Crohn's Disease and Arthritis

Hi Maggie. I have RA and CD. I was dx'd with JRA at the age of 8, even though I'd had it since the age of 2. The CD didn't show up until I was 16. However, the docs said it was probably there "first" and not the arthritis. I disagree, but whatever. I'm on asacol, pred, and remicade for the CD. Haven't seen a rheumy since I started remicade 6 years ago because it keeps everything quiet on the RA front.

Stef

Hi I have taken Remicade in the past for crohns. I had to stop taking it after I had a reaction to it. about 2 months before I stopped taking Remicade is when my pain started and here I am still dealing with the pain almost daily for the last 2 years. I have had every test, xray, scans you could think of and they cant find anything, so then my GI sends me to the Rheumy and just more tests, referred to other MD's and nothing, finally on my last visit to the Rheumy I was put in a room to watch a video on Fibromyalgia, so I guess that is what he says I have but of course my GI doesnt agree, he believes it is Crohns arthritis. The weather will really make things bad with the aching. I work outside the home so I can only take minumum amounts of Advil(due to crohns) during the day and before bed I take a darvacet and a muscle relaxer just to get some sleep so I am able to go to work. I have also tried physical therapy which didnt really do much, so I started to do some exercises and it and it does seem to help a little bit. Well, I wish you the best and if you get any helpful info let me know.

Welcome to Healing Well, MaggieLou! I have osteoarthritis [wear and tear type because I am older] and ankylosing spondylitis [AS]. My AS acts independently of my CD. At first it was thought that I had arthritis associated with CD. But then when my guts were in remission and my joints continued to have lots of problems, it was determined that I had AS. AS occurs in a small percentage of people that have CD. I was on Remicade, then Humira for my AS. I had reactions to both and am now trying to maintain joint function by periodic steroid injections to the problematic areas.

I also have been told that I have crohns induced arthritis, I just don't understand how it all intertwines.  does anyone else understand this?

 

MaggieLou, I have Crohn's and what the GI and rhemy call "Crohn's Related Arthritis." Most of the time now, the arthritis is my biggest complaint. Remicade did help some, until I had to stop taking it due to allergic reactions. I am now on a clinical trial for Cimzia, which is similar to Humira. That helps with the joint pain, but I still have to take Ultracet daily in order to be able to do the things I want to do. Exercise seems to help a great deal.

amyapo, I've heard of a couple different reasons. One is that if you have inflammation in your intestines, colon, wherever, you can also have it in other parts of the body. Just your body's messed up response. I've also heard that Crohn's treatments, such as Remicade, can cause lupus. My rheumy did blood work to check for "medication induced lupus," as I started having joint pain three days after a Remicade treatment. Mine came back negative, so they are just calling it "Crohn's Related Arthritis."

Unfortunately, autoimmune disease doesn't just affect one part of the body.  I had  arthristis before the onset of Crohn's.  When I was in my teens, my knees would swell up and have to be drained every year or two.  Some days I couldn't walk down stairs for the pain in my knees and hip.  After many many years of pain and no help from rheumy's other than NSAIDS that my stomach couldn't tolerate, I went to a new doctor and asked him to please put a name to the arthritis - and he did - inflamatory arthristis associated with Crohn's.  The good news was that it was not crippling, just painful.  I exercise for at least 20 minutes most mornings to keep my muscles toned.  My pain is in the muscles surrounding the joints, even surrounding my ribs.  During the past 33 years, I have also developed episcleritis in one eye, oteopenia from steriods and not being able to tolerate calcium supplements or anything with lactose.  I guess a yogurt a day wasn't enough. 

To all of you that have been diagnosed the past few years-  you are lucky that so much has been learned about this disease.  Back in the '70's, so little was known and few drugs were available to treat Crohns.  Keep supporting the Crohns & Colitis Foundation so research can continue.  I'm praying for some major breakthrough while I'm still kickin'!