New to Crohn's.

Hi guys,

I got diagnosed yesterday with Crohn's . Although the doc says I need to wait till I get back my biopsy results.

My story goes like this .. I live in India where, Crohn's is really really uncommon and hence most doctors are new to this disease .

Although, last 4 years I've been studying in the UK and I've had visible symptoms since 2 years. I've had 3 or 4 instances of days with bleeding and abdominal cramps. I be rushed to the Emmergency at the NHS, UK and every GP or nurse told me that it was IBS or just hemmorhoids. My normal life had become too difficult as I was living alone in the UK and I decided to move to a part time student and come back to India. It was last week when I got my flare. I tested positive on occult blood and CRP tests were too high. I got my colonoscopy done on Friday and the doctor said I've got Crohn's

Waiting for my biopsy results now, still have diarrohea, very bad pain.


All I want to know is if I make lifestyle changes , will I be able to lead a normal life ? Can I give birth to a healthy baby? I've joined this forum, as I've mentioned earlier that this disease is very rare for an Indian .

Looking forward to some help

Hi and welcome!
I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but luckily, you are never alone here.
Did you doctor give you any meds to relieve some of the symptoms until the biopsy comes back? With the combination of medication and life style changes it is very likely that you can live a normal life. There are several women on here that are either currently pregnant or have successfully given birth to their children that have Crohn's.
This is a great place for information, so feel free to ask any questions!o

Dear afidz,

Thanks a lot for taking the time to reply. I'm on steroids for a month and mesal for the next 6 months. The doctor said I'm in the mild to moderate stage now. I've had symptoms since 2009.

I'm a phd student and I've a lot of stress to deal with.

Hello and welcome to the forum.

I am sorry to hear about the diagnosis hun, as mentioned though with the right treatment and some lifestyle changes it is possible to lead a normal life including having children. You will see from my sig that I am now 33wks pregnant and I am doing really well, I would always advise that you make sure the tum is fully settled before trying for a baby as you are then less likely to have problems during the pregnancy. With regards to the meds you have been put on when were you started on these and at what dosage? Also is it your doc who has said that you will only need to be on the Mesalamine for 6 months and if so have they explained what they are basing this time scale on? When are you due to see them again for the biopsy results?

AB
xx

I want to add my welcome to the rest. I am sorry that you are struggling right now, and I know that getting a diagnosis is a very mixed bag...On the one hand, it is nice to have an answer, but on the other hand, now you have to deal with your fears about the diagnosis.

While everybody's body experiences Crohns differently, I want to reassure you that you CAN get pregnant and carry a healthy baby to term with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. I have three children, all of whom were conceived and delivered after my diagnosis. I agree with Angrybird, that it is better to have your symptoms managed before you get pregnant...the rule of thumb tends to be that if you are doing well when you conceive your symptoms tend to remain quiet during the pregnancy.

As to lifestyle addressing your symptoms...for some changes help a great deal and fo others not so much. I found that it was medications that put me into remission...and then many years later bowel resection that relieved my symptoms. Everyone is different. Please find a GI doc that you trust and feel you can talk to.

Good luck to you...I hope you are feeling better soon. Keep us posted.
-Lisa

Hey Angry bird,

Yes it's the doc who said take it for 6 months. Like I said earlier as I live in India now, I don't think the docs ever come across a patient with Crohn's before. But he's trying his best to help me. Steroids are about 10 mg phasing out over a month.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. And good luck to you.

hi lisa, thanks for your kind reply . I'll keep you guys updated. I really hope I can find a good specialist .

LisaL said:

I want to add my welcome to the rest. I am sorry that you are struggling right now, and I know that getting a diagnosis is a very mixed bag...On the one hand, it is nice to have an answer, but on the other hand, now you have to deal with your fears about the diagnosis.

While everybody's body experiences Crohns differently, I want to reassure you that you CAN get pregnant and carry a healthy baby to term with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. I have three children, all of whom were conceived and delivered after my diagnosis. I agree with Angrybird, that it is better to have your symptoms managed before you get pregnant...the rule of thumb tends to be that if you are doing well when you conceive your symptoms tend to remain quiet during the pregnancy.

As to lifestyle addressing your symptoms...for some changes help a great deal and fo others not so much. I found that it was medications that put me into remission...and then many years later bowel resection that relieved my symptoms. Everyone is different. Please find a GI doc that you trust and feel you can talk to.

Good luck to you...I hope you are feeling better soon. Keep us posted.
-Lisa

Click to expand...

FYI , I'm 24 years old now. And I had symptoms from the time I was a teen. Steroids are definitely making my face look puffy. And I have a protruding belly. It's so embarrassing coz I used to be a teacher in the UK and there has been times when people ask me if i was pregnant. I started steroids last Friday . I still have diarrohea and abdominal cramps. I'm going to wait two more days and meet my doc again if I don't feel better. I always have to use the loo even if I drink a fruit juice . My symptoms have all been really embarrassing . I've always had to excuse myself from meetings . Whenever I told my boss I was feeling sick, he said it was all in my head.

This forum has helped me a lot although I've been here only for few days now.


Thank you guys.

I'm glad the forum has helped you! I hope to learn more about you as time goes on. I know how you feel about looking pregnant, its something I am dealing with now. It is so embarrassing to be a woman and look pregnant, but you just have to remind yourself that most people are ignorant, and there is a medical reason for looking the way you do and blow it off.

I'm so sorry to hear that you've been treated that way, Rhea George, as if your symptoms are all in your head. Do you have employee protections like the US equivalent of the Family Medical Leave Act or Americans with Disabilities Act? I would look into that and make sure you're protected if you can get that protection. You shouldn't be penalized for having a disease (but I do realize our countries are different so I'm flying blind on my advice here). I wanted to send hugs and support your way.

Hi guys, I started taking prednisolone 30 mg since feb 1st, gradually decreased it to 20 mg by 15th and now 15 mg. I was feeling a lot better initially but I started finding it difficult to get any sleep at all. I slept for like jus 2 to 3 hours a day. And my appetite has increased like anything. I am craving for all kinds of food. I be gained a lot of weight now. I've got spots all over my face. My face has puffed up. I'm back to being over weight again. Last Saturday I went out for dinner with friends and I came back feeling uneasy. Sunday morning I woke up rushing to go to the loo. My diarrhoea has come back. And I've had terrible pain as well. Right now, my entire body is aching and I have the worst abdominal pain ever . I don't know if I'm still in a flare, I actually thought my symptoms had subsided with the medication .

What you initially described sound like classic Pred side effects, I would see about getting onto your doc tomorrow though about the issues with your tum and if you can get in to see them.

Welcome to the forum. you will find the people that will help you understand crohns hear.