What can I eat in crohn’s remission?

[FiveOh]

Hey everyone, I am 17 years old and I was diagnosed with crohn’s last week, and i was curious about remission. A couple years ago, I think had a flare up but i had no idea it was crohn’s, i thought it was an allergy so we left it untreated. I went into remission for about a year after that, and i could eat just about anything i wanted, I ate fast food, hot foods, nuts, pizzas, you name it, and i had no problems with stomach issues. It felt great! Then i started having another flare starting a couple months ago. We went to the doctors office, and we figured out that I have crohn’s. Now that it is officially diagnosed, I am starting Remicade within the next month. I am also on the EEN diet which is helping my flare as well. I am currently on prednisone, which i will be weaning off soon because i am starting remicade. My question is, once i go into remission again, am I allowed to eat whatever I want again? I love fried chicken and pizza, but i’m sure it’s ok to eat it maybe once a week or so right? It was fine the first time I was in remission but will it be worse this time because it is my second flare? And now that the crohn’s is actually being treated, will remission last for longer due to the meds i am starting? I am all about eating out, and I really don’t want to give that all up, it’s a thing i like to do. i’m just curious if I can go back to eating whatever again once i’m in remission. Thanks

 

[BilboTheApe]

Hey FiveOh,

There doesn't seem to really be any one diet which all people with Crohn's do better on. A number of diets people have had success with. SCD, semi vegetarian, Crohn's exclusion diet are just to name a few. There is lots of info online and on this forum detailing them.

It might be helpful to keep a food journal and see which foods agree with your gut and which do not.

I personally wouldn't rely solely on medication, but would use it as one piece of the puzzle. For something as complex as Crohn's I think it is super important to have as many tools at your disposal as possible.

Medication, diet, exercise, supplements etc can all be part of the mix. I have no studies to back it up, but I would hazard a guess that those patients who really invest in their health, and approach it from a number of angles do the best in the long run.

I hope that makes some sense.

Best of luck mate!

 

[TraceyA]

My daughter is in remission thanks to methotrexate and infliximab. To assist in healing her gut she is avoiding gluten, yeast and red meat. She also has quite a few vegitarian meals each week. She takes supplements too - vitamin D, C, zinc, magnesium, fish oil, turmeric and folate.

 

[teeny5]

My GI told me I could eat anything in remission, however keep in mind anything that irritates the digestive tract in general will be more irritating to mine. Of course a healthier diet is better for overall health...he said avoid spicy, greasy, and fried foods. He recommends fiber and probiotic supplements. He always says fiber is essential for gut health. That being said, I can pretty much eat what I want. Some days I can’t tolerate fried food, but in general I try to eat them minimally. Your best bet will probably be to add in a couple of things here and there and see how it goes. Even when flaring what works for me might not work for you. You have to listen to your body. Too much veggies and fruits sends me. to the toilet, but burgers and fries are fine. My body is nuts!
Also, I ALWAYS take my meds and never any other pain killers other than Tylenol. My GI is adamant about both. I’ve been in remission for years, I feel so fortunate. However, I worked hard to get here and I will work hard to stay in remission for as long as possible. I would warn anyone to not get too cocky when they achieve remission and do things that are a detriment to not only their GI tract, but also their health in general.

 

[Hrodri327]

I like you love to eat out and enjoy burgers and fries, pizza ahh.... I was diagnosed 2 years ago and it's been a struggle getting into remission not because of my diet but getting my insurance to cover my meds. I have became aware of how my gut reacts to certain foods and drinks. I have cut down on my soda and drink more water and cut out alcohol to the occasional, "Chavela" once a month. But I do still indulge in my IN-N-OUT burger and pizza etc. I have not been able to tolerate pasta and heavy cream sauces but I actually don't miss it as much. One thing I have noticed is actually making better choices when I do eat out and not on purpose, crazy?? I definitely would do food diary I have also found out I have a mild gluten allergy and I have actually been adjusting my gluten intake and that has helped a great deal. Like teeny5 said you will have to listen to your body and what works for others might not work for you. Good Luck FiveOh

 

[BilboTheApe]

I would warn anyone to not get too cocky when they achieve remission and do things that are a detriment to not only their GI tract, but also their health in general.

I think this is a very important point. When things are going well we sometimes tend to get complacent. For any sort of healing to work and really last, I think commitment is an important part of it. This doesn't just go for illness but for any changes we make in our lives. For change to really have power, it has to be stuck with.

Whatever you find works and keeps you well, I encourage you to stick with it! Peace out lol.

 

[SLakes]

My question is, once i go into remission again, am I allowed to eat whatever I want again?

I don’t know where you’re located but, if you were in the UK you should have been given dietary advice

The LOFFLEX (low fat fibre exclusionary diet) is the recognised way of determining what particular foods trigger your flares. We’re all different.

But as the title says, generally speaking low fibre and low fat diets work best. So white bread not brown or wholewheat. White rice not brown. Potatoes not spinach

If you follow the LOFFLEX diet you can systematically include and exclude specific foods that work and don’t for you

Heres a link to the LOFFLEX booklet online

https://drruscio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/LOFFLEXDIET.pdf

 

[Delta_hippo]

What to eat to help stay in remission is a good question as there are a lot of different diets out there and different things work for different people. So no easy answer. Personally I follow perfect health diet (gluten free, carbs from potatoes and rice not cake, some dairy, lots of healthy fat, meat, fish, veg, fruit, bit of dark chocolate) and take vitamin d supplement and am nowhere near as bad as I used to be but I switched biologic at the same time so don’t know for sure what role diet played. Also I am still not in remission so not claiming to have all the answers.
Good luck whatever you decide

 

[Mountaineer01]

As the others have stated, everyone is different. My GI doctor told me to limit things like red meat, dairy, and things that are overly greasy or spicy. I was also told to avoid uncooked vegetables at all cost.

It's really trial and error. What works for one may not for another.