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Recent content by alex_chris

  1. alex_chris

    Strictures that make trouble, but no inflammation

    MRI two weeks ago says I have 4 strictures, all short ones (2-3cm) and all within 30-35 cm from the ileocecal valve with the first one about 5-6cm above the valve. Before the MRI, I had a colonoscopy in which the first two strictures were balloon dilated, but the gastroenterologist didn't do the...
  2. alex_chris

    Second surgery due to strictures in small intestine

    Hi there, I had my first surgery back in 2003 when 60cm of small intestine was removed to remove various stenois plus a stricturplastic performed. That was done about 50cm above the ileocycal valve. Well, anyway, throughout the last 12 years there were better and worse times. However, in the...
  3. alex_chris

    Higher genetic likelihood of IBD and decision to have kids

    Hi all, I am sure there is a thread somewhere, so please, if this has been discussed at length elsewhere, ignore this thread and just point me to the other one (just can't seem to find it :ybatty:). How are people who want to have kids think about the question of inheritance factors? I read...
  4. alex_chris

    Sticky Medical Marijuana for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

    Without having read the whole discussion until now, and risking asking the same question people have asked over and over, how are people who regularly use medical marijuana coping with the effects at work the next day. The number of times I have smoked a joint can be counted on one hand...
  5. alex_chris

    Tripterygium wilfordii (thunder God vine) treatment for Crohn's?

    I stumbled across this interesting study on the effectiveness of Tripterygium wilfordii (used for various other diseases in traditional Chinese medicine) in post-surgery situations for Crohn's from last year. The results say it appears to be superior to 5-Asa, although that's pretty easy as...
  6. alex_chris

    How much do you know about the biochemistry of the drugs you take?

    While it is not necessary to understand the exact biochemical reactions of drugs people take, I still wonder whether sometimes it does make sense for patients to understand how a drug exactly works in a human body. Simply so people don't have the feeling that they are taking a "black box" pill...
  7. alex_chris

    Co-workers who have Crohn's as well

    To talk about it with them or not. I have a co-worker who moved here with her husband a few days ago. She worked at our firm last year in the summer and is now starting full-time. She told me last year she has Crohn's and is on Humira. She looks quite pale right now and when we went for her...
  8. alex_chris

    True cost of medication

    I would be interested in the different full costs of meds people take (so, not the co-pay, but the prices without insurance). Around here, those are the prices for commonly used meds: 5000 Euro for 6 humira pens each with 40mg of humira (800 Euro per pen) 130 Euro for 300 tabs of 500mg Pentasa...
  9. alex_chris

    E American Gastroenterological Society just issued new guidelines for treating Crohn's disease

    Here is the link to the release: http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/crohns-disease-treatment-takes-step-forward-new-guidelines-issued The new decision and option tree they recommend is here: http://campaigns.gastro.org/algorithms/IBDCarePathway/ or in PDF form here...
  10. alex_chris

    Phased out azathioprine 3 months ago - amylase/lipase question

    I phased out azathioprine after a 3 years stint on it in March. I had been on aza from 2003 to 2008 and phased it out in 2008, but had to go back on it in late 2010. I continued my 4weekly blood tests to check for any signs of problems following the phase out. The good thing is that CRP, MCV...
  11. alex_chris

    Study: Early azathioprine therapy did not lead to Crohn’s disease remission

    Study: Early azathioprine therapy did not lead to Crohn’s disease remission Early azathioprine therapy did not lead to Crohn’s disease remission Cosnes J. Gastroenterology. 2013;145:758-765. Panés J. Gastroenterology. 2013;145:766-774. October 1, 2013 Patients with Crohn’s disease treated with...
  12. alex_chris

    Have you been subject to "bottom up" treatment or "top down"?

    Bottom up: You got diagnosed, your doc/GI said you got "mild" Crohn's and you were put on 5-Asa (asacol, pentasa etc.), then once 5-Asa fails (it often fails), you got switched to azathioprine/6mp and then (if that failed) to biologics (remicade, humira, cimzia etc.) or combinations etc. Top...
  13. alex_chris

    Yoga and Crohn's

    I started men's yoga half a year ago. I was persuaded by a colleague to join, the classes are paid by my firm and it's from 12-1pm on Monday's and Thursday's, so it really doesn't cut into free time. Anyway, I think it really works well for Crohn's management because it both is sport and...
  14. alex_chris

    Long-term Crohn's management without the usual Crohn's meds

    Another thread on here started by Sarah17 got me thinking that it would be interesting to discuss a bit the various experiences and approaches people had during phases when they did not take any of the standard Crohn's meds (biologics/immunosuppresives/5-Asa/corticosteroids). After taking aza...
  15. alex_chris

    [Submitted] Should Crohn's patients with inactive Crohn on aza consider biologics?

    Given studies showing combination therapy of immunosuppresives and biologics are nearly twice as effective as immunosuppressives alone to induce deep remission, I was wondering whether doctors today advice patients who have been on immunosuppresives for years with intermittend flares, but...
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