Does this stuff work?
- Thread starter Ahumado
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How does the Doc tell if it's working?
Docs have several tools to tell whether the drug is working. They monitor blood and stool tests such as CRP and fecal calprotectin to measure whether your level of inflammation is going down. They monitor your symptoms (pain, diarrhea, bloody stools, etc.) to see whether those are improving. And the gold standard is they do a follow-up colonoscopy to get a look and see whether the ulcers and inflammation in the bowel are healing.
They probably use a combination of some or all of these tools at one time or another over the course of your treatment to assess its effectiveness.
They probably use a combination of some or all of these tools at one time or another over the course of your treatment to assess its effectiveness.
My GI did as above. Did the scope after about a year of being on Humira and also the
calprotectin test
calprotectin test
It's been a few couple months and I notice changes. Less Schlitz and Blatz mostly. Used to be I could could eat about all the junk food I wanted (Little Debbies, brownies, etc) but that is no longer the case. Wife made a great sweet bread and it packed me up real bad. I was painfully sick for 24 hours. With the inflammation down stuff doesn't go thru as fast so I have to moderate my intake more. I made my favorite brownies the other night and only had a few but I noticed I was getting packed up again. It is a new learning curve for what and how much I can cram in my piehole. I have an appt. with my gastro guy on the 24th
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Hoping the best for you.
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You should consult a Doc
Did ya hear the one about Chief Bowels?
I could use a joke. Let's hear about chief bowels!
One day the road commision came to the reservation and told Chief Bowels he was going to have to move. They were going to build a road right through his teepee. The chief replied Bowels NO MOVE. The road commsion guy said I can't do anything but you can go down the Federal Building go up two flights take a left and talk to his boss. Chief Bowels went down to the Federal Building walked up two flights and turned to the right. He walked into Dr Splatz's office and declared BOWELS NO MOVE. Dr said take two of these and come see me in the morning. Chief went back to his teepee took the pills then returned the next day. He declared once again...BOWELS NO MOVE. A tough case Dr Splatz thought and gave the Chief two more pills and told him to return again the next day. Chief Bowels went back to his teepee took the pills and returned the following daydeclaring BOWELS STILL NO MOVE! Dr Splatz thought hmmmm a real tough case and gave him three pills and told the chief to take these and come back tomorrow. Chief Bowels did as instructed and when he returned the following day he walked into Dr Splatz's office and declared...Bowels move teepee fulla ****
Thanks! That gave me a chuckle. I started Humira about 6 months ago. I also noticed after just a few weeks that "bowels no move". I also attribute it to the Humira working and the lack of inflammation. I've been tracking my c reactive protein and calprotectin. All the tests have come back normal so far so that's another indication that the Humira is working.
I eat a high fiber diet, a lot of vegetables, even raw vegetables, and yogurt mixed with metamucil.
Let's hope it keeps working for all of us and we don't suffer from any of those nasty Humira side effects.
The "bowels no move" is also an issue with me. The inflammation is down and that is why. I eat no fiber unless it is boiled to death. No raw veges, even a bite. I drink lots of Ensure Enlive each has 40% of daily protein. I eat over easy eggs almost every day. I eat chicken and salmon. My weight has stayed stable. If I could cut out the junk food(M&M's, Little Debbies, etc.) I am sure the bowels no move issue would clear up.
I worked in a medical lab for 30+ years and monitored my Hgb and Hct. We were pretty much of the opinion that asking someone how they felt was as good as the ESR and CRP tests so I never did those.
I have had a couple episodes of extreme stomach pain from eating too much. The thing I have found with Humira is that I am never hungry in the sense that I physically feel hunger which may be why I overate. It's a pay attention learning process. Glad you appreciated the joke
It sounds like you may have an eating disorder. My wife has struggled with that all her life. She says that she eats without feeling hungry and her attraction to sweets is something that defies her logic. 12 steps programs like overeaters anonymous have helped her. If you can eat cooked vegetables then there is hope. If you like cooked vegetables there is even more hope! Before my resection surgery 16 years ago, I couldn't even eat a cooked potato without unbearable abdominal pain. That's why I listened to my doctor when he suggested Humira. I didn't want to end up like that again.
It isn't that I eat without feeling hungry it is that I know I have to eat even though I am not hungry. I think I could easily go an entire day without eating. My resection was 7 years ago.
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