No Treatment

[giftedvision]

I was wondering if anyone else on here was having to deal with Crohn's without any treatment. I'm scared it will cause later complications, but so far I've actually been doing okay. Most of the time, the pain only comes back when I get stressed out.

 

[hippie4lyfe]

I believe if its not too bad, its best to avoid meds. Just eat what is right for you and meditate, avoid stress and you should be ok. Just stay away from spicy foods, animal products, and if you are flaring peel your fruits and veggies to avoid the fiber complex.

 

[Colt]

I went 6 years without treatment. I was diagnosed when I was 17. Just after the diagnosis was worked out and I had just begun my treatment (steroid pack, flagil, and asacol) I turned 18 and the state of missouri decided I was too old to be sick anymore. I was horribly ill and was kicked out of high school for poor attendence and then had to drop out of college because I was too sick to stay up all night cramming and writing papers and too poor to not work. Pretty much it destroyed my life.

Then a few months ago I finally landed a nice government job at a hospital and all of a sudden I have really good insurance. I started going to the doctors and the last few months have been relatively great thanks to prednisone. They didn't find any long-term damage to my intestines for the period of no treatment, they added IBS to my diagnosis which explains why it seemed like I had gone 8 years without ever going into remission, and it looks like I'm in prednisone-induced remission to boot.

My only problem at this point is my joints which since tapering my prednisone (down to 10mg from the max of 60mg) have flared up again and are rather crippling. But, I still have some hope that I'll be able to fix that problem too. Either with help from my GI, if he considers it part of the crohn's, or from a rheumatologist if he refers me to one instead.

Either way, I wish I had continued to get treatment way back when, especially now that I know that my problems can be controlled so well. Imagine what a few meds could have done for me. I could have gotten to where I am today much faster and easier and missed out on those years of absolute hell I went through to get here.

 

[giftedvision]

Yeah I'm hoping to get a position soon that will give me at least some health benefits but it's so hard to even get a job nowadays.
6 years without treatment is a long time! Unfortunately I might be waiting that long as well. I'm glad that you didn't get any long-term damage. That's the main thing I'm scared about.
But all I can do at the time being is to try and stay as relaxed as possible and eat as well as I can. I'm lucky because I've never been able to take spicy food (my tongue is rediculously sensitive to spices) so I have no interest in eating any of it. I definately could improve the rest of my diet though.

 

[Colt]

I can't live without spicy food. I rarely use salt or pepper, just hot sauce. Fortunately it's not too bad on me. I think I've kind of forced my body to accomodate it to some degree.

 

[Creepy Lurker]

I skipped my meds for the first year I was diagnosed. I'm paying for it now.

 

[D Bergy]

You can self treat your Crohn's with supplements. It is not the same as using drugs, but it can help. It is likely better than no treatment at all.

Make sure you get adequate vitamin D. Fish or Krill Oil can be used daily for inflammation and other benefits. Turmeric and/or Ginger capsules to dampen inflammation.

There are lots of other products that do not have, or have minimal risks that you can treat with.

Dan

 

[s.a.m.]

My Crohns is mild, I was on entocort for afew months and then my doctor wanted to see how I would do without any drugs, I lasted about a month, got sick again and was put back on the entocort.

 

[patput]

I haven't been on any drugs for Crohn's for almost 20 years, but I have been on B12 shots and prescription Folic Acid because of the results of the disease. I was on steroid injections back in the day, but fortunately nothing since 1990. They didn't have the immune suppressant drugs when I was the most ill.

 

[daisy_dueller]

For the first 2 years and a bit that I was diagnosed, I thought I was able to control it with diet and exercise...however, I don't think that was the best route for me, as I am now 3 months out of major surgery. So I personally wouldn't suggest doing that. But, in this disease, everyone is different, so if it's working for you, and you're happy and comfortable...rock on.

 

[Nikki Lynn]

let me know how it goes!

giftedvision let me know how it goes for you. I'm facing the same thing! I changed insurance companies and my new one has a pre-existing condition clause so it wont cover anything with my Crohn's. I'm currently on entocort and pentasa. I've only taken the entocort for a month so i've already weaned myself off of it.

I can't afford the meds though being a student. I'm hoping my doc can help me out!

Let's keep in touch and see how our no treatment goes! Good luck!

 

[Agent X20]

I went for a period of about 18 years, 1982 to 2000 without seeing a specialist about crohns. Very strange, in hindsight. I think it wasn't bothering me much and remained dormant, because I got up to all sorts, I went diving, practised martial arts, played in rock bands, and drinking a lot (off and on). However, I do remember a really bad patch between about 1990 and 1993, when I had an awful lot of pain, but I was living on my own and so gormless I just didn't go to the docs... I'd spend entire days curled up in a foetal position. Looking back on it I was not being very clever at all, I've now firmly got the message that it's better to get things treated before they get worse

 

[Mazen]

My doctor always told me that I need to stay on a maintenance medicine for my whole life, no matter if I am in remission or flaring. It is Pentasa in my case.....

 

[rpmacglaflin]

i went three years without treatment and that is nothing compared to to side effects to my medication.

 

[jamie2462]

if you arent receiving treatment I hope you are taking some types of supplements. If you aren't absorbing your nutrients you could quickly have a weight loss or malnourishment sneak up on you...

Vitamin D, Lotsa Veggies (steamed or stirfry'd well), Drink lots of OJ, Calcium if you can't do milk like a lot of people on here....or a once a day supplement but those don't carry the recommended amount...maybe talk to your pharmacist about what would be the best route for you.

Keep calm, cool and collected and hopefully you will be in remission for years with no surgery or flare ups. POWER TO YOU.