7 days into a bad flare 😩

[PNoel]

Hey everyone
I was diagnosed in the beginning of January with CC
I’ve taken the Enterolab tests and I am intolerant to eggs,soy,dairy and gluten I have eliminated them from my diet and started to feel much better but last Tuesday I started to have a flare and I’m not sure why.
I’ve missed a lot of work and I’m getting cabin fever from being at home for so long.
I’m taking pepto, staying hydrated and resting but I don’t seem to be getting any better and I’m constantly in pain
Looking for any kind of encouragement or advice about getting through these hard days.

Thanks guys

[tommyboywalker]

Hi PNoel,

I'm very sorry to hear about the flare. There aren't many folks here who can't relate to those dang things.

Couple of thoughts. Are you keeping a food journal? I found that to be very helpful in trying to pinpoint if any food is related to the flare. What kind of foods are you eating since the flare started? An analysis of foods seems to be a critical component of understanding when you are reacting.

Have you been controlling it with diet alone, or did you use Budesonide or any other treatments?

I liked Pepto Bismol before I had MC, but since I have had it, I have had much better luck with using Imodium or generic for flares. I think it is stronger in trying to slow GI motility. In fact, that is all I used (along with a bland diet) for the two flares I have had since I finished with my Budesonide treatment.

Is there any additional stress in your life lately? Stress has been positively linked to flares. I use meditation and soaks in the tub with epsom salts when I'm not doing so well with MC.

I'm sure the others will chime in here as there are a lot of folks very familiar with flares and how to handle them. I'm still learning the ropes, although I will say that most of my learning of MC has come from this forum. It is an incredible resource and I am eternally grateful for the folks here.

Hoping that the flare passes soon and please keep us updated; we're all hoping the best for you!

[PNoel]

Hi Tommy,

I am keeping a food journal, as far as i can tell i havent eaten anything that i am intolerant to.
I am having a hard time eating anything since this flare started. Foods that i normally tolerate i cant right now so i am open to suggestions. It seems like no matter what i eat my stomach just hurts, sounds like a thunderstorm in there !

I have been controlling it with my diet alone, no budesonide.

As far as stress goes, i try so hard to keep it at a minimum because i know anxiety etc are huge triggers for me and for most of us. I may be more stressed than i realized and especially now i am trying to stay calm but its hard because im missing work (cabin fever) and trying to deal with my physical symptoms along with the emotional turmoil it causes.

definitely going to take an Epsom salt bath tonight and try to relax.

Thanks for the support !

[tommyboywalker]

Hi Tommy,

I am keeping a food journal, as far as i can tell i havent eaten anything that i am intolerant to.

I would use the Enterolab test results as a guide to be sure, but not absolute bible.

For example. My Enterolab results found I wasn't reactive to "soy", but I found out through my food journal and correlating it to symptoms that I am for sure reactive to anything but small amounts of soy.

When I was flaring, I went back to the really safe foods which for me were Rice Chex cereal with coconut milk, chicken bone broth based organic soups with very low fiber. Turkey worked really well for me (antibiotic free, etc), gluten free bread, low fat and low sugar in general, no caffeine or artificial sweeteners. And some Gatorade for electrolyte replacements and to stay hydrated. Applesauce, bananas, rice also on the menu. Everybody is different here; those are just some foods that worked for me. It's a lot of trial and error.

I think you have keyed on a good point here which relates to all of us. Simply because we have MC, we have more stress than normal. It's hard to judge or measure how stressed we are. But it can kind of be there, lurking...and definitely when we are flaring.

Check out "mindfulness meditation". I also have a chronic pain condition called CRPS. If you would have told me before I contractedd both of these that I would be meditating, I would have had a good chuckle. Now, it's the best 20 minutes of my day.

Hope this helps!

[carolm]

Hi PNoel,
I don’t know that I have any great words of wisdom but I certainly remember how miserable that flare that leads to diagnosis can be. At the onset of my LC I could only tolerate red potatoes, chicken, turkey, broth, white rice, boiled carrots and green beans. I had to eliminate sugar, caffeine, fiber, anything acidic, and fats. Even eating a gummy vitamin could give me grief. I had to make myself eat a couple times a day. And staying hydrated was a challenge. Unflavored Pedialyte has no sugar or flavoring, and can be helpful for hydration.

I did take Entocort (Budesonide) and found it helpful reducing the inflammation enough that I could continue to work. I didn’t feel great on it, but was at least functional. If you’ve made your diet changes and aren’t getting relief with Pepto, Entocort might be worth consideration. There are others on this board who were able to order it from pharmacies in other countries, if your local pharmacy prices are cost prohibitive.

There are other things that could also throw me off course too- seasonal allergies, stress, fatigue, high histamine foods. Recovery is very much 2 steps forward and one back. Do whatever brings you comfort- heating pad, warm baths, gas relief meds (if that’s an issue), Tylenol (not NSAIDs), an antihistamine if you have other allergies, and anything that will lift your mood. Invite friends over if you can’t go out. I found my friends and family were just as happy to come over with take out foods (for them) as long as we could all just hang out.

I’m sorry you are going through this rough stage. I hope you find some helpful ideas to get you through this.

Carol