Ulcerative colitis and diet: Foods to enjoy, foods to avoid?

I don't follow a special diet but I try to eat as healthy as possible. I don't drink alcohol, neither do I drink any sodas and such. No fat oily food neither, caus it makes my symptoms worse. Other thatn that, nothing special.

When I have a  flare up i follow an scd diet it helps me get back on track 

I am currently trying to heal my body by following the Fodmap diet and am gluten free and dairy free. The improvement is marked. 

@Crazyjayne That's great that you are finding a difference.

Do any other members have diet tips that helped them?

Hi all, I've just joined. Is anyone else on here vegan? I've had UC since I was born. While at uni I went vegetarian and it really helped me so I decided to go vegan.  Except I didn't really know what I was doing, so I finally recently saw a nutritionist over video call and she's helping me understand how to be vegan when you have UC.

Has anyone else tried a vegan diet? Is it working for you?

@TiffyT Hi, I have just joined and I am vegetarian but mostly cook and eat vegan food. I was only diagnosed a year ago and still feel a bit in the dark about it all tbh. I have it mildly I was told though. When trying to read up on the right kind of diet I felt it was in most cases opposite to what I eat. Really need help to understand what diet will help! 

I am an oddbod medically speaking and I shall try to explain why in less than a thousand words. If I am repeating myself then I apologize in advance, memory not what it was ( well I am 75 yrs old).

For most of my young adult life I weighed a mere 10 - 10.5 stone (5 ft 10 in tall). Enjoyed manual work, ate like a horse and drank like a fish (ok so fish don't really drink but you get the gist). Almost 30 years ago I had a severe bout of food poisoning, GP prescribed Amoxicillin. Approximately 10 days later I was back to see my GP with a classic case of allergic reaction to the medication, it was not pleasant. Meds ceased and I was just taking Antihistamine. A few weeks later I was back to see my GP and described what was happening with my bowels, he guessed it was UC and arranged a colonoscopy/biopsy for me which confirmed his suspicions.

Prednisalone and Predfoam was the order of the day for the next few months until order was restored.

Of course I did my research re causes and cures which I am sure you are all very familiar with. My diet never changed and I can and do eat what I want when I want.

August 2021 I went to see my GP regarding a lump in my right armpit that I had lived with for years, not growing any bigger or hurting in any way. Ultrasound scan revealed something going on with lymph nodes so biopsy arranged. Secondary cancer cells found 'most likely of breast origin' to use the consultants words. Breast biopsy revealed no primaries so a second biopsy was carried out at a different hospital but the results were the same.

Bear in mind I am a 75 year old male and BC is found in only approximately 0.7% of adult males. Mammogram and scans galore until surgery 02-02-2022 for mastectomy and lymph node clearance. Yes I agreed to surgery even though the primaries could not be found because the secondaries were Her2+ which is an aggressive form of BC cell.

The breast tissue removed was sent for laboratory analysis but still no primaries were found, it was then sent out of county to another hospital for a second opinion but still nothing found.

I agreed to Chemotherapy (just in case) which created a Pulmonary Embolism found after a dash to A&E with my wife driving (ambulance not available) and I was in agony.

2nd cycle of chemo was reduced my 25% but the result was the same, after 10 days I had identical symptoms and off to A&E again. I withdrew from the chemo programme on the grounds that the cure for the cancer that could not be found was trying to kill me.

Oncologist offered me Herceptin injections (18 over a 54 week period) to be administered at the chemo suite even though it is not chemo. This is so the patient can be monitored for a few hours afterwards in case of adverse reaction. After injection 6 I was put on Tamoxifen (60mg daily for 5 years).

Now to the point of this ramble, AFTER INJECTION NUMBER 8 I HAD MY SECOND FLARE UP OF UC.!!!

Steroids, foam and suppositories have eventually got it under control (including a week in Gastro ward).

What causes UC you ask? In my case I am convinced it is how my body reacts to heavy duty medication.

The only medication I am on at present is Edoxoban (anti- coagulant) probably for life. I shall continue with this unless of course it tries to kill me.

Hello everyone,

How are you today? 😊

Have you had a chance to check out this ongoing discussion? It could be interesting to gain some insights from some of our new members:

@Sian6484 @LilA2525 @jadeflynn @Emmamck68 @Penstalbow @Simonrutter @LydiaMcC @KatieB @kathdurbin @Jaceey @NeilHunt @TinaG. @Coolmother @miniman60 @PARKASH @schezmarie @Dmhktm @Emily95 @mainstalk @Keithmatthew @Lucy79 @Ayannavsshallow @DONAL-91 @Jayneledsham @sxaton @Freedom1 @dammahum786 @Rowena22 @jordanb9092 @Kulukee @MicaUC @Colekala @EricHantson @Sameer @Chewy62 @Amandajane2020 @Lesleyj25 @oonagh @Anil12 @Jonah8 @Helen1 @Jonesx @Lainey1 @raymondofox @JamesRelph @Amyjaynee95 @Nadir_669 @kellie @Gwhudd @g.hods @Nic312 @PSInghV11 @Mary1954

What kind of diet has helped you manage your UC symptoms? Your advice and suggestions would be highly appreciated!

Take care now,

Somya from the Carenity team