I just got out of the hospital...

I just got out of the hospital yesterday for a flare that took 5 days to get under control.... They gave me the several medications to take while out:
Predinsone 40mg
metronidazole 500mg 3x daily
levofloxacin 500 mg

I've been only taking my 10+billiion CFU's probiotics for the last several months and have been fine. Prior to that I was steadily taking Apriso. I was diagnosed with UC in Nov. 2009 after being deathly ill for quite some time. I went the first two years never REALLY having it under control. My GI wasn't the greatest and since I had just started dealing with this -I kind of blindly followed his lead. But never got better. Eat- Predinsone, apiso... flare.. predinsone, apriso, flare... etc etc. It was always reactive rather than proactive. I gained 20+lbs, tons of depression etc etc. you know the deal.

I've been doing really well for the last year+ ever since I introduced probiotics into my diet by a nutritionist I finally went to go see - despite my GI telling me I didn't need to see one. Seriously, zero problems. So, naturally I went back to eating and drinking (alcohol) like I used to. I cut back on drinking significantly-but this last time, I drank weeks ago and it made my system a little uneasy. Well, apparently more than that because then I ate some flaming hot cheetos (two weeks later) and it was the end of my "I've been doing really well for the last year" streak. It sent me to the hospital with excruciating stomach cramps and pain. So, I leave the hospital yesterday and they say I don't have to change my diet and just to take my meds.

However, clearly I DO have to change my diet. I woke up this morning - STARVING. My medications didn't say anything about requiring to be taken with foods - except predinonse. I've known predinsone very well. So I didn't take that. But the other two I took - thinking it was fine. I then made some boiled eggs and had some apple sauce.. all of which was thrown up shortly after.

Now, why I'm writing this is because I don't know WHAT to eat - like meals. I just don't. I FEEL like I can't eat anything without getting sick or putting me back in the hospital. I'm terrified to go back. I feel so lost. Is there anything anyone can suggest as far as meals to eat during a flare recovery? It just feels like everything that I think of is bad for me or has bad qualities to it that will make me sick again. I just feel so frustrated... and hungry. I'm freaking hungry.

Thanks guys!

I had to cut alcohol out completely for several months before I started going into remission. Now I drink much less often than I used to, but when I do drink I am fine.

I didn't follow any particular diet regimen, just learned through trial and error what bothered my system and what did not. The things I could not eat while flaring I can now eat again. But you will likely find plenty of different opinions on what you should or should not eat. My main point of writing was to mention that you might be one of the folks, like me, whose system is greatly bothered by alcohol so my advice is to cut it out 100% until you are firmly into remission then see if you can drink it at all after that.

Yes, I think you're right I do have to cut out alcohol. After much trial and error- it appears that I can't handle it. For now, at least. Thank you.... it helps a lot.

haha yes the levofloxacin is supposed to be for certain bacterial infections? Perhaps because I got so sick so fast? I'm not sure. I do know, however, that the antibiotics have made me feel significantly better. When I first entered the hospital they thought I was having an issue with appendicitis. I almost had my appendix removed, in addition, to the UC flare. After speaking with the surgeon-he gave me several options, I chose to wait another day to see if the antibiotics were working- thankfully, they were. This flare was a lot different than the others I've had. The pain seemed to be ALL over... not just centralized to my left lower abdomen.

PotatosMom said...
Yes, I think you're right I do have to cut out alcohol. After much trial and error- it appears that I can't handle it. For now, at least. Thank you.... it helps a lot.

haha yes the levofloxacin is supposed to be for certain bacterial infections? Perhaps because I got so sick so fast? I'm not sure. I do know, however, that the antibiotics have made me feel significantly better. When I first entered the hospital they thought I was having an issue with appendicitis. I almost had my appendix removed, in addition, to the UC flare. After speaking with the surgeon-he gave me several options, I chose to wait another day to see if the antibiotics were working- thankfully, they were. This flare was a lot different than the others I've had. The pain seemed to be ALL over... not just centralized to my left lower abdomen.

But how do you know it's the antibiotics and not the prednisone? They gave you two drugs that are highly volatile with each other. People have ended up in wheelchairs by mixing prednisone and levofloxacin.

It's really risky business when hospitals do this to folks.

wait, I am on flagyl and 60 mg of pred, theres another danger here I wasn't told about?

Woa thats some hard core abx you are on!
Diet-wise everyone with UC is different. But generally when flaring stick to: low fibre (especially avoid the uncooked veg), low fat, bland (absolutely no spice) mostly liquid/soup diet. For example make yourself some bone broth. Google for the exact recipe but it's basically chicken/lamb bones and meat + carrot, onion, celery and you add water and let it boil first then simmer for about 4 hours (?) and sip throughout the day. Have small meals not big ones.
You may need an antacid maybe the abx on empty stomach was too much.
And increase the probiotics.

Conquer UC said...
Woa thats some hard core abx you are on!
Diet-wise everyone with UC is different. But generally when flaring stick to: low fibre (especially avoid the uncooked veg), low fat, bland (absolutely no spice) mostly liquid/soup diet. For example make yourself some bone broth. Google for the exact recipe but it's basically chicken/lamb bones and meat + carrot, onion, celery and you add water and let it boil first then simmer for about 4 hours (?) and sip throughout the day. Have small meals not big ones.
You may need an antacid maybe the abx on empty stomach was too much.
And increase the probiotics.

Thank you! I'll try that.

I'm bored crap-less with this illness, so I'm Googling most of the day:

Tainted meats point to superbug C. diff in food.

"It’s not clear, however, where the remaining infections — those that occur outside health settings, in the community — originate. Recent victims have included a 10-year-old girl with no history of antibiotic use who became very ill but recovered and a 31-year-old woman pregnant with twins who spontaneously aborted her babies and then died after becoming infected, according to a 2005 review by the CDC.
“For these community-associated sources, there has to be a source outside the hospitals,” Songer said. “It may well be that retail meats are a source or the main source.”"

www.nbcnews.com/id/27774614/ns/health-health_care/t/tainted-meats-point-superbug-c-diff-food/#.UhEydBbl0lI