My mate has Crohn's and is loosing weight fast!!!

[Mymatehascrohns]

Hello. I've been trying to cope with this on my own, but have finally realized that is pointless. My live in boyfriend has lost over 40lbs in the past year simply due to not being able to keep food in his system long enough for it to process. That along with his list of "safe" food getting shorter... I'm at a loss. He refuses to go to the doctor because his insurance refused to help cover when he had to go to the ER for his last major flare, and he has decided he will not have surgery. What's making it all more emotionally draining is that I'm gaining weight and it's messing with my health and self confidence. I know it's a major sob story, but I don't know where else to go or what to do. I feel like I'm watching him waste away... anyone who has any advice I'd be grateful. I need to find some way to help him put some mass back on. I'm almost certain he will not be able to come back from another bad flare.... please help...

 

[Kgary7]

Hello, I know the feeling you are going through in a way,I'm 24 and I have Crohn's and its no fun. I lost 100 pounds in one year. I'm 6'3 and at the time i had dropped down to 164, I was skin and bone. ask your partner to go to a GI doctor and ask for prednisone. it helps make you hungry and you eat like a animal. also look into therapy for your mate as well. Some don't like to talk about it but Crohn's can have a major effect on your mental health. When I first found out I had it I was sad. Five to six months in i was close to depression. The constant feeling of "there is nothing that i can do and all I feel is pain" lingered in my mind so much i stopped talking to my friends and family. I secluded my self and it only made it worse. I wanted to die and be done with it but there was help. Talk to your mate and be there for them. My friend called me and asked where i was and came, walked up and gave me this big hug and said " Idk what all is going on bro but what ever it is your not going through it alone". that one moment made this fight less hard for me and could keep moving forward.

 

[carnold1435]

I also understand what you are going through, My boyfriend when we met two years ago was at 200 pounds, he is now at 130. I have no idea what to do with how thin he's become. It breaks my heart to see him so unhealthy. Unfortunately, prednisone was a bigger problem for him then benefit. He was on it long term (multiple years) and eventually it caused his knee for lack of medical terms to disintegrate, leaving him in a serious bone transplant surgery and unable to walk for three months. All you can do is give your support and let your friend know you will always be there.

 

[ronroush7]

Have you tried a nutrition shake to put the weight back on? Try to avoid Ensure. Most varieties of this have carregeenan which is supposed to be bad.

 

[steve55]

What I used to do is drink Peptamen which is made for GI impairment and is easy to digest. It helped me maintain my weight and keep up my strength. I would buy it on Ebay for around 30 to 40 dollars a case. The Jr version often goes for cheap but as far as I can tell they are relatively similar. Its not the most pleasant tasting but you get used to it.