Having difficulty dealing with Crohn's

Hi all, my name is Rosalee Balbo & I am having a not great time with Crohn's disease. I would like to ask a few questions. First, when I get a Crohn's attack I get the horrible cramps but along with that ( like that's not bad enuf ) I get very,very cold, shiver & am freezing while the attack is in progress. Does anyone else get these symptoms ? Also I really miss being able to have a salad, vegetables & even some fruit. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to handle these ? Also Does anyone also have the horrible nausea, vomiting alot then the awful diarrhea which lasts for several hours during the throes of a Crohn's attack ? I need to find someone who I can just talk with about what is going on with me when I get so violently ill. I am currently taking Entocort but can only do 3mg daily since it explodes my BP. I am thankful for your all's support. This is really very new to me & I should also mention I have celiac disease very severely.........can it get any better than this ? (LOL )
Rosalee:wink

Okay, I'm newer at this but I'll try and help some. I've recently gotten diagnosed and experience the cold/hot flashes as well as the nausea and diarrhea. My understanding is that all these are pretty common with Crohn's. I found out really quickly with this that raw vegetables tear me up, and I mean to the point where I ate a salad and went five or six times to the restroom in horrible pain. I have found, and I dont know if this works for everyone, is that cooking the vegetables fork tender generally allows me to eat them. Hope this helps in some way.

Welcome to the forum. Unfortunately you are definitely not alone with your experiences and there are lots of of members dealing with the same symptoms as yourself. To me it sounds like you could be flaring and it would also make sense why you are having problems with fruits and vegetables. I don't know as much as others on the topic of fruits and vegetable toleration but we do have a few members that juice their fruits and vegetables because it gets rid of the fiber content and therefore makes them easier to digest and less harsh on the body.

When you talk about a crohn's attack, how frequently does this happen? Is it daily? Or does it happen once every few months? I'm not familiar with Entocort personally either but we have a handful of members here with plenty of experience with that medicine. With that being said, I wonder if the Entocort could be causing you problems if you are having problems with your BP as well because of it. Have you spoke to your doctor about your concerns?

Giving you the benefit of the doubt I would assume you have an official diagnosis but when was the last time you've had a colonoscopy or other tests? Especially when flaring, which it sounds like you may be, it is important to keep a close eye on things on a doctor's supervision to make sure you can keep things as calm as possible.

Could you give us some more background on your journey with Crohn's

Thanks for joining the crohns forum and I have no doubt you'll find lots of help here! We have an amazing group of people here with lots of support and information so I hope to see you around the forum

Hi Rosalee~

I am new to this forum also and so very sorry you are having a tough time.

I found that having a electric heated blanket or throw on hand has really helped with the cold spells. I have one in my bedroom and one in the living area of the house.

As far as foods, sometimes a simpler form of a food will fulfill the craving - like applesauce instead of an apple, orange juice, apple juice, jam, or even canned fruit. Also yogurt with fruit. I have also found some vegetables I can eat like carrots and celery which I cover with salad dressing since it is the lettuce that bothers me most.

Having Crohn's disease has really forced me to think outside the box. I have had it for a long time although I have been in remission for a long time too.