Skin Burning/Blister?

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in April, after being misdiagnosed in 2009. I was started on Pentasa four times daily, they added Entocort about three weeks ago as I was still in a flare up. I have been good up until this past weekend, it seems that I am flaring up again. Today I noticed a few small fluid filled blisters on my forearm, and I have been experiencing burning sensations in my arms and legs. My skin feels sensitive to touch in some areas, almost like a sunburn. This is the first time I've experienced this, and was wondering if it might be a reaction to one of the medications, or possibly a Crohn's symptom. I have been on the medications since April, so I wouldn't think that it would be a reaction this far in. I just don't know if it is something I should let my GI doctor know. I saw him last week and he talked about other treatment options if the Pentasa is not controlling my symptoms...

What medications are you taking right now? I would really keep an eye on it and let your doctor know about it. It can be an adverse reaction to a medication. Some can be very serious. I hope you feel better soon...

buddhalove said:

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in April, after being misdiagnosed in 2009. I was started on Pentasa four times daily, they added Entocort about three weeks ago as I was still in a flare up. I have been good up until this past weekend, it seems that I am flaring up again. Today I noticed a few small fluid filled blisters on my forearm, and I have been experiencing burning sensations in my arms and legs. My skin feels sensitive to touch in some areas, almost like a sunburn. This is the first time I've experienced this, and was wondering if it might be a reaction to one of the medications, or possibly a Crohn's symptom. I have been on the medications since April, so I wouldn't think that it would be a reaction this far in. I just don't know if it is something I should let my GI doctor know. I saw him last week and he talked about other treatment options if the Pentasa is not controlling my symptoms...

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For about two years, I had something like pin-head sized blisters on my forearms. They only happened when it was warm or hot outside and I was sweating, so I figured they were essentially plugged pores. Never got them checked out, so it's possible I was wrong. They haven't come back though. Never got the sensitive skin/burning feeling though.

I called my GI doctor and he said that it could possibly be a side effect of the Entocort. He said that it would be a very rare side effect, but possible. He discontinued the Entocort and started me on Prednisone. I had been avoiding the Prednisone for as long as possible because it makes me absolutely crazy...but he is trying to get my symptoms under control before deciding if he wants to try another treatment like Humira or Remicade.

Yeah, there is a adverse reaction to some meds that can be very serious, it is called Steven Johnson Syndrome. This is one disease you do not want to get, it has got to be one of the worst out there. I hope the prednisone will get everything under control for you...

It is definately related to Crohn's however not caused by it. The underlying factors that cause the Crohn's are also manifesting as the skin irritation. Crohn's is curable-same as cancer-but you have been sold a lie that doctors know best. They learn to prescribe drugs because Big Pharma runs the medical schools.

To cure yourself I recommend:
Cook with the following spices often: turmeric, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cayenne
Make teas from fennel seed, ginger or garlic (cook with the latter two as well)
NO SUGAR. Very small amount of fruit (none is optimal) pineapple is acceptable
Apple cider vinegar tbsp before meals
Black walnut tincture 2-3x daily (1-5mL)
Lots of raw vegetables. Alternate cooked and raw if you like.
Meats are acceptable just make certain they are cooked thoroughly. Cook with olive or coconut oil.

Snack ideas: macadamias, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, pecans, brazil nuts, coconut, eggs, avocado, cashews

It is paleo combined with anti parasitic herbs, spices and foods that will not let them thrive. Do this for even 4 days to start seeing results.

Thank you for your reply, Pentasa.

I do most of my cooking with either olive oil or coconut oil. I am Vegan, and I have been having a hard time finding foods that aren't irritating during a flare up. Dark greens and a lot of raw veggies upset my stomach, I have been sticking with sweet potatoes, green beans, avocados and carrots. I'm trying to stay on a low fiber/residual diet until I can get this flare under control.

I'll definitely try the black walnut oil if I can find it. I am all for alternative/holistic treatments.

Pentasa said:

Crohn's is curable-same as cancer-but you have been sold a lie that doctors know best.

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There is no cure for Crohn's disease. Any claims otherwise are not allowed on the forum unless you have scientific evidence to back up your claims.

Pentasa said:

To cure yourself I recommend

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Let me see if I follow:

1. You tell people how to cure themselves.
2. You are still self-medicating which means you're not cured.

I don't think you understand what, "cured" means in regards to Crohn's disease so I suggest you don't use the word. "To help manage your disease in my opinion..." would be a better statement.

David said:

Let me see if I follow:

1. You tell people how to cure themselves.
2. You are still self-medicating which means you're not cured.

I don't think you understand what, "cured" means in regards to Crohn's disease so I suggest you don't use the word. "To help manage your disease in my opinion..." would be a better statement.

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Might as well be cured. Haven't had a symptom in a month and I don't even know what a flare up feels like. Only started posting again to share the wealth.

Pentasa said:

Might as well be cured. Haven't had a symptom in a month and I don't even know what a flare up feels like. Only started posting again to share the wealth.

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Do you think that would change if you went off your paleo diet and your supplements/herbs and went back to how you were previously?

David said:

Do you think that would change if you went off your paleo diet and your supplements/herbs and went back to how you were previously?

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Of course it will change-over time-because my previous way of eating is what caused it. I can enjoy pizza and dinners out in moderation with no ill effects. My passion for bodybuilding is keeping me strict more than anything. It would definately come back if I stopped pursuing a diet that nature intended for my body.

Pentasa said:

It would definately come back if I stopped pursuing a diet that nature intended for my body.

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Therefore it is not CURED. You are MANAGING IT. And this is what we have been trying to explain to you for months. You do not understand what, "CURED" means. You are in clinical remission, maybe biochemical remission. MAYBE even deep stable remission. But you are NOT CURED. So stop telling people that your plan will CURE them.

I do indeed believe that your plan will help some manage their disease to differing extents and I welcome you to share it. But it will NOT CURE THEM. We've tried to explain this to you private and in public. Reread this post a dozen times please because if we see you claim, "cure" again after how many times we have had this discussion, you will no longer be welcome on this forum as we don't want you misleading people. So PLEASE, utilize phasing such as, "Will help manage your disease in my opinion" rather than, "Cure" as I do think you have a lot to offer here.

Just to show that not all diets are agreeable for all people... I was strict paleo for 6 months only to find I lost so much weight and was in terrible pain. I believe the Paleo diet has a lot to offer but it's not always the answer.

The truth about IBD and IBS and diets is that no one diet works for everyone. Each of us has had to experiment to figure out what works and doesn't work for us as individuals. The Paleo diet is very helpful to some people. I personally can't eat nuts or raw vegetables, so it doesn't work for me. Finding the best diet, and then using that to manage the condition, as David has said, is one good way to control flares.

I think buddhalove's original topic got lost in this somewhere. I am not on any medications, but I have recently had a moderate number of small red bumps show up (mostly on my hiney - wth). I haven't had them before so I'm not sure if they are related to the GI stuff I've got going on, or are a result of the night sweats I'm having almost nightly now.

David said:

Therefore it is not CURED. You are MANAGING IT. And this is what we have been trying to explain to you for months. You do not understand what, "CURED" means. You are in clinical remission, maybe biochemical remission. MAYBE even deep stable remission. But you are NOT CURED. So stop telling people that your plan will CURE them.

I do indeed believe that your plan will help some manage their disease to differing extents and I welcome you to share it. But it will NOT CURE THEM. We've tried to explain this to you private and in public. Reread this post a dozen times please because if we see you claim, "cure" again after how many times we have had this discussion, you will no longer be welcome on this forum as we don't want you misleading people. So PLEASE, utilize phasing such as, "Will help manage your disease in my opinion" rather than, "Cure" as I do think you have a lot to offer here.

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David,

My friend, I believe it to be a cure. Albeit a high maintenance cure it still works. The reason I see it as such is because it forces you to eat the way nature intended. When you revert and eat refined and processed foods, parasites breed in such an environment and manifest themselves as the disease. The cure is life long attention to a proper diet regime.

I highly doubt there will ever be a cure in the sense that you are after; a one item fix all which will let you continue eating poor quality foods for a lifetime.

To ease your mind I will tout it as 'long term prevention'. I wish all my brothers and sisters well in their struggles and hope they can break the bondage that is pharmaceuticals.

As a side note to the duo above who are concerned that paleo alone will not help them: You must cook with SPICES as well. Turmeric, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, wormwood, cayenne, garlic, ginger, fennel(tea is best). Black walnut tincture is the most potent in the prevention measures. Paleo alone will only create an alkaline environment in your body.

Pentasa,
If something does not resolve a disease process permanently, then it is not a cure, it is a management program. A cure would stop the entire disease process and eliminate it from the body. Similarly, those diagnosed with HIV must use a life-long medley of medications to prevent conversion to AIDS. If they stop taking the medication, the disease process restarts and they will convert and die. With Crohn's, a cure would stop the process of inflammation and deterioration in the gut. Prevention and cure are two different words. Preventing a flare or worsening of the disease process via dietary control is not the same as a cure.
That being said - what works for you will not work for everyone else. Using some spices in food (which I do, thank you very much) will not help my gut accept the food which currently causes me to flare. I experience intense pain when eating any raw vegetables or high-fiber food. I ate that way regularly before this flare started and even tried to continue it after, with detrimental results.

You insult many of the people on this forum when you claim that we all want a cure so we can eat poor quality foods. Most of us dream of the day when we can return to eating the very high quality foods which currently cause us pain.
I also am not currently on any medications so your pharmaceutical theory is not valid for me either.

mccindy said:

Pentasa,
With Crohn's, a cure would stop the process of inflammation and deterioration in the gut.

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That's what my method does. It kills the parasites which cause inflammation. Should you be reinfected with parasites and have a diet that allows them to thrive the disease will resurface.

mccindy said:

You insult many of the people on this forum when you claim that we all want a cure so we can eat poor quality foods. Most of us dream of the day when we can return to eating the very high quality foods which currently cause us pain.

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It is not my intention to insult anyone. I merely stated that eating poorly will cause it to return (as a co-factor). Thus the disease can never be cured by David's definition.

mccindy said:

I also am not currently on any medications so your pharmaceutical theory is not valid for me either.

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It makes me so happy to see this.

Pentasa you did not uncover a secret. Many people have tried your diet and a variety of diets. Some have had success and others have not. If its working for you we encourage it but please understand we all have different variables that affect our disease.

Just to get this back to Buddha's post. How are you finding being low fiber and vegan? That seems kind of hard with the exception of juicing and white flour.

SO, buddhalove---feeling any better yet?