I am a 51 year old female. My 1st upper GI was at 9 yrs old. I was diagnosed with Crohn's of the ileum after an emergency appendectomy and 10 days later; exploratory surgery, when I was 16 years old (you do the math-35 yrs ago, yikes!). I started out, at 16, on a sulfa based drug (sulfadene(sp?)), then switched to pentasa and about 11 years ago switched to azathioprine (imuran) & allopurinol combo. I never had intestine removed. I would have episodes of extreme pain, like someone punched me in my stomach, ringing in my ears, feeling like I was going to pass out and of course diarrhea. It was very unpredictable, and shook me to the core when it would happen. The last 1 1/2 yrs, sever episodes were happening with such regularity, I hated any social settings. I was going to cancel a graduation celebration for my kid because it was so stressful and inevitably painful.....cut to the case, I'm also para-menopausal, so I made an appt. to see my gynecologist regarding some hot flashes and such. She suggested I take ASHWAGANDHA & Magnesium citrate for the menopause stuff. She told me it could take up to 2 months to begin to feel a difference. Well, completely unexpectedly within 36 hours (medications tend to work very quickly on me) I felt different. I felt like someone took a fire extinguisher to my gut and put out a fire. I no longer felt like a stomach and then a person. I was out jogging (well really "wogging"-what I call walking/jogging) by the end of the week. That was now 7 months ago and I feel better then I ever have. Three weeks ago I went off the Allopurinol and a week ago I stopped the Azathioprine(imuran), so far so good. It's the first time I've been off prescription meds in 35 years! So far so good.... I also have been taking pepzin GI (zinc & L-Carnosine), vitamins;D,E & B12 along with the ashwagandha and magnesium citrate. I figure they're good for overall health, if nothing else.
note: during my 2 pregnancies I felt very good, with minimum Crohn's symptoms. My theory is that crohn's and hormones are tied together. Ashwagandha is known, amoung other things, to balance out hormone levels for both men and women.
My recent experience is nothing less than a miracle and totally unexpected! I hope this helps.
note: during my 2 pregnancies I felt very good, with minimum Crohn's symptoms. My theory is that crohn's and hormones are tied together. Ashwagandha is known, amoung other things, to balance out hormone levels for both men and women.
My recent experience is nothing less than a miracle and totally unexpected! I hope this helps.