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Medicine?

which medicine seems to be the best? im taking asacol and I have extremely bad leg and muscle cramps, joint pain, headaches, abdominal pain, and overall feeling of just plain ill. I read the side effects and omg, im so scared to wreck my kidneys and liver!
 

DJW

Forum Monitor
I'm on azathioprine and remicade for my crohn's. I'm getting my life back and haven't had any problems.

When I was first diagnosed none of the meds available worked. That has resulted in many complications.
Personally I'm so thankful for Remicade.
 

valleysangel92

Moderator
Staff member
Unfortunately there is no 'one size fits all'.

The medication you are currently using is one of the mildest ones used for crohns. It is widely used as the first step on the ladder as it is generally seen as the one least likely to have serious side effects.

The next level up are the immunosuppressants such as azathioprine. This has more risks but a higher success rate and can keep symptoms at bay for a number of years. Some people can't tolerate this and use a medication called mercatopurine instead which is basically a refined form of Aza.
The other commonly used immunosuppressant is methotrexate. This is only taken once a week and can be given as either a tablet or an injection.
Not everyone can tolerate these medications, so it's a case of seeing what fits you best.

If these don't work or your body doesn't tolerate them, the next option could be biologics. These block a specific protein called TNF -alpha which is thought to be over produced in crohns patients, it's a part of the immune system which deals with threats, leaving temporary inflammation. In crohns patients, the over production of TNF is thought to be partly responsible for the constant inflammation. Biologics work by blocking the TNF. They are however very expensive and considered more risky, so they will often be held back for more persistent cases ( availability varies based on where you live) .

Again, biologics don't suit everyone, but they do have a good success rate.

It's all about working out what's the best thing for you individually
 
as of right now I have to choose between remicade or humira. tons of blood work later its so out of whack its crazy, hardly anything is in normal range. I was just in the ER a week ago with pleurisy, the ER idiot dr gave me an NSAID after I told him I couldn't take it... my dr is really angry now. might also have RA, lupus or a heart condition... GOING CRAZY NOW! since my life is so consumed by 4 kids I think im gonna choose humira, now ill get to bring the needles home with me.... I should write a book. lol
 

valleysangel92

Moderator
Staff member
Humira definitely seems a good choice, I've heard a lot of success stories and it's much easier to fit it around your routine, its just a case of getting over the need to inject yourself but many people find that they soon get the hang of it
 
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