Finally got the ball rolling

[cwf5020]

Well the past month has not been fun for me at all. I started my last semester in college, 18 credits in structural engineering, talk about stress. My Crohns has been the worst it has been since I was diagonosed when I was 16. I have really been down in the dumps, and I am worried about all my problems. It just seems everytime I turn around there is another problem. I never feel like doing anything with any of my friends, I basically just lay around home all the time.

Since my flare up, my doctor has put me on 9mg Entocort, 40 mg Prednisone, and 1000 mg Flagyl, along with Pentasa which I have been on for a long time. A week after going on those medications, I got thrush in my mouth, which I am still on Nystatin for. Then about two weeks ago I started experiencing pain in my hips and lower back. My doctor recommended I see a Reumotologist, which has got me even more worried about my pain being Anklosing Spondlitis arthritis, since I always jump to conclusions.

Well today everything came together to get some appointments to get some tests done. I have to get an MRI on Friday, then I am getting a colonoscopy and endoscopy done on Monday. They also gave me a number to call and schedule an appointment with a Reumotologist, which I will get done tommorrow.

Im really hoping my joint pain is being caused my the Prednisone, and it is not a form of arthritis. I would think I should not have any arthritis pain right now because of the amount of Prednisone I am on, but who knows. I just hope everything will start to work out here.

 

[kenny]

I have had a battle with arthritic pain for years and it just didn't make sense. My GP was all over the place with trying to help me out but he never linked the complaints I had about my butt and this rash on my shins with it. Once I got sick enough that I had to be hospitalized the GI team started to workup a medical history on me and it all came together. The long term treatment I receive for crohns is the same treatment prescribed for problematic persistent rheumatoid arthritis. It likely has the same root cause.

I am glad things are coming together for you and I hope you find as simple and effective treatment as I have. It feels great to make progress doesn't it!

 

[Crohn's 35]

Hang in there CF,,,, you have alot of tests coming up. MRI"S are the only thing I have never had done. I dont want to either, claustrophic, but it is good that you are getting yourself looked after. Stress is hard on your Crohn's I am sure you know that, and being on Pred and Entocort??? I have never had that combo.

Let us know how all your tests turn out. Take care, try and stay calm, everything will work out ok?

 

[imisspopcorn]

I hope everything goes well for you....Sometimes it is a relief to get everything scheduled. I always feel like I have accomplished something.....I don't know why, but I do. Good luck.

 

[shazamataz]

Good luck with all the tests, I hope they find soem answers and you can get to feeling better

 

[cwf5020]

Thanks everyone. I hope I will still be able to get my MRI on friday, we are supposed to get atleast a foot of snow where I live the day I am scheduled of course.

 

[Pirate]

Good luck. I hope the snow doesn't get in the way of your Mri.

 

[mycrohnsstory]

I hope things go well for you. My college years were the worst years of my Crohn's battle so far (only 23 here). With all of the stress from school and eating out all the time and not eating healthy just made it worse for me. Plus I was staying up late and constantly working.

All these stress-ors are normally fine but throw Crohn's into the mix and it is just way to much. I cut down my class credits after my freshman year and started taking some classes over the summer to help with the school load. I also started taking a bunch of supplements to help with things.

I'd recommend Vitmain D, Folic Acid, Krill/Fish Oil, Strontium (For Bones due to Steroid use). My testosterone levels were low when my doctor had those checked and I'm also taking DHEA now.

I'd look into some of those things if your not already taking some of that now. I think a lot of these things have helped me. I just started taking low-dose-naltrexone late last year and I have reason to believe that has helped me as well.

I hope things go well for you....

 

[cwf5020]

Thanks for the advice mycrohnsstory. I started taking Vitamin D a few weeks ago, and I have really been researching LDN. I plan on talking to my Dr. about it. Has your Crohns settled down any since college?

 

[mycrohnsstory]

Yeah, I'm in a much better boat than I was in college. I'm living an everyday ordinary life (to an extent). I still watch what I eat but I eat almost whatever I want. It's hard to say exactly what has helped but ever since I started seeing my holistic doc things have been much better.

I've had 3 colonoscopy's, none of which looked good. But each one he has been able to progressively see farther. I was so closed up on my descending large colon he could never of made the final bend. He finally made it around that curve when I had a test done late last year.

 

[cwf5020]

I got my MRI moved forward to today. I found out what exactly my doctor is looking for at this point, aseptic necrosis (also called avasular necrosis), of the hip. This could be caused from the use of Prednisone, even though I have not been on it that long, only 3-4 weeks at 40mg. I should know the results tomorrow.

 

[rygon]

I know how you feel... structural engineering is a git!! I did it open uni for a while before getting bored and going on to a maths degree. Last 4yrs has stressed the hell out of me (especially trying to fit it in with working at a power station) Ive taken a yr out this yr cos i was getting too stressed and it wasnt good. Its a total bummer it will take another 2 yrs (failed the yr b4..could have had a resit but cos my stomach decided not to) I know a degree will help my job loads but at the end of the day its only a job and my life is worth a tad more than that. Gives me a chance to catch up with old friends again and just chill. Its taken a big weight off my shoulders and defo good for it

 

[cwf5020]

I got the results back from the MRI today. No Avascular Necrosis and no arthritis. They wanna start to take me off the Prednisone though, im supposed to go to 30 mg tommorrow. The doctor said the pain may just be caused from the Prednisone its self.

 

[Peaches]

I am soooo glad to hear that you don't have that! I am just catching up on this thread and when I read that I cringed! Hope that your symptoms go away with the pred reduction.

 

[Tan]

Oh that is good news that you don't have arthristis... hope the rest of your test go well. Good luck!!

 

[cwf5020]

I got my colonoscopy and endoscopy today. I will find out all the results this Friday when they get the biopsys back and I have a follow up with my GI.

When the doctor came into talk to me, I was still sort of out of it. But from what I remember he told me, everything looked pretty good. He said the real only signs of Crohns was at my surgery site, which I had 5 years ago. My last scope, which was in Aug 2008, I had some ulcers, he said those have all dissappeared or have improved. He also said I may have some GERD and IBS, so we will see about that.

I guess the plan is for me to continue to wheen off the prednisone. I have been on Entocort for 8-9 weeks now, but I guess they wanna keep me on it for a while. And also stay on the Flagyl for a little bit longer as well.

As for my problems with joint paints, they still want me to see a Rheumotologist, but I am having a hard time getting an appointment made.