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Caffeine Issues?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 9/25/2017 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
Does anyone experience urgency issues after drinking something with caffeine? After my first colectomy, I tolerated dairy and caffeine with no issues. I recently had my second colectomy in June and bowel movements have been a struggle. I've noticed that whenever I drink milk, coffee, or tea, I am running to the bathroom within 30 minutes of consumption.
Posted 9/25/2017 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Milk could definitely be a lactose issue. As far as coffee, I don't have IBD, and I rely on coffee to keep me regular. Only need it about twice a week, and I think it's the caffeine that stimulates the digestive tract.
Posted 9/26/2017 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
Caffeine is a known bowel stimulant, so if it is bothering you then that makes sense, and lactose intolerance can cause similar issues
Posted 9/26/2017 11:35 AM (GMT 0)
Coffee has a laxative effect on about 30% of people - it stimulates the distal colon (basically the end of your colon, so probably the rectum or sigmoid). It's not the caffeine. They don't know what it is, 'cos apparently coffee has 1000 different compounds. I'm not somebody who's affected, so I can drink even black coffee (slowly though, as it is kind of hard on the stomach).

www.medicaldaily.com/pulse/coffees-laxative-effect-why-coffee-makes-us-poop-energy-drinks-and-soda-dont-347060

@topic creator - I think it's more likely that those drinks are stimulating peristalsis (movement of the intestines), thus triggering the need to go. Perhaps your second surgery has made your bowels more sensitive - it happens. It takes about a year for the bowels to fully adapt to their new plumbing after any major bowel surgery, so give it more time and it may gradually improve.
Posted 9/26/2017 2:41 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks all for the responses. I tried to switch over to green tea with honey and within a couple of hours, I was running. The next day I avoided coffee and tea altogether and I had no urgency issues. Another time I had a Red Bull (which I believe has caffeine), and it was game over for me. It's only been four months since my surgery, so I hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel. On the other hand, not having coffee and/or caffeine is not necessarily a bad thing. Since I've been diagnosed with Crohn's, I've made conscious efforts to eat healthier. The silver lining I suppose.
Posted 9/27/2017 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
For me caffeine consumption on a regular basis means my crohns is going to flare.
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