My names is James, 34 years old from the east coast, and diagnosed with ulcerative colitis two and a half years ago. I was hospitalized last year for 6 days which was a nightmare but made me feel better, I lost around 25 pounds, I should of been hospitalized earlier but I was hoping to get better on my own and was probably the worst pain I ever experienced until going to the hospital. Once out of the hospital I was put on prednisone and I felt great for about 6 months after being on it, than another really bad flare came on, of course when I was going on vacation with a 3 hour car ride with lots of traffic. Then I was put back on prednisone after a colonoscopy this August and felt better right away until this past Monday where some bleeding has started and cramping.
I just went to the doctor and he gave me enemas which are kind of working. I am scarred to go back on Prednisone or my doc might want to put me on 6mp, but my wife and I are trying to have another baby and I don’t want to be on meds while trying. So I am going to try the SCD diet but just don’t know where to begin. What should I start eating while in this flare? My wife and son are going to do the diet with me which is really supportive.
Anyone ever been in my position trying to get pregnant and trying to avoid medication? Whats a good menu breakfast, lunch, dinner to begin with on the SCD diet while in a flare? I felt like I was a healthy eater before I had UC and lived an active lifestyle and now UC just makes me depressed….. Also is probiotic yogurt bad to eat from Trader Joes?
Past Medications:Â Lialda, prednisone and enemas
Questions:
- Do probiotics work and which are the best?
- Is probiotic yogurt ok?
- Do you really have to make your own yogurt?
- What helps with cramping?
I have so many questions…
Amazon Stuff from this post:
Breaking the Vicious Cycle: The SCD Diet Book
HI James
I’m just learning about the SCD myself. I had a failed attempt last spring and I am planning on trying it again. The book Breaking the Vicious Cycle is a good starting point but I found it didn’t provide enough information. Just today I went to http://scdlifestyle.com and bought the three books from this website. I’ve started the first and so far, it is helping a lot with answering questions about SCD. I recommend buying these ebooks. I made the mistake of trying SCD when I was in the middle of a heavy training regimen (I’m a professional cyclist) – this time I’m going to do it during my rest period so that I can fully commit to it and give it a try. I was diagnosed with UC a year and a half ago and I’m now in another massive flare. My reason for trying SCD is to avoid prednisone – I really don’t want to take this drug. Anyway, check out the site and hopefully it will help.
There are lots of people on this website that are on SCD so I’m sure you’ll get some great responses as well.
Best of luck and please keep us up-to-date with how the diet goes for you.
cheers,
vicki
Hey James. I am 34 years old as well, and my story is pretty similar to yours. My wife and I had a baby earlier this year when I was going through my worst flare ever and I even developed a DVT blood clot in my leg so I know what you’re going through. I am doing a modified(?) SCD diet and it has worked for me somewhat. I did it strict for about 2 months and it didn’t help me all the way so I added some things and subtracted some things. I’d stay away from Trader Joe’s yogurt unless you think you really want it. Go to Bed Bath and Beyond and buy a yogurt maker
and make some 24 hour yogurt – it’s cheaper, and better. I try to stay away from all dairy right now and that seemed to help me. I eat a lot of avocados. They’ve got calories and fat and are really good for you. Although, don’t be like me and eat them with tortilla chips. I make a lot of smoothies for breakfast. I eat a lot of hard boiled eggs. Chicken and fish are a good staple as well as bananas. I eat rice chex and rice milk from TJs, so I don’t eat SCD legal all the way, but find things that you can handle. I take a few probiotics for variety. I take 2 different Renew Life Ultimate Flora probies
, and Primadophilius Reuteri, and some other Nature’s Way Primadophilus
. I just ordered a tub of RevitalX so I’ll see how that goes with the healing. I take fish oil which really helped me get out of flare. I don’t get too much cramping anymore even when I’m at my worst, but I used to take GasX when it was bad. I drank a lot of Mendota Sparkling Waters and it seemed to help for some reason. For the depression I get outside for some fresh air and don’t stay in and read about UC on the net all day and keep a food journal even though it’s a pain.
Hey thanks for the input, I will def get a yogurt maker. The cramps are what kill me, I will feel all right than after I eat something a cramp kicks in. My doctor wants to do a colonoscopy but I just had one in August. I am sick of them more so the drink the night before though. I really want to get committed to feeling better all the time n will do watever it takes this time, so once I feel better I don’t want to go back to my old ways eating anything and drinking beer. Also to any UCers in California or Colorado or anywhere there is medical marijuana, does it help? I am in a state where they passed the law but hasn’t kicked in yet, I have a friend with Crohn’s in Califronia and says it helps. Its really the cramps that effect me the worse and being in a car for a long period of time in a flare. LOL
Also where do u buy almond flour? They didn’t have it at Whole Foods
Hey J,
Trader JOes has almond flour for pretty cheap. I’d check that out if you are close to one of those
Hi,
The SCD does work and I’ve been on it with 6 months with great results! It does take a lot of prep work and effort but the results are def worth it! Its great that your wife and son will be joining the journey to better health! With regards to starting the diet I highly suggest you go to the library or bookstore and get the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle
by elaine gotchall. This book will help you understand the diet and it will list the foods which are allowed. When starting the SCD it is good to start with easy to digest foods like cooked vegetables and fruit, plain meats and poultry, and home made chicken broth soup.
You may discover that you feel worse before you feel better, but don’t give up these are known as die off symptoms! I started noticing vast improvements after about 10 days. Yogurt must be home made, all commercial yogurts have lactose in them. Probiotics are key and acidipihlos is the one to take while on SCD I buy mine online. I also take a specially formulated SCD vitamin made by Freeda vitamins.
There are many internet resources and if you google SCD you will come across a lot of valuable information!
Good luck!
Hey thnx 4 the input, what vitamin do u take?
Hi, I have 20 days to SCD, the image could not stop diarrhea – 6 times a day, morning is a drop of blood. Can diarrhea of chicken broth, apple juice? I drank tea and added 1 / 4 teaspoon honey. I do not know what to do .. help, now I eat
Lunch: turkey and stewed apple juice (20% juice and 80% water)
Dinner: baked salmon and apple juice
afternoon: 2 fried eggs
Dinner: stewed beef and 1 teaspoon of pear puree.
2 days I did not eat eggs, and diarrhea was still, I thought that the eggs I eat normally today and two fried, and then for 1 hour in the evening was in the bathroom 3 times
Hey Christina, I am so sorry that you are not getting things under control yet.
I have a hard time with apple juice unless I make it myself from apples at home. I would suggest to stop drinking the apple juice and just drink water for a few days and see if you get any improvement. I know its really hard to cut out juice, especially when you are feeling sick and want some juice/sugars, but it is worth a try. For quite a few people, the apple juice is very difficult for the gut to handle, especially if it’s store bought juice.
The rest of the food that you mention seems to be alright for starting the diet. Are you drinking anything else besides what you mentioned above? Or eating anything else?
thank you!!! I*ll try it
Hi people. I still have to prednisone and 6 g Asakol but I for 24 days diet. Today I was in the bathroom 1 time. sleep well all night, no pain. but do not know how the evening. hope for the best.
Adam, can I use chicken broth for a diet, or is it only on the intro?
I went very sour yogurt, perhaps I used the bad yeast. Can I use yeast Dannon – Actimel?
Can Farmer cheese so: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/home-made-farmers-cheese/Detail.aspx??
Hey Christina,
You for sure can use Chicken broth on the diet. That is just fine. I used Dannon yogurt as the “starter” for the homemade yogurt and it seems to be working pretty good for me. It is a bit sour, but that is I belive how it is supposed to taste. you can try to add some honey to it to sweaten it up, but don’t add too much at first until your body is ready for honey.
I hope you had a good night tonight without waking up Christina!
Help!I do not know from what, but I did a flare. I do not know what to do because I am on a diet for 50 days, a little chair was formed, no pain, but still (4times) a drop of blood in the morning, sometimes … but this morning I woke up at 6 am and went to the bathroom. First, it was rare, and very rare …. I do not know what to do …. I do not want to go on Imuran, help me …… Do not diet helps for me ….=(
I have not entered any products, just yesterday introduced Omega-3…maby I have many lesions, and thats diet will be long….. I dont know…
Hi Christina,
Has your Gastro put you on any antibiotics? It is standard practice to prescribe corticosteroids (Prednisone, Entocort), mesalamine (Asacol, Pentasa) and antibiotics like Flagyl and Cipro as a first step, before moving on to immusuppressants. I’d be very wary about a doctor that doesn’t do this. I recommend you get a second opinion from another Doctor.
Good Luck.