Tummy trouble - Crohns Disease

Susie, do you have coeliac disease or Crohns? Or does your GP think you have both?

If you have coeliac disease are you avoiding all gluten (and it is in a lot of food, not just in bread). Do you think there may have been some gluten in something that you ate?

Oh poor you. I have to be really careful what I eat. I had diverticulitis and it present itself the way you describe. Whatever it is I hope your sorted soon. It's awful isn't it

With Crohn's disease my MiL felt hungry all the time but couldn't eat. There was nowhere for it to go as it wasn't being digested. She was in pain, too.

Thanks - the GP thinks I might have both, as I am scrupulously gluten free...just so fed up of feeling ill, scared to venture more than 5minutes from a loo , and can barely eat anything

susieb755 I'm sorry you feel so ill. I do hope they soon find out what the problem is and that you soon feel better.

My DiL has Crohns and has had a large part of her bowel removed and an illiostomy bag. The sooner it's diagnosed the better. She has to be careful what she eats, but basically it's pretty much the opposite to a healthy diet. Crisps (she needs the salt) and chocolate, wine and processed foods are in. Salads and green veggies are out. Root vegetables and potatoes (except chips) are fine. No nuts or oily food (such as fish and chips) and no fizzy drinks or caffeine. Avoid anything which can cause wind or irritate a tender bowel. Whole grain can do this which is probably why there may be confusion with wheat allergies.

Have a browse at www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk . It does no harm to try changing your diet a bit to see if it helps.

Oh dear, poor you susieb. I do hope it gets diagnosed soon so that you can get the right treatment. Just when you were feeling better on a gluten free diet as well.

A friend was suffering like you - this was years ago before so much was known about Crohns, coeliac etc. However, he was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer and eventually benefited from a new treatment which involved taking two or three different antibiotics, which sorted the problem for him thankfully.

It is difficult to eat the right things if you have coeliac, as some crisps, chocolate and of course many processed foods have gluten in them. Fish and chips are obviously out (as are oven chips as they are often coated). Beer is a no-no, even malt vinegar, although cider or wine vinegars are fine. Some wines are out as well, due to the way they are processed. The foods that would normally be fine sound as if they are giving you problems.

So working out what you can eat at the moment must be incredibly difficult, susie; can you get an appointment earlier than 9th July, perhaps a cancellation?

I am sorry that you are suffering in this way - it is a great burden. I have had IBS for the whole of my life and there have been periods of years when I needed the loo 10 or more times a day - worse in the mornings and I have bad memories of trying to drive the children to 3 different schools whilst clutching the steering wheel (and the buttocks!). It is truly miserable and you have all my sympathy. I do hope that you will find something to alleviate the symptoms soon.

I still have problems - when I pick my DGD up on a Tuesday to look after her all day, I cannot eat or drink anything before I set off for fear it will spark of endless fun!

Thank you all for your messages of support, very much appreciated, NfkDumpling - thank you I have pretty much adopted that approach by accident ! Eating gluten free bread, butter and honey for lunch, baked crisps ( gluten free), scrambled eggs, rice, and chicken, one cup of tea and one coffee per day and peppermint or ginger tea... I dont seem to be able to tolerate any veg, even potatoes