Humira and Dietary Treatments

[HungerPains]

Hi all,

I have a question for anyone on Humira: has anyone been on a special diet for Crohn's (in my case, low FODMAP) and seen changes after starting Humira? For instance, were you more tolerant of foods you used to avoid? Did you stay on the diet?

Some background:

I was diagnosed with Crohn's about six years ago, and have been on Imuran and Pentasa for most of that time. It was a rough start at first, but eventually my GI and I discovered that the low FODMAP diet kept my symptoms (pain, diarrhea, etc) at bay. Over time, though, the diet seemed to lose its effectiveness and I found myself becoming more sensitive to certain foods. Now, if I overindulge in certain foods, I get severe, debilitating cramps for about a day. The list of foods which cause these cramps seems to be expanding, although my reactions can be very inconsistent from week to week.

After a colonoscopy showed continued ulceration, I had an MRI which showed signs of an internal (bowel-to-bowel) fistula in the small intestine. We're now discussing Humira as a treatment option.

Which brings me to my question: How will going on a biologic, as opposed to the pill regimen I'm on now, affect my diet? Has anyone else experienced or overcome anything like this? Did Humira give you more freedom to live your life away from a very restrictive diet, or did you continue dietary treatment?

Thanks for reading!

 

[FrozenGirl]

I am not in remission but I am on a biologic: Remicade.

Previously anything I ate caused pain and diarrhea, now on my good days (the 1-3 weeks post Remicade) I am much more tolerant to foods. I went from barely eating plain white rice to an unexciting but liveable diet of low residue (white carbs and chicken primarily).

So yes a biologic did expand my food options.

 

[Layla]

Not having inflammation causes me to be able to eat more things I otherwise can't. Humira might work for you and therefore you may well end up being able to eat more than now.
When I don't have inflammation I can eat a lot more dairy for instance, yay cheese back on the menu!

I'm still not 100% but certainly less sensitive than before, hope it will work the same way for you.

 

[Miss Underestimated]

I've been on Humira since 2012, in remission since early 2014, and I'm able to eat anything I want. I try to eat a lot of fiber now, lots of greens and other foods that normal health-conscious people eat. I've always been ok with dairy, but this is the first time in 25 years I've been able to snack on raw veggies, eat kale or collards, or have a nice big salad with all the crunchy goodies. Oh, and nuts!! I love nuts, and now I can eat them!

I know it may not last forever - this is a sneaky disease - so I'm making the most of it while it lasts.