Not taking medication for a few months?

[support]

not taking medication for a few months?

hey, i myself do not have crohns my gf has.
she has being diagnosed for over a 1yr, but has had it for alot longer and took a while for the docs to work it out, she also has arthritis.

she was good when she first found out (i was not with her then) then there was a break down with her partner as then and she went of the rails a bit and stopped taking her meds, not exactly what they were but she was on the steroids and seems like she takes quiet a few tablets a day(suppose to)
she started drinking with her friends a during the week and then weekends, not sure how bad this is for her?

i beleive she hasnt taken her meds properly for about 5 months, im supervising her taking them day and night not, but still wonder how much worse has it made it because she has alot more bad days than good, has anyone else been through this sorta rebel stage? she is in early 20's so that maybe a reason why

 

[Nyx]

Steroids and alcohol do not mix! She could wind up in the hospital doing that! I'm not sure what to tell you though. If you start 'babysitting' her that just might compound the problem. But at the same time, it does sound like she needs some guidance. I suppose if she gets really bad, she'll come to her senses.

Sorry this hasn't been more helpful. I hope it gets better for you both and good luck.

 

[My Butt Hurts]

Quitting steroids without tapering can be a very dangerous thing. It can cause her adrenal gland to shut down. What other meds is she on?
Crohn's disease unmanaged can be a really terrible life. I hope it doesn't catch up with her.
Maybe she would like to read a round here and join too.
Good for you for trying to find help for her here.
Welcome.

 

[Crohn's 35]

Support, Welcome, and you are sweetie to follow up on her. She needs to realize this disease means to look after yourself and care what goes in your body. She is young, and most young people wanna party, and do things that are not healthy. We have been there too. She really needs to keep her meds continued or she may have a doctor who may be not take her seriously. There is no cure, but there is ways to control it and you have to take care of your liver, drinking makes it tough on it. Keep us updated on how she is doing, denial (like I did when I was young) only creates more problems. Help her, you are welcomed here anytime!

 

[Jennifer]

I haven't taken any medication for my crohns in about a year. I stopped because my insurance stopped paying for it and I can't afford it. I also refused to see the GI that I just started seeing because I think he's a quack and totally useless. I'll find a new one. So far, I'm ok. Not great but I've also already had surgery so I lost that really bad section but it'll come back, just a matter of when.

My sister hasn't taken medication for her crohns for years. She doesn't have insurance and believes that the pills do more harm than good. She also doesn't want to live until she's really old. She's had complications like bleeding off and on and it makes me sad that there's nothing I can do for her. I can't convince her to take her medicine or go to a GI for that matter even if she had insurance.

Only thing you can do is stay supportive and try to convince her to take her meds again. It will be her choice obviously but try to remind her how important life is. You can die from this if its left untreated. It'll just be a really slow and eventually probably painful death. My doctors told me that I would have died by 7th grade if I wasn't diagnosed when I was 9.

 

[support]

Thank you all for your reply's! We were actually up all night in the emergency department, because early last week she was vomiting and feeling really sick, she just thought she had a tummy bug, but she still feels the same, i had to push her to get to go to emergency because shes had alot of time off work and doesnt want anymore when really her health is more important, she was in emergency 1 month before for the same problem. she has just a constant pain and then when eating it is so bad she only has a few bites?

it seems she is sick most days now and i just dont know if this is normal or something is getting worse?

they couldnt do much but try to get her in to see her GP earlyer than her next appointment, and shes going to get a second opinion in 1 month because what they are doing isnt working.

she knows what she should be doing and really wants to get healthier, she has quit smoking it has been 6 weeks, this is a big step i believe.
its hard for me to remember exactly what shes on heres the ones i can think of
- mesalamine
- prednisone (has had 4 courses but decideds she doesnt want to take them anymore because of alot of weight gain which i can understand for a girl in her early 20's)
- some sorta kemo medication??
- and things like calcium and fish oil Vb
- daily doses of panadol

i dont want to babysit her and shes starting to feel that she needs to do something if she wants to try live a better life, she has cut back on the drinks now only a sat night every few weeks and doesnt destroy herself, only has a few. hopefull her specialist that shes seeing in a month who's a surgeon aswell will have a better idea of what to do.

theres no financial reason why she cant take her meds, she just has to get back in a routine now, and as she said stop pretending like she can do everything that other girls her age can

 

[support]

bump

 

[kenny]

early 20's. Umm I have to admit most of it is lost in a haze of sorts.

I will say this. There is data out there about the patient failing to follow through with treatment causing the success rate of recovery/remission to be so low.

Its good you care, but don't push her so hard she gets annoyed with you man. She has to take that responsibility herself.

 

[Astra]

Hi support
and welcome

I just wanted to say I was in that river, D-Nile, I neglected to take my meds, very blase, very complacent, very stupid!
Ended up in A&E and nearly died!
didn't realise that stopping Budesonide could kill me, didn't realise that alcohol was killing me yada yada etc
I think you've done the right thing trying to find info on Crohns, and I hope she realises that she's got a good lad there in you, and realises that she can't mess about with this disease any more, she's got it for ever, she's gotta change her lifestyle, and come to terms with it. She is young, I know, but with your support, she'll be able to do it. Yes the Pred is horrible, and she will put weight on, but it's temporary and a small price to pay!
Admirable my friend, a lot would have walked away by now
Good luck
Joan xx