Lightblb's Crohns

[Lightblb]

I am newly diagnosed with Crohn's. I know very little about it. I am here to meet others and learn what I can to take care of myself. Any hints on what to avoid in my diet would be great. I am a single mom who also has epilepsy. My sister has had IBD for 24 years. My cousin died of Crohns 9 years ago. I am determined to make the best of this!

God Bless

 

[littlefreebird]

hi, welcome to the forum!!! you will certainly get all the help and support you need from this forum.
i'm sorry to hear about your cousin, you have a great positive attitude!
seeing as your newly diagnosed, what meds/ treatment do the doctors now have you on and how is the crohn's itself at the moment?
as for diet, all crohnies are different, i would say though to definatley avoid foods really high in fibre such as:
brown/wholegrain/ seeded bread, harsh wholegrain cereals, potato skins, fruits high in acidity, 'strong' vegetables such as cabbage.
some crohn's sufferers even go as far as having a completley gluten free diet, but it can be quite limiting, if you want to try the low fibre diet first and see how you get on. IBS sufferers need to increase their fibre intake to improve symptoms but crohn's and IBD sufferers need to reduce fibre as fibre tends to speed up the bowel and can be harsh on the gut, i know with me eating wholegrain 'healthy' foods can cause more pain and sometimes bleeding. some people also avoid processed foods but i've never had a problem with them. others also avoid dairy. it's really up to the individual. it can help to make a food diary to determine if there are certain foods that make you worse, then you know which to avoid in the future but it will come with time.
i wish u all the best, welcome again
hannah.

 

[Lightblb]

Thanks so much

Thanks Hannah! I have been out of the hospital for a couple weeks now. I have myself on a very limited diet, low fiber, high protein. I am eating a lot of sandwiches, and the steroids make me hungry all the time. About 2 more weeks before I am off them. I finished my Flaggyl and am on prednisone, and I take 2X500mg Pentasa 4 times a day. I am also taking phenobarbital 60mg 3 X day for epilepsy and levothyroxine for thyroid. I take Folbee for B suppliment. I take nothing for pain. When my pain goes away (I hope it does) and the swelling goes down I am going to start fish oil pills. I am drinking only water and herb tea with honey.
I am trying to get to the library to get books on diet for Crohns, as well as more specific medical information. I am the kind of person that wants to know the details. I even had a colonoscopy without anesthesia 5 years ago, due to my epilepsy concerns, so I have actually seen my own colon. LOL
I am also new to this forum stuff. I can't figure out how to add my meds to my posts. I'll get there. I am an old chick
Thanks again

 

[glum chump]

Hi Lightblb

Welcome to the forum! It's never easy when you have two serious chronic illnesses. I have MS along with Crohn's and I find that sometimes, the two run into each other in an unproductive way!

There's a whole section on the forum dedicated to "Diet and Fitness" and another that's filled with medical information titled "Treatment." I'm sure you'll find lots of good information and people's experiences with both diet and different medications.

Low residue diet is really good to try to get the gut to slow down and give you some pain relief. Hopefully, the prednisone will kick in and control some of the symptoms as well

Again, welcome to the forum, Lightblb!

Cheers,

Kismet

 

[littlefreebird]

Lightblb if you'd like to add your meds and other info to the end of your posts automatically you can click on the 'user cp' near the top left of the screen, then read the options to the left click on the one that says 'edit signature'.

 

[Nico85]

Ive had Crohns for 6 years and havent changed 1 part of my diet and have been fine, with few symptoms.

 

[Nico85]

Ive yet to hear of anyone die of crohns but thanks for brightning up my day anyway

 

[AlenP]

is an inflammatory disease of the both the small as well as the large intestines, It mainly affects gastrointestinal tract. its symptoms are stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting & it may even cause weight loss. Its affects an individual badly just like any other disease like epilepsy might.

 

[Goldfish]

Hi Lightblb. Hope you are ok and welcome to the forum. There are so many questions I know but you can browse through loads of threads here and find some answers to the queries. I believe there are some suggestions for books on here too (I confess I have not gone there yet) so you might find something useful. Best of luck.:welcome: