HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Why coffee?

Support Forums
>
Crohn's Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/7/2011 7:48 PM (GMT -7)
So I will sound stupid on here for awhile with my questions please forgive me. Ok every diet for Chrons I have been looking at says No Coffee.. That hurts me more than my illeum does! Is it the caffeen or the coffee in general? Is decaf ok?  "Caffeen and nigatine the breakfast of champions!" has been my motto for years. Coffee runs thru my veins!

Its going to be very challenging cooking now since my husband has heart issues and has to do the high fiber low fat deal with his condition. Looks like I will be cooking seperately for each of us.

Right now this is all so new to me and they havnt started figuring out meds so everything  hits my digestive track wrong. I used to like all vegies and fruits, now they hate me. Frustrating! 

 

Posted 4/7/2011 7:58 PM (GMT -7)
Hi Heather and welcome :)

I would rather cut off my right arm than give up coffee <g> BUT I do find all types of INSTANT coffee are not my friend. I do however tolerate real coffee made from freshly ground beans in moderation. ahhhhhhhh

I treat myself to a really good capucinno most days and especially those days that are not so good - something nice about a real coffee that always cheers me up!

I tried decaf but no better for me that ordinary so I stick with that.

I do follow a modified FODMAP diet which seems to help me with the IBS side of crohns.

Most food I cook is goo for my hubbys heart and cholestrol so it is not so bad.

Good luck
Lesley
Posted 4/7/2011 8:02 PM (GMT -7)
I have to have my cup of coffee first thing every morning...along with a ciggy. However, if I'm flaring the thought (and smell) of coffee gags me. And I don't smoke much when I'm flaring. I just have no desire to do either.
Posted 4/7/2011 8:37 PM (GMT -7)
I've never liked coffee at all, but I do take a daily dose of caffeine in a hot cup of English breakfast tea.

I tend to have gastritis, so frequently tea will upset my stomach unless I cut the acidity with a dollop of half-and-half.

Caffeine can trigger bowel activity, so maybe that's why the interwebs are saying "no coffee" for IBD patients.
Posted 4/7/2011 9:23 PM (GMT -7)
If I am flaring coffe will get me "going" for a little while. I am not flaring right now and coffee doesn't seem to bother me. I LOVE the taste!!
Posted 4/8/2011 7:08 AM (GMT -7)
If it agrees with you, I see no reason to stop drinking coffee.
Posted 4/8/2011 7:19 AM (GMT -7)
I gave up coffee after years of drinking it. I switched to tea and it doesn't hurt me at all. After awhile I didn't even miss it and now I don't crave it at all :) there's tons of teas out there to try and my cabinet runneth over haha :) Good luck to you!!
Posted 4/8/2011 7:26 AM (GMT -7)
Because I suffer from mostly constipation, I drink a cup of coffee most mornings and it helps me get things moving along. The milder brews do not seem to have any affect but the stronger the brew the faster I have to go and the stronger the urge.
Posted 4/8/2011 8:51 AM (GMT -7)

I don't think there is any one thing that you should or shouldn't eat.  It is all about how your body handles it.  My body loves coffee and I can't do without it.  The CD isn't affected by it.  Heck, I drink so much of it that it probably built an ammunity to it.

I say, if you can tolerate it then drink it.  Now for the nicotine....that is a whole nother story.

Posted 4/8/2011 1:08 PM (GMT -7)
I think that any diet restrictions are per the patient on a VERY individual basis. Absolutley NO FOODS make me better or trigger me. You have to do trial and error for yourself.
Good Luck.
Posted 4/8/2011 1:59 PM (GMT -7)
I am able to tolerate coffee I drink it black or sometimes I use 1/2 tsp of non dairy creamer in it
Posted 4/8/2011 2:02 PM (GMT -7)
coffe is my morning friend
Posted 4/8/2011 3:49 PM (GMT -7)
I have had doctors suggest cutting out caffiene in my diet, but I have seen no difference in how I feel with or without caffiene. I drink, and will not give up coffee again.

If I did see a difference in symptoms, or had more symptoms with more caffiene in my diet, I would not drink it as much, but honestly would not eliminate it all together because I love having coffee when I wake up. It's one of the wonderful things I enjoy in the morning (and not being a morning person there's not much I do enjoy about mornings ;) )
Posted 4/8/2011 4:04 PM (GMT -7)
By the way Heather, no question is stupid here.

I also wanted to tell you that you will learn in time, what works for one of us doesn't necessarily work for you. Each of us, and our crohn's is so different and we each have things that help and hurt us. It's all trial and error, and in time you'll figure out what works for you.
Posted 4/8/2011 7:55 PM (GMT -7)
They can take my colon but they canNOT take my coffee!!

Honestly, there is no final list that we need to adhere to. The disease is too different from person to person. I drink more coffee in one day than I would ever admit to and it doesn't do much more than move things along if I'm constipated ;) I have figured out that I don't tolerate cow's milk drinks so I just order my latte or iced coffee with soy at Starbucks. Other than that, I usually drink it black - just my preference.

If you tolerate it, keep on drinking it.

Posted 4/8/2011 9:14 PM (GMT -7)
i can't drink coffee but just found highly caffeiated tea at celestialseasonings.com...it has more caffeine than coffee- woohoo!
Posted 4/9/2011 7:48 AM (GMT -7)

I drink 1 cup, second cup seerms to make me nausaious(spellcheck). all I need is one sip in A.M. and I'm running to br. but that depends hopw late my last pain med was. I try not to take pain med's past 7pm(if I can). all our diets are individual, whats good for someone is not good for me. and verse visa, or vice versa.

AG

Posted 4/9/2011 8:52 AM (GMT -7)
I love coffee and drink 2 cups every morning. Sometimes I'll drink an extra cup or two as the day goes on. Usually, the second one upset my stomach a little bit. I can't handle black and don't like sugar, so I use half milk and half coffee. I also brew mine relatively weak. The stronger the coffee, the higher the chance that it upsets my stomach. Starbucks has me running to the bathroom allll day.

Just do whatever works for you. Everyone's body is different and everyone's Crohn's hates different foods...
Posted 4/9/2011 9:58 AM (GMT -7)
I love coffee but have heard that caffeine kills good bacteria, so try not to get too much. I used to enjoy tons of half and half in my coffee, but now can't do that or coffee mate. We usually make half-caff-- hot rice milk and a little half caff make a yummy and tummy friendly drink. I think it would be very upsetting to have to give up coffee completely, especially after having to say goodbye to booze!
Posted 4/9/2011 5:15 PM (GMT -7)
I am a coffee-holic! I can't live without at least one cup of coffee a day!
It doesn't seem to bother me too bad, but it certainly makes me go! Which isn't neccessarily a bad thing!

Hopefully you will still be able to enjoy your coffee!
Posted 4/10/2011 11:16 PM (GMT -7)
If they want my Cappuccino, they'll have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers!

Whoops, sorry for the outburst, but I had to vent. Anyway, probably not a good idea to drink coffee when you're flaring, but otherwise OK. My experience is the same as those who say that instant coffee upsets their stomachs. Doesn't even seem to matter if it's decaf or regular, still causes discomfort. Tea and cola are also not good. But I've found that quality coffee beans, ground just before use, are OK. Adding milk to the coffee seems to make it even milder. It does tend to loosen the bowels though - a few cups is normally not a problem, but here is a limit on how much I can drink before it induces diarrhea.
Posted 4/11/2011 1:01 AM (GMT -7)
I always had 2 cups of fresh brewed coffee or espresso every morning but stopped when it started giving me stomach problems.. started drinking English breakfast tea..just enough caffeine to get me to the bathroom.. a few years later I find out that I've got Crohn's and so I continue to stay off coffee because everything I'm reading says no caffeine.. hmmm

So many doctors, and so many walks home, my b/f and I are passing one of my favorite old cappuccino places from way back and I say forget about all this bad stuff.. I wanna have one of their giant cups with all the foam and we've been making it a ritual now.. stopping in there at least once a month after the dr.. its wonderful to have coffee again.. and yea.. no ill effects.. must be that I am taking PPIs now.. I'm just so glad that I can do something I used to do again!

and besides there are good things in coffee too.. everything in moderation
NY Veggie
Posted 4/11/2011 5:57 AM (GMT -7)
To everyone that runs to the bathroom from coffee...here is a question.  Are you drinking black coffee or does it have milk in it.  Don't forget that we are more likely to be lactose intollerant and that means lattes, cappachinos, etc are evil for us unless you get soy milk.  I say this because I start with 32oz of coffee in the morning and it does nothing to me one drop of milk and I can be in the bathroom all day.
Posted 4/11/2011 10:26 AM (GMT -7)
I've never had issues with coffee with cream but I've tried an iced coffee drink from Sonic a couple of times and was miserable and in so much pain that I'll never do that again.
Posted 4/11/2011 11:33 AM (GMT -7)
I don't like coffee as a drink but love anything tasting of coffee like cakes and sweets. I drink de caff tea at home and normal tea at work. Have found some tea bags that although they are decaff taste exactly like normal tea but have to say I don't notice any real diff in my CD habits but stopped normal tea whilst having major flare recently just in case it made things worse and stayed with decaff at home as like a cup just before bed and decaff doesn't keep me awake with the caffeine of normal.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12