I don't know what I would do without my partner of 3 years. It was only about 4 months into our relationship when I got sick, but he stuck with me and he's been there for me ever since. We've been...
I just switched from BCBS to Aetna this fall and so far Aetna has been WAY easier to deal with, so hopefully you will have the same experience. Insurance issue aside, I think you should go for the...
I haven't touched popcorn since my first obstruction this fall. I guess that's only a few months, but popcorn is my favorite snack food so it seems like forever! I just got a resection last week and...
I just had a resection on the 21st and am still waiting to schedule my next Remicade infusion and would like to hear what others have to say, but I can tell you what my doctors said. I have a...
I can't really speak to the entocort, but as for the Imuran, 50mgs is a VERY low dose. I'm only 115 lbs and my doc has me on 125mg (dosage is based on weight). I did start out on 50mgs, to make sure...
Yes, false negatives are totally par for the course. The test is so unreliable that they made me do 4 tests before that would release me from the hospital. My GI basically doesn't even bother testing...
I get pretty close. I take get 20 a day from crohn's meds and antibiotics. Then I take 3 iron, 2 probiotics, folic acid, a multivitamin, biotin, and allergy meds. I guess that means I have a total of...
I'd definitely give biotin a try. Since starting Imuran and tapering pred, i've been losing hair but I think the biotin supplement is definitely helping. I've got all these short "baby" hairs coming...
Have you tried Imuran/azathioprine? It is sometimes used for RA....
Sounds like it could be the c. diff and/or your Crohn's flaring in response to it. I know when I had c diff I had pain like that, which I think was really severe abdominal cramping. Mine got worse...
If you're living on campus you might want to think about whether you need any special housing accommodations, like you might want to ask for a single if you have issues that might make sharing a room...
Joint pain is not usually a major issue for me, but I do get minor joint pain (and stiffness) with flares. I just started aza/Imuran about 5 weeks ago, so other people's experiences may be more...
I'm sorry you were having such a bad day. Having to go back up on Pred can be super disappointing (after all the time it takes to taper down), but with any luck it'll have you feeling better in no...
Ugh, I know how you feel. My skin used to be great, but I've been having some issues ever since I started on Pred at the beginning of this year. I second Ides' idea about it being an Imuran side...
I usually post on the Crohn's board, but just started Imuran and so have been occasionally reading stuff over here about meds, etc and thought I might offer some input. When you see the specialist,...
I have been wondering about this too. In terms of raw fruits, right now I know I can eat bananas and strawberries without any problems and blueberries also if I blend them really well in smoothies so...
While chewing tobacco is definitely not good for your health overall, I think you have anything but a black and white case about whether what you're doing is bad for your Crohn's (aside MMMNAVY's...
I tried this about 2 years ago for 2 months when I was first getting treated for Crohn's. I went into remission, but I had also just been started on ASAs and was feeling much better and continuing to...
Congratulations on starting work again! It does sound tiring, but it must feel great to get back. I'm supposed to go back to work in a month, and, even though my job isn't as cute or rewarding as...
I'm now on 12.5 mg, and I definitely have side effects, although most of them are the same or less than at higher doses. I definitely have insomnia from it and I also have anxiety (although I can't...
Rider, Congrats on getting your hemoglobin up past 11! An increase of almost a whole point in a month without any transfusions definitely seems like a sign that things are going well, even if you're...
I know what you mean. I've been on vancomycin (an antibiotic) for recurrent c. diff for the majority of the past 4 or 5 months and thank god I have prescription coverage, because if I didn't, I'd...
I have similar issues and one thing that I've found helpful when I need to gain weight is yogurt-based smoothies. I use homemade SCD yogurt with whole milk. I'll blend about 1/2-1 c. of yogurt with...
I can definitely relate. I just had all of my wisdom teeth cut out last month and I used it as an excuse to have milkshakes and pudding, which other than that I've been avoiding because of the sugar....
Yep, I've had this several times. Like sammies, mine was caused by low protein (I think it's serum albumin, specifically, if you want to ask your doc about checking your levels). I know it's not from...
Well, I haven't tried any of these drugs yet, my doctor just gave me basically the same options and I'm going with Imuran. I'll be starting in a few days (I just got my wisdom teeth out and have to...
Like others said, whether or not it's dangerous depends on exactly how low it is and also whether it's continuing to drop or increasing/stable. You would probably be able to tell if your hemoglobin...
I tend towards insomnia anyway, so I have a lot of trouble when on Pred. I'm down to 10-12.5mg of Pred, which I take in the morning, but still have trouble sleeping and Ambien has been a HUGE help....
Hi. I'm currently on 12.5mg of Pred, and supposed to try tapering down to 10 this week. I flared pretty bad last time I tried to go down to 10 (about a month ago). I've been on Pred since December,...
If you haven't tried yogurt since going dairy-free, it's probably worth it to try. I never seem to have trouble with dairy or lactose, so I'm fine with the yogurt and cheese on SCD, however my dad...
If you can only get gluten-free bread made with brown rice, you might try substituting plain white rice in your lunches for a few days or a week and see if you notice any changes, because whole...
I just read a study somewhere recently that said actually about half of people who could not tolerate 6 MP did well on Imuran, so it could work the other way around too. I think it's at least worth...
I don't know much about fistulas, but you might want to ask your doc about a barium swallow/ small bowel follow through (if you haven't had one). They are not fun, but can show things that CTs can't,...
I had/am having a similar experience to PV's husband. I got C diff while I was flaring and the combo of the two can be BRUTAL. I ended up in the hospital back in November, on IV flagyl plus oral...
Pain has always been my worst symptom, though it is prolonged and lasts even after BMs. Things I usually try for my pain: a heating pad (this one is usually the biggest help), take a warm bath, try...
I'm not sure I have too much to offer in the way of advice since I'm just starting the SCD too. I'm on day 9 now, and it's going okay. I only stayed on the intro for about 2-3 days before adding a...
Adderall and Prednisone should be fine to take together. I'm currently on both (although I don't take the Adderall all the time). The only concern my doc had was that being on both could be...
It's more inconvenient than suppositories, but you can get generic mesalamine enemas (Rowasa), so if cost is an issue, that might be an cheaper option....
Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I'm not ruling out biologics, but I do see them as sort of a last resort (along with surgery, which my GI hasn't even brought up) and I feel like there are a few...
My GI has told me that if I'm on the max dose of oral iron supplements (for me that was 60mg, 2-3 times/day) and I'm absorbing them well, I can expect to have an increase of about a point a week in...
Hi everyone. I've been lurking here occasionally for a while and posted once or twice a couple of years ago when I first got diagnosed, so I figured I'd see if anyone has any advice or experiences...