Newly Diagnosed - Some Questions

[scarygoround]

Hi,

I'm 24, female, and (very) newly diagnosed with Crohn's Disease -- today in fact. It's not too much of a surprise, as the symptoms fit (I've been having diarrhoea, mucus/blood in the stools, severe stomach pain, mouth ulcers and joint pain in my knees and ankles, for the last few months) and I was told at my last appointment with my gastroenterologist that she was almost certain it was Crohn's.

So anyway, I was diagnosed today via colonoscopy. Apparently it's classed as severe, as there was a stricture caused by inflammation that didn't even allow my doctor to get all the way around my colon, so she's started me on 3 months of Prednisone, starting at 40mg and tapering down. Which she said should reduce the inflammation, after which I'll probably be put on Humira and something else which I can't recall right now.

To get to the point, what I was wondering is what sort of effect will/should the Prednisone have on my symptoms? I'm really hoping to feel better and not have horrific stomach aches and diarrhoea.... and being able to walk properly would be nice, too! :tongue: Is this likely to be thecase after taking the Prednisone for a while? Or is it more to treat the underlying problem (the inflammation) than the symptoms?

Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions

 

[Bld]

I have always found that Pred starts to improve the symptoms quite quickly. You will also most likely be put on something that acts long term to maintain the benefits of the Pred. Side effects for me are insomnia and feeling hungry but much better that the pain and symptoms of the illness.

 

[scarygoround]

Thanks Bld. Hope this is the case with me. I dropped 20+ lbs over the last few months, so I kind of hope it does make me hungry. I love food and cooking, so one of the things I've missed is actually enjoying eating.

I'm a little worried that I'll end up getting super moody, which is one potential side effect I was told of.

 

[Z_Ghost]

Pred does work wonders for me but it can make me moody for a few days and the first time they put me on it I had to stop taking it. My doc lowered the amount for a week then had me go back up and that worked with me wanting to kill everyone.
Just remember that everyone is different so it might not bother you at all.
One thing to think about is it probably will make you hungry all the time and you really need to watch what you eat and how much you eat. Do not want to over do it all at once and make your tummy hurt more.

 

[David]

Hi there and welcome to the community. I hope you're feeling better soon!

You mention not being able to walk properly. Is that due to the pain or are you having gait problems?

All my best to you!

 

[bella2]

I was on prednisone years ago when I was first diagnosed. It will definitely help your appetite and weight gain. You will get a lot of acne though. I hope you don't have to be on it for very long, because it really is an awful steroid.

 

[Angrybird]

Hello and :welcome: to the forum.

I hope the pred does the trick and that you soon start to feel much better. There is a lot of helpful info and support here so do have a good nosy around.

AB
xx

 

[Dunbar]

Welcome to our little family. I personally loved the Pred,it kicked in almost immediately, no pain, I could eat, lots of energy, slept like a baby and was joyful. I did lose hair in copious amounts, grew a nice fuzz all over (which helped in mosquito season, the hair warned me when they got close, lol), my teeth took a beating but whether that was the pred or the crohns I'm not sure. Make sure to take 250 mg calcium and magnesium daily while on the pred, helps against the leaching from the bones plus if taken at night will help you to sleep. Here's to feeling better soon.