Trying out SC diet; strange symptoms

Hi folks,

Please bare with me. This is my first post, I am very tired and have so many questions. I have been reading here a bit the past month, and now I need help.

I haven't seen my GI since my last flare(over the winter) which I finally had to take prednazone for. I try to manage my UC as much as possible alone:mainly diet and probiotics. I have medi-cal so the only drugs they will cover are prednazone and on-going Asacol. My life - whole nother story - is frankly a mess right now, I am not working so have no means to get better meds or better insurance.

I met up with a to be nutritionist - discussed with my doctor - from a highly respected school. We were working on a gluten-free diet for me about 2 months. I was having a minor flare, and its still pretty much there - although I was cheating by still drinking coffee and 1 diet soda a day. (I've stopped)

Then we both started checking out this website and seeing that the SCD diet is one way some people have gotten some control over their flares. So I just switched from the gluten-free diet to the SCD diet about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I did the 5 day thing - homemade yogurt, ate everything they said I could and did nothing illegal. Then I transitioned into the regular SCD diet...not sure if I did too fast or not. I am just eating anything on the legal list. I still have my flare - it is better - most of my bad symptoms are in the morning but I am still running to the bathroom, had to terminate a walk yesterday, etc.

Yesterday I was constipated of all things. Out of the blue, middle of afternoon, I went to the bathroom and it was painful and hard. My BM looked OK - very little mucus and blood. However it kept happening over and over- very painful excrement each time - at least six times (or more). It was so painful I was moaning and panting (felt a little like giving birth), I assume because I was constipated and alas the pain (?) THEN I stayed in pain, had to stay in the bathroom and my BMS switched to diahrea (sp?), had 2 or 3 of those - the last one being 1/2 diah. and the other 1/2 looking like regular BM - a total of at least 10 BM's...all in a row?!!

I have never had these symptoms before. I can only assume the diet is playing some role in this. Yes, chronic BM's...however there was so little blood or mucus I wondered if things are improving. Otherwise, my first trips to the bathroom every am are the same - total spastic bm...some blood and mucus and a little formed bm.

I am sticking to the diet...I know it surely cannot stop my symptoms very soon, and I have read some posts it hasn't helped some at all. I am praying and hoping it works for me, as I feel its my only way out.

Anyone have any experience with the diet have any similar symptoms at first? Anyone noticed how symptoms may have changed over the first weeks or months on the SCD?

Also, since my $ is tight - what is the best cookbook people have found using the SCD?

And lastly, although this certainly is not critical at this moment - if I stay on the SCD diet - how the heck does one go out to eat? What if I get asked on a date...because the diet is VERY picky about additives, added sugar, etc.

Thanks in advance...its a relief to finally ask folks about this yukkiness because we're all in the same boat - and not be embarresed by the topic.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I get your point about getting better results from the diet when starting from remission. I am going to see my GI next Monday and am going to ask about the patient assistance program. Its kind of border-line whether to go on prednazone or not. Maybe this flare will go away on its own (some milder flares have just disappeared in the past), or I will get started on it. I had just gotten off Pr. and two weeks later the flare came back. I think I didn't stay on the Pr. long enough - not sure. So I'll keep doing the diet and perhaps get into remission with the pr. and then have a better chance of seeing how it works for me.

Yes, I do have the book and there are some recipes in there, just not many.

Thank you, Nourse

Hi nourse and welcome to the forum.

Your change in BM's is probably because of your change in diet. Our guts aren't in the best shape and changes always makes mine grumpy. If you've started eating more fiber or a different sort of fiber that could be an issue.
The first time I tried SCD it didn't give me positive results. I don't know exactly why but years later (in 2010) I tried again, keeping close attention to how my gut reacted to each food and this time it worked, or I got it right, whatever I'm glad.

My guess is that your gut does not like something you are eating if it's acting different than before. But you are the only person who can figure what that food or drink is causing the problem. Just because it's SCD legal doesn't mean your gut got that memo lol. In my case my gut cannot handle the yogurt, causes me D. Too bad cause I love the homemade yogurt and got really good at making it.

If you are eating nuts I highly suggest soaking them to get rid of an enzyme. Also don't eat many of them, the fiber is hard to process in the beginning. Some people have trouble digesting almond flour (not me). I have trouble with almonds with the skin on, too much fiber so I eat skinless almonds.

I tell you this not for you to imitate but to understand that just because a food is SCD legal doesn't mean your gut can handle them yet. When you are more healed maybe they'll be OK.

SCD was not an overnight miracle for me but is real and given me remission never gotten with Rx meds.

Most of the recipes I wanted in the beginning were desserts which I sorely missed especially baked goods.
Here's one of my faves: carrot cake. I cut down on the amount of honey and didn't use the orange juice.
www.scdrecipe.com/recipes-cake/carrot-cake/

Go to the library and check out these books. My tiny public library had the second one and I requested the other on interlibrary loan. I don't do many dinners with recipes, too easy to broil a chicken breast and cook a veggie. But desserts... oh yeah I love a nice bit of dessert daily. If you like biscotti I can post my walnut almond biscotti recipe. I make a batch once a week and have biscotti at tea-time every afternoon.

www.amazon.com/Recipes-Specific-Carbohydrate-Diet-Lactose-Free/dp/159233282X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304370784&sr=8-1

www.amazon.com/Eat-Well-Feel-Carbohydrate--Compliant/dp/0307590607/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1304370837&sr=8-2

Good luck with your SCD start. Keep drinking a lot of water, helps moves things along. Are you keeping a food journal? If not please start one, helps you remember what all you ate yesterday and what the culprits might be in todays meltdown.

nourse

there are many many SCD recipes on the net. you don't need to buy the books. Use the money to buy good food. I know how picky kids can be, I was a picky kid myself but outgrew it...then got UC haha. I'll bet she'd like almond blueberry muffins. There's a whole website devoted to kids recipes on www.pecanbread.com/new/recipes.html, just don't tell her they are "special" muffins. And for you don't eat too many things with almond flour in the beginning, go slow.

someone recently posted another good recipe site www.comfybelly.com

BTW I still take Rx meds, never stopped, just changed out of the harsher ones (see my sig.)

Good luck.

Good site.
Although i do not belive in "stages". People should use a food journal daily to see what's good for them or not.

I am on SCD since jan 2010, achieved remission with it.
By remission i understand: firm stools (1-2 / day), no blood, no hemmies, no more bad smelling gas, bloating, no more pain. By remission i do not understand that i can eat everything.

At his moment I still keep a verry verry restricted diet wich consiste eclusively on:
raw veggies - carrots, peppers, celery root.
boiled beetroot.
turkey, chicken, tuna.
cheddar or swiss cheese.
dry red winde.

I still keep my food journal daily.

I've found that at some particular time of the diet some foods that were tolerated before cannot be tolerated anymore, even if they are considered legal: spinach, brocolly, zucchini, almonds, eggs...
Probably it has to do with our bowelflora changes. I expect that i can add some later and pull other foods out.

This is it, it's a hard trip, but for me it's the best way to handle my UC and my ankylosing spondylitis too.

Good luck