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Crohns Since 2005- Hi!

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timunm

Hello to all,
Just thought I would introduce myself, new to this site. I was diagnosed in 05 because my Crohns manifested itself as Iritis, and almost caused me to go blind from lack of medical care before I went in to the E.R and started this whole process. Since then I have mainly been in remission, with the occasional flare up. Initial treatment was with steroids (prednisone) which helped, and then a litany of other drugs untill finally settling with Imuran, which worked great for several years, at least until i lost my job that provided health insurance. Have been without meds for around 2.5 years, and now have a bad flare up. What I do have is a big bottle of AsacolHD that i have started taking again to try and clear this up. I had forgotten just how bad the pain can be. It is crippling.

Timun
 
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araceli

Hello timunm and welcome to the forum. Sorry that you are having a flare up. try to go to a GI, I know is expensive, but my understanding is that asacol is a mild medicine and will not be a lot of help by it self. Hopefully you can get medical care soon.
 
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timunm

I would love to go to a G.I, but I really do not have the money for it. Asacol isnt my first choice at all, but I have a bottle left from a while ago, so I figured might as well take it. Quite honestly, marijuana has been what is getting me through my days. It provides instant pain relief, and gives me an appetite to eat something, which without it I avoid like the plague for fear of the pain it will cause...Thank you for the support. It really helps talking to people that are going through the same things.
 
raechel

raechel

Hi titmunm. Sorry to hear you are having a flare with no insurance. I know how expensive care can be with a crappy insurance, and I can't imagine no insurance at all. If money is really tight, have you looked into the guidelines for medicaid to see if you would qualify? I know the requirements are pretty harsh, and vary state to state, but it might be worth a shot. You don't want to go too long without seeing a doctor and have things get really out of control. On top of the extra pain you'd suffer, the extra damage to your guts could end up costing you more in the long if you need surgery. Maybe go to the ER if the pain gets really bad? They will have to treat you,and possibly a consult with a GI will help you come up with a plan for some cheaper prescriptions to try until you are insured again? You might even be able to contact drug manufacturers of whatever medication you and the doctor thought would be beneficial, and get an uninsured reduced rate. I know Remicade has a great program. http://www.jjpaf.org/eligibility/index.html
Worst case scenario you could pay $5 a month on it for the next 20 years, but at least you'd have a better idea of what's going on? Sorry I don't have better advice. I can sympathize with your pain though, and hope you find a way to get treatment soon.
 
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