Questions on food and flares.

[tlc-x]

Okay, so a few questions that I have. As you all know i'm undiagnosed, very poorly, crohns runs in the family, blah, blah, blah.

Does anyone else get poorly and in lots of pain after eating food? Sometimes hunger feels better than the pain from eating - for me. Anyone else? I told my doctor that I get poorly after eating, evenings are the worst cos it's at the end of the day and i've had a bigger meal in the evening than breakfast and lunch. My doctor said that i'm fine, that shouldn't happen. My blood tests say i'm fine and she lives by these blood tests I swear! If a blood test says i'm fine, then i'm fine to her - even though i'm not and in lots of pain.

I know some of you will suggest food diary and maybe certain foods set me off and make me poorly which is true, some do and I have stopped eating them. I have got food diaries and we change meals around etc.

Onions and garlic will start a flare off and i'll be ill for 6 months haha, not cool! Is it possible that some companies don't put all the ingredients on the packaging and not bother - then I eat it thinking it's safe and then get poorly? I am usually at my worst Sunday evening/Monday and Mum suggested that maybe there is onion in my gravy stock even though it says it doesn't contain it. Wondering if anyone knew?

Also, alcohol. Does that start flares or make anyone poorly? I don't drink it because I don't want to risk it but mum cooks with it some days and i'd be nice to know for the future.

Thank you friends! :rosette2:

 

[Jennifer]

There's no evidence that food causes flares but it does play a roll when you're already in an active flare. If your blood work shows no inflammation then it could be a stricture from scar tissue rather than active inflammation. That's just a guess. Sounds like a second (or tenth) opinion from another doctor is in order until you find out what's actually wrong. As for alcohol, everyone is different. Even while I was in a very active flare and on high doses of Prednisone, I could drink most people under the table no problem. Yet many users on the forum can't drink. The more pure the alcohol though, the less it will affect you (beer can bloat etc while vodka wont). Also, when people cook with alcohol, it doesn't all completely burn away and there is still some in the meal so you've had some already.

 

[mickey]

Changing the way you eat may help. Eating smaller meals every few hours, with last meal 6:30pm (latest) and perhaps small snack around 8pm (if needed). I would suggest the larger meal in the morning. I used to have my "dinner" for breakfast and found smaller meals later helped me learn to digest foods better. I never make heavy meals, but made better meals, no breads, For instance, salmon for breakfast with vegetables. May help to play around with when you eat and amounts and see what works best for you.

 

[Awbrey]

I feel like acid is being poured down my intestines when I drink alcohol
so I can relate. I think food has a big role in it as well, I notice if I drink a ton of smoothies I dont feel so sick. As soon as I eat a mean i can instantly feel it going through and depending on what it is I get d right away.

 

[Miss Underestimated]

I think everyone is different - I can eat blueberries, but not green peas. Go figure.

 

[rygon]

I find no matter what I eat, if it is a large portion i feel bad. Also things like haribo (jelly sweets really get me).

Theres loads of food that get me, especially ready meals.
I make all my foods myself (I love cooking) this includes sauces etc. the only processed foods I eat are cereals (sugar puffs, coco pops) crisps (not fried) and choclote (dark chocolate)

I really do enjoy cooking and if you are not used to it, it can take a while, but practice make perfect and all my cooked meals are made by hand (including pizza, pies etc). I know what is in it and more importantly they taste so much better (pizza I make that costs under £1 would cost £10+ in a restrauant).

So the thing is how are you going to change this?you could tell your mum who doesnt have a clue (nor willing?) to change her regime (like my mum) or you can start cooking for yourself. Start off easy and then grow on it, see how it tastes at each stage, change it, eat it, review it, then try again etc

 

[rygon]

If you cook with alcohol the alcohol itself is removed very quickly due to the heat. If you cant have alcohol you might be ok, if you can then see what type of alcohol it is. Im fine with white wine (as with white grapes) but red wines (as well as red grapes) play me up loads.

Its very much trial and error, if your mum doesnt agree with it theres no point in arguing, just refuse it and make something yourself. At your age I lived in a different city and had to fend for my self so if i can do it so can you

 

[PVail]

Ok so I get ill when I eat all the time. I can nearly feel the food getting stuck at my LRQ area. Then within on ehours comes the D. Drinking is like acid and i will be sick shortly afterwards. Reducing the size of meals definetly helps but i have found that most foods will now make me feel crap.I find excersise helps and sitting about doesn't.
Fish seems to be good and so is rice in small portions. unfortunatly i work night shifts so my body is really screwed up this week, constant Pain and D . lookin forward to gettin some sleep. Roll on & o Clock.

 

[Catherine]

Yes there is probably onion in the gravy, onion goes by many names
I can post you a list if you like.

Catherine

 

[tlc-x]

What's a stricture from scar tissue?

We're going to wait for the MRI scan, have a colonscopy and endoscopy and then get more opinions. I don't eat big meals for breakfast because then i'll be too poorly to go to college - even small breakfast makes me too poorly to go and eating nothing at all will make me pass out. NO WIN SITUATION

Well atleast I know that it's not just me who gets ill from even the tiniest piece of food - whatever it is.

Mum and I do cook everything from scratch because onion and garlic are in EVERYTHINGGGG and make me really ill and set flares off etc. So yeah, we cook everything from scratch

Thanks all of you x

 

[StarGirrrrl]

Hi Tash, I am probably telling you something you already know here, but sometimes with bowel issues you can have an attack for no reason... I had to run to the toilet several times one day last week, I went over everything i'd eaten for the previous 3 days, there was nothing I had done "wrong" and so I concluded it was just one of those times where it happened for no reason.

Yeah a small bite can set things off for me too. At my very worst it has been known for as tiny sip of water to send me running to the toilet- thankfully that is quite rare for me but it happens.

If your main problems are in the evening due to you evening meal then maybe consider trying having something small between lunch and dinner and as such a smaller portion at dinner time. My main problems are in the mornings, and one way I have to combat that is to tailor my eating the previous day (if for example early Hospital appointment when I need to be leaving the house early), ie either very little of light foods or having an earlier evening meal and then nothing after that (not even breakfast the next day).

 

[Jennifer]

What's a stricture from scar tissue?

A stricture in general is a narrowing of the intestines where food and liquids can have a hard time passing through. They can be painful when things pass. The reason why I suggested scar tissue is that it wont show up in your blood work where inflammation does (a stricture can also be caused by inflammation). Scar tissue can come from repeated inflammation (chronic inflammation) leaving a scar over time. http://www.medicinenet.com/inflammatory_bowel_disease_intestinal_problems/page4.htm So even if you have no signs of inflammation now, you may have battle wounds from previous bouts of inflammation that went untreated.

 

[CLynn]

Unfortunately, the foods that I digest easily are usually junk foods, cupcakes, etc. I try to mix with healthy, but didn't when it was at it's worst

 

[StarGirrrrl]

Clynn, yes in the past I have had to choose eating junk over having no food. Sometimes in life you've got to go with the "lesser evil!".

 

[Cupcake]

Exactly!! I remember the boyfriend I had at the time I was diagnosed yelling at me about the junk food, he thought that was most of my problem. Moron! lol!

You would be shocked how many times I've had people give me the 'healthy eating' lecture. They often suggested I should be eating more raw foods, fruits and nuts. While I understand they only meant well, I'm glad I didn't listen. One of my worst flare ups happened from eating a box of cashews.

I've researched many people's 'no go' foods with crohns and while I've had a lot in common with many people, there were things that no one else had issues with that gave me problems. I think the best you can do for yourself is to keep track of whatever you eat in a food diary. Be mindful, also, that any advice anyone gives you really might not work for you personally.

 

[Rebecca85]

Tasha- it is possible that companies are not fully listing all the ingredients in their food. For example, onions and garlic could be listed under 'spice extracts'. Also there is the possibility of cross contamination in the factory.

Personally I would try eating only plain fruit, veg, dairy and meat that you have prepared yourself using herbs- nothing processed like stock cubes- as this should lessen the chance of it being contaminated with something you cannot eat.