Hello and thank you!

Hi fellow crohns sufferers. I'm Ben. I'm 34 and I've been reading this forum for a month now. I was diagnosed with crohns disease about six years ago and three years ago had a removal of part of my ileum, the valve at the end of it, and a little colon. This put me in remission and life was good again.

About one year ago I developed fatigue, super bad depression, and tingly feeling all over my body. After doing blood work that all came back normal, my doctor told me I was depressed and put me on anti-depressant medications. Over the past year, I've only gotten worse and my doctor tried two other drugs for depression which made me a zombie, completely killed my sex drive, and did nothing for my depression, fatigue, and what was now PAIN and FIRE in my arms and legs.

As I read posts on here I saw that I should get my vitamins checked so I asked my doctor to do that. Results came back two weeks ago and my b12 was just over 100. When my doctor read that to me, he got really pale and his voice broke.

They have me now seeing a nerve doctor and am on weekly b12 injections. They are trying to determine if my nerve damage is permanent or might get better. I am already feeling so much better AND HAPPY!!!!! I wanted to say thank you. I was planning suicide because I was so depressed and in so much pain. You all saved my life.

I am so pleased you have found an answer! Please do stick around on the forum. I hope you are feeling better soon

Hello Ben and :welcome: I am really glad that the info here was able to help you get to the root of the problem - good for your looking into your symptoms further. I totally agree with Bld, please do stay and have a good nosy around the rest of the forum - there is a great bunch of people here

AB
xx

NB How are things with your crohns?

BenRamos-

I am so glad you found this forum. It has helped me a great deal!
There are alot of good people here. Someone has experienced at
least one of your symptoms at somepoint so the knowledge here
is great!

Please always turn here!

Lauren

Ben, Welcome... So glad you found the forum. I stumbled across it when i was diagnosed in January and its a life saver. Its the only place I know I can come to when i'm feeling down to even just vent.

I'm waiting on my B12 levels results as I have the tingling in my arms and fingers and a few of my toes too. So happy the injections have worked, I have heard through the forum that if they are very low they can cause depression. I previously have suffered from depression prior to being diagnosed so I am very consious of not allowing myself to get that far down again.

Always here to chat if you ever need it
x

Hi Ben. Welcome! I am so happy to hear that your doctor finally listened to you and is now getting things sorted and that you are happier, that is great news. I am new to this forum and must say I have found the support here to be wonderful and the people here always make me feel better and help me to realise that I'm not my own as sometimes it can be very lonely living with Crohn's. Please stick around and feel free to chat. Sending big hugs.
Leg xxx

Great to hear that you found the help you needed here. Its amazing what a simple vitamin deficiency can cause to happen in your body. Thank heavens that you found us and didn't spend years trialling different antidepressants, or worse.
Welcome to the forum.

Angrybird said:

Hello Ben and :welcome: I am really glad that the info here was able to help you get to the root of the problem - good for your looking into your symptoms further. I totally agree with Bld, please do stay and have a good nosy around the rest of the forum - there is a great bunch of people here

AB
xx

NB How are things with your crohns?

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Everyone on this site has helped me but it was a post by you talking about vitamins that got me to check them. You are my hero!

My crohns is in remission :soledance:

Thanks everyone who replied!!

That's very kind of you to say so :redface: it is down to one of our administrator's David that I have learnt the importance of getting these levels checked and how much an effect they can have on the body when deficient. He is a star at getting us educated on these things.

I am very pleased to hear that your crohns is still behaving :dance: Hope to see more of you around the forum.

AB
xx

Hey there Ben and welcome. Your first post gives me a variety of emotions. Happy that we were able to help you, angry that it ever had to get that far, and frustrated that you're not the only person we've heard this story from. There isn't a person on this forum diagnosed with Crohn's Disease who shouldn't be getting at least semi-annual vitamin B12 tests in my opinion. Even if they don't have active ileal disease.

Again, welcome Ben. I hope you stick around and help others

Angrybird said:

That's very kind of you to say so :redface: it is down to one of our administrator's David that I have learnt the importance of getting these levels checked and how much an effect they can have on the body when deficient. He is a star at getting us educated on these things.

Click to expand...

Nope, this was all you Angrybird. You did great Let the feeling of helping save someone's life soak in.
:highfive: