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What to Eat in Remission: Can Diet Cause a Flare?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 5/26/2017 3:45 AM (GMT 0)
So I'm afraid to jinx myself, but I'm doing MUCH better after nearly 8 weeks on Remicade. I've been off all steroids for almost two weeks and feeling 99% normal.

I've been reintroducing "normal" foods over the past few weeks and it's been going well, no crises. But I've been pretty tame/healthy with the reintroduction and haven't attempted anything too crazy - for example, steak, salad, chocolate, coffee, anything with a lot of fat, etc.

I've read lots of stories here and on the Facebook UC forum that say things like "I ate something bad/unhealthy and started flaring..." so I'm pretty nervous about pushing my luck.

How many of you were able to resume your pre-UC diet when you hit remission? Are there foods you've found you can't eat at all, even in remission? Are there any common foods that *trigger* flares?

Thanks as always!
Posted 5/26/2017 4:57 AM (GMT 0)
That's a tricky question that no one can answer. When I was ill with UC, yes, anything could cause a flare. I blamed my UC symptoms on anything and everything. If I ate beans, it was the beans. If it was a salad, It was the salad, If it was salsa, it was too spicy... Always something and always the cause. now that I had surgery, I can tell you, it wasn't the food, it was the colon. Some people say they can keep their colon happy with certain foods, other people say it's unrelated. Perhaps the severity matters too. If you are mild, maybe diet has more chance it will help, but severe UC, unresponsive? Mine was severe. No one knows.
Posted 5/26/2017 5:10 AM (GMT 0)
I believe not.....proven it for 28 years.

q
Posted 5/26/2017 9:12 AM (GMT 0)
I eat whatever i want during remission. Glad the remicade is helping you!
Posted 5/26/2017 10:53 AM (GMT 0)
when flaring,almost everything cause problems for me,but now i am feeling fine and trying new food every 2 or 3 days,from grains to nuts and its going fine so i think its just colon who cant tolerate most of the food during flares not even UC friendly food,so i will suggest you to introduce new food slowly
Posted 5/26/2017 11:07 AM (GMT 0)
Maybe if I were on Remicade then I probably could eat more of whatever I like. But there might be limits, please let us know.
Posted 5/26/2017 11:07 AM (GMT 0)
I do not believe that food "causes" a flare. I do believe that once you are in a flare, food can aggrevate the flare.
Posted 5/26/2017 1:46 PM (GMT 0)
eating grains (food) causes me to flare every time i try eating them -
Posted 5/26/2017 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
I think if I was on one of the big gun medications I would just eat whatever I wanted unless it bothered me. Just be reasonable and stick to mostly whole foods and minimal processed junk foods if you're worried about it.

Let us know how it goes.
Posted 5/26/2017 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
I think everyone is different. For me food directly causes a flare. I do not get flares unless I eat 'bad' foods.
Posted 5/26/2017 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
And what are bad foods?

q
Posted 5/26/2017 5:41 PM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
And what are bad foods?

q


uh, foods that make him flare smilewinkgrin

obviously different for everyone -

why is it so hard to fathom that some folks actually do flare from eating certain foods ? do you really think i have no idea what's happening to my colon when it erupts due to my dietary choices ?
Posted 5/26/2017 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
While flaring I noticed that anything with refined sugar, breads, dairy (butter mainly) and oils such as canola caused my flare to worsen. I've been reducing my animal product intake and have moved over to a whole food plant-based diet which seems to be the easiest for my gut. Lots of fermented foods like kimchi and kombucha help to. The other day I had panko breaded chicken and that night my colon waged war on my menu choice. So yeah definitely certain foods cause my flare to worsen. I did a food sensitivity test and canola was through the roof so that might explain the oil.

As for foods causing a flare, the problem is that results vary for everyone, and you have a lot of people saying diet doesn't matter at all to them, but we don't consider how foods might be affecting us when we're not in flare. You don't appreciate what you have until it's gone, same goes for gut health. My personal belief is that certain foods cause me to go back into a flare more quickly while others buildup in my system. This is why I try to watch what I eat whether I'm flaring or not.
Posted 5/26/2017 6:30 PM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
And what are bad foods?

q

For me it is anything off SCD. Typically starches and sugar (specifically sucrose). I know you don't believe it but I'm telling you this is the case for me. When I eat something off SCD, a flare ensues. When I do not cheat, I can not get a flare for years.
Posted 5/26/2017 6:58 PM (GMT 0)
I believe people confuse food with UC flare symptoms, yes.

q
Posted 5/26/2017 7:06 PM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
I believe people confuse food with UC flare symptoms, yes.

q

In what regard?
Posted 5/26/2017 7:22 PM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
I believe people confuse food with UC flare symptoms, yes.

q

For some this may well be true. But not for all. I've been on and off the diet over 20 times over 10 years. To get certain tests done I purposely put myself in a flare. How? By eating disallowed foods. Then to get back into remission, simply go back on the diet. Sorry, but there is no confusion there.
Posted 5/26/2017 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
I was in remission for an entire 8 years and ate whatever I wanted to eat. I didn't even believe I had a disease that would reoccur......in my case I think chronic stress was more likely the culprit that brought it out again, but I can't even prove that.

Now that I can't get back into remission (yet) I avoid peanuts and carrots like the plague though......

Post Edited (ArtsyFartsy) : 5/26/2017 2:20:58 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/26/2017 9:10 PM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
I believe people confuse food with UC flare symptoms, yes.

q


uh, what ?!
Posted 5/26/2017 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks to everyone who's responded! I think the trouble is that IBD is SO individual and what works for one may not for another and same goes for causing flares. For example, avocados used to really hurt me when I was at the start of this flare (before I was diagnosed), but I see lots of people here who say they can eat avocados even when flaring. TT says grains are bothersome, others nuts. Quincy has written in the past about eating popcorn (I hope I can eat it again!) while others have written they can't eat it even when in remission.

I guess this entire discussion is proof that it's very individual. It may just be that for some, diet changes cause changes in gut bacteria which put them into a flare, and for others perhaps their gut bacteria is more resistant to those changes.

For example, lots of you swear by probiotics, but EVERY time I've tried them (and I've tried lots of different strains over the years), they make me miserable for days - cramping, D, nausea, etc. etc. - to varying degrees. Tried again even when feeling well and no luck.

So maybe it's just super individual, trial and error.

I have a wish list of foods I hope I can re-incorporate eventually (in reasonable quantities, of course): chocolate, coffee, hard cheeses, dairy-free ice cream, steak, cherries, avocado, beans, and (!!) Jamaican beef patties. YUM!
Posted 5/26/2017 10:32 PM (GMT 0)
no idea what a jamaican beef patty is, but i'll take 3 please -

good luck with your list !
Posted 5/27/2017 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
TT, a Jamaican beef patty is like a distant cousin of an empanada - a delicious crust, stuffed with a delicious meat filling (can also be veggie or chicken, but beef is most popular). You could probably do a grain-free version with nut meal to make the dough - here's a recipe that you could maybe adapt?

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017315-jamaican-beef-patties
Posted 5/27/2017 12:54 PM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed in Jan this year and so I'm just getting used to the shock of UC and the pain and debilitation with this condition.
I've tried the GAPS protocol diet (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) which is bone broth, animal protein, high fat. Whilst this was initially very healing, my stools formed solidly and the bleeding stopped, I began having severe abdominal cramps and toxic smelling - sulfur - stools. After 8 weeks I changed to whole foods, plant based and the pain has subsided however the chronic diarrhoea is back. I also crave salty, snacky foods. One day I ate a sardine, and had huge extremely painful flare up. The week before that I'd tried smoked trout and that had a very painful reaction too.
I'm now consulting a nutritionist and about to start pancreatic enzymes to help digest fat and protein. I've lost a huge amount of weight in just 3 months - from 70 kilos to 56 and I'm anaemic. At the moment I'm off drugs and I'm waiting for a referral to a specialist gastroenterology hospital in London.

All this to say, food really does make a difference to the flare ups and it's very individual. I'm listening to my body as much as possible.

F 53, diagn Jan 2017. Prescribed Asacol enema, took for 10 days with no positive changes, and worsening brain fog.
Take Vit D2/K3, Udos Oil (high in Omega 3), Slippery Elm, Silicea Gel

Post Edited (KEG123) : 5/27/2017 6:58:32 AM (GMT-6)

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