What are your Food triggers?
Hello,
I’m new to the forum. Have UC since 2017.
I’ve had flare ups, here and there. Mostly due to stress or insufficient medication: First flare up took long time to heal, due to not being prescribed long term medicines. Second flare up revealed that oral mesalasine was not enough. Third flare up due to father passing away and fourth was due to giving birth and newborn was severely sick. In short, I actually don’t know any trigger for me, beside stress and lack of medicine.
I also never tried any sort of diet. I avoid lactose in general because I feel it bothers me, but I would go for icecream once in a while and suffer from bloating for couple of hours.
I started this conversation, so we all can share our triggers, only for the sake of learning more about this disease.
Hi
. First, let me say that the two things you mention, stress and lack of treatment, are two important issues and it is understandable that you would have flares.
Second, diet and specific foods are definitely a major trigger for many. Our contributors have written quite a bit on this topic. Laura wrote here about what she has learned about navigating food and colitis: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/personalized-diet. Our editorial team wrote here about the specific carbohydrate diet: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/clinical/specific-carbohydrate-diet-crohns-colitis and here about the Low FODMAP diet: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/clinical/crohns-fodmap-diet. Matt wrote here about elimination diets (writing about Crohn's, but just as applicable to UC): https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/elimination-diets.
It is also important to note that what may work for one person may not for another and sometimes triggers for an individual can change. Christal wrote about her changing triggers here: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/changing-uc-food-triggers. I mention this not downplay the importance of finding and tracking triggers, but rather the importance of being vigilant. Hope this information is helpful and that others chime in with their thoughts. Best, Richard (Team Member)My food triggers are tomato, garlic, and onion.
Then again many foods give me issues. Except meat.
I did change jobs from a very high stress aerospace job to a much more mellow healthcare related job.
I just semi-retired so im only working about 25 hrs a week and that has helped along with having time for exercise.
Best wishes to allhi
. Stress certainly doesn't do a body good. Our contributor Stephanie wrote here about the connection between IBD and stress: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/stress-ibd. As a side note, your story sounds very familiar to me - also worked in aerospace before I came to this organization (with a couple short-term positions in between). Wishing you the best. Richard (Team Member)
Thanks a lot for the reply! It really helps a lot when you know your triggers. Does this mean that you also avoid these when you are on remission?
Hi
. This is a great question. I suspect the answer can be different for different people. I know that may sound like a copout, but remission can look different for each person. This article from our editorial team looks at how members of the community described/defined remission in one of our surveys: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/remission-defined. In this article our contributor Laura describes her experience, including a remission maintenance plan: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/remission. Some in the first article describe remission as "Being able to eat normally," but how one goes about that (or if) is a difficult question. I know some attempt to gradually reintroduce certain foods, but you will have to determine for yourself what level of introduction (maybe in conjunction with your doctors) you are comfortable with. Wishing you the best. Richard (Team Member)
