meds and diet issues

Hey all, just a few questions on dieting, meds, and what not.
First the meds, I switched from asacol to generic 5-asa last week (a week and a half after being taken off prednisone) and it seemed like my body immediately worked its way into a flare. I also have had trouble breathing, which seems to get worse everyday along with some rashes forming on my face, and some extreme head aches and lower back pain. Thinking of switching back to asacol (darn the cost) to see if maybe this was an allergic reaction. Has anyone had issues like this before?

As for diet, I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I'm sure its clearly a rookie UC mistake somewhere in there, this is what I consume in a day:
8am-protein shake w glutamine
8 30 am- 1 1/2 cups oatmeal, 3 eggs, 3 egg whites
11 am - yogurt shake(1 cup greek yogurt, 4 strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1 banana)
1 30pm - chicken breast (nothing on it) white rice (nothing on it)
4 pm- 3/4 cup oatmeal, protein shake w glutamine, creatine, and leucine
5 pm - pre workout supplement (containing caffeine, arginine, geranamine, creatine)
7 pm - protein shake w glutamine, leucine creatine
8 pm tilapia and sweet potatoe or rice
11 pm - 3 eggs, 3 egg whites, waffles or oatmeal.

All shakes are taken with soy, and there are 2-3 cups of green tea consumed per day, sometimes I have a gatorade while working out. I know this is a long list, but its what I eat so if there's any suggestions on tune ups that I should make please fire away, thanks

l-glutamine and proteine shaked can add a boost to your UC.
also eggs, the yolk is verry rich in sulfites - wich are belived to trigger UC flares. Eggs are also commonly known for triggering allergies, especialy the white.

caffeine can be a problem also.

btw, you are using way off to many eggs even for a normal people. your liver will complain sooner or later.

oh, and i've forgoten - No UC people should eat after 8 pm. Give your bowels a rest during the night.

good luck !

All that oatmeal, protein supplement, banana, gatorade and soy would have me in extreme distress regarding gut pain, cramping and gas. That would be regardless of me in a flare or not.

What exactly are your complaints. Regarding flaring, exactly what are your symptoms?

How much are you working out?

q

LOL..sorry, but I laughed out loud at your parents' dog frightened by your tummy rumbling!

The not passing gas is definitely a symptom of limited rectal inflammation. I find it so much easier regarding symptoms when I have diarrhea...which isn't often anymore since flares are treated early when the inflammation is limited.

You really need to get onto a rectal med and stay off the prednisone.

I'm not a weightlifter, there must be a lot of other options that could help ease some of your discomfort regarding diet.

Have you tried quinoa? It can be used in place of the oatmeal. It doesn't seem to bother me, interestingly.

There's hemp protein, rice protein, etc.

You could try almond or rice milk. I recently saw something else on TV..can't remember, but thought it would be a good addition as well. What about Lactaid milk?

Soy, while it's good for those who can use it...it's high in estrogen.

REctal meds for sure. Maybe fibre supplements with your meals, nix the oatmeal, bananas..for now to see if your gut symptoms improve.

Maybe go a bit lighter on your weights?

Curious what body type you have?

q

If you have kept everything the same (diet, meds, supplements) and gotten worse when you changed to generic Asacol then it makes sense that is the problem.

Aside from that problem though, were you having other symptoms before you switched meds?
That's what I can't figure from your post.

FWIW I (who have very little success with supplements) like l-glutamine daily. Because I keep everything the same (don't add 2 or more new things at once) it definitely made an improvement in BM quality. I dissolve 1 tsp of it in water in the morning.

Although there are a few things in your diet that aren't in mine it sure doesn't look bad to me but it's really up to you to keep a food journal and be your own detective to determine what could be improved or eliminated based on your symptoms, not mine or anyone elses opinion.

Good luck.

I understand L-Glutamine..in that it helps recover muscles. I am a gym fan myself, weights, not that cardio garbage even. But I wouldn't touch C. Mono nowadays with my stomach being all jacked up. Caffeine I keep in the 200-400mg range and not after 3 or 4PM. I know Caffeine has it's benefits but not in excess and late during the day.

Don't know why you need three shakes a day? are you allergic to non-starchy vegetables other than yams? how about some salads? broccoli? asparagus? turkey? tuna? ..Just saying
IMO, you should be getting most of your nutrients from food. (not so many eggs too)

Waffles or Oatmeal at 11PM at night? that has got to go, I agree with what other(s) have said. carbs that late at night are NGTG. other than eggs, night protein you want to go for Casein/cottage cheese.

reach for water or tea. or natural sugar free sports drink only. not Gator

I hope you feel better!!

Post Edited (archiestyles) : 5/19/2011 3:48:08 PM (GMT-6)

FWIW I (who have very little success with supplements) like l-glutamine daily. I dissolve 1 tsp of it in water in the morning.

I wonder if one reason why you can tolerate glutamine and not other supplements is because powdered glutamine is pure glutamine without any added chemicals and fillers. Magnesium stearate, propylene glycol and/or other crap are sometimes added to bind tablets and capsules of supplements.

I workout 4-6 times a week depending on how I feel

I have also worked out hard my whole life. There are many on this forum who seem to be athletic or into heavy physical activity and I wonder if rigorous exercise is a risk factor for UC.

I wonder if one reason why you can tolerate glutamine and not other supplements is because powdered glutamine is pure glutamine without any added chemicals and fillers. Magnesium stearate, propylene glycol and/or other crap are sometimes added to bind tablets and capsules of supplements.

Yeah, that's possible. But even natural unadulterated things have been bad in the past: fruit, yogurt, different types of fiber like beans, etc. No common thread I could detect so I gave up trying to see a link and just put things on an "out" list until further notice.

As my gut has healed this past year more foods have been able to come back in, yay
It seems guts and food choices are highly personal, every man (or woman) for themselves in this lifeboat of UC.

I definitely agree that there seems to be a link between gym rats and UC. It makes sense that when lifting heavy, intensely, or even doing intense cardio puts a tremendous stress or your body and your cns.

As far as the oatmeal, I didn't have any problems until recently with it so it is nixed until further notice. Tried quinoa instead and it seems to have helped actually (thanks q) and also I get to enjoy lactantia lactaid now, which is amazing because I was tired of soy and the milk tastes much better imo.

Lol. Loved the lifeboat comment.

I switched from generic 5asa to asacol, immediately my chest pains and flare like symptoms are gone, facial blemishes are gone as well. Only thing is a little bleeding. Yay allergies.

As far as the glutamine issues, not sure if your using a probiotic but that might help with the digestion of everything.

zoolander...You also need to get on rectal meds and stay off the pred.

There are tons of recipes for quinoa...TONS...it can be used to suit many tastes.

q

Zoolander, limit your diet to only things you can completely understand. I'd cut out all the soy shakes as they probably have lots of artificial stuff in there that is making your guts react. A shake I commonly make is some frozen fruit like strawberries and blueberries, some greek yogurt, a banana, aloe vera, lettuce or spinach or both, and orange juice. Its actually a lot better than it sounds. I would advise you to keep working out but cut back on the protein even if it means your body-building suffers slightly. You need to heal your insides first and foremost or you might get so sick that you can't work out at all. This is the diet that helped me substantially. Eat cooked or organic vegetables. Carrots, squash, and potatoes. Organic BROWN rice, not white rice like the doctors say. Drink lots of Aloe-Vera juice as that promotes healing just like on a sun burn. Eat plenty of bananas if you can tolerate them. Also, no waffles as they are probably highly processed white flour. No good. I'd say some eggs are ok as long as you keep them plain and the yogurt shake seems great as long as there is no sugar or preservatives added. Also take lots of high quality probiotic supplements. Drink purified bottled water instead of the Gatorade which has high fructose corn syrup and fake colorings. I'd pass on all meat and fish for a while and see what comes of it. You can get totally healthy again. Believe in yourself!