Been told it's your diet?

How many doctor's have urged you to change your diet to see if your symptoms go away? Have you? Did it? Nothing I've tried or abstained from seems to make a difference. Best to just know where every restroom is between point A and point B. Do you do that also?

[Valbaty54]

No doctors have said that to me! My Gastro doc specifically said when I was first diagnosed that it didn't matter what I ate. In practice, living with UC has been easier if I avoid cabbage, beans, hot spice and thick skins, take my meds as instructed and, yes, know where the toilets are at all times. Sad but true!😥

[bantam12]

My Gastro Consultant says diet makes no difference, if you know something affects your colitis then ok don't eat it but he reckons no point in changing diet otherwise.

[emily_h]

All of my doctors have always told me that diet will make no difference, but after months of research I am now on the Paleo diet and have been symptom free since the day I started, having suffered with uc for 13 years. I am now trying to persuade my docs that diet can make a difference and would like their support, however they just don’t believe it and continuously try and push medication on me.

Look into the Paleo diet and leaky gut, foods do cause inflammation in the gut. Does anyone else have any advice in this area?

[RaulP1]

Hi all,

I’m currently in the middle of being tested to see if I have Crohns (I don’t have the typical symptoms).

However I’ve heard that the specific carbohydrate diet really helps with inflammation and IBD.

Tempted to try it in the new year and I’ve heard there’s great reviews from people who have tried it.

This is the book: amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/096927...

[SORRELHIPPO]

I have Crohn's and find quite a few foods make it worse for me. My diet, when bad, no citrus fruits or drinks, no apples, reduced veg fibre (corn-on-cob, baked beans forget about) no rhubarb, chicken OK, steak too high fibre. I do eat chicken, eggs, white bread (brown with bits in too high fibre) soft cheeses, bananas, smooth peanut butter, slow cooked lamb, veg soups when put through blender. Love dark chocolate, but too much gives diarrhoea. Acidy foods and high fibre foods are bad for me.

[jakelayla]

The only thing I avoid at all cost is sweetcorn, apart from this I eat what I like. If I do get a flare up, it seems to settle down on it's own after a few days. I have found Buscopan works wonders for me.

[MomofUCkid]

Our doctor told us diet had nothing to do with the UC symptoms. He did encourage her to see what made symptoms worse and avoid those foods but UC is an autoimmune system disease where the body attacks the colon lining as if it were a foreign entity. It will continue to attack the colon no matter what you eat. Once inflammation is bad then certain foods my irritate the lining of the already irritated colon.

[Hidden in reply to MomofUCkid]

Your doctor seems more enlightened of this disease than many others. Over forty years ago my brother developed Crohn's, before they knew what it was. Naturally they assumed his diet had a effect. Only slightly. He knew what he could eat and what might cause him a problem. I've got colitis and notice that their are certain foods that upset my stomach more than others. For instance acidity foods like tomato-based foods, meats (other than poultry and fish) can cause problems. Though I love chocolate I must be very careful cause that gives me diarrhea. But then again I'm 63 so maybe it's just natural for my stomach to be picky in old age perhaps. Getting a colonoscopy in a couple weeks, can't wait for that (pun!). So far I'm taking generic Dramamine for daily nausea, works so-so. Nothing the doctors ever gave me did any good. Except the Xanax. Keep stress down, keep food down. Any OTC or script-meds you know of does any good? Mainly abdominal pain, bloat, diarrhea, the usual suspects. But I seldom throw up. I don't know if it's because I detest that feeling and will do anything to prevent it or it's already gone too far down into the system. Take care.

[MomofUCkid in reply to Hidden]

Colitis affects the colon only. If you are having stomach issues that is something other than the colitis. You need to talk to your doctor about that. If you have stomach issues they can cause the symptoms you speak of throughout the digestive tract, but colitis (in and of itself) would not cause stomach issues. I hope that makes sense.

My daughter will get nauseated with diarrhea but that is also secondary to the UC. I think an in depth conversation with your doctor or would be best or try a new doctor.

Using a daily probiotic may do you good. Do some research on probiotics. They are OTC.

[Hidden in reply to MomofUCkid]

There may be unknown issues with my stomach. I'm retired on SS Disability and Medicare is picking up the tab so I'm going for everything I could never afford previously. I do eat yogurt (read the label to see it's got all the good stuff) daily; I seldom eat more than once a day. And it's a small amount at that; not good for my diabetes though. As long as it bothers me I'm going to be a pain in their butt until they figure it out. I guess all I really want to know if it's going to kill me. My brother passed at the age of 45. I don't want to go out like he did. They basically took out everything related to digestion. Intestines, small sections at a time. Colon cancer took out his anus. Then he had an abdominal aortic aneurysm that almost did him in but he made it another year. He had all his intestines removed and was being fed by tube through his jugular. I was with him every step of the way and to this day it hurts me to remember what pain and agony he went through.