Hey everyone,
I'm new here! I was hoping that y'all could weigh in on a big medication decision that I am making.
I was diagnosed with moderate-severity Crohn's disease three years ago. Thankfully I did not need surgery, and two months of steroids + maximum dose of Pentasa made me feel much better. I never felt normal--I usually had painful cramping once a day, and still felt reluctant to travel anywhere without an accessible bathroom--but with my continuing use of Pentasa, my symptoms became very manageable.
A year ago, I had a check-up colonoscopy and my GI noted that I was not truly in remission; I still had visible signs of mild disease activity. He put me on steroids for another couple month and tried paring them antibiotics, but there was no effect. He suggested that I go on Humira or Cimzia to put my disease in true remission. At the time, I was not willing to listen to this advice. I figured--if my symptoms don't trouble me very much, why bother trying such a heavy duty drug?
As time as passed, I've begun to consider Cimzia much more. I'm tired of taking 8 pills a day to maintain a minimal amount of pain. I have also read that over time, my mild activity can still lead to complications such as scarring and strictures.
Do you have any opinions? Do you think the side effects of Cimzia are worth it when I am only experiencing mild Crohn's symptoms right now?
Thank you for any advice!
I'm new here! I was hoping that y'all could weigh in on a big medication decision that I am making.
I was diagnosed with moderate-severity Crohn's disease three years ago. Thankfully I did not need surgery, and two months of steroids + maximum dose of Pentasa made me feel much better. I never felt normal--I usually had painful cramping once a day, and still felt reluctant to travel anywhere without an accessible bathroom--but with my continuing use of Pentasa, my symptoms became very manageable.
A year ago, I had a check-up colonoscopy and my GI noted that I was not truly in remission; I still had visible signs of mild disease activity. He put me on steroids for another couple month and tried paring them antibiotics, but there was no effect. He suggested that I go on Humira or Cimzia to put my disease in true remission. At the time, I was not willing to listen to this advice. I figured--if my symptoms don't trouble me very much, why bother trying such a heavy duty drug?
As time as passed, I've begun to consider Cimzia much more. I'm tired of taking 8 pills a day to maintain a minimal amount of pain. I have also read that over time, my mild activity can still lead to complications such as scarring and strictures.
Do you have any opinions? Do you think the side effects of Cimzia are worth it when I am only experiencing mild Crohn's symptoms right now?
Thank you for any advice!
