Why do I feel better? And what is a "flare"?

Crohn's can go into "remission". It is not recommended that you stop taking medication though, despite lack of symptoms. Maintenance meds can help reduce the possibility of developing a 'flare'. A flare means a return of symptoms that typically needs additional treatment other than maintenance meds.

I made the mistake of stopping maintenance drugs about 4 years ago - I had no symptoms and got tired of pills. I'm paying for it now with strictures in TI. I don't typically experience a lot of pain when I'm flaring. However, the number of trips to loo, with increased diarrhea was a signal something was wrong.

it sounds like u had a seven month flare... and why it stopped is hard to answer... problem is crohns could still be hurting you inside and you are not experiencing symptoms because i have seen others on here talking about not having symptoms but the colonsocopies or other tests they have done show inflammation. i am not sure why u r not on meds and why u sufferred so long with symptoms seemingly untreated... but if it was a personal choice you may be a lucky one who is now in remission without any explanation. also i think hormones/reproductive issues (like maybe birth control pills) are linked to the whole crohns experience but this is something to discuss with a dr... do u have a regular gi that u see?

personally i have had two big flares in my life thus far- once 12 years ago i was sick and required a lot of medical attention for about a year or 2. then this year i again began flaring. each flare meant a search for new meds and treatments to settle the disease. i was in remission for a long time on imuran and now i have added humira to the imuran with hopes of stopping this flare and going back into remission.

if u were not eating well and you were losing weight, and u were in pain, you should have been closely followed by your gi and meds etc should have been investigated. if crohns goes untreated u r at risk of other complications like scar tissue which can lead to blockages. your type of crohns doesn't seem mild if the eating/weight loss and pain were major issues for so long.

not sure if any of this helped but the bottom line is: crohns is chronic and incurable, there is no way to know what causes it to 'flare' or go into remission and most people need maintenance meds to keep them well and, even while in remission, i had regular blood work and med appts with my gi to ensure the crohns is still on track and behaving.

after 12 years of remission (all the while taking meds) i am back where i started but now instead of taking one med, i am taking two. i guess if this doesn't work, my next step is surgery to remove the scar tissue that is causing some trouble for me. for me that is my last resort so there is no way i will stop the meds if they make me well again.


good luck

B

spontaneous remission!

there are a few reasons why i think that the reproductive system and the crohns experience are linked, although this is just my opinion and i really dont have any medical knowledge of it...

first of all i was on BC when i first flared- I was only on it for a year and was never allowed to go back on it due to my history of clotting. I had symptoms of Crohns in my teenage years but until I was on the pill, I didnt flare or need hospitilization or even get my DX.

second of all every menstruation I experience (during the 2 weeks leading up and especially on day one) I also have experienced crohns-like symptoms even while in remission so I attribute that to the change in hormones in my body

third, the current flare up I have been experiencing started with the first day of my period and the D just didn't stop on day two like it had during remission... it is like the period triggered something.

finally, I was on hormone treatments (progesterone) due to a variety of problems with my periods over the last few years and I only just stopped taking it this year, which again coordinates with the recent flare.

So overall, in my experience, ongoing changes in my hormones seem to be linked to my crohns and how the crohns behaves.

I think many others have also had similar experiences, I did a search of this site and noticed a few others who talked abouit this on other threads who have mini-flares or a resurgance of symptoms around their monthly time. I think there is some info out there showing a link between hormone issues and IBDs but it is very limited like u said.

Hope this is helpful. It is really just my experience and opinion but I would not doubt that your BC pills could be linked to your CD symptoms. I hope you also feel better soon and find something that can help you. To date the humira and imuran seem to be working for me, but i am still weaning predisone so it is just a wait and see thing now.

B