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What if something else is wrong...

I'm afraid because .. i'm even counting calories and Def. Getting enough to maintain or even gain weight..

I've added Ensure to my diet. I've already had 2 today. Plan on drinking 3+ a day to get 1000 extra calories.

I still don't seem to be gaining.. i feel like im even losing.

I'm already deathly underweight.
I honestly am concerned. I've been in and out of my doctors office who feels that If I knock out the pain, i can eat more. she is right. The pain meds are helping but im still having pain..

but thats not the problem.. I feel like im eating and nothing is absorping.

started 2nd dose of MTX yesterday.
 
How many calories are you eating a day? How much do you weigh?

With Crohn's there is a definite ability to have malabsorption due to inflammation.
 
If you can boost that to 3000 calories you will start gaining weight. 1800 to 2200 calories will only maintain your weight and if you are getting 1800 calories depending on your age you will probably lose weight. I know how hard it is to eat when you aren't feeling like it but if you check out what Kello is doing in the food page on the anti-diet you may get some good tips. Try and eat something every hour, eat small meals instead of large meals several times a day, and count your calories.

I'm betting though if you eat something every hours, it could be 5-10 pretzels, you will start gaining weight because as you start doing this more and more your body will begin to crave food every hour and then your body will want more and more food every hours until you start packing the pounds.

Since you said you are in pain I'm assuming you are in a flare but when you get out of the flare start working out. There are tons of workout threads on here where BWS and I have given lots of advice on the topic but we will be more than happy to help you out when you come out the flare.
 
I hope you feel better soon kasper. I have problems maintaining my weight too, but nothing close to the magnitude of your weight loss.
 
Oh my! I thought I was too skinny at 5' 4" and 105! I hope you figure this out soon and find a way to start taking in some calories. You are in my thoughts.
 
Thanks all. Yes it's Very frightening. I have been counting. I always get to a 3000+ level... And gain some weight.. Thing is.. I always end up failing. I cant find my drug of choice. Hopefully this last MTX option helps.

Been drinking a lot of ensure drinks. Easy bagels and cream cheese.... little 100 Calorie Snacks.. Thanks!
 
its hard especially on the soft diets. I am around 6'1" and I had a hard time taking in more than 2k with soft stuff. The enriched bread came in handy and so did chocolate moose. I put protein powder or Carnation instant breakfast into anything I could too. They would not let me exercise on my home gym while on that kind of diet because I would easily burn off too many calories and continue to loose weight.

Hope you get it sorted out. I found the liquid/soft foods diet really helped me during the initial flare but I never get weight back until after my operation and I started eating meat and stuff again.
 
I feel pretty good today. I ate about 2350... Going to have 1 more ensure prolly.. and top off at 2600..

And i have a good amount of energy today.. The Ensure I guess Helps.
 
hey kasper!
well, you are doing better than me, my friend! thats something youve got goin for ya. was 87 at the docs on friday ugh!!

though i think our probkems are a bit different. you are eating normally but STILL not gaining/maintaining a healthy weight? my reason for underweight is that i just dont eat. i eat some, but not near enough. 1500 cal a day is a heavy day for me.

anyways, i HAVE been where you are though, eating everything you can to gain weight with no success. at these times, my crohns was most active. it seems like the absorbition of ANY nutrition just completely shuts down.
does stuff come out liike, whole, in your poo? for me nothing was breaking down, i would poo rice whole, vegetables esp, even those little tiny juice pockets that make up an orange? thay came out whole!!
that made me think that nothing was getting broken down in my stomach OR intestines.

do you take an antacid like prevacid or anything? just a curious random thought....
 
Update: So it's about 3 days now since i posted. I actually got up to 2200+2600 adding ensure. I have had a lot more energy since i added the ensure and eating every few hours small.

I feel my lower back injury is healing a bit now to. Nutrition is all about healing. Hopefully I can keep this up. As long as the pain meds keep working and the MTX has it's time to work.

I pray for good bloodwork
 
Good luck. I know its slow but keep up with the constant grazing kasper :)



I really wish I could PM you some of my love of food Kello :(

I just love the color, flavor and textures too much to loose interest in the stuff. Even when It is pudding, broth,cream soups and jello it can still be a bit of fun. Can you eat stuff like Banana bread? Do you ever feel like baking and then eating all the goodies you just made?
 
Good luck...I know when I'm sick with crohns...that is the hardest part...I look like a skeleton (yuck!). I feel for you...But, you are on the right track. Fingers crossed for you!!! Sue
 
all your friends always say Get better! feel well! i hope you get better.. and u laugh because they just say it. But you think they really "pray" or really wish I do.. Probably not? it's just good ediquite to say it.

but you all really mean it, thats awesome. Makes me feel a lot better because WE ALL KNOW what is going on... We all want atleast a few success stories to read about. Thanks!!

Im up to 2500-2650 in calories a day.. And for 105 pounds.. If i keep it up... We'll see improvment. Its only 2.5 weeks on MTX. So..... that means it can only get better.
 

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Glad you are onto a bit of recovery with everything, I was worried you were sliding in a downhill spiral... we all have been there and it is hard to stay positive but you are getting there! Fingers crossed for the Meth!
 
Hi Kasper:

Have you looked into Colostrum and L-Glutamine to heal your gut? I took both while in a pretty big flare last year. I took 8 Colostrum pills 2x day between meals and 3 grams of L-Glutamine 2x day between meals. I also sourced my Colostrum from New Zealand (they have the cleanest dairy heard--if it is indeed MAP that causes or triggers Crohns I certainly don't want to put more in my system).

Of course, what worked for me (to a degree mind you) will not necessarily work for others. But you never know.

Best wishes,
Chris
 
Hi there Kasper - I'm sorry you're having a rough time! I don't have the weight loss issues, so I don't know exactly what you're going through. However, I wanted to ask if you're seeing a nutritionist (maybe this was already addressed here...sorry if it was)? The reason I ask is because you're low weight but you're also low energy...you may benefit from not only increasing your calorie load but also making sure your diet is balanced. I know it's hard for most crohnies to eat certain foods, but making sure you get carbs, protein, fruits and veggies can help to increase energy (which may make your body work more efficiently to absorb the calories). I'm certainly no expert tho...I hope you start feeling better!!!
 
Philly, I weight trained for years. So Glutamine is my best friend. unfort, When your really flaring, it's hard to ever notice differences.

Rach, I have a really good nutritionist who i have seen many many times. Thing is, All my doctors are telling me to eat anything right now. I need caloric foods. BUT, I am eating pretty healthy IMO. Good Garlic Bagels with Cream cheese, Ensure Plus shakes, Blueberry loaf cake, (bakery organic).. Gatorade, a lot water.. Keeping away from toooo much sugar. But getting there.
 
Hi Kaspar, I have been there too . . . although the thinnest I ever got was 115 pounds (I'm also 5'11"). What helped me was drinking Ensure . . . I make milkshakes with them (soymilk, ensure, frozen bananas, and peanut butter) and try to force down at least 3 a day in addition to eating 3 meals and snacks. It's hard because I am not a big eater normally. I know it's not easy and really scary. I just had surgery about 2 months ago and have gained almost 10 pounds since then, by being vigilant in my food intake, so it can be done :).
 
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