Hi gully
Some people will tell you get the meds even humira to. Control the inflammation otherwise you will face more severe problems down the road.
Others will tell you to try other drugs and others will. Advise the natural and healthy way. You will literally have to choose your own poison.
If you do all the other healthy stuff that is what I would recommend save the biologics and 6mp for when you are desperate. None of them or anything will work forever for 95% of us!
I know you said others will say try other drugs and here I am
. I was in the same shoes and mindset as Gully in my early years after diagnosis. Was prescribed pentasa, which for Crohn's is pretty much useless. I did not use any other drugs for the first years and probably had constant inflammation despite trying to work out and eat foods that did not get me into trouble. As with the majority if untreated young Crohn's patients that ended up with surgery. Unfortunately, if untreated, if there is regular activity/inflammation it is just very likely that strictures form in the smaller intestine.
So there is a reason the view today of modern Crohn's treatment is to use effective drugs in combination with diet, stress relief, treating vitamin and mineral deficiencies etc., simply because the potential long term use consequences (over decades) of immunosuppressives such as 6mp/aza or biologics are a lot less likely than the severe consequences of untreated Crohn's.
I am not saying that people can't stay in long term remission without drugs, actually that is my own goal as well and I tried it from 2008-2010 and again this year and will try it again. What I am saying is, it is hard and for the vast majority of patients very hard at the onset of Crohn's before they were able to be in long term (drug induced) remission for several years.