Confusing results

[kell]

Hi everyone! This is my first time writing on here. 2 years ago I had my first blockage and went on humira. My symptoms greatly decreased so it seemed to be working. I also started taking the humira weekly which seemed to help lessen the symptoms even more. I started seeing a new doctor recently so he did the full workup. My CRP and ESR levels came back normal. Fecal calprotectin was borderline. So I thought going into my MRI that everything would be okay. However, I just got my results today and found out that I have a section of approx 15 cm of my terminal ileum area that is inflamed with some deep ulcerations.. so I'm confused. My doctor wants to take me off of the humira and try me on stelara. Have any of you had good results with stelara? And has anyone else ever felt pretty asymptomatic and gotten discouraging or surprising results?

 

[NuttyGuts]

Hi Kell,
Welcome to the forum! I was diagnosed in 2014 but didn't take any drugs until this summer, when lots of pain forced me to accept the fact that inflammation was continuing, even if I had felt fine. I am now on prednisone, azathioprine and Remicade, and will probably face surgery soon for a very tight stricture. I don't know anything about Stelara but I know there are plenty of folks on this forum that will be able to answer your questions. Best wishes!

 

[Scipio]

I'm on Stelara and it is working pretty well for me. As for being surprised with disease assessment compared to symptoms, that happens to me all the time. I was diagnosed with Crohn's before I ever felt very sick. My only symptom was occasional mild right side pain. It was unexplained anemia and not gastrointestinal symptoms that made the docs go looking and eventually find the Crohn's.

A few years later it was a worsening extra-intestinal manifestation (pericarditis - inflammation around the heart) and not gastro symptoms that made them move me up to Stelara. So despite your mild symptoms, it is certainly possible that Humira is no longer doing the job for you and you need to switch to Stelara as your doc says.

Good luck!