Are there any alternative foods for Crohn's disease patients?

I was recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease (about a year) and I am finding foods that cause flair-ups... like milk (all%'s) corn alcohal.. does any one know of any health alternatives to foods that will most likely not hurt me? any suggestions or comments on anything relating to Crohn's disease will be reatly apprecaited! Thanks!

Hey there! I was told I had Crohn's a while ago too. I find that it is hard to determine what will make every person sick or not. I do not feel sick when I have milk but some do. You really need to try it out for yourself and see. I feel it is a hard disease to get used to since you never really know when or what will make you have a flare up. One thing that helps is not to drink. I know it sucks but it helps reduce the flare ups. Even it is proven that being around smoking can cause flare ups.

Here is what I found for you...

Most people with Crohn's Disease who are going through a major flare-up, go on a liquid diet to let everything settle down. This can include a nutritional drink like Ensure.

You might want to take a hard look at "hard" food like nuts, popcorn, etc. They are hard to digest and might cause blockage if your intestines are badly inflamed. You might need to eliminate them.

Because of the blockage worry, you might consider eating smaller meals more often.

Drink plenty of water. It's not unusual for a person with Crohn's Disease to have dehydration.

Inflammatory bowel disease can make it hard to get the nutrients you need.

It is important to eat a healthy, varied diet to help you keep your weight up and stay strong.

Some foods can make symptoms worse. Avoiding these foods may help reduce your symptoms.

No one diet is right for everyone with an inflammatory bowel disease. Keep a food diary to find out which foods cause problems for you. Then you can avoid those foods but choose others that supply the same nutrients.
Because you may not be absorbing all the nutrients from the food you eat, you will need to eat a high-calorie, high-protein diet. This may be easier to do if you eat regular meals plus 2 or 3 snacks each day.

You may need to take vitamin and mineral supplements to help you get the nutrients you need.

Here are some other foods that might help or be bad for you....

Some foods may make your symptoms worse, especially during a flare-up. For many people, common problem foods include:

Dairy products for people who are lactose-intolerant.
High-fibre foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Often people have the most problems with gas-producing foods, such as beans, cabbage, broccoli, and onions, or foods with hulls, such as seeds, nuts, and corn.
High-fat foods, such as fried foods, butter and margarine, mayonnaise, peanut butter, nuts, ice cream, and fatty cuts of red meat.
Spicy foods.
Foods with caffeine, such as chocolate and coffee.
Carbonated drinks.
Alcohol.

I hope this helps you and good luck! Just know that you are not alone.

You are very welcome!!! Report It

My brother has Crohn's. He drinks the Lactaid brand milk, and can't eat a lot of things with fiber, like salad and cereal and whole grains. He can enjoy most things, but in moderation. He takes Immuran and they have him on one of those pro-biotic pills as well.

My daughter-in-law has this disease and I know it makes her life rough. General measures which may help control Crohn's disease include dietary changes and supplementation. Since fiber is poorly digestible, it can exacerbate symptoms of partial bowel obstruction. Hence, a low fiber diet may be recommended, especially in those patients with small bowel disease. A liquid diet may be of benefit when symptoms are more severe. Intravenous nutrition or TPN (total peripheral nutrition) may be utilized when it is felt that total bowel rest is necessary. Supplementation of calcium, folate and vitamin B12 is helpful when malabsorption of these nutrients is apparent. The use of antidiarrheal agents and antispasmotics can also help relieve symptoms of cramps and diarrhea.

http://pages.prodigy.net/mattgreen/

You really need to work out what causes you pain etc.. as each person is different. I suggest going to see a dietitian, as they can help you to work out what foods affect you most. I find that keeping a diary of ALL the foods and drinks you have throughout the day helps determine this. Make an appointment, then keep a food diary right up until you see them.
I always try and drink at least 3 litres of water a day, because us crohnies lose a lot more water from dehydration, than a healthy adult would (this is due to diarrohea).
Low fibre diets are great, but you shouldnt stick to these permenantly. they are good for short term when you have a flare up, but once you are back on track, fibre is actually really beneficial for your bowel. It's really like a yo-yo. Your diet is always changing as one day you will be fine from certain foods, then the next day, you will find that it flares up your disease. I drink lactose free milk, just to be sure. Every now and then i will have a bit of a flare up from dairy products, so to be on the safe side, i limit what i eat in this food group too. Taking multi-vitamins is great, as your bowel tends to not absorb nutrients like a healthy bowel does. I also take fish oil supplements, just as an added anti-inflammatory.
I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, feel free to email me
bianca.zeni@yahoo.com.au
Take care, Bianca