Crohn's Questions

Finally, I got a Crohn's diagnosis. I have very early, mild Crohn's in my terminal ileum. The GI has put me on entocort.

As many of you can understand, I was pretty overwhelmed when I was in the GI's office, so I have a few questions.

Is it possible, since it's so early, that taking the entocort might be enough to halt the progression of the disease? Could I stay at having mild Crohn's, or does it always progress?

My GI feels that a person's experience with Crohn's disease will be consistent throughout their life. If you present with fistulizing Crohn's, you are going to have that issue going forward. If you present with "mild" Crohn's, same deal. Twenty years ago most people with Crohn's had surgery of some kind within 10 years of their diagnosis. I don't believe that is true anymore. However, having had "mild" Crohn's myself for probably most of my adult life, I have to say that it has gotten "worse," in the sense that I am more aware of the issues than I was even when I was experiencing bloody diarrhea on a daily basis. But I think that is probably because I am actually more AWARE. Not because the symptoms are worse - clearly they are better, since I haven't had diarrhea in months, nor seen blood in years.

I do feel that stricturing Crohn's, like I appear to have, can sneak up on you and I worry that I will in fact need a surgery eventually to address a stricture. I had to have a balloon dilation in my esophagus a few years ago - thankfully that inflammation has not reappeared. But I do still worry.

I forgot to say, I'm taking methotrexate too. That was originally prescribed for my psoriatic arthritis, but the GI thinks it will do double duty for the Crohn's. So I guess the mtx is my maintenance drug.

kdlalib,

You might want to consider a 5-ASA as a maintenance med, along with the MTX. I think I recall that you've been taking the MTX for a while now. It might not be covering your Crohn's.