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6yr old just diagnosed with Crohn's...

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 10/21/2009 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, my son just got diagnosed with Crohns and so this is all new to me. I have a few questions. He got very very sick, and got down to 28lbs at age 6 1/2. At first the Dr.s tried to tell me he had a really bad flu bug, then they finally figured out it was Crohns, and after a 3 week stay in the Hospital I am happy to say he is doing great!

He is on steroids, and 2 other meds. Anyone know what the Pentasa and Lactobosilis is for? I'm sure I spelt them wrong. Also, I was some people are telling me to go natural with his meds as in Aloe juice and OPC-3? Any ideas about that?

Thank you very much

Posted 10/21/2009 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear that. Pentasa is an anti-inflammatory which is usually one of the first meds that they try, it works very well for some. Once he starts to come off the steroids you'll be able to tell if the Pentasa is working. Lactobacillus is a probiotic that may help to resotre the flora in your child's gut, it's pretty accepted now that it's a good idea to take probiotics.

Nothing wrong with natural meds as long as you tell his Dr. what you are doing. I would generally advise against taking him off of prescribed medications completely and substituing products from the health store or the internet.

Some have had success with temporary liquid diets with children.

All the best
Mike
Posted 10/21/2009 6:45 PM (GMT 0)

Kristelle said...
Hi, my son just got diagnosed with Crohns and so this is all new to me. I have a few questions. He got very very sick, and got down to 28lbs at age 6 1/2. At first the Dr.s tried to tell me he had a really bad flu bug, then they finally figured out it was Crohns, and after a 3 week stay in the Hospital I am happy to say he is doing great!


He is on steroids, and 2 other meds. Anyone know what the Pentasa and Lactobosilis is for? I'm sure I spelt them wrong. Also, I was some people are telling me to go natural with his meds as in Aloe juice and OPC-3? Any ideas about that?



Thank you very much

Are you in Canada?

He should be fine now. Just read all the foods that people with Crohn's cannot eat. Do not let him have any of them or else he will be sick again.
Posted 10/21/2009 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
what? lol
Posted 10/21/2009 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
Crohn's is a lot like Diabetes in that if you catch it before any damage is done and are vigilant in your treatments, you are perfectly capable of leading a normal life. so... for now, your best bet is to wait and see how your son does once hes off the steroids.

Personally, I find that most of the all-natural baloney is just that, but everyone's Crohn's manifests differently, so it could be worth a shot if standard meds start to fail.

As I said, each person's Crohn's is unique, so keep a close eye on what your son eats and try to figure out what upsets him and what doesn't. Caffeine and (though you wont have to worry about it for a while) alcohol are very likely to upset his Crohn's, as they upset most people's guts.

I find that Mozzarella Cheese helps me feel better when I'm having a flare. It doesn't help everyone, but it's worth a shot.
Posted 10/21/2009 8:49 PM (GMT 0)
What Rider said pretty much covered it. I've never experimented too much with natural, I think I'd consider supplementing my meds with some natural stuff but I'm not sure that I'd ever go completely natural, but I'm sure people have had success with it. As for the whole diet thing, different foods seem to bother different people, so personally, I didn't just go and stop eating every single food people say bothers them. A lot of people do exclusion diets, meaning they start on a liquid diet and slowly introduce foods back into their diets to find out which ones make them feel worse, but I'd talk to the doctor before doing that with a young child, or consider seeing a dietitian. Actually, I have been quite lucky because virtually no foods seem to make me feel worse, the only things that I have had to be careful with are beer (not an issue for a young child..hopefully!) and popcorn.

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck to you and your son!
Posted 10/21/2009 9:17 PM (GMT 0)

Kristelle said...
Also, I was some people are telling me to go natural with his meds as in Aloe juice and OPC-3? Any ideas about that?

"People" will have lots of well-meaning advice for you, but this disease is very individual and what works for one person may not help another. Right now, just follow your doctor's advice. I'm very impressed he has your son on a good probiotic (the Lactobaccillus)! As time goes by you can look into supplements. Aloe has been discussed here with varied results, and I'm not familiar with OPC-3.

Personally, I think the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) is probably more beneficial than any supplement out there. jmo. It has been a God send for us! There is a website specifically designed for parents of young children with Crohn's and other gut-related issues. Here it is:

http://www.pecanbread.com/index.html

There are lots of other online resources, as well. Also, countless cookbooks are available which are SCD compliant.

If you care to read further about the SCD, check the links below in my signature! I hope he continues to heal and be restored to health!:-)
Posted 10/22/2009 5:04 PM (GMT 0)
Oh wow you must be so worried about your little boy having to deal with this.

Diets and the all natural route work ok for some.

I however had a life threating bleeds from going the diet route and will not go off of prescription meds until at the very least I get out of a flare.
I also agree this disease highly individual and while it is treatable is is not cureable.
So unfortunately you are going to have to fly by the seat of your pants here, which is really a concerning situation when it comes to small children. You will figure out what "safe" foods are for your little one. Generally it is the stuff that is safe when you have the stomach flu. Chicken soup, jello, mash potatoes, etc. are usually safe but it might help to keep a food journal just to tract what might upset his guts when you move into normal foods.
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