How many infections are too many ????

[Mr chicken]

DS is 11
Started biologics at 8
Has been on humira and Mtx for a couple of years
Since this past Feburary he has had
Adenovirus
Ear infection despite double abx turned mastoiditis requiring iv abx
Another ear infection
And now a cuticle infection that formed while on augmentin and will not go away so a second set of abx is being added .

Each infection we hold his humira /Mtx
So first one held for twenty days
Second infection held for 5 weeks
He just got back on humira/Mtx plus pred for the past month finally catching back up and bamm
Ear infection followed by skin infection so holding humira/Mtx again
Still haven't even weaned from pred needed last time we held .
He even had to have Iv steriods last time due to arthritis inflammation.
Crohns wise he is on EEN so that is covered still for now

How many infections does docs let you get in a row before there are issues and changes in meds ?????

He has tried and failed all the lower meds btw ( pentasa asacol 6-mp Mtx and combos plus various diet trials ))....

 

[Catherine]

This doesn't answer your question. But be very carefully with dental work.

A friend our had very bad experience with dental work and infection while on humira.

 

[InstantCoffee]

Lost count of how many abscesses I had drained while on humira. At least 6-10.

Doctors never could explain them, they ruled out fistulas. I haven't had one in the same area in a few years though.

Have they checked vitamin C and A levels?

 

[ellie1992]

Hello
I've been on Humira for nearly 6-7 months in total over the last year and 6MP for the last year and half. I mostly suffer with perianal abscesses and my doctors reckon it's the best drug to avoid abscesses around my bum. Unfortunately with this drug I get ALOT of infections. I was admitted into hospital 4 seperate times for 4 different infections on my thighs. They took biopsies of all of them but could not grow anything from them so the infection disease team reckon is staph infection. They kept giving me the antibiotic fluclux but every time I went home on orals I'd get another infection straight away. The longest period I spent in hospital with one of these infections was 2 weeks... Had to have a pretty big operation cause it went in my lymph nodes. But since then I've had 6 other infections on my thighs but the only thing that kept my out of hospital in an antibiotic called cipro!!!! Best thing ever invented!! It's saved my sanity and outlook on crohns! But atm moment I'm trying to conceive a child ( I'm in remission) and cipro is not okay to take while pregnant. If it helps I'm trying at the moment vinger compressions. 1/4 vinger 3/4 hot water I put a cotton bud in the water/vinger and press it into my infections. I've only been doing it for a at but already I've noticed a difference! Anyways sorry for the long story!!! I kind of see as I'm in remission and that's cause of Humira and i guess these infections are a pain in the arse but I'd rather have them then not be in remission at all!

 

[D Bergy]

They should be testing for mycoplasma. Cipro is one of the antibiotics that work pretty good for that infection, but it always seems to come back once treatment is stopped.

The floxin group of antibiotics can cause some pretty bad side effects for some people. Glad you tolerate it well.

My own amature anecdotal research indicated mycoplasma pneumonia was probably the cause of my strictures, but other pathogens may have played a role also.

Mycoplasma is difficult to detect. I doubt most labs are equipped to test for it.

Other symptoms of mycoplasma infection as I experienced them are crushing fatique, toenail yellowing, small or large amounts of thick yellow phlegm in lungs.

Just my own experience.

Dan

 

[Crohn2357]

D Bergy, what kind of involvements do you have? Colon? TI? ileocolonic? Anal? Upper gi?
Have you ever had thickening of the bowel wall?

 

[Crohn2357]

Found this: http://www.lyme-symptoms.com/CoInfectionsMycoplasma.html
It is scary how much problems I share with mycoplasmosis symptoms.

Clarithromycin is very effective for me. I'm in a flare right now and I will use it after 10 days of prednisone tapering to get better. Probably will use it with Flagyl.

 

[InstantCoffee]

My abscesses never responded to flagyl or cipro.

They follow point for point accounts of Hydradenditis Suprativa I've read online.
-abscesses around groin or butt cheeks
-doctors confused, prescribe antibiotics
-anti biotics don't work, rapid growth, incision and drainage

I don't get them around my butt cheeks anymore but I've gotten them once in my arm pits that went away with dietary changes and now I'm getting them on my face around my jaw line / cheek bones and I'm not sure if it's related.

If they're not too deep, I used hydracolloid bandages to open the boil so I don't need to go to doctors for I&D anymore, but it doesn't always heal them.

 

[Mr chicken]

We do vinegar /water soaks as well on his feet to draw out the infection
It has worked
Just a pain

 

[D Bergy]

My son has bad hidradentis. I have not been able to find a direct cause, but I don't give up easily.

Been working on that a lot lately.

Dan

 

[InstantCoffee]

My son has bad hidradentis. I have not been able to find a direct cause, but I don't give up easily.

Been working on that a lot lately.

Dan

Someone I know told me they had it and were told it was low white blood cell count and they fixed it with dietary and lifestyle changes.