New Crohn's patient in really bad flare w/ constipation, need diet help

I was in the hospital for 5 days last week due to extremely severe abdominal pain.

They diagnosed me with Crohn's disease and there is currently an absess/fistula/stricture in one of my intestines.

When I got out of the hospital I read tons and tons on the proper diet for Crohn's disease, but it is extremely confusing. I think the fact that I'm battling an infection right now complicates things a little more.

I haven't been experiencing any real diahrea since I got out of the hospital. But I have been experiencing really bad abdominal pain and what I think is constipation. My stool is sort of solid, but it's very dark and mushier than what I would consider normal stool.

Yesterday my abdominal pain started to get really bad again, I felt really blocked/bloated and was in alot of pain. This morning I felt really sick (almost like I had a fever) until I was able to pass an abnormally large amount of stool, and now I'm feeling alot better.

I'm already scheduled to have another CT scan and see the GI again in about 10 days. But until then, I need some serious help figuring out what I need to put in my stomache that will prevent this severe pain and help me heal.

I've read some places that high fiber is good, other places that fiber is my enemy. Some places say eat raw fruits, other places say avoid fruits. It's all just very confusing.

I'm also lactose intolerant so that complicates things a bit more.

These are some specific questions I have, but any advice you have is greatly appreciated:

- What kind of grains are okay (what kind of bread should I be consuming, if any?
- Is oatmeal okay?
- What fruits/veggies should I be grabbing, and which ones should I be avoiding? (is apple sauce okay?)
- Are high protein drinks like Ensure/Boost and Soy Milk okay? I've been drinking alot of this kind of stuff lately. They SEEM okay, but sometimes it seems like how sweet they are may be making matters worse (not really sure).
- Should I try to eat some lean meat like fish/chicken/turkey right now, or should I stick to more liquidy things?


Also any suggestions for what times / how frequently I should be eating would be very helpful.

You're doing good drinking nutrition drinks... (You gotta make sure you get some nutrition in you, even if you don't feel like eating or drinking anything)... Make sure to drink water and stay hydrated...

Bread is generally pretty safe.... Since you have a stricture, I think you should avoid raw fruits and vegetables because they can be hard to digest and you're already in dire straits... Meat is generally okay (avoid tough meat, though)... Apple sauce would be pretty good (its easy on your stomach)... Oatmeal... See if you can handle it... if it causes you pain after a couple of times of eating it, don't eat it anymore...

A lot of figuring out diet is trial and error... The biggest thing I can tell you is to avoid seeds and/or nuts and spicy food....

Keep a food journal... Write down what foods you eat... and how you feel after eating them... If you notice something that consistently makes you feel bad... Get rid of it...

Hi all: How much pain is bad/or ok? How do you know if you have a fistula-are they only seen by CT's? My right upper, mid and lower right abdomen aches after eating pretty much anything. I have ordered the SCD book which should be coming by early next week. Have bought a pretty complete mulivit and omega's. Where do you all usually find the probiotics and prebiotics? Are there better ones? This is all very confusing, but thanks for any suggestions you might have.

Go to https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=17&m=1533705 and scroll down a little bit. You'll find a lengthy post I made about starting SCD . It can be tough in the beginning, but when you think about it, you can still eat many of the foods you probably eat right now (meats, veggies, fruits, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nut butters, certain types of beans). You sub honey (or saccharine) for sugar, only eat fermented dairy, and sub nut flours/butters for grains. The hardest thing to get used to is cooking everything, and not being able to just open a box or order takeout.

Just don't rush into eating advanced foods! Some people dive in and start eating anything on the legal list, like raw fruits and veggies and lots of nut baked goods. Not a good idea! Start by cooking everything (you may even want to puree in the beginning), and hold off on the baked goods until you're feeling better.

Good luck! If you have any SCD questions, either EMom or I should be able to help .

I personally follow a low residue diet all the time and that works best for me. Usually when flaring this is a diet that I have dieticians recommend to me. I am currently in remission and still follow a modified version of this diet. You can google it and get some diet ideas. I find it less restrictive and less work than the SCD. JMHO

When I had strictures my doc told me to use chewable supplements. I had an x-ray that showed 4 calcium caplets just sitting in my terminal ileum. Luckily, they passed thru, although it was painful. Since then, I use chewables or powder. My enzymes are designed to dissolve in the stomach so they aren't a problem. Good luck.