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Anyone NOT change their diet?

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Posted 2/20/2009 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
My GI told me I didn't have to change my diet.  I still eat like I did before.  I have not found any foods that bother me other than artificial sweeteners. 

Has anyone not changed their diets?  Is this irresponsible or should I not worry because it's not making things worse?  I only have BM's 2 -3 times now.  5-8 before. 

Posted 2/20/2009 5:50 PM (GMT 0)
my consultant told me the same thing, but i have seen others that have said to try a food diary as everyone is different - some people find certain foods really agravate their UC. I have done a food diary myself and discovered certain foods that dont help - its well worth doing!

Posted 2/20/2009 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
My GI told me when flaring to stay away from fruits & vegies. After that he said I could eat anything that doesn't bother me.
Posted 2/20/2009 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
I've pretty much not changed my diet....but I didn't really eat a lot of junk food or make bad decisions with my main meals. I did have snack foods, however, mostly chocolate and have definitely cut that way back (unless I'm on a binge or something..lol).

I don't follow the no carbs fungus diet.
I don't follow anything that tells me to not eat something because it's bad...

My diet may not be as others' anyway, but in general it's pretty basic and balanced. I do have to add more fruit and veggies. I prefer veggies cooked, I will eat raw carrots and salad...etc. Never raw cruciferous veggies.

I'm going to start adding more lentils/beans..etc. cooked of course., but I'll take beano because I'll eventually have lots of gas.

I don't eat whole grain breads except on occasion. I have a bakery rye bread.

I have protein with every meal..I don't do protein drinks or bars.

I don't have alcohol except a teeny glass of wine on occasion.

I drink coffee daily.

I limit high fat meals, and make choices in that favour.

Diet is subjective, and eating for gut comfort by keeping your colon exercised, your body nourished and producing a good stool is a difficult thing to do when one is flaring.

I do somewhat adjust when I'm flaring...say I won't have as much coffee if my butt is throbbing and I wouldn't have as much salad or fruits. My flares don't last long once I've increased the rectal meds..

Hope this helps.

quincy

Posted 2/20/2009 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
 

I haven't really changed my diet the only thing I'm doing different is trying to eat things in moderation so that no one thing can cause irritation.  I should also note though that between flares I'm pretty much in remission, I just have minor tummy troubles (gas & gas pains) but no bathroom trips, etc. 

I don't believe that there is one certain food that triggers my problems.  When I look back on flares, it's usually a combination between some sort of food irritatant (in larger quantities) and stress.  The first time I flared I had just changed to a more vegetable based diet, had a stressfull event and flared.  The second time I had overdone it on chocolate at Halloween time, had a stressful event and flared. 

I would suggest if you are having some problems keep a diary to figiure out what's bothering you, if not than just eat things in moderation and not too much of any one thing and you should be good.  smilewinkgrin

Posted 2/20/2009 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the info. My GI suspects that stress (my newborn was in the hospital with RSV), antibiotics (I was on them for bronchitis and a sinus infection), and NSAID's (I was taking 800mg of Ibuprofen like candy) caused my flare...these three events happened within 3 weeks of each other. So I guess that's why he doesn't think my diet plays a role in my UC.

I will keep a diary and see if I can connect anything though.
Posted 2/20/2009 6:25 PM (GMT 0)
I haven't changed my diet. The doctor that prescribed LDN for me wants me to try a gluten free diet. I really have no desire to change my diet since I never notice food effecting me. I am always able to eat what I want without a change in my UC symptoms.
Posted 2/20/2009 6:25 PM (GMT 0)

Only suggestion was when bleeding my NP told me low fiber/lowfat until healed.  I eat what I did before - no raw veggies or fruit - but I have had IBS so many years I have to be careful anyway or cause diarrhea.

ElaineNY

Posted 2/20/2009 6:29 PM (GMT 0)

i was diagnosed with crohn's 20 yrs ago...recently dx changed to uc...huh???

anyway i'm a slacker with diet...i eat just about anythin i want to when i'm feeling well...knowing somethings work better than others...sometimes i can't avoid that fried food or burger though...

no that i'm flaring i am trying to eat better and avoiding the other foods of course.

i just never really noticed too much differance eating when i'm well.

that said i do think that diet plays an important role and should be a big part of all of our lives.

it's just really hard sometimes...lame excuse i know.

Posted 2/20/2009 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
I avoided highly spiced, fatty and high fiber foods when I was flaring. Other than that, I tried virtually every diet modification known to man in the years of my flare. None of them made any difference in my symptoms. So I eat what I want, still keeping the fatty foods down and the high fiber foods to a moderate amount. Wednesday I had bean soup with no problem. When I was flaring really bad, I could drink a glass of water and have to run to the bathroom.
Posted 2/20/2009 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so glad to hear that there is a lot of you guys out there that are like me. I was so afraid I was doing something wrong (even though I feel good).

I just started drinking Peppermint Tea after a heavy meal and I find out it helps me digest the food better.
Posted 2/20/2009 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
My GI explained that Ibuprofen was a HUGE no-no for UC! He said it was something I should absolutley never take. Maybe you could try something else while flaring as that concerned me what I read how much you took!!!

My GI also told me that diet doesn't matter. I kept a food diary and learned of foods that were bothersome, and for me it was dairy with high lactose. A sensitivity runs in my family anyway, so I wasn't too surprised. However, I also learned that eggs and pickles were evil foods as well. Also, because I was in a constant flare for almost two years I stayed away from anything with seeds and nuts. I also limited my fiber intake b/c it caused just a lot of pain in general.

Also, just an FYI, I had a severe form of pancolitis and my medications did not work. So I limited my diet just as a desperate attempt to relieve any aspect of my suffering. However, prior to my severe issues I did eat a normal diet and did okay.
Posted 2/20/2009 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
I was taking that much ibuprofen right before the flare. My GI said it was a contributing factor. I will never go near ANY NSAID anymore. Thanks for your concern. :o) I love this forum.
Posted 2/20/2009 7:29 PM (GMT 0)

RobinByrd said...
My GI explained that Ibuprofen was a HUGE no-no for UC!

Thanks Robin for the info about Ibuprofen.

Many GIs will tell you what they learned in school--that Colitis is an autoimmune disease, that no one knows why one gets Colitis, that side effects of medicines are a necessary trade off to treating the disease, and that diet doesn't matter.

However... Although Colitis is treated as though it were an autoimmune disease, there is no consensus that it is such. We do know why some people get Colitis. In fact, there are different forms of Colitis--some of which are due to antibiotic use, germs, genetics, ... Many times the side effects of Colitis medicines are worse than having Colitis. Diet does matter for many.

I think that when it came to the subject of diet, my GI didn't really have an answers. It was as if he was on the one hand taught that diet didn't matter and on the other hand told by many his patients that it did. My GI told me the medicine would work regardless of what I ate. When I told him that some foods bothered me, he said, "then don't eat them." He did recommend not eating broccoli during a flare. He said it was hard to digest.
Posted 2/20/2009 7:35 PM (GMT 0)

UCgoaway said...
Thanks for all the info. My GI suspects that stress (my newborn was in the hospital with RSV), antibiotics (I was on them for bronchitis and a sinus infection), and NSAID's (I was taking 800mg of Ibuprofen like candy) caused my flare...these three events happened within 3 weeks of each other. So I guess that's why he doesn't think my diet plays a role in my UC.

I will keep a diary and see if I can connect anything though.

Some foods have anti-inflammatory properties. Others are pro-inflammatory. Even if you don't have any food intolerance, eating more anti-inflammatory foods and less pro-inflammatory foods can help.

http://nutrition.about.com/od/dietsformedicaldisorders/a/antiinflamfood.htm
Posted 2/20/2009 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
     Since I've been in remission, I eat anything I like EXCEPT crab cakes..lol.  I suffered two flares a day or so after eating crabcakes in the past so I am NOT taking any chances.  Small price to pay, as there are SO many other goodies out there.

     We were down Atlantic City for three days and I was a BAD girl and drank one mudslide every night for three nights.  Now I should know better being on 6MP...but they were SOOOO good!  Hope my liver isn't mad at me nono

Posted 2/20/2009 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
 

UCGoAway, Funny you should mention antibiotics . . .

I think I was probably prone to UC to begin with (because I have never had a super healthy GI Tract) but my first flare occurred after a long term dose of antibiotics.  The flare that finally got me diagnosed was worsened by the fact that I was taking ibuprofen to relieve the pain and large dose stress is always a trigger, so your GI is probably right on!! 

Posted 2/20/2009 8:43 PM (GMT 0)
I certainly haven't followed anyone else's advice about changing my diet! LOL

Except, I guess, for accommodating the test results about my intolerance to wheat...
High fiber, low fiber, it's such an individual thing. Trial and error. You'll figure out what your triggers are, if any.
Posted 2/20/2009 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
My GI doesn't seem to think Food affects it much -- the only things I now I have to avoid is carbonated beverages (pop, mineral water etc) - doesn't cause a flare but doens't seem to help, during my big flare in Nov/Dec I followed the low residue diet and it seemed to help. I took was taking lots of Advil - not realizing I shouldn't, now I wonder if that contributed to to my flare.
Posted 2/20/2009 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
I had to change my diet or i would probably bleed to death. sounds kinda scary but my diet b4 UC consisted of a lot of greasy fried foods and lots of alcohol so yup yup it was commen sense to change regardless my GI telling me diet didn't matter. Also don't underestimate chewing your food good. that's the first part of digestion. I'm an accountant with a 1 hour lunch and I notice how people and coworkers can scarf down food without even chewing but i think its wise to take your time escpecially if you have UC...Your the sole proprietor of your body so i'm sure you'll do whats best for you. I never ever drink sodas anymore. I hardly ever eat fried foods, ice cream, candy, etc. and my symptoms do alright for the most part but i notice major changes when i stray from my usual diet now.

I would highly recommend the SCD diet or other similar diets if you can find them. they are healthy for people and the foods are easier to digest than junk foods.

Posted 2/21/2009 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
My advice to diet is if you can tell what kind of food it is when it comes out "DON'T" eat it.
Posted 2/21/2009 7:25 AM (GMT 0)

supersaw said...

If your GI said diet didnt matter, then how did you come to the conclusion that my favorite kinds of foods would cause you to bleed to death?

Because the GI was wrong. This shouldn't come as a surprise. Doctors are often wrong. We shouldn't expect them to know everything. It is our responsibility to take our health into our own hands. We should do our own research, get second opinions, and change our doctor if we aren't satisfied with his/her service.

My GI didn't tell me about fecal transplantation. I read about it on my own. I did it three times over three days and went immediately into remission. The effect was so immediate that I could have stopped taking the Prednisone cold turkey if it weren't for the danger of doing so. In fact, I got symptoms of arthritis from reducing my dosage so fast, and no symptoms of Colitis.

My GI kept saying my recovery was remarkable.
Posted 2/21/2009 2:43 PM (GMT 0)

I so agree with Joy.  Although I generally follow my doctors advice, etc. because he/she had a lot more education than I, we know our bodies BEST!  I am a senior so have many years of experience with doctors, etc.  A GYN doc told me once that I MUST take hormones and handed me a prescription.  I told him to wait a minute - don't I have a say?  I had researched it some and found I could "handle" the symptoms of menopause without hormones and therefore safer for chances of cancer.  Sometimes we do need to change doctors if possible - see nurse practicioners who in my opinion are more caring, etc. and trust how WE FEEL!!  The hard part for me is getting a doctor/NP/PA to LISTEN to what I have learned here on the computer - both from reliable sources and people like you guys who have been there.  Finding an open-minded doc is hard to do.

ElaineNY

Posted 2/21/2009 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
I haven't really changed my diet- I do tend to avoid fried foods, but I always did. They just make me feel worse now then they did before! I find when I eat a lot of sugary foods, the bm's are more numerous & messy, but again, this used to happen pre-UC. My GI also told me diet is not a factor.... I know doctors don't "know" everything, but you can't help but agree when to my knowledge, not one doctor has said that diet is in fact a major player. And I see the posts from people doing SCD, spinach/sunflower seeds, etc, but the majority of those people are also on a lot of drugs- so whose to say it's the diet that's helping? I know some aren't taking anything, just severely limiting/altering their diet... to me that's as bad as UC. If I want a cupcake, darn it, I want a cupcake! After being in & out of flares for a long time now, some very bad, some minor, I can honestly say diet doesn't seem to affect it much. For me, it's all about the meds! My overall GI tract tends to be a bit more sensitive nowadays, which is most likely an unfortunate side effect of flaring the better part of 6 years. Or it could be getting older too- who knows!

Posted 2/21/2009 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
I have been diagnosed with UC since Nov 08 and freaked out when I saw that we basically weren't supposed to eat anything... after talking with my doc (6 weeks after he diagnosed me!) He told me to work things back into my diet. I'm not so good at that... I have found that milk irritates me and greesy foods. I felt so bad for so long that I didn't realize that when I was in remission how good I would feel. I think I can handle a couple of days of irriation every now and then to enjoy the things I love.... It's better than a whole year of nasty symptoms!! I do not stick to a strict diet though I pay more attention to what I eat. You will know within an hour if something bothers you. Definitely eating too much causes me great discomfort. Try to eat smaller meals throughout the day.
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