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oranges, citrus......do they cause anyone problems?

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oranges, citrus......do they cause anyone problems?  
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Posted 2/21/2008 11:59 AM (GMT -6)
I just read two posts about people having problem w/oranges.
 
I'm curious b/c last week and the week before I was eating mineola's (cross between grapefruit and and orange) sometimes called tangelo's they are super delicious and I can only get them in winter.  
 
Anyhoo, I wonder if those may have caused my increased bm's?  I am now back to 1 to 2 a day but last week got back up to 6 a day and not really sure what it was from.
 
I know coffee gives me increased bm's, and that is acidic.  Maybe the acidity in the oranges does something to me too?
 
Just thinking out loud...........
Beth, 32
Major Flare Sept/Oct 07 ~ no blood since Dec 07 ~ almost normal bm
UC dx'd March 2000 (30 cenitmeters as of 2005-proctosigmoiditis)
Azathioprine 200mg 1xday nightly; Calcium and Vit D 500mg 3xday, Multi Vit, Folic Acid 400mg 2xday, Probiotics.
Minimal Change Disease (Kidney Disorder) dx'd Sept 2007
Prednisone 40mg 1xday, Simvastatin 20mg 1xday, Diovan 160mg 2xday. Tekturna 150mg 1xday, Fursomide 20mg 1xday.  Potassium 100mg 2xday, Fosomax 70mg 1xweek. MCD may be from hypersensitivty to 5ASA drugs.

Posted 2/21/2008 12:07 PM (GMT -6)
i have been told that anything acidic; oranges, tomatoes, things like that may cause problems. That they irritate the stomach and colon. So it does seem possible that you are experienceing problems due to mineola's. Esspecially if your body has not been use to the higher acid in food before now. Maybe try eating less? I am not a big orange person so I havn't tryed, but i had tomatoe soup and ended up running to the bathroom for the first time in a while..... so no more tomatoe soup for me : )
i hope that helps.
 
{[lizzielu]}
age 20, diagnosed december 2006
meds: Asacol 4 pills 3x a day; 6-mp 75mg MWF, 50mg SSTTH; iron supplament; protonix; prednisone 25mg for one more week! (in the middle of a tapper, down from 40mg started 1/1/08)
Remicade????--pondering, next step

Posted 2/21/2008 12:08 PM (GMT -6)
I like oranges but they don't love me. I can tolerate the low acid orange juice. Tomatos are killers on my IBS too. It could totally be the acidity.
Tabitha (Tab)

100mg Azathioprine, 2 Fibercon, Colazal-9 a day, Acidopholis Pearls, Nexium

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Co-Moderator UC Forum

Posted 2/21/2008 12:38 PM (GMT -6)
I limit o.j. to a 4-oz. serving daily. Never eat grapefruit, rarely have other citrus whole, except for clementines. Mango agrees with me, as well as most non-citrus fruits-- in moderation. The package inserts that used to come with Dipentum warned against over-consumption of Vit C while taking 5-ASA meds, so that encouraged me to limit citrus & it has worked for me, plus I take Centrum Silver multivitamin daily. / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])
Posted 2/21/2008 12:40 PM (GMT -6)
I haven't drank OJ in years and it used to be my favorite beverage :(
Female, 22, Ulcerative colitis (pancolitis) since 1999; GERD; gastritis; osteopenia in hip & lumbar region of spine from long term prednisone use

Current Meds:
10mg Lexapro (for depression/social anxiety)
125mg Azathioprine
4800mg Asacol (Four 400mg tablets, three times a day)
10meq Potassium
 
 

Posted 2/21/2008 12:43 PM (GMT -6)
Same here, I can't eat oranges but I don't have any trouble with low acid orange juice in moderation. Same goes for lemons - I love lemonade but it doesn't like me!
 @--->--SHERRY--<---@
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~Left sided Uc -'92 - Colazal (9 daily), 6mp (50-100mgs), Prilosec, Biotin, Forvia, Pro-Bio**Unable to tolerate Asacol, Rowasa or Canasa** ~Allergies - Singulair
~Secondary Reynauds Syndrome -'04 - Norvasc~Fibromyalgia -'06~No meds
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Posted 2/21/2008 12:47 PM (GMT -6)
I haven't noticed any problems with citrus. I eat oranges regularly and drink orange juice about every other day.

Old Hat - I've never heard that we're supposed to limit Vit. C while using 5-ASAs. Do you know why the Dipentum said that? Is that just with Dipentum or all 5-ASAs? Thanks.
24 years old
Diagnosed with UC March 2007; yet to go into remission
Asacol 4 tablets 3x/day
Rowasa (generic) - daily
Nature's Way Primadophilus Reuteri 1/day; Chewable multivitamin; Metamucil; Viactiv (Calcium and Vit. D)

Posted 2/21/2008 12:49 PM (GMT -6)
I drink OJ but water it down (mostly because it is too sweet) and eat lots of italian food with tomato sauce. It only seems to aggrivate my acid reflux. Ooh and I hate lemons so i don't know about lemonade or anything.
Kelly, 29

Left sided UC diagnosed 1/98 age 19, Pan colitis diagnosed 1/07
Currently on 4x3 Asacol, 15 mg pred, down to 10 mg 1/11/08...down to 10/5...
75mg Imuran starting 8/23/07---bumped to 100mg 10/8/07--bumped to 125 11/14/07...
Taken off of Imuran temporarily 1/11/08-back on 1/16/08
Prontonix once daily for acid reflux, zofran twice daily for nausea

Posted 2/21/2008 1:10 PM (GMT -6)
fruits, especially citrus will increase and loosen bms even in people who don't have UC...it's the fructose, fibre and acidity.

Think of it as a good cleanout..

Citrus is also high in histamines...so something to consider for those who may be sensitive to them. They also can increase photosensitivity...and when mixed with meds that can cause this as well, the likelihood for it to happen will increase exponentially.

I've not heard of the vitamin C limiation and 5ASA meds...dipentum maybe more specific...possibly it changes the ph level in the ileum/colon where the outer coating of the med is dissolved?

quincy
*Heather*Status: mini flare Dec 28... tapered to every 3rd night
~diagnosed January 1989 UC (proctosigmoiditis)
~5ASA: Asacol (6 daily) + Salofalk enemas (increase for flares tapered to maintenance)
~Bentylol (dicyclomine) 20mg as needed
~vitamins/minerals/supplements 
~Probiotic 3(Natural Factors Protec) bedtime + 1 (Primadophilus Reuteri) occasionally
~multi-digestive enzymes as needed ....bromelain 1 - 2x daily
~Ranitidine,Pariet (reflux) Effexor XR 75mg;  Pulmicort/Airomir (asthma)
~URSO for PSC (or PBC) 500mg X 2 daily (LFTs back to NORMAL!!)
My doc's logic.. "TREAT (FROM)BOTH ENDS"  worth it !!!

Posted 2/21/2008 1:26 PM (GMT -6)
thanks everyone, I am bringing my mineola's to work tomorrow with a big 'take one' sign on it. Darn and I look forward to them every year!

I think I am ok w/tomatoes and marinara sauce.
Beth, 32
Major Flare Sept/Oct 07 ~ no blood since Dec 07 ~ almost normal bm
UC dx'd March 2000 (30 cenitmeters as of 2005-proctosigmoiditis)
Azathioprine 200mg 1xday nightly; Calcium and Vit D 500mg 3xday, Multi Vit, Folic Acid 400mg 2xday, Probiotics.
Minimal Change Disease (Kidney Disorder) dx'd Sept 2007
Prednisone 40mg 1xday, Simvastatin 20mg 1xday, Diovan 160mg 2xday. Tekturna 150mg 1xday, Fursomide 20mg 1xday.  Potassium 100mg 2xday, Fosomax 70mg 1xweek. MCD may be from hypersensitivty to 5ASA drugs.

Posted 2/21/2008 1:31 PM (GMT -6)
Also, I read somewhere that those of us on immunosuppressants (imruran/azathioprine, 6 MP, cyclosporine) need to avoid grapefuit and grapefruit juice as flavonoids in the grapefruit juice inhibit intestinal enzymes and lead to a large increase in the systemic amount of cyclosporine (that could be toxic).
Rio, 31 yr old male - diagnosed with UC in 07/2006.
 
Alternative therapies for several months (SCD, ayurvedic treatment, VSL#3): didn't work and became anaemic. Canasa, 2 daily: remission for a month then flared-up.
07/07-11/07: 4800mg Asacol (6 x 400mg, twice a day) & Aloe Elite.
Completed first (6 week) tapered course of Pred in 10/07, flaring up since coming off it.
11/07: Switched from Asacol to 12 x 750mg Colazal (3 weeks on it and symptoms got worse)
12/07: Asacol 4800 mg, Started Azathioprene 175mg, Prednisone taper from 60mg - Now on alternate days of 20mg and 10mg; 2/08: added 1 Pentasa x 1mg.

Posted 2/21/2008 4:09 PM (GMT -6)
I LOVE Oranges, but in a flare they are the equivalent to drinking battery acid sad
Dx'D in 1990. Remission 1991 - 1/2005
Both flares were in extremely stressful times in my life
Colonoscopy 10/2005 80% of Colon diseased, or as I like to say "Intestinely challenged"
*****9/2007 dumped my GI who I refer to as "Satan" New GI, new med TOTAL remission with in 2 weeks.
Colazal 9 capsules a day*****

Posted 2/21/2008 8:40 PM (GMT -6)
oranges and tomatoes are a no-no during a flare but when not flaring, I am good to go to eat them both! Guess it just shows how different we all are with the UC
AlabamaBabs
Pancolitis diagnosed 5/07 
4 Lialda/day since 8/01/07
Started 40 mg. Prednisone on 9/16/07 and DONE as of 11/26/07!Canasa suppositories 1000mg 2X/day as of 1/22/08
 

Posted 2/21/2008 9:21 PM (GMT -6)

I've been trying to get my PH closer to alkaline, I know I'm much too acid and that causes inflammation. Lemons while acidic perform in your system as alkaline so I have been adding it to my water every day. I called my pharmacy to ask about OJ with my Asacol and he said it's OK but DEFINATELY NOT grapefruit. Glad I called, I'm bad about not reading the sheets on my scripts. Anyway, the two best things to improve PH are red grapes and watermelon, according to the PH diets. I love them both so I've added them to my diet along with the lemons. Also used to drink lots of cranberry and that's terribly acidic so cut it out and have pom now.

Diagnosed with LS UC 1984, suffered for 16 years, high doses Pred and eased off to Azulfidine; remission for 9 years, just flared recently. Asacol 3, 3x day; 20 ml. Pred.. Heading into remission again with addition of: prayer, deep breathing, walks on the beach and: 4-1000 mg.garlic twice daily; 2 zyflamend twice daily, SuperFoods RX multi-whole food vita twice daily, SuperFoods RX Omega 3; 3 Asacol 3 x day with 3 Vitamin Shoppe Ultimate 10 Probiotic; Metamucil morning and night - no dairy, hardly any coffee (Just added Hevla decaf), lots of water and green tea. Was using L-Glutamine but read that it can aggravate? Recently added: 1 scoop Greensplus Chia seeds and the vinegar and honey regimen.

Posted 2/21/2008 9:46 PM (GMT -6)
I have never heard not to eat grapefruit with Asacol. I always read the information sheets that I get with all my prescriptions. I will have to ask my doctor and pharmacist about that. Did he tell you why you shouldn't eat grapefruit, BTC?
24 years old
Diagnosed with UC March 2007; yet to go into remission
Asacol 4 tablets 3x/day
Rowasa (generic) - daily
Nature's Way Primadophilus Reuteri 1/day; Chewable multivitamin; Metamucil; Viactiv (Calcium and Vit. D)

Posted 2/21/2008 10:30 PM (GMT -6)
Me too, I have trouble eating Oranges... I can eat just about anything else, but not Oranges. Last time I ate an orange, I had a stomach ache for 3 days and some D. No bleeding or anything like that, but it definately made me feel yucky....
Diagnosed with U/C January 31st, 2004, IBS on July 21st, 2006 
Meds: Rowasa enema's- Been off them since leaving Montana, praying I stay off them.
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         Xanax .5mg as needed - Effexor 37.5mg. - Culturelle 1x a day
 
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Posted 2/22/2008 3:33 PM (GMT -6)
No, I didn't ask why - I know my sister takes some med that she can't have grapefruit with so I just took the advice.
Posted 2/22/2008 4:59 PM (GMT -6)
I don't feel that oranges, mangoes, or tomatoes bother me if eaten in small amounts. Lemons seem to be harder on me. I won't touch a grapefruit, they cause problems with lots of meds and last time years ago I had one, it was very strong. Not worth the risk. I drink a glass of orange juice every day.
Diagnosed with Left-sided Ulcerative Colitis 1995 at 15, Tried: Prednisone, Rowasa & Hydrocort. Enemas, Proctofoam, Sulfasalazine, Asacol, Probiotics, Fish Oil, Canasa, Enotcort, Colazol, Anamantle, etc... had almost recto-vaginal fistula in 2004, put on Remicade, August 2007:Increased Remicade dosage-700mg every 6 weeks,diagnosed w/ Psoriatic Arthritis & Fibromyalgia Current meds: Remicade 700mgs every 6 wks (had reaction, will start Humira Feb 11) Clorazepate, Proctofoam HC, Glucosamine 500, Vitamin B, Lomotil,  Tylenol pm, Lyrica for Fibromyalgia started 1/17/08

Posted 2/22/2008 5:20 PM (GMT -6)
I drank a bottle of my favourite drink today(Finches sparkling orange) and i swear my whole colon is on fire,
                                     keep the faith 

         asacol/proctifoam/Zoton (lansoprazole)/propranalol



        http://www.myspace.com/martybuzz1<FONT]

Posted 2/22/2008 9:13 PM (GMT -6)
Beth,
Also watch citric acid as an additive to foods.  My husband stopped citrus fruits first,saw some improvement for a while.  Then we cut out citric acid containing foods.  You have to read every label as it is in the most unusual foods sometimes.  good luck.
 
no citric
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