Tips & Tricks
Tips to help you with your disease:
Tricks that we use to get by:
Tips on Hospital Trips:
Food Tips we appreciate:
Travel Tips:
When booking a flight, pick a seat near the bathrooms. You can also request specific meals
through certain airlines, and low sodium and low fiber seem to be the best for us in high
elevations. High elevations have also been known to induce IBD flares, so carrying a nutrition
drink such as Ensure® or Optimental® may be a good alternative to eating if you are anxious.
On a recent trip to Hawaii, Optimental® was the only thing on our personal flight menu due to the
onset of a flare prior to the trip. Ask your doctor if these drinks would work for you! Also, we
completely avoid water that is not bottled and ice, coffee, tea on the plane. A recent study
showed high levels of bacteria in both. Stay safe with bottled water, canned drinks, and juices!
Since travel can heighten IBD symptoms due to changes in water and diet, bringing all
medications and "helpful" flare medications in your carry-on is a MUST. See your doctor before
your trip, and ask for prescriptions medicines that can help you get through a really rough flare
such as anti-nausea meds, anti-spasm meds, pain medications, anti-diarrheals, and back-up
steroids just in case. Just having the medications with you can relieve stress, knowing you have
them if you get yourself into trouble. Of course, all medications must be given specifically for you
by your doctor.
Mapping out local hospitals and doctor offices covered by your insurance network ahead of time
can be very helpful if you get sick and need to get to a doctor. Just knowing that you have a
printed map to the closest medical facility from your hotel or airport can calm nerves and save
time if you do have an emergency. Carrying a list of the medications you are on is also a great
idea and very important to give to health care workers in the event of a problem. You can print
out our form and fill it in to take with you.
Bringing hand sanitizer and Lysol® wipes on your trip and wiping surfaces such as the remote
control, light switches and door knobs in the hotel room down can limit germ exposure which is
helpful if you are immune suppressed. Bring a few cartons of flushable wipes to keep in the room
and with you in case you need them. Nothing is worse than a roll of dry toilet paper! Packing
extra clothes in case of accidents is always a good bet too.
If you are very sensitive to water changes and don't like to buy bottled water, you can bring a
small Brita® water filter with you and some paper cups in your suitcase to keep in the room. A
small plastic plug-in kettle that boils water for hot herbal tea can be a treat to have with you. Any
type of extra planning ahead of time can relieve stress and make travel a breeze instead of a
nightmare.
Exercise/ Yoga:
Exercise may be helpful in handling the daily effects of IBD. In one small study, published in the
American Journal of Gastroenterology, the findings suggested that exercise increased the feeling
of satisfaction, decreased the stress of worrying, enhanced energy, and lessened depression or
feelings of hopelessness in those with IBD. Exercise is generally safe for people with IBD,
however those with the disease must take certain precautions when exercising and should talk to
their doctors before starting an exercise program. It is especially important for people with IBD to
drink plenty of fluids before and after exercising to prevent dehydration. Exercise should be
avoided during flare-ups or if a fever or pain is present. High fluctuations in body temperature
during exercise should also be avoided.
Many people with IBD have found that yoga can provide a great low impact workout as well as a
great way to relax. For sufferers of joint pain related to the illness, the great stretch that yoga
provides may relieve some of the pain and provide a deep stretch beneficial to helping with
insomnia and overall calmness.
IBD Car Kits (Submitted by our friend Leah):
"I was unfortunate enough to have an accident outside of the house, so i put together kits (in a
backpack) that I keep in the car where ever I go and if I'm going out, then i take it with me (like
around Disneyland). It contains a complete extra change of clothes, wipes, toilet paper, hand
sanitizer, paper towels, towels and wash clothes, toilet seat covers, and for emergencies adult
diapers (in case I'm out somewhere and start having horrible D and can't get to a bathroom,
haven't actually had to use them, but want to be prepared. Being caught unprepared once was
MORE than enough, I vowed that I'd never be caught unprepared again. I also included a bar of
soap and a bottle of water, that way i have all the supplies needed to clean myself up and such
even in the bathroom I'm in doesn't have anything. Anyways, it might be something worth
considering put in your cars, just in case, like having a first aid or earth quake kit, having an
emergency bathroom kit. I've found it makes going out much less anxiety provoking."
***The tips and tricks above are not intended as medical advice. These are things we do and
may not be suitable for others. Please work with your doctor to find out the tricks that will help
you.
- Join your local CCFA support group and attend the meetings. They know what you are
going through and will be a sea of info and support. - Know your options
- Find a doctor that you are comfortable with
- You can go to this link : CrohnsOnline and receive a FREE book that is extremely helpful
and answers many questions you may have!
Tricks that we use to get by:
- We stock up on Cottonelle® wipes
- We use Purell® hand sanitizer at every corner
- We wash our hands constantly and ask others around us to do so as well
- We know what we can tolerate on a liquid diet and keep it in our house at all times so we
are ready for that next flare - We keep Optimental® in our cupboards for bad days. ***Check with your doctor to see if
this is right for you. - We always have hemorrhoid meds on hand
- We carry Cottonelle® wipes in a Ziploc® in our purse, just in case
- We know the best restrooms in town, and frequent those locations on outings.
- We use Proactiv acne management system and it is the only thing that controls acne on
steroids for us. We have tried everything and this is the only thing that works. - Desitin® baby rash ointment works well on hemorrhoids
- We were highly recommended to use Vicks Vapo Rub as a hemorrhoid treatment. It works
wonders!!!
Tips on Hospital Trips:
- We have created a printable page to fill out and bring with you to a doctor or hospital. It is
the Patient Info sheet (CLICK HERE TO VIEW) and it helps us to not have to tell every
nurse or hospital employee over and over again what we have and what it is. - We bring Cottonelle® wipes for the stay. They really help.
- We bring Clorox® wipes and we wipe down the bathroom and the room to rid it of yuckness.
- We keep a full bottle of Purell® at the bedside and use it after anyone touches us or gives
us anything. - We make sure that the nurses, many of whom are not up to date on IBD, are aware that
Ibuprofen is not an option for us. (we were actually offered it during a recent hospital stay)
Food Tips we appreciate:
- We use Crock Pots® and Magic Bullets® like they were members of our family. Please visit
the Message Boards and join the forum for recipes and to post your own. - The biggest tip we can give here is to find out what works for you. Everyone is different
and what one person can tolerate may not be tolerable for others.
Travel Tips:
When booking a flight, pick a seat near the bathrooms. You can also request specific meals
through certain airlines, and low sodium and low fiber seem to be the best for us in high
elevations. High elevations have also been known to induce IBD flares, so carrying a nutrition
drink such as Ensure® or Optimental® may be a good alternative to eating if you are anxious.
On a recent trip to Hawaii, Optimental® was the only thing on our personal flight menu due to the
onset of a flare prior to the trip. Ask your doctor if these drinks would work for you! Also, we
completely avoid water that is not bottled and ice, coffee, tea on the plane. A recent study
showed high levels of bacteria in both. Stay safe with bottled water, canned drinks, and juices!
Since travel can heighten IBD symptoms due to changes in water and diet, bringing all
medications and "helpful" flare medications in your carry-on is a MUST. See your doctor before
your trip, and ask for prescriptions medicines that can help you get through a really rough flare
such as anti-nausea meds, anti-spasm meds, pain medications, anti-diarrheals, and back-up
steroids just in case. Just having the medications with you can relieve stress, knowing you have
them if you get yourself into trouble. Of course, all medications must be given specifically for you
by your doctor.
Mapping out local hospitals and doctor offices covered by your insurance network ahead of time
can be very helpful if you get sick and need to get to a doctor. Just knowing that you have a
printed map to the closest medical facility from your hotel or airport can calm nerves and save
time if you do have an emergency. Carrying a list of the medications you are on is also a great
idea and very important to give to health care workers in the event of a problem. You can print
out our form and fill it in to take with you.
Bringing hand sanitizer and Lysol® wipes on your trip and wiping surfaces such as the remote
control, light switches and door knobs in the hotel room down can limit germ exposure which is
helpful if you are immune suppressed. Bring a few cartons of flushable wipes to keep in the room
and with you in case you need them. Nothing is worse than a roll of dry toilet paper! Packing
extra clothes in case of accidents is always a good bet too.
If you are very sensitive to water changes and don't like to buy bottled water, you can bring a
small Brita® water filter with you and some paper cups in your suitcase to keep in the room. A
small plastic plug-in kettle that boils water for hot herbal tea can be a treat to have with you. Any
type of extra planning ahead of time can relieve stress and make travel a breeze instead of a
nightmare.
Exercise/ Yoga:
Exercise may be helpful in handling the daily effects of IBD. In one small study, published in the
American Journal of Gastroenterology, the findings suggested that exercise increased the feeling
of satisfaction, decreased the stress of worrying, enhanced energy, and lessened depression or
feelings of hopelessness in those with IBD. Exercise is generally safe for people with IBD,
however those with the disease must take certain precautions when exercising and should talk to
their doctors before starting an exercise program. It is especially important for people with IBD to
drink plenty of fluids before and after exercising to prevent dehydration. Exercise should be
avoided during flare-ups or if a fever or pain is present. High fluctuations in body temperature
during exercise should also be avoided.
Many people with IBD have found that yoga can provide a great low impact workout as well as a
great way to relax. For sufferers of joint pain related to the illness, the great stretch that yoga
provides may relieve some of the pain and provide a deep stretch beneficial to helping with
insomnia and overall calmness.
IBD Car Kits (Submitted by our friend Leah):
"I was unfortunate enough to have an accident outside of the house, so i put together kits (in a
backpack) that I keep in the car where ever I go and if I'm going out, then i take it with me (like
around Disneyland). It contains a complete extra change of clothes, wipes, toilet paper, hand
sanitizer, paper towels, towels and wash clothes, toilet seat covers, and for emergencies adult
diapers (in case I'm out somewhere and start having horrible D and can't get to a bathroom,
haven't actually had to use them, but want to be prepared. Being caught unprepared once was
MORE than enough, I vowed that I'd never be caught unprepared again. I also included a bar of
soap and a bottle of water, that way i have all the supplies needed to clean myself up and such
even in the bathroom I'm in doesn't have anything. Anyways, it might be something worth
considering put in your cars, just in case, like having a first aid or earth quake kit, having an
emergency bathroom kit. I've found it makes going out much less anxiety provoking."
***The tips and tricks above are not intended as medical advice. These are things we do and
may not be suitable for others. Please work with your doctor to find out the tricks that will help
you.
Last Updated 12/26/07
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