I´m getting off medication.

[Crohnical]

My doctor has asked me to stop taking pills for Crohns because it´s risk for cancer in my age if I continue taking them. I can continue with other kind of medication like injections or intraveneus medication each 8 week on the hospital but they also have side effects so I shall now try without anything.
Are there others here with experiences who can advice me on what to do if I get worse?
Are there any natural herbs I can try?

 

[my little penguin]

Side effects or possible side effects …
There is a big difference
Anything you take pills injection even herbs has possible side effects
My child was dx at 7
Started biologics (infusions at the hospital ) at age 8
Later switched to biologics that are injections
He is 19 so 11 years
No side effects
Monitored by docs with blood work
But otherwise nice pink healthy colon
He currently takes Stelara plus methotrexate
For his crohns and juvenile arthritis

hope you can ask your doc more questions

 

[Bufford]

I went off of all those meds and am doing much better for it. I found them hard on my system, biologics being the worst offenders affecting everything from my heart to hair loss. Some treatments helped me at first, but over time they went against me. Now having said that everyone is different, for some the treatments are like miracles, for others they have gone against their bodies.

I found that diet, exercise and staying well hydrated has helped to some degree. Living rural keeps me fit, and all this helps. But I still have symptoms, but they are manageable for the most part.

 

[AZ Dude]

Has anyone tried LDN lately? Any good results? Just heard about it recently but not sure how valid the results have been!

 

[Lisa]

When I was much younger, the theory was to take medications until I was in remission, then stop medications until the next flare...the problem was the periods of remission got shorter and shorter, and the disease itself got worse and worse.....

Just something to think about - not sure how old/young you are, but you don't want to end up in a situation where you have a bad flare that now doesn't want to respond to medications.....

 

[momsa]

What were you taking that your doctor said was a risk for cancer? And may I ask how old you are?

 

[Crohnical]

What were you taking that your doctor said was a risk for cancer? And may I ask how old you are?

Azatioprin
I´m 63 years old.

 

[momsa]

Thank you for sharing that.
We're in a bit of a catch 22 here, because untreated IBD can also increase risks of cancer.
I think some of the newer biologics are relatively low risk, if they work.
Also, our doc recently recommended curcumin or Theracurmin on top of other therapies - that's just turmeric, so pretty benign.

 

[Lisa]

Azatioprin
I´m 63 years old.

I believe you mean Azathioprine? While there an increased cancer risk, it is ~very~ small - here is one article... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23514635/ .

Not sure I would think the benefit of stopping medications would outweigh the very small risk of cancer if it were me....

 

[Crohnical]

I believe you mean Azathioprine? While there an increased cancer risk, it is ~very~ small - here is one article... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23514635/ .

Not sure I would think the benefit of stopping medications would outweigh the very small risk of cancer if it were me....

The trial group in that article was not over 63 years old. Maybe some of them but not all.

 

[Pug Gamer]

I am in the same situation. I'm on the highest dose of azathioprine for my size and am in remission. So mines said about coming off of all medication! I said I'm really worried about that, despite the covid situation (still mostly shielding). I'm 36 and have been on it since I was 30 and have had a skin cancer scare but thankfully was all clear.
My biggest fear is obstructions again. I have a feeling he sees it as medication to treat only. Not prevent.
Have you decided if you will stick to the medication, change or go unmedicated?