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Surgery vs Medication

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 12/12/2011 7:19 PM (GMT 0)
I have two strictures per my last follow through, have to get a new one to see if there is any change and they cause me a lot of bloating, gurgles, little bit o pain, I take Entocort and sometimes diet can make it better but I'm not always good with making great diet choices. I have been more bloated lately than normal and it makes me wonder, is it time for a resection or do I got to "harder" drugs like Remicaid. How did some of you make this tough choice?

I worry with side effects for harder drugs and I worry about surgery, complications, reoccurance with surgery. Just really not sure what to do anymore.
Posted 12/12/2011 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Randi,

It is def not an easy choice.  I was having a lot of problems with my stricture, and my GI had pretty much given up hope that meds would work for me.  She reffered me to another GI.  He doubled my dose of Humira and I have been fine ever since.  Actully I am back to one shot a week.  Which still seems like a lot.  But worth it for me.

I was initially scared of the harder drugs.  But I knew that I wanted to keep as many of my body parts as I could for as long as I could.  And if drugs did that, I wanted to do that first.

It is a personal choice though for sure.

 

Posted 12/12/2011 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Randi. Just would like to say how similar your symptoms are to mine. In 2008 I had my first bowel resectiion becauase I suffered with obstructions and severe bloating. The medication I was on at the time was azathiroprine 200mg and 9mg budesonide but unfortunately it didn't help much. 3 years later after my operation im having exactly the same problems, I've been hospitalized 3 times last month due to obstructions. The bloating is back big time! and each time I eat about 30 mins later the gurgling starts and I must say it really worries me. My GI has upped my 6mp to 125mg and if things don't improve within the next 6 weeks he's putting me on remicade for the first time. Hopefully its inflammation and not scar tissue and the remicade helps somewhat otherwise im facing surgery again! For me the bloating gets so bad I can't think of anything else all day except how uncomfortable I feel, its really getting me down. Hopefully you also just have inflammation in which the correct meds will help. I also would choose meds over surgery anyday! good luck.
Posted 12/13/2011 1:55 AM (GMT 0)
Keep in mind what they take out they can't put back in - and every surgery creates some scar tissue.

Only you can decide if your situation is bad enough to risk surgery or to risk the biologics.

You do need to try to determine if your stricture(s) are due to scar tissue (in which case meds aren't going to provide any real help) or due to inflammation.

Keep in mind that there is bound to be some scar tissue at the site of an old resection but that doesn't mean that there can't be inflammation too and that the inflammation can be causing the problems at the stricture rather than the scar tissue.

You have to weigh your quality of life and then make your decison. Its a tough decision to make. Most of us have been there at one time or another and done that. We understand the confusion and hesitation. Good luck and God bless. (((hugs)))
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