Spastic colitis, also called ulcerative colitis or proctitis, can cause severe, painful symptoms, including diarrhea, intestinal pain and bloating, fatigue and weight loss, according to the University of Kentucky. Although you need a physician to help you manage the disease and reduce complications from it, you might be able to help improve your symptoms by watching your diet, noting what foods make you feel worse, and avoiding those foods.
Causes/Symptoms
In spastic colitis, the lining of your large intestine becomes inflamed, along with your rectum, according to the University of Kentucky. Sufferers generally have severe symptoms that can include bloody diarrhea along with major fatigue and loss of appetite. If you have spastic colitis that affects only your lower colon and rectum, your risk of colon cancer is normal, but if your disease affects your entire large intestine, you have a higher-than-normal risk of colon cancer.
Nutrition
No single diet has been proven to manage and ease symptoms in people with spastic colitis, according to the University of Virginia. However, people with the condition can risk nutritional deficiencies because they might not be absorbing their food properly. If you have spastic colitis, you need to focus on consuming adequate calories. Focus on eating a balanced diet with the amounts of fat, carbohydrates and protein recommended by your physician.
Eating Habits
Some foods might worsen your symptoms of gas, bloating and diarrhea, but these will vary among spastic colitis patients, according to the University of Maryland. If you identify your own trigger foods, you can limit or eliminate them. In general, the University of Maryland advises eating small amounts of food throughout the day, drinking plenty of water and focusing mainly on soft, bland foods. This potentially can lessen your spastic colitis symptoms, according to the University of Maryland.
Foods to Avoid
Although spastic colitis patients will react in different ways to food, the University of Maryland recommends avoiding spicy foods. High-fiber foods such as bran, nuts and beans also can trigger symptoms in some people, as can fatty or greasy foods. If you are lactose intolerance, consider limiting or avoiding dairy products or taking a recommended supplement to help you digest them. Alcohol and caffeine also can worsen symptoms, so you should avoid them or limit them.
Considerations
Although many patients with spastic colitis limit their diets and eliminate foods they don't seem to tolerate well, the Rush University Medical Center advises strongly that colitis patients not restrict foods because doing so can cause weight loss and serious nutritional deficiencies. If you have spastic colitis and you're having a tough time finding foods you can eat symptom-free, consider consulting a dietitian skilled in helping colitis patients.
