Newbie Crohn's

[JustThatGirl]

Hi, everyone!
My name is Kayla and I'm 23. I recently was confirmed to have Crohn's. I've been struggling with it for about a year now. I took a generic of proactive when I was a teen and my mother has colitis, so I suppose it could be the result of either, or both. I'm still uncertain with all a lot of this stuff.
I try to stay positive, because I realize there's people out there with cancer and I shouldn't succumb to self pity. I do though. I have always been a small girl. Since it's gotten bad, I've lost some weight. I used to be slightly over 100 pounds, give or take. Now I'm barely 90. I feel really disgusting, no curves. Then I feel bad for being so petty but I just can't gain weight. Everyone says, "just eat!".
The problem is I'm always nauseous. Is this part of Crohn's? My GI blows it off when I tell her. It's hard to eat when you are nauseous and/or have no appetite. Then I'm always feeling light headed and dizzy. My NP said this could be due to electrolyte malfunction but my GI blew this off as well. I'm considering switching to someone else. I've been taking pentasa since May I believe. I had an upper GI and a CT of my abdomen which showed inflammation and led her to believe I had Crohn's. She started me on pentasa yet my pain was still there.
last week I had a Colonoscopy and endoscopy and the inflammation was still there along with swelling. Now she wants to start me on an iv treatment.
Can anyone tell me anything about that?
I can barely afford the pills so I doubt I can afford an iv treatment.
And does anyone have any tips or advice on gaining weight? And the nausea?
I also feel depressed a lot. I'm typically a pretty energetic person. But lately I just feel exhausted all the time. I just don't feel like me. I feel ugly and tired. I'm finding myself to be mean to. I am grumpy a lot because I don't feel good. I have become so insecure and lost myself . I think I'm ruining my relationship with my boyfriend too. I'm embarrassed to be going to the rest room so frequently.
Has anyone else suffered depression?

 

[JustThatGirl]

Oh, lol I meant accutane. Not proactive. I've seen too many proactive commercials I think lol

 

[afidz]

Hi JustThatGirl!
It seems like you are going through a lot and having a hard time coping with the new diagnosis. Don't worry we have all been there,
First thing. Your doctor. It sounds like they aren't taking the time to listen to you. You are your biggest advocate. Your the only one that can say how you feel, and listen to your body when something is not right. If your doctor doesn't want to listen to what your saying and take you seriously, it may be time to switch. You need to take care of your disease to the best of your ability and having a supportive doctor is very important to do so.
I don't know very much about the medications you listed, I haven't been on either of them, but I am sure someone will be around shortly to answer those questions.
See if your doctor can prescribe you anti-nausea medication, it may help with the ability to eat. Another suggestion would be to try drinking something like Ensure. When I was flaring, and didn't want to eat, Ensure really helped me atleast get something down. Here is a link to the product's website, you can try to figure out which one would be best for you. It may also help with weight gain. When I had a problem with my electrolytes being low, my doctor told me to drink gatorade, and it did help me quite a bit, but that is just my own experience.
A lot of people on here find it helpful to seek counseling to deal with new emotions or problems you are having that you may not want to talk to friends or family about. And of course, you always have us! This is a great place to learn, vent, cry, laugh and just get support that you need. So, welcome!

 

[SarahBear]

Hi, Kayla!

I'm sorry about your weight issues - I had the same problem. I started out at 98lbs and dropped to about 90 just before I was diagnosed. Even a small amount of weight like that can make a big difference when you're already so small. I've always been somewhat self conscious about my lack of shape, too. I managed to gain the lost weight back (and then some) when I started Prednisone.

Do you know what medication is being delivered through the IV? Have you been on steroids (Prednisone, Entocort, etc.) to reduce the inflammation? Once the inflammation is down, gaining weight should be easier. I agree with afidz's suggestions regarding anti-nausea meds and Ensure. There are a over OTC anti-nauesea medications you might want to try before asking for a prescription.

The light-headedness and dizziness might also be from vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition. Have you had your vitamin levels checked? Deficiencies can also lead to depression.

I also agree with afidz about your doctor. It might be worth looking around for a new one, or at least being more assertive with the current one. Make sure they're addressing all your concerns adequately.

:hug: I hope you get feeling better soon, Kayla!