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have 2 questions ,regarding anxiety and crohns and china

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 7/6/2008 4:31 AM (GMT 0)
i have crohns rarely can i feel good enough to go a couple blocks pass my house, so i feel like a prisoner in my house. Is there any anxiety medicine that would help me so i can leave my house.

i'm in China , is there any treatment or medication i can get here, or a place i can go for surgery? i really want to work so any help would be much appreciated.
Posted 7/6/2008 5:22 AM (GMT 0)
You should get an actual doctor's advice for dealing with the question of medicines to use. I am sure that at least the names of drugs used in China are different and possibly the drugs available are different from those used here. For emergency control of your problem, you could try fasting (no food - just water) for two or three days. This will allow your system to rest and repair some of the damage. After that, try a diet that is easy to digest and low in fiber. You can read some of the diet ideas for Crohn's online to get some ideas. Just google Crohn's + diet. I really cannot help you with medication or surgical advice. Sorry to hear your problems.
Posted 7/6/2008 10:31 AM (GMT 0)
guru -

Greetings. I understand that Chinese herbalists are wonderful. I have a couple of friends who see one that I plan to go to as well. Now, I am not saying do not use conventional medications for CD. There are great medications that can help. Read through the threads and you will get a feel... and a list of medications that you can take into a doctor and discuss. If you are to the point where digestion is very painful, you may need to step back from food for a couple of days. Chicken broth, water and vitamins are all good to help you through a fast.

There are several medications:
Asacol
Pentasa
Presnisone
Entecort
and so on... read the posts then go see a doctor.

Good luck to you... and welcome.
Posted 7/6/2008 10:39 AM (GMT 0)
thnaks for your advice, yes i think the chinese herb can work for some people, but it did not help me, i tried a lot of stuff, that is is the taste is so nasty, word can't explain the taste. i had to drink that chinese herb stuff for a month and it did not help. i have been trying to see a doctor here but it seems difficult to find a doctor that can help me.

i really want to know if anxiety medicine has helped any one, so that can at least go to the store with out having to use the bathroom and ect...

i contacted stem cell places here in china but they denied y application and said they were not ready for treatment for crohns
Posted 7/6/2008 11:13 AM (GMT 0)
GURU77 -

Stress is definitely the enemy of CD. Anti-panic medication has done wonders for me. Keeps me calm especially during a flare up. I just came off an eight-day liquid only diet. I had nothing but chicken broth, gateraid, vitamin B12, multi-vitamin, omega3 (fish oil - very very good for you) and I put yellow curry powder in my chicken broth. An indian doctor that I see told me that turmic (sp??) is an ingredient in curry that is a natural anti-inflammatory. I didn't believe her, but it has worked better than a couple of the CD medications I have taken.

Best of luck to you. Whatever you do, do NOT take NSAIDs, i.e. Motrin. All GI doctors have told me to stay clear of all NSAIDs with Crohn's. Also, I would highly recommend that you start and keep a food diary. This will help you identify the foods that give you trouble. I did this to find a number of foods that I cannot digest and have since eliminated from my diet.

Good luck. Bring any all questions to this board. EVERYONE here is WONDERFUL and VERY supportive.

Take care of yourself, GURU.

Regards,

Leslie a/k/a Texan
Posted 7/6/2008 11:14 AM (GMT 0)
mabe try lomotil to slow down your bowel, has a bit of narcotic affect, we need a prescription here in the states, i dont know any anxiety meds sorry.
Posted 7/6/2008 11:27 AM (GMT 0)
thank you texan, yeah i am amazed at the response i got in just a day. thank you every one.

i just want to be able to walk down the street with out having my stomach go crazy, seems ok when i'm at home most of teh time, but when i try to leave that's when i have a big problem.

i have only had this for about 2-3 years diagnosed with it last year, i can not afford the expensive medicine, so i just want some stress medication that i can take when i want to go out, what is the one that works for you texan or anybody?

i have been taking a flask with me of whiskey but that just helps me relax for like 5 minutes, and i know alcohol is very bad for crohns but i don't have much options at this time
Posted 7/6/2008 12:03 PM (GMT 0)
Hi GURU77,
My doctor told me to stay clear of any chinese herbal medication temporary. I took some and sent me to hospital for 8 days!
Doctor didn't know what was in the herbal medication that triggered a full flare.
Try to seek a western doctor for your condition. I am sure there are some.

Take care
Posted 7/6/2008 12:08 PM (GMT 0)
GURU - do you have access to a therapist/psychologist? I realize mental health care in China may be different than the U.S. But, the best treatment for anxiety is not medication but therapy. Meds can obviously be helpful, but have some down sides in that they are habit forming, come with withdrawal when you go off that equates to even more severe anxiety, and don't really address the underlying problem.

Anxiety can also make your CD symptoms worse, so it's a really bad cycle. You get anxious about the possibility of having diarrhea when you leave, which cues up your guts, and then you have diarrhea. I've seen many people with this problem. There are therapy treatments that try to break this cycle. Do a google search on Cognitive Behavior Therapy for anxiety. I'd be happy to answer more specific questions if you have them.

Hope you find some relief!
Posted 7/6/2008 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
I think Beta gave some great advice. I just discovered this year that I was really having problems with Anxiety. I personally use Xanax when needed. But not everyday, just when I start feeling anxious. Maybe you need to talk to your doctor about some kind of antidepressant. It is very common for us Crohnies to be anxious and depressed because of this stupid disease.
Posted 7/6/2008 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
Oh and I am now seeing a therapist too and its really helping alot.
Posted 7/6/2008 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with beta and nanners about your anxiety.

I think something like imodium might work for diarrhea (temporarily, so you can get help) to help you get out of the house. Please get medical advice and prescriptions for your crohns treatment, not just herbs.

Please also check out the crohns resources at the top of the threads.
https://www.healingwell.com/ibd/
Posted 7/6/2008 10:30 PM (GMT 0)
Guru, are you certain that it's anxiety that's stopping you from leaving the house and not your Crohn's?

As far as accessing medicine goes, may I ask where in China you live? I ask because my gut feeling is that if you can get yourself to Hong Kong, where there is (I think) more of a western culture, you may be able to get yourself better access to western medicine.

I'm surprised that you said you needed to pay for your medicine yourself. You're sick and you want to work - won't the government help you pay for your medicine?

You said you wanted to be able to leave the house without your stomach troubling you. Are you able to buy a medicine called Buscopan? It can be bought over the counter here (Australia) and helps control the spasming and, therefore, the d.

Hope this helps,

I.
Posted 7/7/2008 12:18 AM (GMT 0)
I had participated in a clinical trial using a chinese herb and it was wonderful. It put in me in remission. I can't remember the name of the herb but the trial was through Hutchinson Pharmacuetical if anyone else here might be familiar with this study. I'll try and find the name of the herb for you.
Posted 7/7/2008 12:45 AM (GMT 0)
that is a great question, i do not know if there is any government assistance in the us for crohns. yeah i really want and need to work , i have been trying to figure out a work from home thing whre i can do telemarketing or something becasue i have a usa voip number here in china.

i think it's both my crohns and anxiety that is affecting me from going any where. even in my own house sometimes if i have a guest over and is using the bath room, then i have to go immediately for some reason, it's crazy i really don't understand it.

does anyone know if there is any government assistance for crohns?
Posted 7/7/2008 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome
I like Nanners am on a benzo ( anxiety med) plus I do Cognitive behavioural Therapy and see a doc to talk about my anxity over having a few chronic illnesses

Many I have found do also have anxiety along with crohns or other chronic illnesses

I really would try to find a doc asap
I know you said it is hard but do they have Therapists or Pyschiatrists over ther that may get you in sooner.
What about you GI would he /she help you out with this for now til you can get a family doctor

Using therapy and techniques in conjunction with meds has helped me a great deal

I wish you all the best

Stay with us

LYN
Posted 7/7/2008 6:12 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry, Guru; I'm confused. You say you're in China - why are you asking about the US system? Is there a chance you'll be able to get medical help in America? Is that why you're asking?

I've been thinking more about your situation and I'm wondering whether you might be able to get into a drug trial. There's a drug called Orencia that's in international trial at the moment. You might like to ask your doctor if there's any way you could get into that trial.

We have a great community here. I hope that between us all we can brainstorm enough to find an idea that will work for you.

I.
Posted 7/7/2008 7:19 AM (GMT 0)
If there is government aid for crohns yes i might go back, but right now as it is , china is a lot cheaper and medicine is cheaper here as well, my wife is here too and the visa process is crazy for her to go to usa. i had 2 houses and was doing good in usa , when i got crohns, i was not productive at work, so i had to leave and lost the house's If there was government assistance i might try to go back and get help so i can start working again.

I 'm amazed i never heard of crohns until i got it, i wish this upon no one!

Yes this is a great community, i am so surprised at the response i have received. It's great to finally talk to someone about this that can relate.


Thank you very much everyone that has posted there opinion!
Posted 7/7/2008 11:39 AM (GMT 0)
I am glad you found us and I do hope you will continue to post and
Stay with us
'There is alot to learn about this DD

I have had it for a few yrs now and am still learnin

This community wil certainly help you out as was already said

Do stay with us

LYN
Posted 7/8/2008 12:25 AM (GMT 0)
So you're an American living in China?
Posted 7/8/2008 2:22 AM (GMT 0)
YES I AM AN AMERICAN LIVING IN CHINA .
SO IT'S HARD TO COMMUNICATE WITH DOCTORS HERE. THE ONES THAT I HAVE TALKED TO ARE NOT TO FAMILIAR WITH CROHNS
Posted 7/8/2008 3:49 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the site. Have you tried acupuncture? I had a coworker that lost weight that way. If they can make a person less hungry perhaps they can make you less anxious. There should be someone near you that does the needles...
Posted 7/8/2008 4:24 AM (GMT 0)
Has acupuncture helped any of you with crohns? i'm going to try it, i just hate needles, but people tell me it does not hurt that much.
Posted 7/8/2008 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
I have not tried it for crohns but did get a small introduction to it when I had a pain in my neck on a trip a few years ago. The lady put in needle in my neck which I did not feel at all , there was a warm feeling and about two minutes later no pain. Just like all things I am sure it has its place but probably does not help all things.
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