For tips and advice about what to stash in your Crohn’s disease emergency kit, we went to the experts: real people living with Crohn’s disease. We also spoke with Jessica Philpott, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic. Here’s what they recommend.
The “I Can’t Wait” Card
Not having access to a bathroom when you have an emergency can leave you feeling helpless. The “I Can’t Wait” card, created by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation for its members, is a universal card explaining that you have a medical condition and need immediate access to an available bathroom, including staff toilets. “Anything that provides clear information that allows people accommodations that they deserve and require … can be helpful,” Dr. Philpott says.
Moistened Wipes and Lotions
Frequent trips to the bathroom during a Crohn’s flare can irritate skin in sensitive places. Help soothe skin by using moistened wipes rather than the scratchy toilet paper often found in public bathrooms. “Travel packs of flushable moistened wipes are great,” says Doug Yakich, a Crohn’s disease advocate who’s been living with the condition since he was a teenager. To help with itching and rawness, use a cleansing lotion that helps ease itching and is safe enough to use in the anal area.
Your Medications
Having the right medication on hand might determine how quickly you get a Crohn’s flare under control. If you take prescription medicine, be sure to keep some in your kit at all times. Meagan Hope, owner of MEGA Marketing and Event Solutions, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 16 and recalls the comfort of having medicine with her in school to ease cramping and abdominal pain. For Shifali Keyser, an 18-year-old diagnosed with Crohn’s disease six years ago, flares mean extreme abdominal pain, heartburn, fatigue, and nausea. She keeps medicine for heartburn, nausea, and pain in her emergency kit. Just be careful when selecting pain medicine, because nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and aspirin, can exacerbate symptoms. A study published in March 2022 in Gastroenterología y Hepatología found a slight increase in the risk of flare-ups among people with Crohn’s disease who take NSAIDs long-term.
A Cool Compress
“I always have a washcloth with me if I’m out and about,” says Hope. “If I experience waves of pain and cramping, I find a restroom, run the washcloth under cold water, and put it on the back of my neck on a pressure point. The cold actually takes away the waves of nausea that can accompany the attacks of spasms and diarrhea.”
Change of Clothes
Soiled clothing can certainly put a damper on any plans you had for the day. It might not be easy to carry around a full change of clothes, but it’s a good idea to keep a spare pair of pants handy — for example, in an office locker, a desk drawer, or your car. “I keep a bag with clothes and other basic things in both of my cars,” Yakich says. “I also carry one in my backpack if I’m going to be riding with someone else or if I’m not going to have [easy] access to a car, like when I’m on a hike or plane ride.”
Odor Eliminators
Carrying a small container of air freshener can help mask any lingering odors when a public restroom is the only option. Opt for a neutral scent instead of a more overpowering perfume that may bother people with allergies or asthma. Also include a large plastic bag in your Crohn’s disease emergency kit, which works great for storing soiled clothing until you can launder or dispose of it. The bag may also come in handy if you suddenly feel nauseated and need to vomit.
Ostomy Essentials
If you have an ostomy pouch, include essential supplies for tending to or changing it. Yakich, who had a colostomy in 2010, recommends carrying spare ostomy bags, precut ostomy flanges or wafers, ostomy pouch disposal seals (which lock in odor until you can dispose of the pouch), adhesive paste, a skin barrier, tape to keep a seal on your flange, a spare shirt, and a bag to hold everything you can’t readily dispose of.
Water
Staying hydrated is important when you’re managing Crohn’s disease. Hope, Yakich, and Keyser all say they make a point of drinking plenty of water every day. Hope says she carries a water bottle with her everywhere she goes. In addition to maintaining hydration on a regular basis, having water will help you begin to restore fluids after a bout of diarrhea. A study published in 2022 in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases reported that choosing water for hydration — along with following a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in refined carbs and processed meats — was associated with a lower risk of active symptoms. You may also want to avoid drinks that contain alcohol, added sugars, or caffeine, which can cause dehydration.
Relaxation Techniques
This “item” won’t take up any space in your kit, but it can be a game changer when cramping and nausea hit. Relaxation techniques can provide relief by reducing the stress associated with the physical discomfort of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s. A 2019 review of the effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing found that the breathing technique improved certain stress biomarkers, such as cortisol levels, blood pressure and respiratory rate. Hope’s doctor introduced her to meditation when she was 17. “When I feel cramping and diarrhea coming on, I close my eyes and take a deep breath in through my nose while counting to four,” she says. “I hold that breath for a count of eight and then exhale out of my mouth for a count of four. I do this about three or four times, and it helps my body relax.”
