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Might have just really screwed up

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Posted 2/7/2015 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
I was out having my first shopping day in a while and, after considering it for a bit, decided to go to Panera for lunch. I thoroughly browsed the menu, knowing that I couldn't eat 99% of the things on it. But I decided on mac and cheese (I've been eating all sorts of that and have been okay), cream of chicken and wild rice soup, and lemonade. Well, stupid me went home and looked at the detailed ingredients on the website and found out that both the mac and cheese and the soup have carrageenan in them. Not only that, but there seemed to be a different type of rice in the soup besides white, something very grainy-looking, and the lemonade was fresh, so it had pulp in it.

I'm scared now. I'm definitely not out of my flare and I'm afraid I made a huge mistake. Should I take 2 probiotics instead of 1 today? Anything else I can do to prevent disaster? Is it pretty much a guarantee that the carrageenan will screw me up? Panicking a little here.
Posted 2/7/2015 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think a one-off meal will put you down the rabbit hole. My problem is when I do go off-list eating and don't have bad results I then go whole hog feeling like Wonder Woman and then the crap comes down.

Carageenen is something I avoid but it does not kill my gut every now and then (off-brand ice cream generally). have you had a bad reaction from it previously?

There is a big difference between being allergic to something and having a wounded gut. If you are allergic there can even be degrees of how badly you'll react but again you'll find out.

Extra probiotics? Won't hurt you and if it gives you a little peace of mind then take them. When my gut is upset I take chicken broth and mashed potatoes (separately), eat your comfort no-harm foods and give your gut (and nerves) a rest.
Posted 2/7/2015 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think food makes that much difference unless you have an allergy or intolerance. I eat all sorts of stuff and it never makes me better or worse. I guess it is different for everyone so you need to look out for what works for you and if carrageenan is a problem, avoid it in the future. Hopefully you're ok this time.
Posted 2/7/2015 10:26 PM (GMT 0)
yup, pretty much agree w/ima - cept for the wonder woman part ;-)

your offenses shouldn't sink the ship -
Posted 2/7/2015 10:31 PM (GMT 0)
Just eat really clean ( for you ) tomorrow. Good luck!
Posted 2/7/2015 10:36 PM (GMT 0)
You'll be fine and you didn't screw up. I am surprised at how many things have carrageenan these days, so it's not your fault. When I order mac and cheese, I should be getting mac and cheese and nothing else.

What ever happened to Grandma's good ol' mac and cheese recipe? Why do things need 20 ingredients these days to taste good? I am looking at you fast food chains.
Posted 2/7/2015 10:36 PM (GMT 0)

GloGirl504 said...
found out that both the mac and cheese and the soup have carrageenan in them.

Well do NOT panic too much. You do NOT want to negatively attract and manifest a flare!!!

But seriously, stress is bad for UC - so take a few deep breaths and calm yourself down.

If a flare happens it happens. But on the positive side, it will be a good life lesson for you to remember in the future :)

To be honest, carrageenan would be the least of my personal worries. I think mac and cheese would land me in hospital!

Eating out is so hard I know and I have made many, many mistakes over the years.

Chin up and best of British luck.
Posted 2/7/2015 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
Carageenan is overblown. People eat it all the time with no negative effects. You are far more likely to have troubles with mac and cheese due to the lactose or possible histamine content and even that's a stretch. I'm sure you'll be fine.
Posted 2/7/2015 11:42 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you guys soooo much, I feel a lot better hearing that I'm not necessarily doomed. I'm just face palming myself for not checking the ingredients ahead of time.
Posted 2/8/2015 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
yes, dairy products and raw fruits and vegetables are also overblown -

rolleyes

but EVERYONE has a histamine problem !
Posted 2/8/2015 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
My guess is that you'll be fine.

I also guess that Panera doesn't deliberately add carrageenan to their food, but that it's in dairy products they use to make it. I have a hard time finding heavy cream and buttermilk that doesn't have it. It's also in a lot of cottage cheese and sour cream, even full fat versions.

At any rate, if I can find a product that doesn't have carrageenan, I pick that one. If I need heavy cream and the only available options at the store have it, I use it.
Posted 2/8/2015 3:32 AM (GMT 0)
Hey, relax, you seem to be stressing yourself out more than necessary. And we all know what stress does! You're not the first person to mess up on reading the ingredients and you definitely won't be the last.
Posted 2/8/2015 3:37 AM (GMT 0)
I do think if you stress this much about every meal and ingredient you will produce a flare. Some people with UC have food sensitivities, some serious. But many have none at all.

I hope you can find a peace to be less obsessive.
Posted 2/8/2015 3:49 AM (GMT 0)
None of those 3 items would agree with me, even in remission. In addition to carageenan, a lot of prepared food now contains white or black pepper, which can be very irritating to the gut. Wild rice is actually a high-fiber grain, not always the easiest to digest. Lemonade = acidity, with ice can bring on a gas attack. The safest drink a UCer can have with questionable food is plain water. Hopefully, you'll be o.k., but try to stick with roast chicken (skinless) & broiled fish for protein & non-creamy low-salt soup while flaring. Best to eat at home or take a safe snack along when you go out. / Old Hat (34 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 2/8/2015 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah...that's what I was afraid of. I saw "rice" and didn't even think about it being something other than white rice. I didn't know lemon was acidic, I thought that was one of the things I could have. I don't think ice is bothering me anymore, but I can't say for sure. I've definitely been drinking water 99% of the time. Yep, I'm just going to have to eat at home for a while.
Posted 2/8/2015 7:32 PM (GMT 0)
You're way over micromanaging, but you are early in the game of dealing with the symptoms, eating, functioning. It'll take a while to find your way to not freaking out so much and loosen the rules you've set for yourself.

How are you doing with the enemas?

q
Posted 2/8/2015 9:35 PM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
You're way over micromanaging, but you are early in the game of dealing with the symptoms, eating, functioning. It'll take a while to find your way to not freaking out so much and loosen the rules you've set for yourself.

How are you doing with the enemas?

q

I'm glad to know that I'm being overly cautious! Thank you for checking in on the enemas, here's an update: night 3 I was able to keep it in for 7 hours. But last night, only 4. I don't get cramping during the enema, but I ended up getting my usual stomach aches an hour or so later. They pass, but they come back over and over again until I finally give in and head to the toilet. I always hear about the cramping just being temporary and if you let it pass, it doesn't come back. Mine do. But I think that's just from the nature of my condition, not the enema. Just makes it a lot harder to keep in once early morning rolls around. Hopefully I just had a bad night because of what I ate and tonight will be better. I really, really want these things to work. I need them to. It's day 26 since diagnosis and I'm so ready to feel halfway normal.
Posted 2/9/2015 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
You could try sleeping with a heating pad on your stomach to see if that helps. It's so soothing, at least for me, even if I don't have cramps.
Posted 2/9/2015 1:40 PM (GMT 0)
Heating pads are definitely a godsend. :)
Posted 2/10/2015 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
Lemonade is actually alkaline, so I would not be worried about that.   It is actually considered one of the most alkaline forming beverages for the body alongside herbal tea.   I keep my beverages limited to herbal tea, water and soy milk every now and then.
Posted 2/10/2015 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
That's good to know, thank you!
Posted 2/10/2015 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
It takes time with the enemas, and while you're tapering pred, you'll have to be patient (which sucks).

Just the thought of lemonade gives me a stomach ache...very, very bad stomach ache.

Try the microwave heatable grain bags..I use Magic Bag. At least you won't fall asleep with it continually on.
And the weight helps too I find.

For some cramps, you can try lying front first on an exercise ball...helps as well especially if there's trapped gas. It also relaxes the ab muscles if they're tight.

And....antispasmodics.
q

q
Posted 2/13/2015 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
The stress of something going wrong will far be worse for you than the meal you just ate. DO NOT STRESS over it. Just relax as much as you can and start to eat cleaner.
Posted 2/13/2015 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Cavalier, it might have caused some pain that night and the next day, but it should be out of my system by now!
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