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Hello everyone

I'm Tim. I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 1998, after a month or so dealing with the initial symptoms.

That first night, I woke up with bad indigestion. I took some mylanta (an anti-indigestion remedy), and after about 20 minutes felt the pain drop out of my stomach.

For the next few days I had diarrhoea, but put it down to that bad indigestion. I still wonder if that bad acid was what triggered the Crohn's. Please note: I'm not saying it was the cause. I'm saying it was the trigger - the catalyst that kicked it off. I have also been diagnosed with acid reflux.

Over the next month or so I suffered the cramps and diarrhoea. I was losing blood and had anemia. I lost weight.

Finally my family got me to the Doctor, and the Doctor referred me to a specialist. After visiting the specialist, and a follow up colonoscopy, I was diagnosed.

Initially the treatment was prednisone and pentasa. Eventually I was able to stop taking the prednisone.

Five years after my diagnosis, I had a bad flare up. This flare lasted nearly two years, during which I was on 40mg of prednisone daily. I put on a lot of weight, got very hairy, and spent my days feeling dull and horrible.

Finally a new specialist - a young doctor who had recently started his specialist field work under supervision - tried a new drug. The drug was 6-Mercaptopurine.

It worked. So amazingly well. Within 6 weeks I was off the prednisone, and with a few more weeks feeling good and far more capable than previous.

Since then I've been on Mercaptopurine and Pentasa, and these have kept things settled.

I do have the occasional flare up, but my disease has been very manageable.

I have regular check-ups, colonoscopy every few years, and things have been good.

I do struggle sometimes with the mental aspects, but most days I'm good.
 
Welcome. I am glad you are doing well. I am glad you found this forum. It is very supportive. Feel free to come anytime.
 

Trysha

Moderator
Staff member
Hello Tim
Welcome to the forum
You will find many helpful friends in these pages with whose symptoms you will be able to relate
It is really good that your current treatment has brought things under control for you
It is so important to have a GI who is competent and gives effective treatment as well as ongoing surveillance..sounds like you have found the right doctor for you.
I have similar symptoms to you and have GERD.....don't know if it is part of the crohns diagnosis though..also have a history of duodenal ulcer but currently things are under control, thank goodness.
Keep well and as upbeat as much as possible
Trysha
 
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