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Re - New on this site - Diagnosed w/Crohns last 3 months ( Looking for Good diet plan )

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 5/26/2013 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi , my name is Michael, 44 yrs. old ,im new on this site & have recently been properly diagnosed w/Chrohns 3 months ago. For the past 12 years, i was told from my former GP i had Ulcerative Colitis, lower left side. . Turns out after colonoscopy & blood tests, my new Doctor informed me that i have crohns 100%. I have been battling the many symptoms from 3-5 bowel movements in the morning, as well dealing with the pain & bloody , mucous stools for over 3 + months now. I am taking the following for treatment. 3 Gr. of Entocort once per day, Dexilant 60mg for Heartburn & 8 grams of Salofalk per day orally, w/Enamas when required to control & get the disease under control. I also take Clonazapan for anxiety/stress when i cant sleep, w/Percocet for pain as needed. Did a Bone scan last week, all is normal there.My concern now, is im only 30% better & beleive my diet may have something to do with it. I am seeing my GP tomorrow for follow up & hopefully i can get some answers as to why i'm not getting better quicker. I also do Karate , Black Belt & train 3-4 times per week, but have taken 2 weeks off to see if that makes a diffrerence. I beleive im better off training, as i feel better after my work out.

Qst?. Do i need to consult a Dietician through my GP & go on a strict diet, eliminating trigger foods which i already have a slew of them. I know this would help, but theres so many pro's & cons depending on the individual. In my case, i do have a beer or wine every other day, smoke a cigar once in a while & to releive some symptoms of nausea & discomfort. Seems to work for me. I dont eat nuts, legumes nor any high fibre products anylonger.
Any advice would be appreciated &/or a diet plan that someone can post or a link to a good website where i can research a diet program for Crohns.

Thanks everyone,
Michael

Post Edited By Moderator (teddybearweiser) : 5/26/2013 11:37:01 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/26/2013 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, I was diagnosed with crohns in 1976 and up to a month ago have not seen a dietician because my doctor did not recommend one.  Since I have seen her I feel better.  She gave me a 10 page list of foods they recommend and to stay away from.  Some of the foods recommended are as follows:  Cooked carrots, turnip, potatoes, squash, fish, chicken, and ground beef.  No lettuce, cucumbers (without skin), only peeled apples, banana, peeled pears and melons.  Those are easy to digest.  Hope this helps!  Take care! SUE
Posted 5/26/2013 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
Monitoring my food intake is very important for my remission, but I find special diets to be a waste of time. I recommend a food diary instead. Gluten and dairy are the usual suspects but any food can trigger symptoms.

Special blood tests indicated that gluten was safe for me to eat, but in reality it causes me problems. The SCDiet and Paleo say to avoid starchy vegetables, rice, corn, and grains in general but I find that they are no problem, except for wheat which contains gluten. They also say that shellfish and cruciferous vegetables are perfectly legal under their guidelines, but these are ‘poison’ for me and trigger serious symptoms.

Everyone is different, you need to find your own path.

BTW many of us find that supplements help. Probiotics are probably the most popular. Check our signatures to see how each of us manages this disease.
Posted 5/26/2013 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sue, \Babe in the woods , Thanks for your feedback & i agree , a diary is key to what i eat daily & i have since started to put one together ( Daily food diary, Meds etc ). I know from my past experiences that certain foods, ( Apples not peeled, NutS & Grains, Popcorn , Alcohol etc ), are my triggers. I typically eat alot of Poultry, Fish & some lean ground beef to make a Spag or low residue Chilli. Stress as well is another trigger for me , so i know that excercise & rest are key , other than taking Meds to relieve the symptoms. But i have to be honest, i sometimes have to take Clonazapan to chill.

Probiotics , i never really thought of , but i eat 1 Activia yogurt a day. Perhaps after i speak w/ my GP tomorrow, ihe may recomend something stronger in regards to probiotics.

For the time being, i will still consult a dietician for extra assistance , guidance as i progress along. Cant hurt, only make me wiser in my choices of meals etc.

Tonight, its Broiled Chicken Breast , w/Boiled carrots & Sweet patatos. lolol.

Thanks for your excellent advice & lets keep in touch.

Michael

Posted 5/27/2013 5:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Michael

While the advise you have been given, and was given to me when I was first diagnosed, might work for you, it does not sit well with me. My issues are two fold.
1) I have traveled all over, and love to eat local, so my list of foods is very very long
2) I believe (right or wrong) that others with scientific proof, of their position re diet will know more than me

So I kept a food diary but I also got books, read online and looked at research on the following diets. Makers, Gaps, Low FodMap, The Specific Carbohydrate Diet, Life Without Bread, Nourishing Traditions, The Probiotic Revolution, Low Res, Eternal (?), Glutton Free and a few others.

Although I learned something from everyone of the books, one of the diets spoke to me and I committed 100%. It took me 8 months before I saw any progress, but the diet helped me to stop all strong meds, allowed me to get fit and get back to enjoying life.

I have had my ups and downs but I have been doing this diet for 3 or 4 years now (not one day off) and I can still say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made as it relates to my health.

There is no single right answer, but wanted to give you a different perspective.

OBTW - I have never seen a dietician. My food choices are a result of tons of research and therefore reflects my knowledge and my bias. If I go to a dietician it will be the same for them. Some dietician's have a biased to Low FodMap, others to Low Res, or even others Glutton Free. I think you are much better off to do your own research, figure out what direction you feel is best for you, then if required get a dietician to support your decision based on your research. Dieticians would make sense if anyone could agree on a single "Crohn's diet" but one diet says eat rice the next says it will make you very sick. Again, I understand and respect there is no single answer for everyone, but thought I would give you a different perspective

Hope you quickly find a healing path through food as it has to be better for you than the strong drugs

dave
Posted 5/28/2013 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Dave ,

Thanks for your insight & advice. I agree a diary is key & continuing research is a must. Ive been online for weeks , in fact the past 7 years when i was dealing with UC.  I saw my Doctor  today & went over my Blood test results . Blood work looked good, low on Iron , otherwise all looked normal & recommended i start taking Vit-E & Calcuim . Done!.

I started my Diary , regardless of eating extremely healthy over the years & training 4-5 days a week. However, the triggers are not consistent w/my Crohns ive noticed & i truly believe part of it is what i'm eating, what i have to eliminate in my diet & target whats causing my flare ups.

Approx. 6 months ago, i got a stomach flu & thats where it all started for me. UC came back strong, did my routine 4 week of meds & then checked myself in the Hospital, only to find out i have Crohns as well. So , the Entocort is starting to kick in with minimal side effects, as well my Doc got me off of Salofalk & will try me on Preva 4grs. per day , along w/my vitamins. He has called for a CT Scan on my lower left side to verify if theres any ulcers etc., then perhaps another colonoscopy.

I can honestly say,i'm feeling better every day & since i have started keeping track of what i'm eating, food intake & no snacking at night. I'm actually feeling better finally.

 

I know theres no magic pill, so to speak, as we are all different . However , like you said i need to figure out what my triggers are & continue staying on that path.

Dinner tonight was " Turkey Burger, Mashed Patatoes & Boiled Cauliflower.lolol. We'll see tomorrow.

 

As for a Dietician, your right. My Doc said its useless because everyone is different & this disease is isolated by individual. I have to find my own relief & a diet that works for me. Excercise , no snacking after dinner & keeping the stress down i believe will be key to my success.

 

Anyways, thanks alot again for your in put & advice & i will keep everyone posted on progress.

The Diary is key,,, Thanks Dave & everyone else.

 

Cheers.

 

Michael

Posted 5/29/2013 1:36 PM (GMT 0)
I suggest reading the book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" about the SCD diet.  I have been on this SCD diet since my diagnosis in 2007 with fistulizing CD , and this diet has helped me heal two large rectal fistulas and put me in complete remission. Since  march of 2008, I have not had one symptom of CD.  The only drug I take is pentasa.

 This diet seems to work the best in newlly diagnosed people before a lot of damage has been done to your intestines. There is also a lot of people using this diet on this site, so there is a wealth of information  you can get here.  You have nothing to loose by trying it, and all to gain if it works for you.

Posted 5/29/2013 2:02 PM (GMT 0)
Good day & many thanks for the valuable info for this book. I will look into this weekend & get myself a copy. At this point, its week 1 - day 6 recording in my diary whats good for me in regards to Bfast, Lunch , Dinner.

Dairy products i have put to the test & based on my assesment, i get  cramping after i have had a glass of milk, Ice cream ( Low Fat ) &/or Cheese. Seems i may be lactose intolerant to some degree. I beleive thats why my GP prescribed me Vit-D & Calcium , other than for my overall bones etc.

So as of today, no dairy for 1 week to put it to the test. Will replace w/Soya & /or Almond Milk for now.

I also noticed Oatmeal ( plain w/Brown sugar ) in the morning seems to be working well for me. Is that part of the diet in this particular book.?.

Thanks again everyone, the support & advice is excellent & its starting to pay off.

Michael

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