Very sore ankles - Erythema Nodosum

Hi all, I have had Crohns disease for the past 15 years and had 3 flare up's in that period which caused me to be hospitalized for a short period. I have also had part of my small bowel removed. I am on a number of different tablets (listed below) and am currently suffering from very sore and red ankles which i am told by the doctor is "erythema nodosum". A friend has a friend in France who deals with medicine and has told me that one of the tablets i am taking for my heartburn may be causing this problem with my feet.

Can anyone give me any advice on this problem ??

My tablets:
Esomeprazole 40 mg once a day (for chronic heartburn)
Mesalazine 400mg 2 a day
Ferrous sulphate 200mg (for anemia)
Prednisolone 30mg reducing the dose gradually to 0mg

currently for ankle problem
Azathioprine 50mg 2 a day for 2 months then increasing to 3 a day
prednisolone 20mg reducing to 0

Because of the increased risk of infection I also take slow release vitamin C 500mg a day.
I also take multivitamins to help ensure I get all the vitamins and minerals Im supposed to.The list below shows whats included in these tablets.

vitaminA 800 ug
vitaminD 5 ug
vitamin E 12mg
vitmin C80mg
thiamin 1.1mg
riboflavin 1.4mg
niacin 16 mg
vitamin b6 1.4mg
folic acid 200 ug
vitamin b12 2.5 ug
pantothenic acid 6mg

Welcome to the forum! I don't have much experience with this unfortunately but I was wondering if you could be one of the members affected by joint pain and muscle problems because of your crohns. I know we have some members on here that suffer from joint pain and muscle stiffness as a result of their IBD and I hope they can pop in soon to try and offer you some better advice.

Do you notice that this seems to be an ongoing thing or does it seem to get worse as your crohns does?

Thank you for your reply. I find that I seem to have developed a pattern. The ankles and the skin condition seem to be a warning sign and come about 6 months before a flare up. This time is particularly bad as the skin condition is on my ankle and I have both joint pain and skin problem at the same time. I'm also not sure if this is relevant but if I'm going to get a flare up it seems to occur in March.

Hi tinanelan, I also have EN, and mine comes during a flare as well. Starts as fatigue and joint pain, then the nodes start, and the swelling. Last time the nodes even got up past my knees and started on my arms and hands...

I have read that IBD can cause EN, and my GP seems to think that's what's behind mine.

I have had my problems with erythema nodosum and I too have Crohns. My erythema-related joint tenderness actually is constant, but will flare up right before my Crohns has a digestive flare. As far as the meds you're on being the cause of your EN, did you have an allergic reaction to anything recently?

Hi thank you for your replies. I feel better knowing I'm not the only one with this problem. I haven't had any allergic reactions recently.I've now been put on dapsone. My consultant increased these but its affected my blood so had to reduce them again. I hope they go soon as I've had them since October 7 months this is the longest I've had it. Has anyone had en for this long?

tinanelan said:

Hi thank you for your replies. I feel better knowing I'm not the only one with this problem. I haven't had any allergic reactions recently.I've now been put on dapsone. My consultant increased these but its affected my blood so had to reduce them again. I hope they go soon as I've had them since October 7 months this is the longest I've had it. Has anyone had en for this long?

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The last time I had EN the joint pain started in June of 2012 and the nodes started in January of 2013, and lasted until August/September of 2013, but that was only because my pregnancy cleared it up.

11 weeks PP and it's already coming back!

I believe I have erythema nodosum and other skin rashes, raised patches, dry skin. I do not or didn't have ulcers last catscan but am having a lot of pain in joints and elbows and shoulders and lower back. I itch all over sometimes and have dry skin even though I drink water all day long. I have itchy patches on my scalp and face too. Some have stayed for yrs. now, scarred. The gastro said because no ulcers were present in testing that he is calling it IBS now. But, do people get all these other problems if it's just IBS and not Crohn's???

In all my research I have never seen a correlation between IBS and Erethyma Nodosum.

tonimacaroni said:

In all my research I have never seen a correlation between IBS and Erethyma Nodosum.

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It is an auto immune response and crohn's is also. Maybe that is why.When I looked it up online, it said that people with crohn's get it quite frequently. Look on Web MD and other sites list it also. Some say ulcerative colitis. some crohns as well.

Yes, there are correlations between IBD and EN, but not IBS.

Mine is starting up again. I have 7 nodes already

I have several but mine aren't huge. Only a small circle and raised and they get really itchy and I scratch till they scab!