish here... I take extra fish oil supplements everyday since I don't eat much fish but if the actual fish bothers you the fish oil pills probably will too..

 

[Skinsfan1229]

I dont have problems with flaxseed oil or fish oil. But sometimes I do actually havve problem with Fish, and recently oysters also, like allergic reactions, that I hnever had in the past.

Doesnt suprise me, because after one of my surgery we had to chance my Asthma medication, Accolate to Singulair, because it was making me sick for somereason, something to do with the way I was absorbing it or my liver was breaking it down maybe....but no problems since change so.

 

[Cara Fusinato]

Had fish the other night, no problems here . . . salmon messes with my husband's stomach (but HE doesn't have the Crohn's in the household so he has no excuse!).

 

[Skinsfan1229]

It might be all of the carbs in the fish or protein that your stomach cant handle, in which case, digestive enzymes would fix or help that problem.

 

[DannyB]

I eat a lot of fish and have never had any problems unless they have big bones which get stuck in my throat and I choke to the point of unconsciousness but apart from that I am very well with fish

 

[Mazen]

I have no problems with fish. Except if it's canned, then it sometimes causes vomitting. I also take fish oil, the enteric coated ones, because the normal ones cause me lots of gastric distress

 

[Skinsfan1229]

if its canned then it might be from the nitrides in it, for longer shelf life...this is where the makers diet books come in...because its organic food, not pesiticide and hormone injected meats and foods. Try some digestive enzymes when a certain food bothers you people!

 

[Mazen]

Skinsfan: I read somewhere that before you take digestive enzymes you should ask your doctor, as they may cause some problems. I asked my doctor if I should take them , and he said not to!!!!!

 

[GNC Crohn's Man]

Mazen your doctor is an idiot...

Sorry but if someone that has GI problems and has trouble digesting food or has trouble with low acid and they ask their doctor if taking Betaine Hydrochlordie/Pepsin and some digestive enzymes would help and if the doc says that is not the answer, then that doctor is an idiot...

Fire him find a new one that knows what he is talking about... Or better yet ask him how he would treat the problem and see if he has an answer for that...

It may be the chemicals found in the fish such as mecury and lead that might be causing you the problem... If so a digestive enzyme wouldn't help you would just need to find a more pure source of the product you are trying to digest... That may be your doctors line of reasoning but then again he should have told you that rather than just saying don't take the digestive enzymes... A good doctor whenever he shoots down one of your suggestions should be able to explain his reasoning and provide an alternative plan to what you were thinking of doing and be able to explain his reasoning for said plan...

If he doesn't do that then fire him and find a new doc that listens... I've dealt with lots of GI docs that really don't know much about the GI tract other than what they have learned in text books and they think they know everything... They don't... No one person can know everything their is to know on a subject... If they say they do then their an idiot who still has a lot to learn... Also wisdom and experince plays a very key role in giving advice whither your a doctor or anyone else... Because knowledge, without the ability to share and use said knowledge and knowing when to share and use it, is useless...