HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Just diagnosed - thoughts?

Support Forums
>
Crohn's Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/26/2010 3:27 AM (GMT 0)
After years of pain and frustration, last week's colonoscopy led my GI doctor telling me I have Crohn's. It's a mild form, thankfully. He prescribed Asacol, which due to my silly online pharmacy, won't come until the end of next week. I made an appointment for next month.

I feel kind of relieved to have a reason for what I've been feeling, especially as it's gotten much worse in the past 6 months. In addition to having pain and diarrhea a lot, I have been really fatigued. I thought it was just sloth on my part, but I'm now wondering if the two things could be related. I'll be sure to ask my doctor in a month, but I was wondering if this is connected for anyone here.

Any ideas on things I can do besides the Asacol. Stuff to avoid eating, if exercise helps, and well, ways for my butt not to hurt due to pooping so much. Thanks, I appreciate the support and am really glad to have found this forum! :)
Posted 7/26/2010 7:06 AM (GMT 0)
I found some good books on amazon used about diet and crohn's in general and they have helped me to understand the disease. I have enemas for butt pain. So far, exercise is great for me. It helps my joint pain (especially swimming). Good luck. Make sure you tell your dr all of your symptoms and that he/she is treating them seriously.
Posted 7/26/2010 1:03 PM (GMT 0)
Even in people who don't have Crohn's, diarrhea depletes energy. You are probably suffering from electrolyte imbalances and a certain amount of malnutrition due to malabsoption of nutrients in your food. When you find effective medication and/or diet, and the symptoms improve, then your nutritional status will probably improve, too.

Meanwhile, since anemia and B12 deficiency can cause fatigue, you might want to have your blood checked for levels of iron and B12.     

Perhaps vaseline or desitin for the sore bottom?

Posted 7/26/2010 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hi pp, and welcome!

My son has a mild case and has had FABULOUS success following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) put forth in the book, "Breaking the Vicious Cycle", by Elaine Gottschall. This diet (I hate to use that word because it's really more of a lifestyle change w/respect to food) has helped tens of thousands of sufferers since Dr. Haas first put it forth in the early 1900s.

I initially got a copy of the book at our local public library, but eventually purchased my own copy. Also, there are tons of online resources for the SCD and cook books that are written which are 100% compliant. Yahoo has 2 or 3 groups dedicated to discussion of the diet by those who follow it.

Our doctors (team of pediatric GIs) did not tell us about the diet, so I would not expect back-up from that arena. If it interests you, you just have to tackle it on your own.

Best wishes to you! I hope you feel better soon!
Posted 7/26/2010 1:37 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome aboard! You will find this site to be very helpful. Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if you think they sound ridiculous.

It will help if you make a daily journal. List the foods you eat, when you take your meds bm's, and fatigue levels. Every person is different so finding what works for you can be labor intensive.

For me it is the quanity of food I eat that I have to watch. I eat small amounts of food throughout the day and limit my caffeine and avoid fried foods. I also have to stay away from processed meats and large amounts of veggies.

It will take some time but you will find what works best for you. As for the butt discomfort..... I take a quick bath and use desitin . Keep us posted.
Elizabeth
Posted 7/26/2010 3:30 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the forum!  I agree that you should keep a food diary.  That was very helpful to me at first so I could learn which foods to/not to eat.  I must admit that I haven't really looked into the SCD, but have looked into others that people recommended and just found that I couldn't follow any of them.  Foods they recommended were ones that bothered me and the foods that didn't bother me were on the "no" list.  I would recommend you keep a food diary first so you know which foods work for you before trying to follow any diet.   

 

I actually got addicted to exercising because taking aerobics classes were the one thing that got my mind off of how bad my stomach and joints hurt.  If I was listening to the instructor and the music and counting reps or focusing on getting through all of the reps, I couldn't also pay attention to the pain.  Unfortunately, my joint pain has gotten progressively worse to where now I can't work out...and I miss it SO much!  But, yes, exercise does help both physically and mentally, as long as you don't overdo it. 

 

I'm sure you are relieved to finally have a diagnosis, even if it is Crohn's.  I was so relieved to have a name for it after 8 years of test after test.  Best of luck!

Posted 7/27/2010 2:01 PM (GMT 0)
Fatigue is absolutely a direct result of Crohn's. For me, it is the first sign that I'm about to have a flare.

I use Calmoseptine for my bum. Just a dab on the affected area.
Posted 7/28/2010 3:17 AM (GMT 0)

phrygianpigeon said...
After years of pain and frustration, last week's colonoscopy led my GI doctor telling me I have Crohn's. It's a mild form, thankfully. He prescribed Asacol, which due to my silly online pharmacy, won't come until the end of next week. I made an appointment for next month.

I feel kind of relieved to have a reason for what I've been feeling, especially as it's gotten much worse in the past 6 months. In addition to having pain and diarrhea a lot, I have been really fatigued. I thought it was just sloth on my part, but I'm now wondering if the two things could be related. I'll be sure to ask my doctor in a month, but I was wondering if this is connected for anyone here.

Any ideas on things I can do besides the Asacol. Stuff to avoid eating, if exercise helps, and well, ways for my butt not to hurt due to pooping so much. Thanks, I appreciate the support and am really glad to have found this forum! :)   Welcome 2 healing well first of.... U will likely get answers faster here than from a doctor but u still need 2 b seen by one what  I meet by that was we well most go through similar symptoms u know what I mean...Going 2 the bathroom steady wi the D's is hard enough but it also wears us out we lose vitiams and minerals quick and can become dehydrated really fast so drink up as 4 your bum go 2 your family doc and ask 4 a tube of procto-foam there is a numbing agent in it and a pain reliever and it helps right away trust me and one of my friends swears by desitin they use 4 diaper rash on babies try them out it can't hurt however u do need a pre 4 the procto-foam in Canada...Good Luck 2 Ya....

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply