no caffeine -ugh!-

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no caffeine -ugh!-

Postby workingonit » 14 Jan 2012, 10:58

Hey there,
My doctor left me with a long list of foods and drinks to avoid. I am thinking they have more to do with having regular evenly textured BMs. But I intend to ask him next week.
The list to stay away from for at least 12 weeks;
-no coffee/caffeine including decaf coffee too. decaf tea is OK.
-no green tea, mint tea
-no Alcohol
-no vitamin C tablets (the C in your multivitamin is OK)
-no cola beverages
-no Citrus... oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits or their juices
-no Grapes or Grapejuice
-No Milk, ice cream or yogurt
-no Chocolate
-easy on the seasonal berries
I find the Coffee and Chocolate the hardest. Especially no coffee in the early winter morning.
I was drinking decaf anyways. Now I drink rooibos, but it isn't satisfying at all, and it takes at least an hour to blow off the morning blahs. I am not a morning person Image
I have also fudged on the chocolate in that I eat chocolate chips in oatmeal cookies. I also just started back on the yogurt as I think I need something to help break down all the extra fibre!
Any of this sound familiar to anyone else? Or is my doc just super strict?
His other instructions are;
- one tsp of metamucil/day (I do two to compensate for the iron tablets I am taking)
- do not use soap or washcloth to clean anal area
- very gentle wiping
-keep a tissue paper (kleenex) between the buttocks up against the anus to keep the skin dry
-avoid hot baths and showers. take a lukewarm (5 min. only) bath or shower daily.
(i have to do a hotter than that shower... I mean it is winter!)
-wear 100% cotton underwear and no tight fitting clothing (haven't worn my jeans in months)
-stop all anal creams, ointments and suppositories (except the nifedipine of course)
than the last little bit says " Your symptoms will not resolve over night. Be patient. Two to three months may be required before symptoms resolve."
(I like that part)
anyways, I think I will need to go back on the caffeine or at least caffeine tea. It is driving me crazy!
-woi
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Re: no caffeine -ugh!-

Postby Sue1962 » 14 Jan 2012, 11:37

Hi workingonit. They sure do different things in different areas of the world!! I was not given a list of what not to eat, but my CRS just said eat a high fiber diet, drink lots of water and be careful with chocolate and sharp foods. I drink 2 cups of regular coffee a day, drink an occasional coke, and eat yougurt everyday and lots of fruit that does include oranges. As far as the baths, before and after surgery, I was told a nice warm 20 minute bath at least 3 times a day and that was my lifesaver!!! I can't take any fiber supplements as they constipate me. Many of us on here take Miralax and it is also a life saver!!! As long as I am taking that, I can eat and drink pretty much whatever I want. Although, I have lost 21 lbs b/c I cut most of the junk out of my diet. I do eat high fiber foods and lots of water and fruits and veggies, but also enjoy my coffe everyday, and the occasional piece of chocolate. I did have surgery Monday and feeling sooo much better. Everyone is different, but the Miralax is so worth it.
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Re: no caffeine -ugh!-

Postby workingonit » 14 Jan 2012, 12:27

Thanks Sue,
So very glad you are feeling better!
I've heard that miralax can make you get too loose, which is the way I lean. I found the metimucil actually firmed my stools up a bit, which helps for a nice even BM.... most of the time anyways.
Does miralax make stools more the even (like the texture of toothpaste as Dr. Oz says)?
-woi (add the usual obligatory apology for TMI :D )
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Re: no caffeine -ugh!-

Postby Sweet Bugaboo » 14 Jan 2012, 13:26

I'd like to know about the Miralax, too.
I'm currently taking two doses of Konsyl per day, along with Colace 2x per day. I've basically cut out the Fiber One, due to how it bulks up my stools.
woi - Does your doctor think that heat should be kept away from the bottom? I take showers, and an occasional sitz, but I love to keep a heating pad on the bottom.
I'm using nitro - but I'm going to ask my crs for the nifedipine. Also, I've heard that Vit. C is important for healing - so I've doubled mine . . .
Yikes - it's really hard to know just what to do. Otherwise, I'm following that list fairly well.
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Re: no caffeine -ugh!-

Postby workingonit » 14 Jan 2012, 16:18

Hey Sweet,
I think my Doc is more just meaning to stay away from warm to hot water. I think perhaps it loosens the skin too much? I'll ask him when I see him this week.
Careful with the vitamin C tablets. I know some people use them as a laxative.
I love my heating pad. Although I never thought of using it for that area. Why not! It was my best friend when I had the worst muscle tension from the Ativan withdrawal.
The thing that helped muscle tension the most for me was my husband massaging my feet. Perhaps you could talk your husband into that? It's very relaxing.
-woi
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Re: no caffeine -ugh!-

Postby Sweet Bugaboo » 14 Jan 2012, 16:38

woi -
I just back back from my hair appt. . . and my fanny burned almost the whole time I sat there! It started up not long after I had my BM this morning - and btw, the BM seemed fine and not at all traumatic.
I'm so tired of this! Aaarrrrggghh!
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Re: no caffeine -ugh!-

Postby Sue1962 » 14 Jan 2012, 17:12

Miralax is a miracle!! I was scared to take it as well. I was taking Milk of Mag and I was having like 5-9 stools a day, way too much when you are in fissure mode. So after listening to everyone on here. I started the Miralax. some say it takes a few days to kick in and so what it is supposed so I started small and increased. I take a capful at night and have no problems at all. Consistency of soft serve ice cream. I did increase it after surgery, but I am back to one capful at night now. Everyone, is different you just have to play with it. The colace did absolutely nothing for me long term. It was ok for like 2 weeks and then stopped working. The fiber supplements make things too bulky so I get all of my fiber from foods at least 20-25 grams per day and drink lots of water.
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Re: no caffeine -ugh!-

Postby Sweet Bugaboo » 14 Jan 2012, 18:59

Sue, that's good to know.
I'm on Konsyl and Colace - but maybe the Miralax is the way to go . . .
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Re: no caffeine -ugh!-

Postby jcupp70 » 14 Jan 2012, 23:30

hey "workingonit" are you seeing Dr Pezim from Vancouver?
thats the exact list i was given to follow...
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Re: no caffeine -ugh!-

Postby alpinestrawberry » 17 Jan 2012, 07:36

Well, I'm not a doctor, but hey--my advice is go ahead and drink your caffeinated tea. Your quality of life goes way downhill with a fissure, and you don't need to add caffeine deprivation to the list of discomforts!
However, I do think it's good to give up coffee. I could have the occasional cup of it but having it every morning really seems to aggravate my system (including the rear exit) quite a bit after awhile. Tea, black or green, doesn't seem to have that effect. A little chocolate in moderation is probably ok too.
My CRS had absolutely no dietary advice for me--not even the typical "avoid sharp stuff like nuts and popcorn." It leads me to think that diet isn't as big of a contributor to fissures as some would have you believe. Unless of course your diet is way out of whack and you have major constipation or diarrhea that leads to the fissure :). Even after my surgery, the doctor's advice was just to get plenty of fruits and vegetables to maintain softer stools. Fair enough.
You can drive yourself crazy with pondering your dietary choices but in most cases it isn't worth it. In my case, I just put a tiny dose of Miralax (1 teaspoon is all it took for me) into my morning (caffeinated) tea and ate whatever I felt like. I did this for several months while I was waiting to have the surgery, and during that time I didn't have a retear that I recall.
It just depends on what your goals are--are you hoping to heal up on your own? Or just waiting until you can have surgery? If you want to go the natural route then a strict diet is worth a try. Be advised though, it's going to be a lot of work and probably an emotional roller coaster at times!
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