Crohns update - latest test results
I went to see my gastroenterologist last week hoping to hear some good news, as I have been feeling so much better since starting on Prednisalone and now that I am getting a handle on what I can eat and what I cant. However my GE told me that my latest blood test results show I still have considerable inflammation and I also have low blood counts.
He is putting me on Imuran in addition to prednisolone, he hopes it will help to dampen my "overactive" immune system. He says I still have a high risk of infection, and while Imuran can potentially have some very nasty side-effects, I will be having blood tests every week so that he can monitor what's happening in the rest of my body to make sure there is no damage being done. Wow this is a fun drug!
I also told him that I sometimes have difficulty in pain swallowing my food. (I read that this can also be associated with Crohn's disease). So he's booked me for an endoscopy to have a look at my throat on the 18th of this month.
I spend a lot of time online reading about the side-effects of Imuran and freaked out at first but after asking the opinion of people on these forums I found that a lot of them have been on Imuran for many years with little or no problems. (But I also found a few stories from people who have had serious problems with it) So I decided I need to give it a go. The alternatives seem to be worse. I'll still be taking the Prednisalone for the time being (1/2 of a 25mg tab per day), then I believe he will start to phase it out.
I attach a copy of my latest test results for anyone who can read these things (I need to learn to read them myself!).
Gra