My New Member Inquiries

[Kaellpae]

My fiance is currently in the process of getting diagnosed with Crohn's and IBS. I've been searching foods she can and can't eat and there is a large list of "can't" foods. I've told her that it all depends on the person and the way the food is prepared, but she doesn't want to try the foods because it's on one of the lists. Have any of you looked through the lists to see what the general article writers say that you can't eat? If so, how accurate is that?

My second question is, do you receive social security benefits for Crohn's? My fiance has tried to get jobs, but when she's out and having to be working with all the pain that she's in it ends up having to quit. We're hoping to start good reactions from her medicine soon. She was on Entocort for a year and it had no effect for her. I'm not sure of the name of the new medicine she's been put on, but it's a medicine for cancer patients. Searching google it looks like it's an antimetabolite.

I'm looking for any info that I can get to help us cope with this change for us. And any info for when we finally get the official diagnosis.

Thank you. Kaellpae

 

[Kaellpae]

I wanted to add something for questions.

I've noticed that beef is on a lot of lists. Would other red meat be likely risk foods? Deer, Elk, or Bison?

 

[moogie]

Welcome on the site...

Would it be Infliximab or remicade?

As for food, forget the list I say and try out the foods themselves. When you get a reaction stay away from it. I eat meet like crazy and except for italien sausage I do not get any reactions. I eat rice and my stomach hurts.

We are all different so it's hard to say what works with one person won't work with another. Trial and error is the best bet.

ON a side note using common sense helps too. Don't eat chili or things that are 911 hot. Those are no good for all stomachs

 

[Kaellpae]

I just looked at the pill bottle label and it says, Mercaptopurine with is a substitute for Purinethol.

 

[chrisnsteph1022]

Ah, that's 6MP. It's an immunosuppressant. Does she take anything for the pain? I have to take percocet for pain, but am able to work (most of the time). As for the food, one of the biggest no-no's is popcorn. I can eat that with no issues. I cannot eat steak. Haven't tried the other types of red meat you listed, though. But everyone is different. It's best to try it and see what happens.

 

[723crossroads]

Hi I am new to the forum. Have had crohn's for years I think, just misdiagnosed.I had a colonoscopy in Aug 2011 and crohn's showed up in illeum and colon. I was on asacol last year and it did nothing. Then entocort for 6 weeks and it helped me for about 6 months I'd say. Now I am in a flare worse than ever. I am on cholestyramine.It was originally made for people with high cholesterol but they found out it helps with crohn's patients and people with too much bile acid. It forms a stool and controls the diarrhea and it works great for me. I also have too much bile acid from the liver and it helps control that as well. Was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia and myosis and arthritis. Have had alot of joint pain and eye pain. Headaches so bad for months on end. Had a catscan and nothing showed up. So, they think it was from the fibromyalgia. I get weird rashes mostly red bumps that itch and eventually will go away. I have alot of rib area pain on left side and around to my back. Lower back pain and spasms. I donot have a regular job anymore. I clean for my sister to help out with bills. I keep an upbeat attitude. Effexor xl has helped me alot with that and fish oil and vit.D3 are everyday vitamins. Also biotin as my hair was falling out really bad. Anyone have any advice for me or want to share, please do. Teresa:ysmile:

 

[Trevor]

My understanding is that beef is on those lists because it's a common allergy/sensitivity.

My family hunts a lot and while two of us have IBD and two more are allergic to beef we can all eat bison/deer/moose just fine.

But these things do vary (and a lot of ground game meat will have beef tallow or something similar as filler, watch out for that).

 

[PattyLynn]

I can eat all red meat as long as it is tender. I can't eat chicken, though. Everyone is different. When she is in pain, she probably doesn't feel like eating anything, so drinks like Ensure or Boost are good. Soft foods like yogurt may also be easily digested. She should try small amounts of foods to see which ones agree with her and which do not. It really is trial and error but things that are hard to digest in a 'healthy' person (i.e. corn, nuts, seeds) could be really hard to digest for someone with Crohn's. And definitely spicy foods are risky!

 

[Keepingfaith]

Like others mentioned, it all depends on the persons lifestyle, disease location, and disease severity as to diet. I can not tolerate red meats because it irritates the Crohn's in my stomch and I wont have an appetite for days. Popcorn sratches up my smal intestine so that is a nono. Veggies get stuck in my patial obstructions in the colon and spicy foods just irritate everything. Especially my rectum. A lot of people with Crohn's have food intolerances or allergies from damaged parts of the intestine etc. It is always good to know where your Crohn's is located because specific places react to specific foods. A lot of people do food diaries. They help sometimes determine which foods cause what symptoms. It is worth a try. If your fiance is anything like me, one food could aggravate you one day and the next day you could try it again with no ill affects. Good luck to your fiance and you!

 

[Kaellpae]

My understanding is that beef is on those lists because it's a common allergy/sensitivity.

My family hunts a lot and while two of us have IBD and two more are allergic to beef we can all eat bison/deer/moose just fine.

But these things do vary (and a lot of ground game meat will have beef tallow or something similar as filler, watch out for that).

When my family manages to get anything during hunting season we have our own butcher area. We used to use the beef tallow as a filler, but recently we've just been doing as much lean as we can with no other filler.

We know that dairy is one of the foods she can't eat, and we've been managing to stay away from nuts and seeds, but we'll be trying to narrow down what she can and can't eat for a while I expect.

 

[FruitLoop]

I agree with the food diary - i can eat most meat but potatoes cause problems. I cannot eat bananas but most Crohnies eat them to slow things down.

During bad flares though all food causes problems and then theres times when a food that has never caused a problem will suddenly cause a problem.

Its not as simple as following a list of "good" foods.