Fuckedy Fuck. Crohn's Flare

[REP]

The good news is I'm not obstructed and for the time being I don't have to take the dreaded Prednisone.

The bad news is I'm a little anemic, but that could just be from the kidney disease. I also have to undergo my very least favorite testing. At least this time there's a good chance I'll actually be sedated!

[WestHoustonDem]

1. That sucks REP!

Good luck with the testing and staying off the evil Pred. I get anemic too when I flare up.

My gastro told me that the next time I flare up he wants me to try endocort (sp?) before prednisone. Supposedly it's side effects aren't as bad.

Keep us updated.

[REP]

3. Thanks!

In the world of small bowel disease, I am VERY lucky - mine is fairly mild. When I'm all folded up whining, a part of my brain still works well enough to wonder how people with severe Crohn's manage. I could barely walk for about a week, and just changing positions was supremely UnFun. I finally broke down and took the least nephrotoxic NSAID I could find and ate some fatty foods and by Tuesday morning - the day of my appointment - I was much better. Of course! Maybe it was just finally getting an appointment...

[WestHoustonDem]

5. I'm glad you're doing better. I hope it continues

I know what you mean. I was incredibly sick for a few years, but didn't need surgery. Taking a fistful of pills a couple of times a day is nothing compared to what you're going through right now.

Hang in there!

[REP]

10. Still Doing Better!

It hasn't gotten terrible again, yay. I limited myself to 3 days of Naproxyn and have been eating fattier meat (filet mignon, which isn't terribly fatty ut fattier than the tuna and chicken I usually eat) since some studies have shown that fatty foods are helpful to inflammed intestines - and my doctor said go for it.

Most of the time, I'm able to manage it with a low-residue diet, Lomotil and Vicodin - so I I know I have almost nothing to complain about. I haven't had a flare this severe for nearly 3 years now.

I'm glad you avoided surgery! Keep it up, and may your flares be behind you. Wait ... that's not really the right way to put it ... Here's to calm, happy guts!

[WestHoustonDem]

11. Back at you REP!

Maybe that's not the right phrase either :rofl:

Pentasa and Imuran seem to be keeping my gut under control. I had a colonoscopy a couple of months ago and it was normal. Since I wasn't in the middle of a flare and had a better doctor, it wasn't so bad.

Calm happy guts and fatty foods sound good to me. Hang in there, you're not alone.

[REP]

12. I Got A Question About Labs

Do you have APTT/PTT done when you're having a flare? My doctor ordered them, and one was normal and one was out-of-range super high, meaning I'm not forming clots. I've never had this result - white blood counts that looked like lymphoma, yes but never abnormal clotting times. It could be due to my kidney problems (I lose a lot of protein through them) but I'm hoping hoping hoping that it's no big deal.

[WestHoustonDem]

13. I haven't had those test done

I haven't had a flare for a few years and don't (knock on wood) have the kidney issues. I only really study my labs when I'm feeling particularly bad. I probably should pay more attention during my "normal" times.

[Warpy]

7. Endorcort has the same list of precautions and side effects

as any other corticosteroid, but it seems particularly suited to Crohn's disease.

Steroids are horrible drugs unless you need them.

[REP]

9. Steroid Wimp Here

I became diabetic from Prednisone, and I get every side-effect - the nerves-on-fire, the super hunger, plus it makes my blood sugar very hard to control, even if I don't eat. I admit though, last week I was on the verge of popping some Pred.

[blondeatlast]

2. I'll offer a shoulder, my friend. Wish I had more to offer,

but I'm hoping for the best for you.

I know you will keep us posted. :hug:

[REP]

4. That's All I Need

Nothing beats sympathy! Thank you!

Speaking of which, how are you doing these days?

[blondeatlast]

14. Actually quite well right now.

After that miserable, son of a bitchin' last quarter of 05 and all of January, I seem to be doing quite well.

I'm able to exercise and pretty much enjoy things now, but that damn boulder is always a step behind me and I never forget it.

Mr and BAL Jr and I are going to Germany for a couple of weeks next month. Again, the damn boulder is behind me, but I'm going anyway, dammit!

Knocking on wood, crossing fingers, praying, and so on...

[mopinko]

6. fuck

sorry you are feeling bad. i hope that you at least have docs that you like and trust. hang in there, and try to get some good sleep. that makes all the difference in the world to me.

[REP]

8. Thanks!

I am very lucky - not only is my Crohn's relatively mild, but I have a terrific, wonderful doctor who takes great care of me. Since the pain's eased off, I've been able to sleep through the night, and since I've been a proud member of the Hose Head Club (CPAP user) club for many years, sleep is one of the things I do well!

[alfredo]

15. Damn! have you found any specific trigger for your flareups?

for me it was stress.

I hope this is a short flare up so you can get back to enjoying life.

[REP]

16. First, Thank You!

I think I complained so much I drove it out. I have a pain like appendicitis still, but it's so much milder it's barely worth mentioning.

I think I know what I did, and it's so stupid I hate to admit it, but - I was eating a lot of raw salads. I'm one of those people who really do better on low-residue, but I hadn't had any problems for so long and I was eating greens that are usually 'safe' but I think I ate too many salads in a row. Additionally, I have severe kidney disease, and I'm not really supposed to eat a lot of raw veggies, ever (too much potassium) so it was just dumb. There was a little stress involved, but nothing new or big enough to really explain it. Went back to eating plain tuna (which I do like), the occasional steak and only cooked, low potassium vegetables with butter and other non-leafy foods.

[alfredo]

17. I cut out as many bad foods for years. Now I can eat anything, but

fatty foods don't sit well with me. I haven't had a bad flare up for decades. As soon as I feel any symptoms I go back on my Crohn's diet. I'm even eating broccoli and beans.

Attitude has so much to do with fighting this disease. I refused to be sick. I refused to be controlled by my disease. I avoided stress, ate well, and exercised. My last 'scope showed no Crohn's.

[REP]

18. Everyone's Different!

Even if I really really wanted to, I couldn't eat much broccoli or beans due to the restrictions of my renal diet. I'm in stage 2/3 kidney failure. Having more than one autoimmune disorder makes it difficult to just wish it all away.

Mine doesn't show on 'scope because it's in the small intestine, which is a little different than Crohn's in the colon; there's more malsorption issues and the bleeding is a little harder to deal with - a Rowasa enema doesn't quite reach! But I'm not controlled by any of my serious conditions - they're more like inconveniences to be worked around.