Med free

[huskyjerk]

Hello all. I was diagnosed with Crohns when I was 12 years old. 16 years later 3 surgeries and every medication known to man, here I am. Med free since 2003. My last surgery was in 2002. After surgery I decided not to take any meds, they didnt seem to be helping anyway. I still have bad days usually after i have been eating wrong. The foods that get me going (pun intended) fast foods , fried foods , pork , and sugars. Oh and spicy foods , my weekness. Has anyone else here been able to control their crohns with diet?

 

[Jeff D.]

Thats great that you have been med free for that long. Welcome to the forum.

Good luck

 

[mikeyarmo]

Hi HJ. Welcome to the Forum.

Some people have been able to use diet to control their disease here, but many still take medication. I had found fried foods in the past to be trouble for me also, but now they are fine (but I still do not have them often).

 

[Skinsfan1229]

Anti-inflammatories

I still think you should be taking some sort of anti-inflammatory, even if it is a supplement type. Inflammation gone untreated can porforated your bowel or make deep ulcerations.

 

[Valentina]

hi and welcome!!
Ive never been able to control anything with diet.. or maybe its that Ive never been able to control my diet!?

hope you can find something that works for you. Im all about the meds, but I can see how being med-free must be a very nice change after being on them all for so long.

 

[skeet]

Aloha huskyjerk & welcome to the forums. I'm surprised that you can't eat pork. It's so much easier to de-fat than beef (because beef has so much marbeling.) Pork and chicken (de-fatted) are my protein mainstays (along with peanut butter & tuna.) I don't have Crohn's but share many problems with the rest of you due to the loss of a large section of bowel. Like most of y'all, I have to avoid seeds, heavy spices (tough for one raised in New Orleans!) anything chunky or fibrous and (siiiiiiigh!) fats.

Congrats on being med-free! Hope it lasts!

 

[devildee(donna2005)LOL]

Hi :welcome:
congrats on being med free, ive been med free since my ileostomy in 2003

 

[Karen]

My door is always open if your wanting a NEW FRIEND to chat with so drop me a note anytime ... so have a great time here !! See you around soon !!

 

[Kbear]

Hey Huskjerk!

Yes, I have been able to be healthy by balancing my diet, stress and sleep. It is a very persistant way of living, in which you have to somewhat submit to living your life in a different way. I was diagnosed five years ago with UC. I have now been taking a herb, which is an anti inflamatory. I have been taking now for two months, and have noticed such a drastic difference that I have continued to buy Maxi Boz Boswellia Serrata auyervedic herb from the local health food store. I searched Boswellia Serrata on the internet, in which they are doing studies on it's effect on inflamation in the body and healing of the body. I have to say that I am able to eat alot more of what I want, and my health has improved by 70%. Very happy these days.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

Kbear

 

[Ruthg]

Hi Huskyjerk,

glad to hear you are med free, well done. I don't control my crohn's with diet, I take meds and have had surgery, but I am very careful about what I eat. I know what makes me feel uncomfortable. I almost never eat red meat now (as I have trouble digesting it,) or spicy foods, milk, (in moderation), fried food, and too much white bread. Aall the above can cause problems so I tend to eat only very occasionally or not at all, so in a way I suppose I manage to a certain extent. I used to smoke, quite heavily too (around 25 a day) and found that also made my symptoms worse. I eventually gave up when I was told I had bone thinning. Thats one of the downsides of eliminating things from your diet, we need certain foods, like calcium. If you are truly symptom free, I would have thought you won't have any swelling anywhere (you would have symptoms and discomfort surely?) so therefore whats the point in taking meds cos they won't be doing anything. My meds didn't stop me from having a relapse and they were supposed to.
Good luck to you. Hope you stay well for a long time.

 

[koey]

I share your med free/remission status as well. I have been med free since July 2001 using diet and stress management to control the symptoms. I was first diagnosed with Crohns in 1986 while in the emergency room enduring the nail digging/biting/excruciating/want to die pain and then each year just got a little bit better until my physician said to try med free and give him a call once in awhile to let me know how it is going. A welcome relief and disbelief at the same time leaving me with the feeling of riding my bike for the first time. So far so good and that is exactly what scares me.

 

[Cara Fusinato]

I'm med free too, using the mangosteen juice option. It works for me. And reading about all the meds on this board, I am glad I made the choice I did, especially since I live an hour from any form of medical facility. I have really come to think that the meds do little, it's up to the body.

 

[wi_girl]

Congrats.I didnt know with crohns it was possible to be med free.I thought pills were pretty much a daily thing for life.

 

[Skinsfan1229]

I dont think its recommended to be med free wi girl. Inflammation gone untreated is NOT a smart thing and a GI should be telling people this. Crohns is not curable...just because you have a surgery or do ok for a while with no medication doesnt mean its the smart thing, nor its working.

Seems to me that more peopel with UC can control their symptoms with diet, and especially stress management easier then Crohns patients.