How long do your flares last?

[Leebie3]

What is the shortest time you've had one last?

of course I am still undiagnosed but the CI thinks I have crohns in small bowel (CTE next thurs) but I'm a bit confused because I have had severe pain that had me in hospital for nearly two weeks - had the pain for about 5 weeks all up and now it's already feeling better.. not gone.. but better. I'm going to keep positive that it will continue to feel better ;-) Just curious because that seems a really short time IF it was a flare.. (if it weren't for the blood and D I would think it was a severe IBS attack)

 

[Jennifer]

Flares vary in degree and when they are severe it can take some time for the body to go into full remission. You may have a period of feeling better but not quite 100%, that's still part of the flare. Mine usually lasted about a year to two years. I've only had 3 flares and each one was pretty major and it took a while to find the right combinations and dose of meds to get it under control. Having a flare last for a couple months wouldn't be out of the ordinary though for anyone else (and maybe it could even happen to me in the future).

 

[Terriernut]

Morning! I think without meds and interference (before I was diagnosed) my flares lasted years as well! (my colon looks like a bomb hit it now)

Thats why it's so important when you start to flare, that you get help immediately. Its the long term damage that occurs inside without proper treatment. After getting treatment, it still can take awhile to calm it down. For me between one month and more before the CRP levels climb down.

 

[Irene3]

For me, it's a constant in that I dont go into 'remission' when the symptoms are better. It's always D, always mucous if I have certain things such as pork, and daily bloating. BUT, I don't feel I'm flaring at the moment, because I don't have SEVERE abdominal pain, no obstructive upper stomach pain, and though I bloat, and in general might have cramping or bowel tenderness, most days, it's usually for a little while, not constant pain. My crp's I think are ok, thanks to pred at the moment, but once I begin humira, I'll wean prenusalone, and hope that humira with 6mp, either help towards remission, or at least help with the bloating. If I only have a few bouts of diarrhea a day (due to some bowel being recsected), and not daily bloating, then I'll be happy, and say it's a flare when I have a lot of bloating/pain again. I think it's different in some ways for mist of us with crohns, just the symptoms that are generally alike.

 

[Samboi]

Major flares - about six months of one disaster after another. It's only happened every decade - so actually pretty ok about it. Longest one this time though - it will probably stretch out to a year once reversal surgery is taken into account.

Mini dust ups - meh - happen all the time. Just a couple of days - then back to normal. Usually happened because I forgot to take my medicine.
That no longer happens! Humira injection - like clockwork!