what type of diet should i be on?? (for UC)

  I stay completely away from milk and most dairy products, and caffiene.  I try not to eat fried foods (which is hard)...any extra advice?? Am i on the right track?? What about bread, bananas, etc...  any advice would be much appreciated.. Since I've been on this message board, I've already learned some interesting bits of info.   THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!    Oh yeah!.. has anyone heard that smoking is beneficial with UC????  or is that a rumor..

Food interactions vary from person to person but the typical stand by for a Uc'ers diet is no raw fruits or vegetables - especially corn, spicy foods, caffeine, seeds, nuts, alcohol and dairy only if you can't tolerate it. And yes smoking is known to help with UC but please don't start smoking if you don't already - the long term ramifications outweigh the benefits for it for UC.

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I get a lot of gas and diarrhea from any kind of sugar like white sugar, high fructose corn syrup. honey, maple syrup, etc.

You might want to try eating no sugar for a few days (and that includes any processed foods like cookies, ice cream, soda pop, candy, etc) and see if that helps. Personally, it helped me a lot.

You'd be able to tell in 2 or 3 days if it would help you too. If it doesn't, then well, you know that too.

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Proctitis - diagnosed April 2007 (symptoms starting in October 2006)

Flares treated with Rowasa enemas

Mild food diet (chicken, rice, collard greens, no sugar, no corn, no beef/pork, etc)

Trail and error really is the best way to figure things out though it takes a lot of will power. If you start with a pretty bland boring diet that you know you don't have a problem with and add one new thing at a time then wait to see what happens to you. If it goes ok add something else... and on and on...

for me veggies are hard. Even very cooked I can't handle very much. But then again I can NEVER handle even normal amounts of fiber. This may have to do with the strictures in the lower section of my colon. caffiene isn't a problem for me and neither is dairy, though many ibders are lactose intolerant.

It takes time and patience to really figure things out. It sounds like you have done a good job of avoiding most of the things that bother you, just pay attention to your body it will let you know what it doesn't like.

Smoking has shown to help UC but as Sherry said, it's not worth it. Most of what I have heard is that if you are a smoker, when you try to quit it can lead you into a flare. So if you are a smoker and want to quit, discuss it with your GI.

Good luck!

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Kelly, 29

Left sided UC diagnosed 1/98 age 19, Pan colitis diagnosed 1/07
Currently on 4x3 Asacol, Rowasa every other night, 15 mg pred. until immuran kicks in...
75mg Imuran starting 8/23/07---bumped to 100mg 10/8/07
Prontonix once daily for acid reflux, zofran twice daily for nausea

Thanks again very much!!!!

diet soda does me in, but it is a weaknes,,,same with coffee. lighter teas are easier for me to digest...

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katie
23
diagnosed with cecal volvulus, 2006; two colon resections in the same year
diagnosed with colitis 2007
malrotated colon
no cecal valve, removed during surgery
gastritis

VSL #3
Amitriptyline to slow gastric emptying
Forvia
compazine

i spent over 3 months with a dietician trying every concievable type of diet out there .. even a strictly liquid diet.

they all had the same effect.... nothing.

it still hurt, still had same amount of bm's, blood, d, pain and everything...

so i threw in the towel and eat what i want when i want.
if its gonna hurt anyway, i figure i will at least enjoy my food cuz i love good food and eating.
i need it too since i lost 40lbs from this flare and weigh 102lbs right now.

corn and peas i dont eat tho cuz they hurt extra bad... other than that it is definitely as the others have said "trial and error"

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50mg prednisone 1x day morning

Check out the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, developed specifically for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.

Like Krazygirl, no matter what the food I can barely tell the difference.

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Male 23 Born 1984
Ulcerative Colitis - 2004
10 Asacol per day