A question to you lucky people in remission (or who have been)

[hannaaah666]

What treatment put you in remission? How long has it been/was it?
I was only diagnosed last year but after several complications requiring hospital visits I'd quite like to see what works for people. I'd ideally like to start my adult life crohns-free but that's only in a year!
Just curious

 

[Jocky]

The last time i was in remission was due to Remicade/Infliximab but i built up antibodies and had a bad reaction so i stopped, now i'm hoping Humira does the same without the reaction. Good luck with starting life as an adult and i hope you're crohn's free by then

 

[chrisnsteph1022]

My first flare went into remission with asacol, imuran and prednisone. This flare is more stubborn, though. I've tried entocort, cimzia, apriso, lialda, imuran and now remicade. We're getting there, though.

 

[vm7999]

I have had good success with Remicade infusions with very little side effects. I have been receiving infusions for 2+ years.

 

[Astra]

Prednisolone, Metronidazole and Entocort put me into remission.
Just on Pentasa now to maintain and feeling good!
Packing in all red meat has been the best thing I've ever done too.
Lotsa fish and boiled rice is the way to go!
Make like the Japanese, there's no IBD in Japan!

 

[PsychoJane]

It's been surgery for me. At the time I was 14, got symptoms during 6 months (can't remember of anything being wrong before I first saw blood). They tried some conventional therapies, prednisone, asacol, then purinethol and cyclosporine to which I got a really bad adverse reaction. So the med team judged my situation too critical to try anything else (remicade was no approved for pediatric use back these days) and that surgery(total colectomy in my case) was necessary. It was sometime hard psychologically but on the overall, it allowed me to have a great life for several years (10 years remission). It sucks to go through it, but when it gets to the point of being needed, it's to be looked at positively. Thankfully, the new antibodies (remicade-humira-etc) brings great results now and I am hoping it is just the beginning, I'm hoping for some great therapies in a near future. And I really think Joan marks a point by bringing the food aspect, there is a lot to consider about what we eat. I try to stay as far as I can from gluten, dairy and minimize the red meat and process food. I assume that if we have way much IBD in industrialized countries must be for a reason (or many), but I assume food must be one of them.

 

[lookame]

For me I had a really hard time controlling my disease. Lialda couldn't get it under control nor could the addition of 6mp HOWEVER the combination of 6mp, lialda and remicaid has gotten the disease under control to the point I can go out and not worry about the bathroom. though if I forget my pills one day I'll see blood. For me it's VERY important to keep on my medicine daily...the stress I'm under doesn;t help things either.

 

[Grumbletum]

I had three infusions of Infliximab after Prednisolone, Mesren, antiobics and Azathioprine weren't doing the trick. Had the last infusion end of October and so far so good. Still on the Aza as maintenance.

 

[shamrock15]

20 years of constant disease has finally let up for me - don't want to really jinx it with the "R" word. However, a combination of remicade, azathioprine, reduced stress and more regular sleep has been a good combination. Oh yeah, 6 surgeries too (they came before remicade was ever an option).

 

[Johnnysmom]

For my son prednisone (4weeks then 2 months taper). 6mp was started with the Pred but didn't kick in until he was off prednisone. He has only been in remission few months but is doing well and eating what he wants. I hope you have your own remission story very soon . (())hugs)))).

 

[DustyKat]

My children developed complications very early on so medication has never been the path for them. They both required surgery and have been in remission since, 6 and 1 year respectively.

 

[polar1920]

For me it was a bowel resection. I think it was because in 1993 it took so long to diagnose the crohns an operation was the only treatment option left.
I was in remission for 5 years xx

 

[Lisa]

I used to go into remission with 'simpler' medications as a child - sulfasalazine was the first one - then the doctor would take me off once in remission, until I flared again...and the remission periods would become shorter and shorter...was moved on to Asacol and/or sulfasalazine...eventually 6-MP, then on to Remicade to clear of fistulas that had developed...been on Remicade for almost 7 years now and pretty symptom free as far as the Crohns' symptoms are concerned.

 

[mitsudrew]

I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 1994 when I was 12 years old. The docs put me on Prednisone, Imuran, and Asacol. I took the oral meds for 5 years, which was absolutely hell to say the least, especially the Prednisone and it didn't even really help that much. Although it did increase my appetite and I ate everything in site, which added some weight to my scrawny 66lb weight. Eventually in 1999 I got a little better and decided to go on with my life without the medication because it felt managable.

One day in early 2004 I had a flare up that was pretty bad to say the least and was rushed to the ER. The docs put me back on Prednisone, Imuran and Asacol. Well after a few weeks I developed a fistula and went to see the GI doc. He put me on Remicade and Imuran took me off of the two other meds listed above. The fistula healed in about 6 or 7 months and I felt 100% better. In 2005 the GI doc tapered me off Imuran because it was killing my immune system and I got every common cold on earth. The combo of Remicade and Imuran wasn't going in my favor. So I've been ONLY taking Remicade since 2005. I recieve my infusions every 8 weeks and I don't know my dose, but i believe it's based on your body weight or severity of the illness. I don't ever plan getting off Remicade unless I have an allergic reaction.

Thankfully, Remicade itself has kept my disease in remission for about 8.5 years and has worked wonderfully so far.