Hi,
My son, who was 13 at the time (he just turned 14), was diagnosed with Crohn's in April this year. After two months on medication, he is seemingly doing well but our latest set of blood work, showed his liver enzymes were going up again. (They were originally really high before his diagnosis but were almost normal about a month ago.) So now, as we originally suspected, he may also have autoimmune hepatitis on top of the Crohn's. I was a very happy mom when I finally found him gaining weight (12 pounds in two months!), looking better and responding to meds (omeprazole, entocort, pentasa, cipro) but now I'm really worried that he has lost two pounds and his labs are going off again. He never showed any other symptoms besides slow weight gain and really bad labs. He never had stomach pain, diarrhea or anything other than being pale, very skinny and occasionally feverish. So I have nothing symptomatic to go on to know that he is flaring up. It's a blessing and a curse at the same time.
So now we are waiting to get more labs in two weeks and a follow-up visit with his pediatric GI specialist.
I was thrilled that we made great progress but now I'm really worried and scared that we are only at the very beginning of this long journey.
My poor son has so many "labels" already (aspergers, food allergies, asthma, crohn's, anxiety disorder). I feel like he has had to face so much in his short life and I'm looking for reassurance that he will be okay in the long run. He is an amazing young man.
I know that once you are diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder you are more prone to having others. Does anyone else have any experience with this particular combination?
Thank you all for being there. I've lurked in this forum for awhile now but this latest setback is making me so sad. I appreciate being able to post.
My son, who was 13 at the time (he just turned 14), was diagnosed with Crohn's in April this year. After two months on medication, he is seemingly doing well but our latest set of blood work, showed his liver enzymes were going up again. (They were originally really high before his diagnosis but were almost normal about a month ago.) So now, as we originally suspected, he may also have autoimmune hepatitis on top of the Crohn's. I was a very happy mom when I finally found him gaining weight (12 pounds in two months!), looking better and responding to meds (omeprazole, entocort, pentasa, cipro) but now I'm really worried that he has lost two pounds and his labs are going off again. He never showed any other symptoms besides slow weight gain and really bad labs. He never had stomach pain, diarrhea or anything other than being pale, very skinny and occasionally feverish. So I have nothing symptomatic to go on to know that he is flaring up. It's a blessing and a curse at the same time.
So now we are waiting to get more labs in two weeks and a follow-up visit with his pediatric GI specialist.
I was thrilled that we made great progress but now I'm really worried and scared that we are only at the very beginning of this long journey.
My poor son has so many "labels" already (aspergers, food allergies, asthma, crohn's, anxiety disorder). I feel like he has had to face so much in his short life and I'm looking for reassurance that he will be okay in the long run. He is an amazing young man.
I know that once you are diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder you are more prone to having others. Does anyone else have any experience with this particular combination?
Thank you all for being there. I've lurked in this forum for awhile now but this latest setback is making me so sad. I appreciate being able to post.