Hi All

[ensco]

Hi all

My husband has just been diagnosed with Crohns six months ago after having major symptoms for approx. 15 years. I joined this site to obtain more information on what works for other people. He is constantly bloated and at times can hardly function at his job as a truck driver. I feel like my hands are tied and would like to be able to help him find additional resources to help him function. I would like to know what foods he should avoid and drugs as well. Thanks for all imput and I look forward to hearing from each and everyone of you.

 

[glum chump]

Hi Enso

Welcome to the forum! I don't doubt that it must be difficult to be a truck driver and dealing with Crohn's.

What drugs has your husband tried so far? Is he seeing a GI regularly and getting bloodwork done?

Diet is a tough thing to recommend since we all react differently to different foods. When I'm flaring, like a lot of folks, I stick to a low residue diet. I would suggest heading over to the Diet and Fitness section of the forum and reading some of the posts there. It might be helpful and give you some ideas. With regards to bloating, sometimes dairy can be a real culprit. I know that it gives me a lot of problems.

In terms of drugs, the Treatment section of the forum might be also helpful to check out. There might be info on the drugs he's tried so far and others that he can talk about with his doctor.

Feel free to post some specific questions on the forum---there are some amazingly knowledgable folks here with great experience to share!

Cheers,

Kismet

 

[xJillx]

Hi and welcome! I am so glad you joined the forum to get some tips for your husband. He is a lucky guy to have such a supportive wife!

I often get bloated and gassy. I never leave home without GasX. It really helps me. But if you husbands bloating is more severe and regular, perhaps the GI can prescribe something stronger.

As Kismet said, diet is different for so many. Some foods like high fiber foods, seeds, raw fruits & veggies, nuts, and spicy foods tend to cause most Crohnies issues. Some do well with a gluten free diet, diary free diet, or whatnot, and others no diet matters. Again, it's really different from person to person. So for me, I keep a food diary to record what I eat and my symptoms to help determine my no-no foods. Also, when things are really not going well, I stick with a low res diet, just like Kismet. Things like chicken, rice, salmon, crackers, potatoes, toast, etc. are easy on the gut when it is inflammed.

I hope your husband feels better soon!

 

[SandyM]

Hi & welcome ensco,

As others have said there is lots of info on here regards diet and crohns so look around.

Eeeck a truck driver and crohns - that can't be easy as bloating and tiredness with long distance driving must be tough. Beware some folks find coffee upsets their crohns and I assume being a trucker he may consume a fair bit of the stuff? Not sure what the truck stops are like in canada but in uk most are not really geared towards the healthy option even for people without crohns!

Why 15 years before being diagnosed - thats a hell of a long time to suffer.

Hope he feels better soon.

 

[ensco]

Thanks to everyone for all the information. He currently takes Nexium and Pentasa. He isn't a long haul driver and has never been a coffee drinker. He isn't able to see a "specialist" unless the GP (who removed him as a patient b/c he couldn't determine what the problem was) recommends it. I will try to become more familiar with the site to obtain further information. Has anyone ever experienced "burning feet"? He regularly sees a chiropractor as well. I personally think lots of this is caused by stress....not sure how one eliminates that from life though!

 

[glum chump]

You're right, ensco, a lot of things are caused by stress, and Crohn's and stress are all kinds of wrong together! The other thing to keep in mind is that there are many 'extra-intestinal' conditions related to Crohn's---basically, that just means that while Crohn's is active along the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, it can also have manifestations elsewhere in the body. As an example, I have joint pain (knees and wrists) and eye trouble. I also have the "burning feet" which has a lot to do with poor blood circulation in the body. It can also be an indicator of anemia or lack of Vitamin B. My dad has burning feet sensation too, and his is caused by diabetes. I only wear cotton socks (no synthetic material).

Can your husband talk to the doctor that diagnosed him with Crohn's for a referral to the GI? If nothing else, he should be getting regular bloodwork done to keep an eye on his iron levels, B12 levels, inflammation and infection rates.

I'm sure you'll find lots of useful info on this site! Good luck.

 

[David]

Hi ensco and welcome

Did a GI diagnose the Crohn's or did your GP? Has your husband even seen a GI or is all of this being handled by the GP?

All my best to you and your husband!