Slipping up... on purpose.

[Jazi]

Does anyone here do this? Do you just get fed up and have a cheat day?

If yes, what are the consequences?

[tex]

Hi Joanne,

Yes, a number of members have done that on occasion, and while one or two have managed to avoid major consequences, for most of us, such indiscretions almost always result in a few days to a week or more of remorseful recuperation. A few have gone into extended flares.

Psychologically, such behavior probably amounts to attempts to punish ourselves for developing this disease, but maybe I'm just trying to see more there than actually exists.

Tex

[Jazi]

Well, I was bad this weekend. Pizza and Nutella, right out of the jar and ate the entire jar, sans the glass

I was just tired of dreaming of the stuff (literally).

I'm not suffering too bad as I don't think I was officially healed yet anyway. I still have cramping and bloating daily (nothing extreme) but the morning after I ate that, boy was my belling making noises, big fat bubbling noises and I visited the rest room quite a bit but for the most part, so far (fingers crossed) I think I did okay.

[chellebelle]

Yup, I made a coconut flour birthday cake for my son, with eggs & Truvia. I am mildly allergic to both coconut & eggs; erythritol is a huge trigger for MC for me. And I ate some. Like an idiot. I don't know if it is a lack of willpower, self-destructive tendency, pure f-it moment, rebellion... who knows, but I have done extremely well for months since I first came on this forum & was able to identify my triggers thanks to you wonderful people. I went from daily diarrhea to maybe once or twice a month.

I also ate a couple grape tomatoes. Nightshades, also a trigger.

I don't feel well. Bloating, nausea, runs, the whole nine.

And, as an added super fun bonus, my "mild" egg/coconut allergy turned into something much worse, which I learned when making muffins for my son today. I started itching all over, just from baking - that's never happened with these allergens before - and then about an hour later, anaphylaxis. Generic children's dye-free Benadryl liquid to the rescue. Sigh.

Yes, it's a pity party, table for one.

[tex]

Hi Chellebelle,

That's a heck of a note that you developed anaphylactic symptoms. It might be a good idea to ask your doctor for a prescription for an EpiPen, just for insurance, and to keep it with you at all times, in case of a severe reaction.

This is just my observation (and not backed up by any double-blind random controlled research trials), but it appears that we are more prone to allergic reactions when our intestines are already inflamed, and vice versa (IOW, the risk of GI symptoms also tends to increase during pollen season for many of us).

This disease seems to feel insecure when we're doing well for a long time, so it likes to remind us that we're still vulnerable. I hope you'll be feeling better soon.

Tex

[chellebelle]

Yes, that makes sense about allergic reactions when inflamed internally. I think it makes everything more sensitive. I know many of my allergies were created by eating something I didn't realize I was allergic to with something that previously was fine, ie, sprouted wheat bread with almond butter = almond allergy.

Thank you for the well wishes! I made some plain plantain flatbread (just plantain blended with salt, a few drops of ACV & baking soda on parchment paper) and will have that with some chamomile lavender tea & hopefully I will feel ready to do something other than curl up on the bed at some point today.

I can't believe I did this to myself. :-( I am very disappointed with me. I went through this with years eating foods that were mildly allergenic & suffering reactions... I don't know why it's so hard. It should be simple. Something makes you feel terrible, you stop wanting it. When I was a kid and food make me sick, or even was a food I ate while sick, I couldn't even stand the sight of it. Sigh.

[tex]

Don't beat yourself up. Sometimes we just have a moment of vulnerability, and stuff happens. Most of us can remember a time or 2 when we took a chance with food that we would never have done, normally. I suppose it just proves that we are human, and therefore not perfect.

You're very welcome, of course,
Tex

[chellebelle]

Thanks! I'm pretty hard on myself - I should really know better by now. I've been dealing with these and various other allergy/intolerance related issues for a long time. I will say a definite MC flare related to any food makes it very undesirable to me at this point. I guess because the recent flares have included pain & nausea. There is that bit of denial time when I say, "Well maybe it wasn't x food, maybe it was this or that...", but once I definitely identify a trigger, it has been easier to say no than it is for the more mild allergenic foods. I'm still having issues & can't wait to be back in remission.

[Alchemy1]

A snapshot of my life…by Kim “The Outhouse Polka Queen”
To my great misfortune, I have a horrible, sneaky, vengeful and very unforgiving disease which, unfortunately, I sometimes choose to willfully ignore. This is the tale of one of those days when I decided, against my better judgment, to do just that...
I woke up this morning, totally exhausted, and my usual pot of tea just wasn’t giving me the “kick” I needed. I dearly love my husband and can’t tell you how glad I am that he’s home. But sometimes, having my husband in the house, can be a very bad thing; this was one of those times. He’d just brewed a fresh pot of coffee and it smelled heavenly! FYI - I gave up coffee, over three years ago, because my colitis “SAID” I had to give it up. That’s the way it works, folks…I don’t control my disease, IT controls ME!!

Anyway, the mind can be a tricky thing...over long periods of time, it can blur and soften the horrific consequences of our previous actions. When this happens, we sometimes decide to do something stupid which we know, darned good and well, we shouldn’t even consider. Hence, for some idiotic reason (maybe it was simple rebellion) I threw caution to the wind and thought I could get away with just one little old cup. I poured myself a mug of joe, and proceeded back to the bathroom, to continue my morning hairdo prep. Well, I got about halfway through that mug of coffee and the $hit, almost literally, hit the fan! MOSES IN THE BULLRUSHES!!!! I barely had any warning before I had to make a mad dash for the commode! A horrifying bout of Hiroshima force diarrhea, pouring out of my butt like lava out of an erupting volcano, ensued!! I was trapped, helpless and gasping on the throne, for a good fifteen minutes. My departure time to work was creeping closer and closer…my ‘do was only half finished and I wasn’t even dressed. Damn!! I tried to get off the pot. No dice. My undies didn’t reach mid-thigh before I had to slam my butt back down on the seat!! More a-bomb action (or in this case, maybe it’s an s-bomb). The pain and humiliation are just too deep to go into, but suffice it to say, the experience was, well, EXPLOSIVE!!!

This nonsense went on for almost 40 minutes. It was like I’d just had a high colonic, or ate a whole box of chocolate X-Lax, or stuffed a couple of M-80s up my ass!! I will NEVER, in my entire LIFE, understand why anyone would think a colon cleanse is a good idea. Anyone who’s camped on the john all night, or pooped their britches while running to the bathroom, or had to pull over and jump out of the car to crap on the side of the freeway (during rush hour) would know what I’m talking about. (And, yes, all that has happened to me). I don’t understand why someone would want to swallow a bunch of mung to “cleanse” a system which is already self-cleaning. If you’re pooping, you’re good to go. Don’t mess with your colon or it may just decide to mess with YOU! That’s good advice from an expert who is the ill-fated owner of a colon gone totally INSANE.

To summarize, I’m writing this down so I don’t forget why I gave up coffee. A reminder like this morning? Well, I can DEFINITELY do without that!! So next time I think about drinking a cup of joe, I’m going to read this before I take one sip. I’m not, after all, a complete masochistic dumbass! I managed three years without coffee. It will probably be another three years, before I forget this morning, but I’ll have this essay in case I should have a total brain fart!
THE END

[tex]

Kim,

I like your style of humor, and I have to say your story brought back vivid memories of the "bad old days".

I agree with you that anyone who thinks that a colon cleanse is a good idea has missed their calling — they should have grown up to be an MC patient, an occupation that's definitely not for the faint of heart.

Thanks for the reminder,
Tex

[Alchemy1]

Yup, that was one for the books. Land it was awful! Coffee has always had a laxative effect on me, but now it's one of my worst enemies.

I just purchased your book, yesterday, and am so excited about it! I read the first few pages online and can't believe how many times I said "YES!" and "got that one right" and "been there done that!" There is so much information and I can't tell you how glad I am to have it. I've suffered long enough (8 years) and now I'm taking control of my own destiny! My GI doctors were/are so ignorant about this disease. When I went to my second doctor, and asked him what foods to avoid, his answer was "you should know that by now". Ooooh thank you very much for that well thought out and insightful answer! Yes, I did understand some of the things that were making me sick, but had no idea that a lot of the foods I was eating were just making me sicker.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Tex! I've been through a very rough journey, but now I think I'm finally near the end of my suffering. I'm so grateful, beyond words, that I found this site! I actually cried when I started reading through it because I've been searching for help for so long. I've found more information in the last few days than I've had in the last 8 years. What a relief that is for me!

Thanks again and Happy Holidays!

[tex]

Kim,

It's a shame that all GI specialists can't personally experience the pleasure of living with MC for at least a few months before they receive their certification as gastroenterology "experts". That would surely change their perspective of the disease.

I hope that the book will help to provide the answers you're searching for, and that it will help you to recover faster and with fewer side issues.

You're most welcome,
Tex

[HappyBird]

Does anyone here do this? Do you just get fed up and have a cheat day?

Hello Jazi.........

At this stage in my healing process the answer is definitely no!
I'm careful and very considered about my intake since my one mammoth flare lasting eight weeks in July. I hope my resolve to eat the right food is always strong.

[Erica P-G]

Hey Jazi,

If a cheat happens, just make sure it is only a little bit and anything BUT Gluten......I'm not recommending it, just saying sometimes the pity pot train departs occasionally, but it doesn't last long once some of the old cruddy feelings come back on scene. Luckily a few days to a week or so and usually the body gets back to an almost normal stage...sometimes the flare will stick around for a while, depends on how healed things are.

Hugs
Erica

[jessica329]

I have and boy do I pay for it. It's so not worth it but apparently I have suffer from amnesia (of being on the toilet for hours...or days) from time to time. I chalk it up to human nature. We always want what we can't have, right?!