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Bad foods for people with Crohn's Disease or IBD

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danna

Guest
bad foods for people with Crohn's Disease or IBD

Just a quick question. Im new to the boards and have been curious about this for a while....when i was diagnosed with crohns, my doctor did tell me that what i eat is not so much what controls the cd, but how I take my meds...anyway, for some time now i've noticed that it really doesnt matter what i eat. I guess i am very fortunate that i havent had any problems, except for anything with caffeine or any type of brown soda. (coke, pepsi, rootbeer) yet fine with sprite or sierra mist...also iced tea...is anyone else similar to this? I am not complaining, but i eat foods that people say i shouldnt, and im wondering if just because i am not feeling it, does this mean that i am hurting myself?
 
Hi Danna,

First of all welcome to the forum! :)

For the first while I was on a very limited diet...
then I started to add more foods a little at a time.

But I still stay away from what could aggravate my system..
such as, popcorn, whole wheat products and carbonated beverages.
There are other things as well that I avoid..lettuce, spinach and gassy foods
such as cabbage..
but, everyone is different...ask what your doctor recommends. :)
 
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Cara Fusinato

Sarcastic Forum Comedian
Hurting oneself is a term that is relative. There are certain foods that irritate the intestines. There are other things that can get stuck and cause a blockage. One has to learn what works and doesn't -- it does matter what you eat or don't eat, but it isn't the same for everyone. I personally must stay away from all fruits or veges (except soft squishy ones like mangoes) and serious amounts of fiber and big chunks of things like pizza that don't digest easily. I have strictures and even though the Crohn's is under control, I do have narrowings and things will get partially stuck and hurt a little bit. You'll learn in time.
 
I think you should be careful with tough stuff (like legumes, raw veggies, nuts). I too once ate almost everything and felt normal, till one day I suddently had an obstruction and had to be hospitalized. Now i'm very careful with what I eat.
 
Lettuce,brocoli, Onions are the worst!!! And some steaks make me have to run to the can the second i'm done eating
 
H

healthboy

Guest
It's best to check up with a doctor just to be sure. Every body is different and may react differently.
 
I can eat pretty much anything I want as well. Fast food gives me an upset stomach and makes me go to the bathroom later on in the day. Most people avoid nuts but me I eat them whenever I want and as long as I am not in a flare then I am fine, I just ate a tin of pecans last night and am perfectly fine today, actually I had very nice BM today. But yeah everyone is different and you may find that some foods don't give you pain but give you gas or something and those may be foods you want to avoid especially if you are prone to have D.

Welcome to the forum
 
M

Malcav

Guest
PEANUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love them but they make me sooooo ill.
Cheese I avoid
Oil (Like you get floating on take away curries)
Other than that i eat anything that sits still long enough.
 
Maybe you are just early in the disease, from what I understand it takes time for the strictures and scars to form. If they caught your disease early and the meds are working well I could see that as being the reason you do not have problems with certain foods.

Also it could be that your disease is in the lower bowel which I believe means that Big D is more a problem then getting strictures. Strictures being what causes many pain so I believe.
 
Onions, particularly the thin green kind, actually cause my intestine to tighten up in the same place I had my stricture removed. I had the same symptoms as before my surgery. Nothing else does that to me.

My first episode involved eating a blooming onion. I thought I had food poisoning at the time. I now know not to eat them at all.

Dan Bergman
 

Kev

Senior Member
Hi Danna. Welcome to the forum. You raised a very good question, but the 'right' answer depends on who you ask, and where in your 'disease' you are. Some dr's don't think diet will change the course of your disease. Some folks think that diet all by itself can make symptoms go away. Like, have you researched the SCD diet a lot of folks swear by. It's not for everyone, and it more or less eliminates foods a gastro system may not tolerate well over time. Sort of like a diabetic who avoids all sugars so they don't need to take shots. It can work for some if they have type II diabetes, but it won't work for those who have Juvenile (Type I) diabetes. But both have diabetes, right? Sort of the same with IBD. Some folks can eat pretty much anything, and seem to be OK. Some folks take a lot of meds, restrict what they eat, and don't do ok. Doesn't mean that one or the other is right, or wrong. Just that this disease is 'tricky'.

You could consult with a trained nutritionist who specializes in IBD type diets. Or you can read up and train yourself. Or you can listen to your body, and diet as it tells you. Don't know if there is any 'one' right answer. Think it's a combo of a lot of things. We have a disease that doen't treat our gastro-intestinal tract all that nice. No getting around that. Keeping that in mind, perhaps it is better to treat it nice... to get advice, learn what you can, and listen to your body. I mean, the foods that cause us pain are trying to tell us something. It's a pretty easy lesson to learn. But some lessons aren't so obvious. Like, if you've heard about pro-biotics, then you may have heard of pre-biotics (foods that promote the growth of good 'pro-biotic' bacteria).. That's something that is not readily apparent. Same goes with a recent study on diet N colon cancer. A diet hi in red meat resulted in an increased recurrance of cancer. Not something to learn first hand for oneself by trial n error. So, you may want to look at what a 'gut' or 'colon' friendly diet allows/doesn't.. what general foods cause/don't cause you pain... what some folks eat/don't to limit/avoid taking meds or other forms of treatment. Basically, a 'good' sensible diet is said to be good/sensible for everyone. So, a person with IBD perhaps should make themselves aware of what a good, sensible diet is; and considering their damaged GI system; be even more sensible in what they should/shouldn't eat.. then stick to that. OK?
 
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ive found that hot and spicy foods can cause an upset with me and vegetables like peas and carrots tend to do the same. had chicken tikka the other night......not a good idea!!!
 

Kev

Senior Member
Well, I can tolerate carrots, if they are cooked to a mush. Some might not fare so well on them, as I believe they've got long strand fibre in them. now, I love peas, but they are bad for me. Not so much because theyr'e green, but apparently due to the shell (skin) of the pea being not so easy to break down/digest. I think they are ranked (classified) as not being a low residue vegie. Shame, I really miss em.
 
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