• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

Greetings.

Hello. I'm new here, and thought I should take a moment to introduce myself.

I was diagnosed with Crohn's at age 10. Thankfully for most of my life the disease has been relatively moderate; I've not had any major surgeries, only a few minor procedures like draining a fistula and the removal of anal skin tags.

My current state of health: I have two strictures, one at the right side of the transverse colon, and another in the rectum. I frequently experience bowel distension, cramping, and audible noise as a result of the upper stricture. I see blood in my stool on an irregular basis.

I've flared up over the past couple months and have dropped to a very low weight (5'11" and ~120lbs). I've been trying to put some weight back on but anything I gain disappears just as quickly. My hair has been falling out as well.

I used to be on Remicade for many years but because of changes in my life situation I no longer have a health insurance plan that would fully cover the treatments. I tried seeing a holistic doctor and using herbal supplements to manage my condition. Things were looking good until the flare-up occurred during a period of increased stress. My GI specialist, knowing I couldn't pay for Remicade, put me on Budesonide (ineffective), then Prednisone (currently 20mg/day, tapering) and is about to have me go on Humira, once the insurance coverage details are worked out.

I've been heavily depressed ever since the flare-up... feeling like a failure for having spent time and money working with the holistic doctor only to have things crash and burn like this. I'm not keen on Humira, especially since I'll be expected to stay on it permanently, but I have to admit that my condition is not improving with things as they are and this is probably the best bet to restore some kind of quality of life.

And I need to start planning out where I go from here. There's so much I could be doing, other issues in my life that need managing. I'm hoping that the time I spend here will give me the information and guidance I need as I plan for the future.

Thank you all for taking the time to read.
 
It's easy to fall for the promises of naturopaths, fad dieters, and "holistic doctors", healing at rock bottom prices and promises as big as the night sky. They prey on the desperate and scared, you made a mistake a lot of people do and it doesn't make you a worse person. You just tried to make the best of a bad situation.

Biologics are relatively safe as you already know and Humira's a bit easier for some people since it's a simple self injection instead of an infusion. There's even a new metastudy suggesting they have less short term cancer risk then previously thought. The only side effect I've had is an injection site reaction, a little swelling and itchiness where I shoot up for a few days, and a low grade fever for about three days afterwards.
 
Hi Patch,
don't beat yourself up for having tried other avenues before Humira. I was so hesitant to try this thing, and now I wish I had tried it earlier. I have no side effects worth speaking about. Injection site reaction was minimal, a bit of redness and warmth on my left thigh, nothing on the right; it went away in 48 hours. I feel like a brand new woman. You are going through your own process to get to a new medication; I did too, we all do.

My own brother has been on Humira for the past 8 years (Psoriasis) and he has no side effects whatsoever. Also, it has restored his quality of life as he was covered on about 75% of his body and works with the public. The psoriasis litterally melted off of him in the first week. I have a similar experience with Humira; my Cronh's symptoms were practically gone in 24h (added to my current Imuran)..... Not everyone has this kind of turn around, it can take up to 3-6 months to be effective. Just don't give up before giving it a good try.
 
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