I am diagnosed with crohn's disease. I think it's triggered by excessive use of antibiotics but my doctors are nit agreeing to it. I do not want to take medicines again and want to naturaly get rid of it. I have read there is no cure and very difficult to treat it without medicine.
But it would be great to know if anyone of you tried something alternative to conventional medicine.
I get what you are trying to achieve, but if it is abad as mine you will need a medication to get it under control. I beleive you are correct in assuming that this flare was caused by antibiotic use, as all my outbreaks came after using or being on a course of antibiotics. Prednisone is your fastest way to get relief, it can be used in conjunction with a different medicine for long term control. The disease is so destructive I wouldn't take cances on unproven natural remedies. If left untreated you can lose a whole lot of your bowel and even die from it. This disease is nothing to take lightly. I have been suffering from it for most of my life and now I am low on vitamin D, B12, Protein and Potassium as a result of absorption issues. I have lost 25 pounds of weight in two months. It is serious. Please be careful with it. If you want try natural with proven medicine. One of the best things you can do is be careful of what you eat. make sure it is healthy food such as fish for meat. I try to eat fish as often as possible due to it's natural anti inflammitory qualities. Take care of yourself.
I was in denial for a long while after my diagnosis, I didn't fit the age that it occurred. After the initial pain I had no problems for about 3 years then when it really kicked in it was really out of my control. I don't know why it started, my understanding is that it is an immune related trigger. My advice is to research, it is not a one size fits all disease. You can start researching dietary advice but if the inflammation is going to flare up then you will have no choice but to treat with meds, you may not get another flare up, you may have long bouts of good health inbetween flare ups. Be proactive about it but don't dismiss meds for natural management. Nobody will wish to scare you and I ended up having a small bowel resection after years of conservative treatment, now in remission for nearly 4 years. Please be guided by your GE, pain is the only indicator that something is going on, we cannot see inside our bodies, good luck
Medicines treat every autoimmune disease using steroids and we are at receiving end of it. I understand it's a horrible disease and will not stop taking medicines, but will keep researching hoping that one day I will no longer need medicine. I am vegetarian since birth, I dont have option to cook meat and fish. I can eat egg, will that be helpful? Can you recommend something else in diet?
Hi anna, happy to hear about your 4 years remission, I hope it's for life time for you and no one to suffer of this again.The problem with me is I don't get pain. I have never had pain. I am bloated all the time and nauseated. I can not eat anything. And food gets stuck on upper part of abdomen. It take two to three hour to travel in my stomach I think. I already have auto immune issue with my lungs, But I manage It and haven't taken medicines since 7 years for it.i think I am prone to other autoimmune disease as well.Yes I will do read and research, also will check with a GE. As of I am diagnosed by my general physician.
Thank you! Mine was in the terminal ileum and on occasion I too had problems getting food through, I would bring up undigested food the next day, another reason I knew something was wrong. When I had ct or MRI scans I couldn't drink all the liquid. Now I know it was because the inflammation was bad then I had an abscess and it all went downhill from there. I had 7cm small bowel removed. Sorry you are suffering, wish I could suggest something for you to try. Fodmap diet might be helpful. Can you tolerate something like isowhey, a kind of liquid food with nutrients, a powder you mix with water? I also have to take B12 and D as I don't absorb them from food. Warm water used to help me in a flare up and I tried Yakult. Some people have to be fed by tube into the stomach to give their bowel a rest and a chance to settle down, is that an option for you? I do hope you get some relief, codeine based painkillers also helped me. Take care
I am more scared now. I don't want to have surgery. I don't want to be negative but instead of going for surgery I'll prefer to die. Will try diet and consult a gastroenterologist as soon as possible. I am having similar symptoms as your. Food doesn't seems to go down, not able to drink complete bottle. I have to been from one doctor to another since last 12 months and every one said it's nothing. Wish they were more serious towards their patients.
I am already a vegetarian. I only thing I eat is vegetables and wheat bread, pulses. I don't know what more should I do.
I am so irritated right now. I am out of options. I feel my upper right side of abdomen is swelled.
I don't want surgery either, but I don't want to die. It doesn't mean that you will need surgery, but many people have to and they come out of it fine, so try not to be scared if this is what you need to survive. Medications can prevent surgery and damage to the colon and small bowel, so medicines are a good way to go. I have been dealing with IBD most of my life. It sucks but I am ok and you will be also.
Surgery is always a last option. Have you had colonoscopy/endoscopy/MRI/ct scans to definitely diagnose Crohn's? Are you coeliac? Wheat would upset you if you are. In a flare up you need to be eating bland food, the bowel doesn't like roughage as it is already inflamed so needs what I call beige food, colourless like chicken, rice, scrambled egg, maybe your veg and pulses are upsetting you? I only ask as you say you have seen various doctors who all dismiss your worries which isn't helpful. You know how bad you feel so please get back to your GE
Yes I have been to 4 gastroenterologist in 11 months or so. One said is dyspepsia, other said it's gastritis, third one said it's only only acidity, last week only my physician diagnosed me with Gerd and crohn's. I didn't have any test recently except CBC. Which showed bit of infection so I got antibiotic again. Though I do not have any relief.
You really need a colonoscopy/endoscopy/MRI/ct scan to diagnose Crohn's, there are so many bowel diseases with similar symptoms. I was told in 2006 that my small pain may be Crohn's, I had all the tests and was told because they couldn't find anything else it is more than likely Crohn's. The terminal ileum is a very difficult area to reach for definite diagnosis so I wasn't convinced. I am very proactive with my Crohn's, if I am going to have to live with it forever then I need to find out everything from diet to treatment and maintenance. GE's need feedback from their patients as everyone has different symptoms. I was told to avoid dried apricots/sultanas/raisins and anything dense like donuts and tomato based meals like bolognese tend to upset me. Have you been given steroids, they are really good for getting inflammation under control. I don't mean to sound pushy but I hate that you are suffering and what your doctors are telling you is guesswork and treatment ineffective
It's tiring thinking how I am caught in this mess when one year back I was very healthy.i have all the symptoms of crohn's loose bowel in morning, tired all the time, nausea, can not eat full, I think based on symptoms she diagnosed and she is pretty sure. Will check with doctor as of now she has not prescribed any steroids. Already missing today's work day to get her appointment.
Will update you all about the progress. Thank you everyone for the suggestions.
All those symptoms can be attributed to other things, I know it is frustrating and you put your faith in doctors but for your own peace of mind you need a firm diagnosis. You have joined this group for help and I am sure everyone on here would advise you to insist you get properly investigated to back up your doctor's assumption you have Crohn's, then treatment will be clearer and more effective
Hello newhopes 123
I have looked at your replies and the answers you have given, and although I understand where you are coming from, and want to perhaps fight Crohns in your own way I think you are surprised that those of us who have suffered with Crohns for long periods of time have urged you to be cautious. This is not because we are cowards, but Crohns at its worst is a nasty enemy and can fight you on very different levels. Perhaps because you have been newly diagnosed you are in the early stages of coming to terms with this and believe that it is not a serious and sometimes frightening complaint. The medical profession are still trying to find out the reasons for this and the only reasonably successful medicine has been short burst of steroids. Today they are having reasonable success with heavier drugs, which you will read about from fellow Crohns sufferers, but these have to be monitored closely for bad side effects. Can I put something to you without making you think I am being patronizing? I can tell you are intelligent but in this instance you have the wrong end of the stick, It is the Crohns which causes various infections and the fault is in the body as to the way it deals with them, which is at odds with your own conviction that too many antibiotics are the cause. I see within one of your replies that you have have also suffered from a lung problem, but once again when I was first diagnosed they watched closely to see if I developed something of this nature. Crohns is a horrible complaint and in some cases it stops young people being able to conceive successfully. I appreciate that this is not what you want to hear, but better to know the truth.
Some people never develop full blown Crohns and with luck you weill be one of these, but the lady who replied to you saying she was in remission for a while, was being truthful and will know that more often than not, it will strike again because it lies dormant in your system and then something sets it off. As a sufferer for a number of years I know the same as others that the disease is not to be taken lightly. Like Craig 84609 I have to have B12 injections to level my system and my appetite is very poor and always has been. I have had 5 bowel ops which ended up with a colostomy, because in the Professors.wors if I carried on coping I would develop bowel cancer because infections and inflammations make it very dangerous. Recently I suffered a Pyderma-Gangrenosum which once again was caued by the Crohns from a straightforward case of Cellulitis. I know you have your own ideas about this complaint, but I can tell you that you are lucky not to have the usual pain which accompanies Crohns, so just thank your lucky stars that in your case it is being kind to you.
Best wishes but please don;t turn your back on the medical profession, because at the end of the day they are the only ones to help you.
One thing I would suggest is that you join NACC there is a group somewhere near you and who knows they may have heard of research into fighting Crohns using the techniques you prefer.
Sheila 51371
Hi Sheila, I Am really sry If I sounded like I feel you guys are not brave. You people have been suffering from this horrible disease daily, getting surgeries and still living with such nice attitude I respect that. I no way I meant that. You people are the first support I have here. Because crohn's is very rare where I live.
I was thinking to find way because I see that it's an inflammation disease and medicines only does is reduce the inflammation, they don't go for the root cause. I was thinking to figure out the prob and then treat it. I would once again thanks for you reply I will be now more cautious and will not ignore medical help.
I forgot to mention, I think I am in early stage of disease. I think only prob as of now is food is not travelling though intestine due to inflammation as it used to be. I eat at night I feel like food is stuck on top of the abdomen and then I sleep, morning I wake up Okay. With no issues except that slight nausea. I don't have diarrhea, after antibiotics morning Loose bowels too went away. Due you have suggestions for this, how did your crohn's started? Was it full blown? I mean all symptoms at once.
Hi, my phone started making funny noises and as I am on a alarm system had to come and check it out, which is why I caught your reply. Up too early for me!!! Anyway will answer your query. I was 21 (which is something that you will hear a lot about) Apparently every 7 years your blood changes and things happen. I already had problems eating and lost 6 stone. I ended up at 5.5 stone and looked as if I had come out of Belsom. Crohns can attack any part of the digestive system from mouth to the other end. Terrible pain because it caused blockages in the bowel. Quite frankly I looked as if I was going to die. Rather like you are saying about where you live, there were very few cases then and people were frightened to ask what was wrong. I spent my life in and out of hospital. Luckily for me I met a surgeon who had gone to USA to study this and he came back with typed notes on how to tackle the op. At that point all I wanted was to be out of pain. They fed me with a huge lot of iron, I was constantly anaemic so did what they could to make sure I survived surgery. The op was nearly 6 hours long and I knew that without this I was not going to survive. Needless to say I did and for the first time in something like 8 years I could eat chips!!!!! Laughable I know, but they were one of my favourite things. I think it took about 5 years to get back to a reasonable weight and after that it left me alone for a while.
Luck came into this, I met a great guy who was my specialist who talked to me as a human being and passed on what he could in the way of knowledge. I told you about my latest scare, when I nearly lost a leg because of infection, and dear love, although retired and dealing with his own health problems got in touch and told me what to do. He impressed on me how urgent the situation was and once again was the fault of my immune system. Out the other side of this now,but you will gather from this how much we need medical care. With you, have they said anything about a hiatus hernia which I believe causes the type of symptoms you suffer. Phone now quiet so I can go back to bed. Best wishes
Sheila
Hi Sheila, Nope nothing of hernia they said.
With symptoms doctor is quite sure. Also I have undigested food in stools always,even of what I had eaten one day back. Again I am getting loose bowels now. She told me go to gastroenterologist as she is out of options and symptoms are not improving.
Hi again. I really think that an appointment with the Gastroentermologist is a good thing. because they specialise in all sorts of bowel problems and who knows it might not be Crohns. You will gather from the replies you have received that it takes a lot of tests to ascertain the evidence to seriously consider it's Crohns. Hopefully and fingers crossed you will be able to feel confident of their advice and diagnosis. As I said before try looking up the nearest branch of NACC and put your concerns to them, even if you have to ask the questions on line.Good luck. Let me know how you get on.
Best wishes
Sheila 51271
Hi, I have had crohn's for years. We just have too wait til there is a cure but, for now just medicine and drug infusions to control the diease.