Choice of Treatment

[utmelody]

Hello! I am new to CD (diagnosed about 7 weeks ago). After my colonoscopy that revealed multiple moderate to severe areas of inflammation and several ulcers, the doctor put me on 2 strong antibiotics. Followed that round with Asacol HD & Uceris. Since then, my symptoms are certainly not as severe, but I still have pain, nausea, D (2-4/day). and some blood.

NOW, the doctor is giving me a few treatment options - 1: continue with Uceris for 3 more weeks. 2: Start Prednisone. 3: Start Imuran (my Prometheus bloodwork cleared me for this).

I'm really struggling because the current course of treatment is keeping me funtional, but obviously not 100%. Prednisone & Imuran side effects are frightening. My main concern with Prednisone is the physical alterations (weight +, face distortion) and mood swings since I am in a high profile job. Obviously, Imuran is also a concern due to the suppression of immunity and long term commitment to the drug.

Any suggestions/ comments to help me?

 

[UnXmas]

Hey, I can tell you that the side effects of prednisone can be horrible, but you don't know which ones you get if you don't try. The cosmetic side effects didn't bother me, except the facial hair growth, but that wasn't so bad as I could get rid of them with tweezers and it went away quickly after stopping prednisone. I hated the mood swings - I was so restless and I couldn't sleep. That was the worst thing for me. But my doctor prescribed things to counter the insomnia and anxiety, which worked really well.

So don't be too put off by the side effects. The ones you fear may not happen (for example, I didn't feel hungry or gain weight on prednisone, even though they're some of the most common pred side effects). And if you do have problems, they may be able to be countered, as I found ways to deal with the hair growth, insomnia and anxiety.

Few of the side effects are permanent. Osteoporosis, for example, may remain after prednisone, but that only occurs after a long time on prednisone. So if you need a short course of pred before moving on to other maintenance meds, it's unlikely you'll experience permanent effects, and again there are things you can do to help prevent osteoporosis (making sure you get enough calcium, gentle exercise and medication if necessary).

So I would say that you can't tell how something will affect you until you try it, and if it's too much you can change course later, and that probably applies to most medications.

Hope this helps some!