Intro

I'm the mom of a Crohn's sufferer.  She was diagnosed at five and is now sixteen.  She went through her second bout of shingles last week and your forum was extremely helpful.  Thank you for being so open about your symptoms.

There is a possibility of her having mono.  She has already had mono, which showed up on the results of a spinal tap two years ago but we never knew she had it.  I understand you still carry the virus but don't usually have symptoms again.  But she seems to be an exception to that rule in about every circumstance. 

Her only drug at this point is Pentasa.  Swears she'll never use a steroid again.  Any and all suggestions are welcome. 

Thanks. 

Welcome to HW!

Sorry to hear you daughter has this awful disease. Is she in remission or flaring? Pentasa is generally considered a maintenance med or an addition to other treatments. Most of us here understand how she feels about pred, but there are other meds with less severe side effects. There's another steroid called Budesonide or Entocort, which has less side effects than pred. Has she tried anything else? Maybe you can discuss other options with her GI.

If you find she is frequently catching contagious illnesses, there are some natural remedies that can help boost her immune system, while helping with CD too, like probiotics. Have you tried them before? I find them very helpful.

I hope your daughter feels better soon.