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Kiwi With Crohns

Kiwi with Crohns 23/04/14

In 1998 I was diagnosed with Crohns Disease. It was a long period of stomach pain and weight loss that couldn't be explained and tormented me in highschool. I found that I had low energy and tummy troubles.
It was while I was training at a culinery school I that I tried my best not to let it control me. I ate food that made it flare up, like spicy and fatty junk foods and drank alot of beer with my friends, only for it to suddenly come back really terribly. My bowel habits increased something awful and I would be running to the loo every 20 mins. Stomach cramps, where sometimes there wasn't anything coming but mucous and blood. I was in agony. Being stubborn waited until it got so bad that I was rushed into the emergency room. I was hospitalised and given pain killers and after a night sent
in for a colonoscopy where they found how bad the inflamation had gotten. I spent about a month in hospital and needed blood transfusions and fed liquid food shakes to rest my gut.
I was given a course of steroids which really helped my recovery apart from obvious side effects that come with this.

I had to complete my schooling a second year where I was hospitalised again for a shorter period after it had flared up again. By this stage the correct combinations of medications had been found.
I think I was taking about about 20 or so tablets a day. Over the next 16 years I was lucky not to have any surgery. Now my meds have reduced to 12 tablets a day. This year has been bad for me. Not with my Crohns but with Abscesses. I have been admitted to hospital seven times. 3 times to have abscesses drained. One time I got into hospital and it had
burst overnight before I got a chance to have it drained. One recurs constantly. If I catch them early antibiotics settle them. I have a
supralevator abscess that heals up and then comes back again. I have been drinking meal suppliments to increase my weight. I have spoken to my Gastroenterologist and he has said I may need to change from Azathioprine to another medication since it might not be working. Right now I am waiting to see my surgeon for an update. I have a nurse coming in
daily to change the dressing of my wound.
Roll on 2015 :)

Hope you enjoyed my story,
Bryn :)
 
Wow, that's quite an adventure you've been on with your CD. The abscesses are part of your CD, they're places where your colon got eaten up and bored through. It sounds like the azathioprine never really helped if your abscesses never stopped recurring. Did you ever have your CRP levels looked at, or fecal calprotein? Don't be afraid of trying new medication! Remicade and Humira do a lot of good for many people and let them live normal lives. Maybe it'll make all your abscesses quiet down!
 
Dear Orchid,
Thanks for your reply. I'm not sure whether I've had my CRP levels or fecal calprotein checked. The abscesses I have aren't within the bowel itself but around my tail end area. The problem one I have started in an anal gland and made it's way just beneath the buttock area. I will be due for a colonoscopy sometime once the abscesses slow down. I am definitely keen to try any medications out there,
Bryn
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Welcome to the community. I'm so sorry to hear you're having trouble with abscesses :(

Out of curiosity, where are they located?

All my best to you.
 
I had my fistula surgery done last year. It started as an abscesses near the anal region.
The surgery was an outpatient surgery and it is fine now. The doctor I had at that time did not tell me I might been proen crohn's disease.

February of this year, I was diagnosed with crohn's disease. I am now taking azathioprine 50 MG two times everyday. I started with prednisone 30mg everyday in february and my doctor (GI specialist) now has told me take 5 mg everyday.

Within next two weeks, I will stop prednisone. If this helps, I will not be going on Humira and Azathioprine will be the main medicine for maintenance. Otherwise, I will going on Humira.

But azathioprine has been fine with me so far. I have to make sure that I take it with meal otherwise, it upsets stomach.
 
The main one is a fistula that keeps growing as an abscess. Sometimes there is no warning of it coming. I've never had more than one abscess at a time.
 
I'm not too sure. Those medications do sound familiar so it could be either of those. Sorry but I haven't a clue what my doctor has in mind
 
After 2 weeks with my drain in I spoke to the nurse that comes and changes my dressing each day. She asked if I was getting much coming out of the drain. I haven't had anything much for a while. No blood or any horrible gunk so rather than wait for the surgeon's appointment I managed to remove it myself. I cut the stitch holding it to the skin and took it out. Much better now ;)
 
I have begun my first treatment of Humira today. I was a bit anxious about injecting myself, wondering whether it'd be painful but it wasn't so bad at all. My abscess is still yet to have healed. The nurse said maybe another week but I've heard that before. It first appeared in late May and was drained in surgery in early June but has remained a problem. I am going to remain on azathioprine with this new drug as they both work well together. Fingers crossed they help me over the next few months
 
I've been feeling ok on Humira. I've noticed some pain from my lymph nodes under my arms. They feel very swollen. I hope it isn't anything. Might be from an underlying infection or something. No nausea or any other side effects.
 
It's been almost a week since I've had surgery for a perianal abscess swelling up. A weird thing was I found that while passing wind it would find a channel into the abscess. It was discovered to be a fistula so a seton suture has been put in and now have been waiting for the pain to settle down. I really hope it heals up. I'm on Humira and Azathioprine
 
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