I got crohn's

i got crohn's

Hello,
I am a 27 year old man and I was in the hospital about 5 weeks ago and the diagnosis ended up being crohn's. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks and they sent me home with a fist full of pills. The steroids they gave me are crazy I can't stop eating, even when I'm full, I'm still hungry. Not to mention I had to stop smoking, and the more I eat the more it hurts, but i can't stop. I'm on edge from the roids and everything I read says I can't eat this or that all the things I love to eat I can't. Needless to say it has and will continue to be an adjustment. The good news is I now no what's wrong with me and even better news, from what I've read it's manageable.

Hi welcome

I know the feeling of being relieved to finally get a diagnosis. When I was diagnosed almost 5 years ago I actually thanked my doctor when he said "You have crohns disease".
I cannot exactly help with advice on the steroid munchies, never experienced that.

Greetings and welcome. I know how you feel about not being able to eat so many things you love. Every trip to the grocery store is a battle for me. My mind always tries to justify, "It'll be ok just this once". It sounds like they put you on Prednisone which is certainly known to make many people eat eat eat. Hopefully it'll get your flare under control soon and you'll be able to taper off.

You are indeed in for a big adjustment in lifestyle. We're here for you any time you need help or advice.

Hi Captain Cole and welcome! I am sorry your are experiencing such bad side effects with the steroids. Hopefully, it will reduce the inflammation quickly and you can taper off soon. What maintenance medication are you taking?

As far as diet, everyone is different. What may be a no-no for one person, it may be okay for you. For example, many people with CD can't eat steak, but I haven't had any issues. So, what I suggest is keeping a food diary to record what you eat and your symptoms. That way, you can see what foods YOU should avoid. Hopefully, some of your favorites will still be okay!

I hope you feel better soon!

Hi Captain! Getting a diagnosis, even a hard one to take, can be quite a relief. Jill is right, we Crohnies are all different in what we can tolerate. I wish we weren't really! It would be so nice if there was a magic list of foods not to eat that we could all live by, but it just isn't the case. One thing I would say is for sure stay away from nuts and seeds if you have ulcers. I don't think getting stuff stuck in ulcers is good for anyone!

Welcome to the forum. You will learn a lot here.

Hi Captain Cole and welcome!

You are experiencing two of the worst side effects of Pred -appetite increase and irritability! You'll find your way regarding what foods affect you in a negative way - as the others say, it's different for all of us.

It's great that you quit smoking, as it can be really bad for Crohn's. But it probably doesn't help you with the munchies, huh?

Hang in there. It does get better! But you can't stay on pred forever. Do you and your doc have a long-term treatment plan including other meds?

Make sure you are taking plenty of calcium and vitamin d supplements. Pred really robs your bones of calcium and osteoporosis can set in very quickly for some people, even after only a few months of pred use.

- Amy