New to this forum

Hi, this is my first time on the forum.

I am a 49 yrs old from Singapore.
I was dx'd with crohns about a month ago after suffering bloodly stool, lost 15kg within a month, abdominal pain,high fever. Admitted hospital 2x.

I am on prednisone 30mg/day,metronidazole 600mg/day,Azathioprine 50mg/day, ciprofloxacin 1g/day & mesalzine(salofalk) 750mg/day

Currently having constant fatigue, muscular pain on the lower left leg.

 

Reading as much posts in the forum as possible to gain how people with this CD cope.

Do you guys have a slight fever on and off?

I don't believe having a flareup as I just discharged from hospital 3 days ago.

Appreciate any advise. So confused and don't know how to cope with this CD.

 

I do get fevers on and off. If the Crohn's is active, I get a fever for maybe a few days to one week every month. Sometimes very high fevers (>39 C) with chills and night sweats.

Just thought I would mention--I have read that NSAIDS (drugs made with aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen) can damage your intestines. So you might want to take Tylenol (Acetaminophen) for your fevers if you need to take anything.

Some people on the forum, when they feel like they might be flaring, go on a liquid diet for a few days. You could make it at home--drink broth, milkshakes--or buy a liquid meal replacement at the store. Using a meal replacement drink in addition to eating will also help you gain the weight back. Recently I lost a lot of weight and when I was at my lowest I felt tired and empty all the time, but that improved. When I started gaining weight again. Right now I eat food and get 1500 calories/day from a high calorie meal replacement drink.

It is also possible that the meds make you feel fatigued (esp. Azathioprine, though you are on a relatively low dose) and prednisone can cause joint pain, as well as the Crohn's itself. If your pain is in the calf muscle, that may mean you are low in potassium. Try eating foods with more potassium--bananas are probably a good option.

Hope you feel better soon.

Hi Artc welcome to the forums.I get fevers as well sometimes and yes it is part of Crohns. Hopefully some day there will be a cure for this awful disease but the meds are getting better.

Yes, fevers are common with Crohn's.

In the US you can buy products in the grocery store such as Ensure or Boost which come in bottles. There are also powders such as Nestle's Carnation Instant Breakfast.

There are meal replacement liquids you would obtain from a doctor or pharmacy. Some of these products are made by Nestle and include Peptamen, Nutren, or Modulen IBD which is a powder. Personally I use Nutren 1.5. It provides 375 calories per can. Abbott (Ross) and Novartis make many others.

Would it be possible to talk to your doctor or maybe a nutritionist, since these brands might not be available to you, and find out what is available in Singapore?

Doctors do recommend a low fiber diet. I think you should avoid dairy only if you notice it makes your symptoms worse. Actually I find yogurt is good for me, so I eat it often.