Question for Soup Dragon

[colin84]

Or anyone come to think off it. I have been allowed to eat now for 2 weeks since being on Modulen.

I am feeling absolutely fine (although hungover after a wedding yesterday) but I don't really have an appetite for food. I am going dairy and gluten free and just having a main meal in the evening at the moment - usually meat and potatoes (no skins). However there have been a number of days where I am quite happy to go without food and just have the modulen.

So my question is - is this normal? Should I be worried about my complete disinterest in food? Is it a sign the crohns may be flaring - even though I feel absolutely fine? Or is it a complete psychological thing that will pass? I am seeing my consultant on Monday so may raise it with him.

I am also now totally paronoid after I have eaten about every litte stomach rumble and am even imagining stomach pains!

 

[Jeff D.]

Yes that is completely normal. After not eating your stomach gets used to not having much food in it so everytime you eat right now your nerves in your stomach go into hyperdrive and freak out. Don't eat just one meal a day, instead it several very small meals even if it's just one banana or half a banana or something like that. If you are eating meat and potatoes then that could be why you get so full. Instead eat a 3 ounce portion of chicken, maybe by itself until you start getting more of an appetite. Then eat some mashed potatoes or a baked potato. If you can tolerate apple sauce then you may want to try a little of that as well.

One thing that will help you is to start a journal if you haven't already and that will allow you to track what makes you feel good and what doesn't.

 

[soupdragon69]

Hi Colin,

As Jeff says it is a completly normal response.

Other thoughts I would have in addition to Jeffs are:

One "feeling" I had and still get is that you feel totally safe on the drinks because mentally you KNOW they help you and physically you feel better once settled on them and they have the impact nutritionally and inflammatory wise. Does that make sense?

The rumbles just show your stomach and gut are functioning more in relation to passage of food so dont worry.

Psychologically you almost become obsessed with food when you are on the drinks and then when you finally can have what you want (within your diet restrictions) you arent interested! I know its weird Colin but you will get there.

PM me any time if I can help in any way at all ok?

 

[kello82]

Psychologically you almost become obsessed with food when you are on the drinks and then when you finally can have what you want (within your diet restrictions) you arent interested! I know its weird Colin but you will get there.

i can relate to that bit! when i was doing SCD the drive to eat sugary foods was completely overpowering! i thought about them 24/7 and was always thinking "oh if only i could have a cookie!" "just ONE bite of chocolate!"
and now i am off SCD (have been for a long while) and can have any sweets i want and guess what? im not interested at all! no cravings for cookies/candies/cakes whatsoever. pretty odd.

 

[colin84]

Thanks for your messages! I saw my consultant on Monday and he said basically all what you have said. He said the to continue introducing food really slowly and it is good if I have a few days of modulen only.

I tried pork for the first time on Sunday and suffered afterwards with stomach pains and dodgy tummy so I will avoid that like the plague!

Thanks again for your messages. My consultant said I will be on Modulen complimented with food for a year! Lucky that I can tolerate it!

 

[Momof2boys]

I dont mean to sound stupid here, but what is modulen?

 

[NatalieMT]

Modulen IBD is basically a milk type drink that you make up that's becomes a sole source of nutrition. It's similar to the Elemental diet which you may have heard of. It's especially for crohn's patients and it works to help down regulate the inflammatory response associated with active disease.

It's okay really I've been on a Modulen and Elemental diet before. The Modulen is quite good because it can be made in many flavours, whereas my Elemental was in the form of the E028 cartons which are only in summer fruits, grapefruit and orange/pineapple. It is difficult to not have anything but the drinks for the first week or so but after that it's relatively plain sailing and it usually helps drastically improve symptoms. I know Colin had a lot of success, as had Soup Dragon along with myself included. I'm part entering a new flare so my new gastro consultant has suggested I go back on it and I actually agree it's probably one of the best ideas!

You can read more about Modulen here - http://www.nestlenutrition.co.uk/healthcare/gb/products/Pages/FAQs.aspx