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Crohn's Sufferer 36

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease just over 2 years ago. My current specialist has had me on all different treatments, at the moment I am on Humira which I think is working but due to alot of stress in my life right now I'm not 100% sure. I'm still having alot of abdominal pain & generally feel unwell, I'm extremely frustrated right now. Would love to hear from someone who is in the same situation & how you cope!
 

Angrybird

Moderator
Location
Hertfordshire
Hello and welcome to the forum :)

I am sorry to hear that you are still not feeling a 100%, is your GI doc aware that you are still having some problems? How long have you been on the Humira? Stress can be a big factor is upsetting the tum but trying to sort this out is always easier said than done. We do have a sub forum dedicated to this med that is worth checking out to see if others have had the same problem, I have not been on it myself so could not advise: http://www.crohnsforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=59.

I will keep my fingers crossed that you can be feeling fully right soon.

AB
xx
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Hi Cat and welcome to the community!

I can understand your frustration :( I'm so sorry you're having to deal with all this. When it comes to Crohn's disease, I'm a fan of taking the shotgun approach and hitting it from every angle. For example:

- Western Medicine - Stick with the Humira and whatever else they have you on.
- Dietary changes - Enteral/elemental nutrition, [wiki]paleo diet[/wiki], or [wiki]specific carbohydrate diet[/wiki]. Juicing is also growing on me a lot.
- Hydration - Dehydration and loss of electrolytes is common. Proper hydration and adding electrolytes back in can help you a lot.
- Alternative treatments - I'm a fan of Low Dose Naltrexone. Research it. Medical marijuana has been shown to help a lot as well if that's something you're comfortable with and is legally available in your area.
- Stress reduction. Do whatever it takes to reduce your stress levels. In addition, a weekly or even monthly massage if funds are tight is great. Studies have actually shown that massage can reduce inflammation. Give yourself self-massages as often as possible in between the professional ones.
- Exercise if you're able - a gentle yoga is a good one :)
- Vitamins and minerals - find out which you're deficient in and properly supplement. People with Crohn's disease are commonly deficient in vitamin B12, vitamin D, folate, and magnesium as well as a host of others. But those four first ones should definitely be checked.
- Supplements - there are a variety that help improve overall health. Check our our diet/fitness/supplements forum for ideas.
- Alternative medicine - This could be stuff like acupuncture, including a naturopath in your treatment team, etc.

It's about finding what combinations work best for you. Some of the above may help, some may not. But it's a compilation of anecdotes I've gathered from around the community that seem to help people most.

Bring your doctor in on the conversation for all of this. Get their input and let them help supervise your disease state. Some doctors might need a little push on some of this stuff, but we can provide studies that showcase the efficacy of all the above.
 
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