Getting Out Of A Crohn's Flare- Rest And Recovery
A couple of weeks ago, I had a mini flare due to a supplement reaction. Now that I'm starting to feel better and return to normal activity, I want to share more about what a flare looks like for me after my January 2026 hospitalization. I am not a doctor or medical practitioner, so this blog is not supplement or other medical advice.
I first entered my flare after I took a temporary medication and then added two supplements to my daily regimen. I immediately had throat burning, increased blood, cramping, limited energy, and bloating. I removed the supplements, but had to continue the medication for 4 days as prescribed. During this time, I slept more than 8 hours, ate bone broth, slept elevated, drastically reduced the amount of supplements I take each day, completely cut out all exercise, and canceled all appointments for the first two days. The rest, combined with limiting the number of supplements I was taking, allowed my body to heal. However, by the weekend I was leaving the house and going to low-energy activities like pottery. One unfortunate side effect was that all of the heartburn left my throat burning, which I think created more mucus in my throat. As a result, I sounded sick for a few days without actually being sick.
Physical Health:
My biggest thing I noticed was that my physical strength took a hit. I haven't been running for a couple of weeks, but I've been doing long-distance walking (up to 20 miles) and doing strength training. With this flare, I had to cancel all forms of movement for a week and a half, and then had to slowly ease back into movement. I'm still trying to work up to where I was, but I know it won't take too long because I built up a foundation. I have also had to be more strict with my diet- no fries at fast food restaurants, no soda, etc. That is good for my health, but I like to feel included when I go out with friends by being able to order something. However, I am grateful for how quickly I started seeing progress towards getting out of this flare. I was able to eat food besides bone broth after only a few days. All of my symptoms started trending upwards in less than a week. I didn't have to cancel anything related to my fellowship opportunity, and I am slowly gaining energy again. Hopefully, soon I'll be back with more training content! But until then, know I am resting and listening to my body while also trying not to lose all of my muscle.
Mental Health:
Having to stop working out, cancel appointments, and change my diet because my body made a choice instead of my mind was hard for me. I had to work through this idea that I failed, was giving up, or was losing my momentum with fitness. I really enjoy the fitness routine I have and don't want to lose it. I hear a lot about the mind-body connection and have become more aware of when I feel like I'm working with my body vs. when I feel like I'm working against it. For the most part, I felt like I'd been working with my body (minus some blood I haven't been able to get rid of), so this sudden flare caught me off guard. I've had to be mindful not to overdo it or jump into a perfectionist mindset, especially because I want my fitness to be sustainable. I think I've been mindful of this in a couple of ways: I'm listening to my intuition more about what I say yes to, both for activities and for my medical team; I talk to my partner, family, friends, and breathwork practitioner about my mental health, and I try to embody what I want (meaning, for example, if I want to heal, I go about life believing I can heal instead of thinking there are limited opportunities to heal). These shifts are subtle, but they are also hard because it's about changing how I think about things. The more mental health work I do on myself, the more I believe mental health plays a large role in physical health.
I'm sure I'll have more flares again. But it's nice to know that I can start to get out of a flare without needing to go to the hospital, take a steroid, or need to take a large pause on life. A couple of weeks ago, I was told that all runners experience setbacks, but those setbacks allow for confidence to navigate hard things. Whatever setback you have, whether it's a flare, injury, or other life event, it can create confidence in the long term.
Thank you for reading about my experience getting out of a mini Crohn's flare. If you have any questions or comments, please comment on the blog, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook, or email me at Anniekrollblog@gmail.com. I hope to see you next week!
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