do I really need medication?...my messy head.

I have been flaring for about a year - but very off and on - fevers, D, some pain, etc - ended up on prednisone in August (finished it in mid-Oct). Some symptoms came back (some pain, some joint pain, daily D) and my colonoscopy in mid-Oct showed there was some inflammation still. My GI tried me on Azathioprine (Imuran) a few weeks ago - I reacted to it with rashes so he took me off. He is supposed to call today to get me set up for 6mp. The thing is that while I was at my worst I was also at my highest level of stress (finishing grad school, doing public presentations, starting two new jobs). Now all of that stress is gone and I have started to feel better and better. I'm not eating anything raw, but have slowly started adding fiber back into my diet, and I haven't had any D in 4 days now. I even drank wine last night and was fine. Now I am thinking - is it possible I can just go into remission myself and not need the harsh medication? I'm feeling so good I don't want to take something with side effects. I'm scared of trying 6mp since I reacted to azathioprine, but I also really question whether I need it...am I being silly?

I was on pentasa during / before my last flare and then my flare got worse so the GI thought it wasn't working. That is when I went on pred. Besides that only tried azathioprize for that short trial, and now about to try 6mp...

I'm not on any meds. I'd rather live with the Crohn's. And if I could go back to the beginning, I wouldn't take a single med or go to a single hospital appointment. It's all been one giant waste of time and I feel bitterly angry that I ever got involved with the hospital system.

I dread getting a worse disease because I don't think I can face another round of rubbish doctors, useless treatment, etc. all over again.

But yeah, you should probably take meds and I'm not being sarcastic. I'm in a rather unique position; at least I haven't come across anybody else who has had my disease course. I don't have a clue where I stand with the disease and I don't care anymore.

such a tough decision! Having the rxn to azathioprine didn't help. After my rash my GI told me to go off of it and then said he would call me by Dec 3rd to set me up for 6mp. Now it is Dec 8th and he still hasn't called (I left a message for him two days ago). Frustrating because now I'm facing the holidays adjusting to a new med - perhaps I'll wait until after xmas at least...I'm frustrated that I feel so on the fence about what to do! I want to do what is best for my body but I am not convinced 100% that it is strong meds or no meds at all...both seem like the right and wrong choice...
Maybe I will give the meds a try and see whether side effects come up with the 6mp and then decide...

@ncot - why would you go back and do it differently?
@ Nanners - good to know that 6mp worked okay even though imuran didn't!

Thanks everyone, and tsitodawg. After much reflection I think my push back against meds is because I want to feel like I have some control over this DD, and also because I think I blame myself for flaring and sometimes blame myself for this disease (which again makes me feel like I can have some control). The stove analogy is a good one! You are right, I did see the fine white lines of scarring from past inflammation on my last scope and my GI said if it keeps going like that then it will only lead to further permanent damage that can't be undone. He said we have to stop the inflammation from continuing. After he has treated so many people with Crohns I should probably believe him too! (as well as all the experienced people on here)
I love this forum and everyone's comments really helped me think through things.
When my GI eventually calls (hopefully soon) I will give 6mp a try and take it from there.

NCOT, when you play with fire you might get burned. Attitude is a big part of what keeps me going and being optimistic actually dose have an effect on my condition. Instead of thinking that since you have not ended up in the E.R. or in surgery that it is not possible for you, you may want to count your blessings. You sound like your crohn's is a very mild case as of right now, but if left untreated that could change very fast. Nobody ever said you are going to die without meds but your quality of life could change drastically when you do flare because the disease was doing damage even when you felt no symptoms. I had to learn the hard way and ended up a month in the hospital. Nanners had a long remission without meds and ended paying for it later. There are plenty of other stories on here but I guess some people just need to learn for themselves. The reason that you don't hear as many success stories is that they typically don't come and post when they are feeling good. I know when I am feeling good, the last thing I want to think about is Crohn's disease and to be reminded of it. When your disease does become severe down the road, you will be wanting those meds.
Blueberrydecaf, stay positive and don't let this disease consume the person you are. It is really easy to get in a mode that we think we are either bigger than the disease or know more than our doctors. When you get to that point, it is good to take a step back a reevaluate your situation. If you do not have faith in your doctor or treatment, it is probably time to seek a second opinion. Please don't ever blame yourself for having this disease. You did not ask for it, you did not buy it, you did nothing that would have lead ou to contracting this disease. On the other hand, you were dealt a particularly difficult situation and you know control how you are going to react toward it. We can not control every aspect of the disease but we can control many of the factors that do lead to a flare or severe symptoms. I am inspired by those that take it into their hands and fight back by following a good diet, take the proper meds, and don't settle for you must always be sick. It is good for you to be recognizing what is different in your life from when you are flaring and when you are not flaring and to realize that those things may be a trigger. You now know that stress is a trigger for you and can try and eliminate as much stress as possible in the future to stop mild flares from becoming major flares. That is how this disease works, taking all the little bits of daily knowledge and incorporating them into our lives. Use this website to vent some of that stress and to learn from others and their situations. Do not expect every single symptom that you read about on here to happen to you. I can't possibly put enough emphasis on staying positive. Attitude is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it.