Hi everyone

Hello,my name is Clare, I was diagnosed in my early 20's with Crohns colitis. I was in and out of hospital for many years with flare ups. Luckily,I have not had surgery. A few years ago I had another flare up that lasted a year,it was a niggly kind of flare up that put me in hospital a couple of times,with a new diagnosis of Ulcerative colitis of the left side of large bowel all the way down.
They think I never had Crohns afterall.
I was visited in hospital by a surgeon,bt it was decided for me to try various treaments i.e liquid diet, nicotine patches !!!!(I dont smoke),and heavy duty antibiotics.The good news was since then (6/7 yrs ago) I am fairly stable.
the only thing is my consultant now wants me off Aza and I am scared. Anyway,hope to chat and share help. clare x

Hello Clare and welcome to the forum. When you say fairly stable does that mean you still have a few symptoms? Why does your doc want to take you off the Aza?

Glad you have decided to join hun

AB
xx

Hi there and welcome! It's great to have you a part of the community. Thank you for sharing your story

Do you think the nicotine patches helped you at all our of curiosity?

Again, welcome!

Hi,not sure if it was the nicotine patches or all the other things combined,but from then on, I have been reasonably well, yes I do get some symptoms but not usually bad enough to do much about,I seem to get symptoms along side pre menstrual now, and it feels like I am about to have a bad flare up,then it subsides, feel really ill and get runs etc...
because I have not had a true flare up for about 7 years,that is why my consultant is weaning me off aza, but I feel that on my off days it could tip me over to a full blown flare up, and I really don't want to go through that again.
I am due to see her in a few weeks again, so will speak to her about it.

That sounds like a good idea What is her reasoning for taking you off of it?

Just that I have not had a proper flare up for quite a few years now.

I guess I just worry that's because you're on the azathioprine. I'd ask them to take a bunch of tests at the same time they take you off of it such as CRP, ESR, fecal lactoferrin, fecal calprotectin, etc etc and monitor them very closely so you can go back on if they start to show signs of inflammation coming back.