Your symptoms may vary depending on the location and severity of your inflammation. Some research suggests that stress, including the stress of living with Crohn's disease, can make symptoms worse. Also, some people may find that certain foods can trigger or worsen their symptoms.
People with Crohn's disease experience flare-ups, during which symptoms like diarrhea, cramping, fever, fatigue, and joint pain are active. Flares can be triggered by factors like dietary changes, new medications, antibiotic use, stress, or infections.
Doctors will often recommend that people with Crohn's disease keep a food journal of everything they eat and in what amounts. A person can list the symptoms — if any — they experience after eating certain foods. Common foods that may worsen symptoms include spicy foods, dairy products, alcohol, and high fiber grains.
Indeed, a review published in December 2020 in BMC Gastroenterology found that dairy, gluten, animal fat, packaged foods, coffee, and alcohol are all associated with an increase in disease activity.
Steroids can be used in the short-term to get a flare into remission, and while medication is the first treatment option, many people with Crohn's need surgery at some point, according to the CCF. Surgery may help reduce the number of flares a person has and reduce complications.
The right lower quadrant or middle of your lower abdomen are common Crohn's disease pain locations. It's often described as a cramping pain.
Coffee Has Its Pros and Cons
In either case, the high amount of caffeine in coffee can aggravate certain unpleasant Crohn's symptoms. But some people with Crohn's tolerate coffee in small doses, such as a morning cup. “I think it's fine for people to have their morning coffee,” Dr. Longman says.
There are several reasons why someone might experience worse Crohn's or ulcerative colitis symptoms in the morning. Waking up increases colon activity in everyone. (The colon is the part of your large intestine connected to the small intestine. The other end of the colon leads to the rectum, which leads to the anus.)
A Crohn's flare can totally deplete you of energy. Don't underestimate the importance of rest, says Dr. Horst. Make sure you're getting seven to nine hours at night, and don't be afraid to nap during the day.
1-4 The strongest risk factor for Crohn's disease is having a relative with the disease.
Not only does Crohn's put you at greater risk of catching infections, but you may also take longer to recover and be more likely to get severely sick.
Does Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis get worse with age? Both conditions can change as you age, but not necessarily for the worse. For some people, their condition may improve over time due to a treatment plan that works for them. For others, it may worsen or stay the same.
The symptoms can come on gradually, but they can also show up suddenly. And these can include diarrhea, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain and cramping, blood in your stool, mouth sores, reduced appetite and weight loss.
For people with Crohn's disease, a flare is when symptoms — diarrhea, abdominal cramps, bloating, constipation, and rectal bleeding — become more pronounced. Medication and other strategies can help prevent and manage flares.
For mild pain, your doctor may recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) — but not other common pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve).
The length and frequency of a Crohn's flare are highly individual, says David S. Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist at NewYork–Presbyterian in New York City. According to Harvard Health Publishing, a flare can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Flare-ups can happen after months or years of being in remission.
Limiting some food triggers may help control your symptoms during disease flares. But don't restrict yourself so much that you make malnutrition, which often accompanies Crohn's disease, worse.
Opt for mango and banana during a Crohn's flare, and skip berries with seeds, which might irritate your digestive tract, but feel free to include blueberries. Fluids also keep you hydrated.
Pare down your diet.
“Bland foods and clear liquids are best during a flare,” Walker-Oaks says. Keep a supply of cooked or canned vegetables, broth-based soups, bread or crackers, and lean meats on hand. You might want to talk to your doctor about taking a nutritional supplement during flares as well.
You may find that your Crohn's or Colitis makes it hard to get enough nutrients into your body. This may contribute to you feeling fatigued. If your gut is inflamed and sore it cannot soak up (absorb) the nutrients your body needs.