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Jul 31, 2011
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My name is Juli and I've had Crohn's for about 16 years. I'm 30 now so you can do the math. I was diagnosed the summer before my Sophomore year of high school when a routine blood test showed my WBC was crazy out of control. The doctors thought I had Leukemia at first, but after 10 days in and tons of tests later, they diagnosed me with Crohn's Disease. I had gotten down to 57 pounds so it was a good thing when they finally figured it out. I had to go home with a PIC line for the next 3 months so I could gain some weight. I struggled the rest of my school years being sick a lot, which is why I am still going to college now. I will finally be getting my A.A. degree after the summer semester, so I'm a little relieved to be getting somewhere at last.

I started my Crohn's journey on Prednisone, then Asacol, then nothing for a few years, then Mercaptopurine for the last 10 years (minus the 2.5 years I was pregnant and/or breast feeding and the healthiest I have ever been). Since I stop breast feeding my second child a year and a half ago, Crohn's has come back to me with a vengeance. I am now taking Asacol 6 times a day, as well as Mercaptopurine. I refuse to go back on Prednisone since it seems to be an extremely temporary fix that makes my face super fat and me act like a psycho. Nothing is working anymore. I told my doctor today that I need to try something else so I am going to see him this week about starting Humira. I'm a little nervous about injections :voodoo: but at this point, I will try anything. I am on a colorful assortment of supplements that I like to think make me feel a little bit better. I've done tons of research and come up with a few that are supposed to help with energy levels, inflammation and your immune system: virgin coconut oil liquid gels, peppermint & oregano oil complex, coenzyme B food complex, B-12, MGC-5 mushroom complex, and the ever trustworthy Omega 3 fish oils.

So if anyone has any tips, tricks, or warnings for starting or being on Humira, please let me know. Thanks! Glad I found this site!
 
HI juli- i have had crohn's for 21 years now and was in remission for 15 years and now it flared up again. most of the vitamins and minerals don't work i am afraid. Maybe the omega fish oil i found to be useful it suppose to keep the imflammation down, but sometime i wonder about that i'm taking it now and as no effects what so ever. i am currently on preds for a short term hopefully. i don't know much about Humira never been on it. i am presently taking asacol, dicetel, modulin and oxycodone for the pain. but, i welcome you to forum and there is a lot of information here i am sure you will find what you are looking for. best wishes.
 
HI juli- i have had crohn's for 21 years now and was in remission for 15 years and now it flared up again. most of the vitamins and minerals don't work i am afraid. Maybe the omega fish oil i found to be useful it suppose to keep the imflammation down, but sometime i wonder about that i'm taking it now and as no effects what so ever. i am currently on preds for a short term hopefully. i don't know much about Humira never been on it. i am presently taking asacol, dicetel, modulin and oxycodone for the pain. but, i welcome you to forum and there is a lot of information here i am sure you will find what you are looking for. best wishes.

Hi Juli and Scott,

I too became ill in 1983, but was dignosed with crohn's since 1987(surgery on small int-removing 6 in. and emergency surgery 1995-removing a segment). I've been on asacol 400mg and questran-powder for a long time(after they removed my gallbladder). I believe the asacol might be the best imflammation medication, but I still have flare ups. I've been on prednisone and others, and crohn's they say have caused my sjodren syndrome and lower back pain. So, the list is not good, but stay prayful and hopeful. This disease is not easy to deal with, and looking at the food list of do's and don't, we are not completely safe when we eat, but we have to eat. Best wishes also:)
 
Hi welcome :)

I am glad you found the forum! Do not be worried with Humira. Hopefully it will do wonders for you and help a lot. There are many on this forum that are on Humira. I was at one point also. There is a Humira thread which might help you with a lot of information on here to put you more at ease! If you are worried about eventually giving yourself the injection your doctor can still help you with that for each time you need to administer a shot! I hope that you do well on it and start to feel great soon :)
 
I was also on Humira at one point. It worked great for about 6 months. Other people had a much longer success with it. My nurse did a great job putting me at ease with giving myself injections. I'ts much easier than you think. The most important thing is getting you healthy again. Good luck and welcome!
 
Thanks everyone! This forum is absolutely amazing. I can't believe I'm just now discovering it. I'm so thankful there is something like this to help everyone struggling with Crohn's and the like. It is definitely needed! 6mp has worked so well for me during the past 10+ years and is just now failing me, so I'm really hopeful for the Humira. I think it will do the trick.
 
Went to see my GI doc today and he is putting me on entocort since I refuse to go on Prednisone unless absolutely necessary, and I have to do a small bowel follow through next week so he can see just how bad it is in there. He put the request in today for Humira though, so hopefully the entocort can ease the inflammation enough for the Humira to work, and he won't find any scar tissue in my intestine. He said scar tissue means surgery. Yuck. Wish me luck!
 
THe Entocort med it worked really good for me. I was on it for 1 1/2 yrs, it help with some of my back pain too.:)
 
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