Joint pain

You probably need to have your GI and dermatologist speak to each other and come up with some plan for your treatment without stopping all medications. You may have already done that, but I would hope the GI could find something that wouldn't make things worse for the melanomas. Some Crohn's meds are actually cancer drugs anyway. I'm really sorry for your melanoma diagnosis on top of the Crohn's.

I was on 6mp for years and it's scary to read about. I'm really sorry. Isn't it strange that we're prescribed medications like 6mp which is used for leukemia, and then it actually causes a cancer? Your dermatologist tells you to control your disease with diet - as if it were that simple. We would all do that if it worked for all of us. Are you seeing an oncologist at this point?

Have you tried "Handeze therapeutic support" gloves? I have to use them every day. They're black, fingerless, and they use the very heat from your hand to help with the pain. The brand is "Dome". I recommend them because I couldn't do my job well without wearing them.

I'm not suggesting that you use Pentasa or sulfazine for your Crohn's. Sulfazine is an old arthritis med that turns out to be quite effective at reducing joint pain in people with inflammatory bowel disease.

I asked if you had used mesalamines before because if you are intolerant of mesalamines you cannot use sulfazine.

If Pentasa did nothing but you were able to tolerate it, then talk to your GI about sulfazine.

Please go see a rheumatologist too. I have found that while GIs understand IBD causes joint pain, they aren't joint pain experts. A rheumy will want to eliminate other causes of your joint pain and should also support your GI in resolving your problems.

Since you cannot treat your Crohn's with immunosuppressants anymore, have you considered dietary modification? I ended up adoption a gluten free diet which I do credit with relieving some of my more chronic joint issues. My hands and elbows and shoulders seemed to hurt randomly - my knee hurt all the time. Sulfazine took care of the random stuff and being GF took care of my knee.

I don't have celiac disease.