Products That Make Life Easier with Crohn’s Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Crohn’s Disease and IBD can make life very difficult. Gut pain, bloating, anal discharge, urgency, and fecal incontinence are all difficult subjects to discuss. Here is a list of items that have made my life with Crohn’s Disease a bit easier.

Here are some items I personally recommended that can help make your life with Crohn’s or IBD so much easier. I have personally purchased and/or used every item I recommend. These are items that help me get through my day with Crohn’s.

By means of full disclosure, I may earn a small commission from Amazon for links to any products or services from this website.

  1. Ensure Max Protein Nutrition Shake with 30g of Protein, 1g of Sugar, High Protein Shake, French Vanilla, Liquid, 11 fl oz (Pack of 12)
    $37.41 $32.48

    Ensure Max Protein drinks are great when you are having trouble eating and need both calories and protein. They come in several flavors, have only 1 gram of sugar, and 30 grams of protein. I always keep a few in the fridge for those days I just don't feel like eating, so I don't get shaky or weak.

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    12/22/2024 02:54 pm GMT
  2. DripDrop Hydration - Fruit Punch - Electrolyte Drink Mix Single Serve Hydration Powder Packets | Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Vegan | 32 Sticks
    $35.99

    DripDrop electrolyte powder can really help you stay hydrated during medical issues and recoveries. Both my cancer and GI nutritionists recommended it, and it is available in a variety of flavors. Fruit Punch is my favorite, with Grape as a close second.

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    12/22/2024 06:05 pm GMT
  3. DripDrop Hydration - Bold Variety Pack - Electrolyte Drink Mix Single Serve Hydration Powder Packets - Watermelon, Berry, Lemon, Orange | Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Vegan | 32 Sticks
    $35.99

    When chronic diarrhea strikes, can dehydration or electrolyte imbalances be far behind? (Pun intended.) DripDrop has fabulous flavors that you mix with water to increase your hydration. This electrolyte powder comes in a variety of great flavors!

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    12/22/2024 02:55 pm GMT
  4. MP MOZZPAK Vomit Bags 24 Pack 1000ml Emesis Bags Leak Resistant, Medical Grade, Portable, Disposable Barf, Puke, Throw Up, Nausea Bags for Travel Motion Sickness (Blue, Pack of 24)
    $9.99

    These compact emesis bags were the most essential thing I needed (and used) during radiation and chemo! I always kept one in my bag, in my car, and much of the time, in my hand!


    I can't tell you how many times this kept me from throwing up in an Uber or friend's car while traveling to or from the cancer center, or what a relief it was to have one of these on my bedside table for those times you need one and there is no time to get up and run to the bathroom! Trust me, these are essential while going through chemo and radiation.

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    12/22/2024 07:07 pm GMT
  5. IBDassist IBS Relief - Irritable Bowel Syndrome Supplement - Helps with Bloating, Gas, Diarrhea and Constipation - Digestive Health Support - Non GMO, Gluten Free - 1 Capsule a Day - Made in USA
    $24.95

    IBDassist IBD Relief works wonders for the symptoms of IBD and it is made to work in conjunction with IBDassist. (As with any vitamin or supplement, you should consult your doctor to make certain this is an appropriate product for you.)

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    12/22/2024 06:44 pm GMT
  6. Pochik Sitz Bath, Sitz Bath for Hemorrhoids, Sitz Bath for Toilet Seat, Postpartum Care, Sits Bath Kit for Women, Collapsible, Flusher Hose, Drain Holes, Wider Seating Area, Deeper Bowl
    $22.99

    A sitz bath is so helpful in reducing the pain from hemorrhoids and anal itchiness and sensitivity. This one can collapse for smaller storage. While the description doesn't say it fits an American oval toilet seat, it does. The squeeze bulb can be used to push water to just the right place. A soak in a warm sitz bath can provide so much relief.

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    12/22/2024 02:31 pm GMT
  7. Sitz Bath Salts Mix+ Hemorrhoid Relief 20-in-1 Concentrate Makes 15 Soothing Soaks Toilet Seat Basin. Epsom Salt with Essential Oils. Made in U.S.A.
    $25.00 $19.99

    Add a small amount of these Sitz Bath Salts for Hemorrhoids to warm water in your sitz bath and soak for about 10 minutes. You can't imagine how much pain it will relieve. This is the best brand I've found so far.

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    12/22/2024 02:32 pm GMT
  8. Kӧlbs Bed Wedge Pillow with Memory Foam Top | Chic Jacquard Cover | Wedge Pillow for Sleeping and Acid Reflux, Heartburn, GERD
    $43.99

    A wedge can help you get more comfortable in bed while recovering from a variety of surgeries. It can also help with GI issues such as GERD. This memory foam wedge is extremely comfortable.

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    12/22/2024 02:32 pm GMT
  9. FriCARE Blue Stethoscope - Stethoscopes for Nurses Nursing Students Gifts - Home Assessment Practice Kit, StethoMedic Essentials, Excellent Sound Performance, Sturdy Estetoscopio Replacement, 31 inch
    $24.99

    Why a stethoscope? You can use it to listen to your bowel sounds in your gut. You can tell if they are faint and slow, or loud and gurgling. The most important reason to have one? If you hear nothing, then your bowels may not be moving at all. This could be a sign that things are blocked and that you may even have a possible partial or full obstruction. If nothing else, this stethoscope (which is long enough to reach my belly) gives me some peace of mind.

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    12/22/2024 06:05 pm GMT
  10. MED PRIDE NitriPride Nitrile-Vinyl Blend Exam Gloves, Medium 100 - Powder Free, Latex Free & Rubber Free - Single Use Non-Sterile Protective Gloves for Medical Use, Cooking, Cleaning & More
    $8.67

    Exam gloves are essential when using anal/rectal suppositories or for applying ointments. They are especially necessary if you are dealing with any cream that is made of zinc oxide (such as Calmoseptine or Destin) because otherwise, it is really difficult to wash the cream off of your fingers (it resists water and moisture.) Gloves just make it so much easier.

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    12/22/2024 02:31 pm GMT
  11. F6 40 Per Pack Designed to Manage Faecal Incontinence only, White

    Fecal incontinence is a very unwelcome side effect to GI issues and sometimes from radiation and chemo. These pads can help with this embarrassing situation.

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  12. Embracing Life's Limitations: Letting Go of Who You Were Supposed to Be
    $7.95

    Here's a link to my first book, Embracing Life's Limitations: Letting Go of Who You Were Supposed to Be. It is a story of growing up with bilateral hip dysplasia, living with psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, and talks about my first cancer journey, months in hospice, and the incredible doctor who tried a very risky surgery that ultimately saved my life. It's about learning to adapt to, and even embrace, our many limitations.

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    12/22/2024 06:45 pm GMT
  13. I Pooped My Pants: Removing the Stigma of IBD One Pair of Trashed Underwear at a Time
    $14.99
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    12/22/2024 06:05 pm GMT
  14. Beginners Guide On Inflammatory Bowel Disease (UC): The Beginners Guide On The Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention And Lot More
    $8.99
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    09/18/2024 04:15 am GMT
  15. Huggies Simply Clean Fragrance-Free Baby Wipes, Unscented Diaper Wipes, 11 Flip-Top Packs (704 Wipes Total)
    $16.97

    These soft, unscented wipes are so much easier on your bum than toilet paper, especially if you are dealing with anal pain or hemorrhoids. (Don't forget, these are not flushable. Put them in a covered trash can and not in the toilet!)

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    12/22/2024 06:45 pm GMT
  16. mDesign Slim Metal Rectangle 1.3 Gallon/5 Liter Trash Can with Step Pedal, Easy-Close Lid, Removable Liner - Narrow Wastebasket Garbage Container Bin for Bathroom, Bedroom, Kitchen - Matte Cream/Beige

    This self-opening and closing bathroom trash can opens by motion, and closes tightly afterwards. It is a small size, and it keeps unsightly trash (such as wipes, used gloves, used incontinence pads, etc.) out of sight. I got one of these for each bathroom specifically to make sure my dog didn't get into the trash and causes a mess.

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  17. Envlon Tummy Control High Waisted Cotton Underwear for Women No Muffin Top Maternity Underwear Ladies Panties Briefs Underpants Size Large Multicolored
    $19.99

    If you are recovering from abdominal surgery, these women's panties can provide the support you need during the healing process. They are supportive, comfortable, and the fabric breathes well. The higher waist helps prevent having underwear elastic directly pressing on the radical hysterectomy incisions. These certainly are more comfortable than the abdominal binder you may be given at the hospital (and they happy to be pretty, as well.)

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    12/22/2024 06:05 pm GMT
  18. IBDassist - IBD Vitamins - Supports with malabsorption and GI Tract Inflammation - Crohn's and Colitis - Inflammatory Bowel
    $44.95

    When you have IBD it can be really hard to absorb certain vitamins. IBDassist has the vitamins we need in the dosages we need to help keep us healthy. It is so much easier to take one capsule than dozens of individual ones. (As with any vitamin or supplement, you should discuss its use with your doctor.)

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    12/22/2024 06:05 pm GMT
  19. Colon Cancer and Crohn's Disease Awareness Shirts
    $17.99

    Rollin' With My Crohnies! I just happen to love this t-shirt. It is available in Men's, Women's, and Youth sizes. They also have many color choices. Sometimes, you just have to have a sense of humor about things. You could laugh or you could cry -- I'd rather laugh!

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    12/22/2024 06:45 pm GMT
  20. Everyday Medical Umbilical Hernia Belt - For Men and Women Abdominal Hernia Binder for Belly Button Navel Hernia Support, Helps Relieve Pain - for Incisional, Epigastric, Ventral, & Inguinal H...
    $27.99

    If you end up with a hernia because of Crohn's or IBD, or if you've had one surgically repaired but still want to have some extra support, I think you'll like this hernia belt. It gives great support and allows you to be more active without making things worse. You can just use the belt portion to provide support after an open radical hysterectomy, as well.

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    12/22/2024 06:45 pm GMT
  21. HELIMIX 2.0 Vortex Blender Shaker Bottle Holds upto 28oz | No Blending Ball or Whisk | USA Made | Portable Pre Workout Whey Protein Drink Shaker Cup | Mixes Cocktails Smoothies Shakes | Top Rack Safe
    $22.96

    If you have bile acid malabsorption and have to take a bile acid sequestrant, such as Cholestrymine, Colesavalam, or Colestopol, then you know how hard it is to mix the bile acid powder with juice or another liquid. It clumps. It floats. It is thick and grainy, and hard to drink. But if you have a Helimix Vortex, you simply pour the powder and the liquid in, shake it up and down 20 times, and it will be thoroughly mixed. I've never found anything that works this well. I highly recommend the Helimix Vortex.

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    12/22/2024 07:06 pm GMT
  22. Calmoseptine Ointment Tube 4 Ounce (Pack of 2)
    $19.95 $14.44

    Calmoseptine Ointment temporarily relieves discomfort and itching around the anus. It provides a multiple purpose moisture barrier. It has a numbing agent to reduce the pain from hemorrhoids, or the itchiness caused by excessive diarrhea. This is my "go to" product for anal itch, burning, and pain.

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    12/22/2024 07:07 pm GMT
  23. Crohn's and Colitis For Dummies
    $24.83

    Great for learning the basics about Crohn's and colitis.

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    12/22/2024 06:45 pm GMT
  24. Desitin Maximum Strength Baby Diaper Rash Cream with 40% Zinc Oxide for Treatment, Relief & Prevention, Hypoallergenic, Phthalate- & Paraben-Free Paste, 4.8 oz
    $11.86 $8.15

    Desitin with the purple label can be so helpful with the irritation and skin breakage that can happen during and after radiation. It contains zinc-oxide (so you have to wash it completely off prior to any radiation treatments) but it can help skin in the anal areas to stay dry so it can heal. (Itis always best to wear exam gloves to apply this because it can be hard to rinse off bare hands._

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    12/22/2024 06:46 pm GMT
  25. My Pool Pal Adult Swim Diapers - Reusable Diaper for Swimming - (S-Waist: 26-36"; Leg: 17-23", Black)
    $31.95

    Do you love to swim but fear having a fecal accident while in the pool? These adult swim reusable pants can be worn under your swimsuit, or in many cases, instead of swimsuit bottoms. They fit snuggly around the waist and legs to prevent leaking. While they aren't the most attractive thing in the world, they can give you the chance to return to swimming without fear of fecal accidents.

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    12/22/2024 07:07 pm GMT
  26. LUXE Bidet NEO 120 - Self-Cleaning Nozzle, Fresh Water Non-Electric Bidet Attachment for Toilet Seat, Adjustable Water Pressure, Rear Wash (White)
    $38.99 $31.19

    With Crohn's or IBD, while recovering from hip replacement surgeries, and during medical treatment for cancer, a bidet is an essential piece of equipment. Easy to add to your toilet, and easy to use, a bidet cleans your bottom with a stream of water and helps reduce toilet paper irritation. It also reduces the need for a twisting motion (to wipe.)


    If you've never used a bidet, you don't know what you are missing. Thisis a basic model that uses room temperature water, but they also come in deluxe models that use heated water, and ones that have two streams -- one for your bottom and one for women during their menstrual cycle. Once you have a bidet, you'll never understand how you did without one!


    (This bidgt is easy to install. I didn't need a plumber, my retired neighbor came over and installed it in less than 30 minutes.)

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    12/22/2024 02:31 pm GMT
  27. Couch Cup Holder Pillow, Couch Drinks Remotes Holder for Center of Couch, for Sofa, Bed, RV, Car (Brown)
    $29.99 $24.99

    This sofa or bed cup holder is amazing! It can hold cups of coffee, cans or glasses, as well as other items. I personally keep my glasses in one section for safekeeping, along with my Roku remote. When I adjust my adjustable bed, this cup holder stays in place. It is so helpful whether on a bed, a couch, or a table top.

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    12/22/2024 02:32 pm GMT
  28. Drive Medical RTL11158KDR Folding Steel Bedside Commode Chair, Portable Toilet, 350 Pound Weight Capacity with 7.5 Qt. Bucket, Grey
    $101.92 $42.55

    This bedside commode is inexpensive yet sturdy, and able to accommodate a person up to 350 lbs. During recovery, using a bedside commode is so much safer than taking risky walks in the dark to the bathroom.

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    12/22/2024 06:45 pm GMT
  29. OUMEE 60 PCS Commode Liners with 60 Absorbent Pads, Bedside Commode Liners for Commode Bucket, Disposable Commode Liners for Adults, Portable & Leak-Proof Potty Chair Liners(60Bags+60Pads)
    $24.99

    These pads and liners make keeping a bedside commode so much easier. They also reduce smells that accumulate overnight or in-between being emptied.

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    12/22/2024 07:06 pm GMT
  30. Liquid I.V.® Hydration Multiplier - Golden Cherry | Electrolyte Powder Drink Mix | 1 Pack (16 Servings)
    $23.49 $20.00

    This has to be my favorite flavor and type of hydration powder. Just add to water!

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    12/22/2024 11:11 pm GMT

What NED Really Means

After you finish cancer treatment, you have imaging often at the six month and one year mark, and then several more times during the first five years to make sure the cancer hasn’t reappeared.

They don’t say you are “cured” from cancer. They rarely say you are in remission. What is normally observed is that you are NED.

NED stands for “no evidence of disease.” It means they no longer see any signs of your cancer. Those of us who have gone through this always know, in the back of our minds, that even if one tiny, microscopic spec of cancer still remains, it can and probably will, be back. This is called a reoccurrence if it returns to the same or neighboring area, or if it travels using your lymphatic system, it tends to metastasize elsewhere in your body, such as your lymph nodes, or your lungs.

No matter how hopeful and how positive you are, if you’ve been in a cancer support group for any length of time, you will know someone who was NED, who seemed to beat cancer, who suddenly finds it roaring its ugly head, and within days or weeks, it overwhelms their body, and they slip away.

A single, solitary thought goes through cancer survivors’ heads — “if I’m still alive . . . ” We all know, even if we never express it, how tentative life is, and how quickly the disease we “survived” can snatch us away.

It took me 6 months after my first NED to stop thinking “If I’m still alive . . .” when I thought about the future — as in, “I’d like to go to the craft festival, if I’m still alive then.” Cancer changes you in ways others who have not experienced it will never understand.

You get treatment, you sort of recover from the treatment, you get NED, and everything seems fine — until it’s not. I lost both of my parents to cancer, and in both cases, things seemed fine, until it metastasized and dealt its final blow.

No matter how much you know it can return, when your life returns to normal and all is well, it is still a shock when it returns. You think you have beaten a great enemy, that you have won fierce battle, and slain the enemy, only to have it reappear and let you know exactly how puny we humans really are — that a microscopic cell could snatch our victory — how fragile the human condition is.

I have no illusions. Cancer is rarely “gone.” It lies sleeping just outside our view until with a lightning strike it jolts you out of your comfortable rest.

I just try to enjoy each day, live that day as it happens, and not worry too much about the future. I like to stay busy in the present since it’s the only thing we can really be sure of.

There is a poem I read for the first time in college, called Musee des Beaux Arts by W.H. Auden. I found the words haunting back then, and after battling and surviving cancer, they ring even more true.

Musée des Beaux Arts

by W.H. Auden

December 1938

About suffering they were never wrong,

The Old Masters: how well they understood

Its human position; how it takes place

While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along

How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting

For the miraculous birth, there always must be

Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating

On a pond at the edge of the wood:

They never forgot

That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course

Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot

Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse

Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.


In Brueghel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away

Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may

Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry, 

But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone

As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green

Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen

Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky

Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

A few close people will feel our loss, at least for a while. Certainly, Daedalus mourned his son, Icarus as he fell to his death. To Daedalus, the loss of his son, Icarus, was a great tragedy. But the rest of world, as portrayed in Breughel’s famous painting Icarus, pays little notice to the boy sinking below the water to his death.

In a similar way, whether we win or lose our battle with cancer, the world goes on just as it always does. We never know if we are soaring too close to the sun, melting the wax that holds us together, and plunging us into the icy waters of the unknown.