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So I saw the dietitian yesterday

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 5/9/2012 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
I was 'loaf' to go, but in the end it wasn't too 'breadful'. Shoot me now, please. Before I make any more yeastly puns... >_>

Anyhow... I did think in advance it would be a total waste of time, but it wasn't entirely. I got weighed and found out I had put on a couple more kg. She was more pleased than I was. I know I needed to put on weight as I was underweight, but I feel like I'm just keeping on putting on weight now. I'm hardly overweight yet, but still... I need to buy new trousers, as they're all too tight now :-/

I described my symptoms. Not very well, as it's all so nebulous and each day is slightly different. One day I'll have endless stomach gurgles and rumbles. Another day I'll have quite bad pain. I always feel bloated and frequently uncomfortable. Anyway, on the basis of my crappy descriptions, the dietitian thought I was constipated. I asked why I still had liquid stools in that case. She didn't know, but thought it might be overflow diarrhoea (diarrhoea which passes around harder stool in the colon or rectum). I thought that too, but I dunno.

At any rate, she suggested upping my water and soluble fibre intake. (Not insoluble fibre, the stuff which is in bran, wholemeal bread, fruit and vegetable skins, etc.) So I have decided to take her at her word. I hate being constipated, and don't really like taking laxatives to deal with it. Have begun by drinking fruit juice again. Have also bought some berries and bananas for making smoothies with. I'm drinking more water - a lot of it in the form of hot water. I can hear the 'ewws' already, but I actually like it. It feels soothing to my guts, more so than cold water.

Finally, I have partially returned to the Fortisips. Been having those for lunch. That has helped my stomach a bit, I think.

On the plus side, I feel like I have more energy than I've had in about a year. I dunno whether it's due to eating more, eating a bit more healthily at long last, or what, but it's nice not to feel shattered all the time.
Posted 5/9/2012 11:00 PM (GMT 0)
Hot water with lemon and ginger is always nice.
Posted 5/9/2012 11:09 PM (GMT 0)
Well, gosh golly, it's nice to see a post from you NCOT in which you are feeling better! I like it!
Posted 5/9/2012 11:27 PM (GMT 0)

kazbern said...
Well, gosh golly, it's nice to see a post from you NCOT in which you are feeling better! I like it!

Enjoy it while it lasts; it'll be back to misery soon enough :p

@pettitarte - Yeah. I think I'll try lemon and/or ginger. I don't like herbal teas at all, but as that has no tea in it it might be all right.
Posted 5/10/2012 2:53 AM (GMT 0)
If you have strictures be careful with the fiber. I do ok with metamucil tablets. I can eat some fresh fruit, but I can't tolerate fresh veggies at all. I am also really to happy to hear that you are doing a little better, and gaining weight is a good sign. Have you ever tried Miralax? It is considered safe with Crohn's. I like it because I can control how much I take according to how I feel, so I can just take 1/2 dose if I think I just need a little help. I don't take it every day. I hope you keep feeling better and better!
Posted 5/11/2012 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
Today was a bad pain day... >.>

Daytime was okay; drove my mum into Watford, bought a pair of half price jeans. Pleased about that <_<. But by evening, it was bad. I suspect there were minor obstruction issues going on >_<. The pain was like a milder version of the pain which preceded my visits to A&E. Anyhow, it's passed now.

@gumby - It's insoluble fibre that I'm wary of; soluble fibre is okay, as far as I know. I think it was what I ate yesterday which caused the problems today; a bottle of fruit juice with 2 of your 5 a day (so the label proclaimed); some bad pork with an even worse apple stuffing, which basically consisted of hard lumps of undercooked apple; a few carrots and a couple bits of broccoli and a root veggie puree.

I have indeed tried Miralax <_<. (It's called Movicol in the UK, but is the same thing.) I think I overdid it a bit last time I took it (4 sachets in one day) because I was due to meet a friend in London and I was paranoid about eating. It worked in the sense I got through the day itself without many issues, but the following day it was bad. I'm trying not to become dependent on needing a laxative to go, so I've upped my water intake by a lot, instead of just drinking tea/coffee 90% of the time. Touch wood, so far it's working, but I'll probably always need to use a laxative at times.
Posted 5/11/2012 2:25 AM (GMT 0)
ok, that makes sense...I have problems with insoluble fiber too...I always get them confused. I hate the obstruction pain! I'm sorry you are struggling and I hope it's temporary. Hang in there.
Posted 5/11/2012 3:37 AM (GMT 0)
You know, I was worried about becoming dependent on a laxative, but frankly I am past that. I will happily shout from the rooftop that if I don't take my [1/4 dose] Miralax my poop will not be regular! It's just a fact. I eat my fruits and veggies, I drink my water, I get my exercise, but I think my colon's nerve function is permanently damaged, and/or I have a stricture in the ascending to transverse colon preventing normal movement of stool. It just doesn't go. sigh.

I have tried metamucil here and there but it just makes me miserable. One thing I've learned recently is to move into a fiber addition very slowly. I might one day try it again, don't know.
Posted 5/11/2012 9:59 AM (GMT 0)
I had massive pain and a huge impaction once - hospital for a week; lots of pain management - and it came as a real surprise, as I had watery diarrhoea the whole time; the sort of bm you'd expect to see towards the end of a bowel prep.

If it helps, my old Guide and Scout handbooks swear by a glass of hot water first thing in the morning, with or without a squeeze of lemon juice, to help move / avoid the dreaded constipation.

Please do be careful with the berries. Those hard little seeds can cause enormous amounts of pain if your bowel is already in a bad way. Blueberries and strawberries can be safer options than, say, raspberries and blackberries.

All the very best; thinking of you,

Ivy.
Posted 5/11/2012 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
I take 6 fiber pills a day (combo of metamucil and citrucel) and a colace, and I still need Miralax once in awhile. Like Kazbern suggested, I added the fiber pills slowly over time. I also eat fresh fruit daily. I struggle more with veggies, but I have a lot of cooked spinach for the iron. I think we are all different. My GI isn't worried at all about me being dependent on laxatives or colace. I have very slow transit time in my colon, and I feel much better when I'm not constipated. I guess I'm just saying not to be afraid of the Miralax if it will work for you... it is over time to get your quality of life back!
Posted 5/12/2012 12:45 AM (GMT 0)
I SWEAR by 1 or 2 teaspoons of epsom salts dissolved in water.. My gp put me on to it because I am wary of becoming reliant on laxatives etc..

funnily enough I was speaking with the nurse on the endoscopy unit yesterday about it and he said they had done a trial where the patients were given tablets of magnesium sulphate (epsom salts) and it cleaned them out JUST AS WELL and the usual prep kits.
Posted 5/13/2012 3:23 AM (GMT 0)
gumby - Thanks, I will :p

kazbern - I worry about my colon being permanently damaged too! You could, I suppose, get a nerve function test (if one for the colon exists) or a colonoscopy. At least the Miralax works well for you, which is great. My nightmare would be to have colonic inertia, where not even heavy duty laxatives work. I'm not against laxatives per se. I'd willingly take one dose of Miralax a day if it regulated my BMs, but it doesn't really work like that for me. I still have a random pattern of going, with the usual symptoms. I don't actually think taking Miralax makes things worse, but just in case it does, I prefer not to take it except as necessary.

ivy - I remember you talking about that :-/ I couldn't swear to it, but I don't think I have an impaction anywhere. I wouldn't mind having an x-ray to see if my colon was choc-a-block with stool all the same, though. As for the hot water, been there, doing that, wearing the t-shirt <_<. I drink several cups of hot water throughout the day. Even if they don't have any immediate effect, I'm pretty sure they help later on. My colon just seems to be soaking up liquid like a sponge atm.

gumby (again ;p) - I've upped my fruit intake and it feels good - blended a punnet of blueberries today with some vanilla yoghurt and milk, and it was pretty nice. Got enough left for tomorrow as well. As far as veggies are concerned, I'm lucky in that I can eat them, as long as they are not undercooked and half raw. I did avoid them for a while, though.

@Leebie - Thanks! Upon that recommendation, I shall buy some epsom salts and give them a go.

Cheers everyone :p
Posted 5/13/2012 9:47 AM (GMT 0)
let me know how you go? I'm having the moviprep atm and I would MUCH rather take the capsules of epsom salts.. OMG this stuff is DISGUSTING! i really do not know how I am going to get through another litre of it :-s
Posted 5/13/2012 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
lolzers, I feel your pain *sympathetic hug* :p

I haven't always been able to get through the full 2 litres myself. You can stop when you're passing light yellow 'water'; you're cleaned out enough by then. Good luck!
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