In short my daughter has IBD which is under control at the moment with Pentasa and Steroids.
She is working and living abroad but is coming home for August.
During the time since diagnosis (April) she has lost quite a lot of weight. I am aiming to get her some ‘build up ‘health drinks ….like Complan….but I’m not sure which to buy. We live in the U.K.
Thank you for any suggestions you may have.
I previous had fortisip you can buy these over the counter online but they are expensive I had a prescription. There is also ensure which are cheaper and available at boots/Amazon or online chemists. There is also vital drinks they are very good but again expensive however I’m sure you want to do all you can for your daughter.
Could she see a gp when she is over here because then she could get any of those drinks on prescription they are much better than complan as they are already mixed up drinks so they can be taken out and about etc and much more likely to get used. They all have 300 calories per 200ml you can get even smaller bottles of the fortisip still with 300 calories. These are all very good options.
Hope that helps a little 
Hi I use Huel but be careful i found some of these drinks caused me to Flare.
I have UC and the last time I had a flare I lost about 15 kilos of body weight. In the hospital they gave me Ensure Plus Advance drinks 3 times a day (together with meals), and I was drinking it for another 2-3 months until I regained my strength and put on more weight. I think you might be able to get them on prescription in the UK. I recommend vanilla or chocolate as they taste really nice and have over 300kcal per drink.
I use Ensure Plus. Here is their website showing the different products they have. If you register at their website they will send you coupons as well.
Before ordering "health drinks" investigate their sugar content. Sugar is an inflammatory which ulcerative colitis doesn't need more. Please look into how sugar affects the body and nutrition. Ulcerative colitis patients are often deficient in vitamin D. Research it's benefits for UC and have her level checked. Magnesium is needed to activate vitamin D and also vitamin B1 (thiamine). Research IBS and thiamine. She should consult with a dietitian familiar with ulcerative colitis to plan her diet going forward. Processed foods and health drinks pose a risk for UC patients.
Thank you all for your helpful replies.
My daughter no longer can use the NHS as she has lived abroad for too long. Which seems unfair as she is British . As she comments if immigrants get free treatment…legal or illegal why can’t she ? But that is another subject !
As she doesn’t get prescriptions I have ordered some Ensure from Amazon. It’s not that she’s not hungry just that that she’s nervous to eat. Still while she is here and not having to go to work it will be easier for her to find out what she can’t eat.
Thank you all again. Liz
I struggle with the same issues. No matter what I eat, I suffer every day from 4-8 hours of torture. I have a paralyzed gut and microscopic colitis. I really am supposed to be on a full liquid/soft food diet. A few things....as I have been trying to keep weight myself. I too fear eating which is insane. Eventually your belly shrinks and eating becomes harder and harder. It is sort of a form of anorexia but not appearance related. Ensure is more of a solid than liquid. Boost is a liquid. Just for knowledge on bowel movements. Keeping regular can actually be hard on the body on liquid/solid diet at times. Adding fiber can also be torture. Everyday, I make a smoothie with mostly berries as they are super foods, Orgain brand of protein supplement pre-mixed liquid (chocolate). Then I add ice and a scoop of powder of Orgain to add in more protein and blend it up. This gets me a ton of calories but also tastes like a milk shake. I like Orgain that is plant based. I have always wanted to get to an elemental diet.....but not too far off the rails. This gets to the sugar content mentioned. I used to allow one small treat a day .... as of now I don't eat any candy, baked goods, etc. Too much trauma.
you do have to be very careful with food supplement drinks - everyone can react differently. And they are very varied - some could even really worsen symptoms, as they are very exaggerated does of ingredients.
If you try any, try a little and wait to see if there's a reaction. It could be a bit of a process but it'll be worth it to find a drink that works specifically for her.
When I was admitted to hospital (nhs) with a severe flare some years ago they sent me home after treatment with Fresubin. Which I also happened to think were delicious luckily enough - but again, disclaimer: results may vary, take a slow and cautious trial approach until you're confident you've found a sympathetic drink.
Ps I actually also found that investing in a nutribullet (or similar) was well worth it. Banana, apple, Peanut butter, almond milk + some extra green became a very trusty staple of my diet
Thank you Seasouth. I will tell her to go slowly with the Ensure. I am praying she doesn’t have flare on the journey. ! She is eating very cautiously at moment. She has a Smoothie maker and loves your ingredients so we’ll try that.
elemental drink Absorb Plus I would recommend .. this product is from Canada but can be ordered online.
I’m not advertising this site or product but have personally seen benefits n lot of info on UC n Crohns on this site : listentoyourgut.com
Hope yr daughter benefits too
Thank you Guds. Will look at the website.
Personally, I don't like the build-up drinks and much prefer a meal. I would make sure that if there is a particular food she likes (which doesn't upset her IBD) let her eat it. Do not look at "what is good to eat" or "what is rubbish food". After one of my, many, operations, I was advised to eat all the unhealthy foods (Macdonalds, KFC, Pizza etc). I have had a constant weight of 96 kg for the past 12 years. BTW, I'm a male who is overweight and had multiple operations for the removal of intestines due to Crohn's Disease. None of those operations within the last 6 years.
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