I recently 6/11/2012 had to bring myself to the ER because the pain in my stomach was excruciating painful. After having a CT scan I was rushed into emergency surgery due to having a perforated bowel. They ended up having to remove 12 inches of my intestine and my appendix. Once removed it was sent to pathology where I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. I am a cigarette smoker and a cannabis smoker. I know I have to quit cigarette's due to this disease not to mention the other health risks associated with smoking cigarettes, but after doing more research on Crohn's, I've found more positives for smoking cannabis then negatives on keeping flareups to a minimum. I am newly diagnosed and don't know much about the disease, but I know I don't want that pain again. My question would be if cannabis helps my symptoms and controls flareups, are there specific strains that would be recommended for someone with IBD.
Recovering from perforated bowel.
- Thread starter tecalias
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Angrybird
Moderator
Hello and welcome to the forum, I am sorry to hear that you have been so poorly 
If you have not already then check out our treatment forum as there is a sub forum here about medical marijuana that you may find helpful to have a look at. My only small word of caution is that if you have already been smoking cannabis for years? then whilst it may help with pain the fact you have had to have emergency surgery may be a sign that it cannot help in keeping your bowel settled.....
Do you have a follow up appt booked yet with a GI yet to discuss treatment options going forward? Apart from the obvious soreness from the op how are you feeling at the moment?
AB
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If you have not already then check out our treatment forum as there is a sub forum here about medical marijuana that you may find helpful to have a look at. My only small word of caution is that if you have already been smoking cannabis for years? then whilst it may help with pain the fact you have had to have emergency surgery may be a sign that it cannot help in keeping your bowel settled.....Do you have a follow up appt booked yet with a GI yet to discuss treatment options going forward? Apart from the obvious soreness from the op how are you feeling at the moment?
AB
xx
I do have a follow up appointment with the GI specialist coming up July 26th so hopefully I will find out a lot more at that time. Yes it is true that I have smoke cannabis for years, but I've also smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, not to mention not knowing I had Crohn's my diet was pretty poor (lots of things apparently not supposed to have.) My reason for wondering about the cannabis is I don't want to be on hard core prescription drugs for the rest of my life, and if I keep my diet in check and quit smoking cigarettes if that would help keep flareups in check. I'm slowly but surely recovering from my emergency surgery and recently started taking daily vitamin supplements and nutritional drinks high in protein to help maintain weight. I'm pretty much willing to try anything to help control the flareups anyway I can.
Angrybird
Moderator
It can't hurt to discuss the options with your doc, I can understand your goal to try and stay off the meds if possible. Another thing to ask you doc when you see them is to get your full vitamin panel checked especially your B12. It is common for us crohnies to be deficient in this and levels can drop even lower once bowel starts getting removed. Being deficient in this and other levels can also cause a whole host of issues on their own so it is best to start of getting these sorted as well. Also get specific numbers and don't settle for being told they are 'in the normal range' as being in the low range of normal can still cause problems.
AB
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AB
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David
Co-Founder
Hi there and welcome
As Angrybird mentioned, we have a medical marijuana subforum. There are indeed specific strains that are discussed in there.
As for keeping the disease in check, I would suggest you do everything you can to become an expert on every dietary and treatment option there is so you can make an informed decision and work with your doctor to find what is best for you. We're here to help you every step of the way with that process
As Angrybird mentioned, we have a medical marijuana subforum. There are indeed specific strains that are discussed in there.
As for keeping the disease in check, I would suggest you do everything you can to become an expert on every dietary and treatment option there is so you can make an informed decision and work with your doctor to find what is best for you. We're here to help you every step of the way with that process
Hi, I was diagnosed with crohns disease july 2012, since then I have had major flare ups which resulted in me being admitted 7 times in total in the last 4 months. When i had my CT scan done, the surgeon that examined the scan told my consultant that I would need an operation to remove part of my intestine due to the scar damage which would not improve but get worse. The consultant said he would like to treat it with anti-flammorities in the hope of reducing the swelling and that the op at this stage would not be necessary . As you meant to trust the doctors I never thought anything else of it being a newly diagnosed patient I had very little info about the disease and the risks. Shortly after i was discharged. 2 weeks after being allowed home I was admitted again (late september) due to severe burning pain in my abdomen, which I thought was another flare up, so went back to hospital, although coped for a couple of days before the pain became to unbearable. I had to wait 2 and half hours in the waiting room before I was even seen. When I finally went through, they apologised saying I shouldn't have been kept waiting. They done the usual x-rays and bloods, about half hour later the doctor came in with a consent form saying they needed to operate as they had a "slot". I was pretty scared as know they don't operate that way and considering it was about 10pm at night I know it wasn't standard unless something was very wrong.
I woke up the next afternoon in intensive care, apparently I found out in early December that my bowel had split wide open allowing all the toxins to poison my body. I had no idea of the risks of this happening as I wasn't told. I was attached to a ventilator as wasn't breathing for myself, I had tubes coming out everywhere and my poor daughter crying and my husband very anxious as it was touch and go whether or not I would pull through. Thankfully I did. Although if I hadn't have gone into hospital when I did, I would have been dead by the following morning. I was in hospital 9 days in total on that ocassion. I had a foot of intestine taken away and was fitted with a stoma bag for 6 months.
Since then my body is not absorbing the nutrients I need, as my ileum was taken away. I have to have B12 injections regularly now and my bloods done weekly as my potassium level is too high and my sodium too low?? I still can't come to terms with everything that has happened and find it very difficult talking about it verbally without crying. I am currently still off work while I recover. I am constantly getting leaks from my bag which can be upsetting, I sleep sitting up and daren't lay down as tend to get more leaks. My stoma nurse has tried all different kinds of bags and I also wear a belt but none of this helps, I still get the leaks I know I am lucky in a lot of ways as I know some people wear a bag permanetly which must be very difficult. I am just so angry that I wasn't given any info on crohns and the risks of it bursting, had I have known I would have gone into hospital sooner as I thought it was another flare up, how wrong I was.
I hope no-one ever has the same treatment I did and I said I'm still coming to terms with how I nearly lost my life due to the doctors not doing their jobs properly and informing me of the risks. I'm trying to get my life back on track in a positve way but this tends to be difficult at times. I want to go back to work, but am scared as I get so many leaks I know it would interfere with my job as a supervisor particularly if a member of staff rings the bell while I changing my bag as its not a five minute job. I just don't know what to do...
I'm sorry for rambling but know you guys on here will understand. Thankyou for taking the time to read my comment.
Best Wishes
I woke up the next afternoon in intensive care, apparently I found out in early December that my bowel had split wide open allowing all the toxins to poison my body. I had no idea of the risks of this happening as I wasn't told. I was attached to a ventilator as wasn't breathing for myself, I had tubes coming out everywhere and my poor daughter crying and my husband very anxious as it was touch and go whether or not I would pull through. Thankfully I did. Although if I hadn't have gone into hospital when I did, I would have been dead by the following morning. I was in hospital 9 days in total on that ocassion. I had a foot of intestine taken away and was fitted with a stoma bag for 6 months.
Since then my body is not absorbing the nutrients I need, as my ileum was taken away. I have to have B12 injections regularly now and my bloods done weekly as my potassium level is too high and my sodium too low?? I still can't come to terms with everything that has happened and find it very difficult talking about it verbally without crying. I am currently still off work while I recover. I am constantly getting leaks from my bag which can be upsetting, I sleep sitting up and daren't lay down as tend to get more leaks. My stoma nurse has tried all different kinds of bags and I also wear a belt but none of this helps, I still get the leaks
I know I am lucky in a lot of ways as I know some people wear a bag permanetly which must be very difficult. I am just so angry that I wasn't given any info on crohns and the risks of it bursting, had I have known I would have gone into hospital sooner as I thought it was another flare up, how wrong I was.I hope no-one ever has the same treatment I did and I said I'm still coming to terms with how I nearly lost my life due to the doctors not doing their jobs properly and informing me of the risks. I'm trying to get my life back on track in a positve way but this tends to be difficult at times. I want to go back to work, but am scared as I get so many leaks I know it would interfere with my job as a supervisor particularly if a member of staff rings the bell while I changing my bag as its not a five minute job. I just don't know what to do...
I'm sorry for rambling but know you guys on here will understand. Thankyou for taking the time to read my comment.
Best Wishes
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Willow, I had a similar experience, a perforated intestine is incredibly painful, and rushed into theatre twice in 6 days... I'm just glad to read you're still here and being looked after - I've had trouble with leaks and found these products very good, take a look at www.comfizz.com for ladies support products (I've no affiliation with this company by the way, just thought they may help).
Chin up, at some point it'll all be a day in the life, it's hard to adjust to what's happened but try and be positive, keep telling yourself you're getting better and be thankful for still being here. It can get hard sometimes, but look at the bigger picture. I did feel sorry for myself, but there's so much to look forward to now in your life!
Chin up, at some point it'll all be a day in the life, it's hard to adjust to what's happened but try and be positive, keep telling yourself you're getting better and be thankful for still being here. It can get hard sometimes, but look at the bigger picture. I did feel sorry for myself, but there's so much to look forward to now in your life!
Thankyou sean, I am a optimisitc person and always have been, but just think the time scale from when I was diagnosed to my bowel splitting has been in such a short time I have found it overwhelming. I am getting better day by day, just need to get these leaks under control as had 5 leaks yesterday and i think its more the leaks that get me down than everything else as have tried virtually everything. Not eating after 5pm but still get leaks in the night? Thankyou for sharing the website I will certainly look at that.
I'm still on painkillers, codeine sulphate slows the flow down and firms it up, I also take loperamide (imodium but not as expensive) to firm output up to something like porridge - what is your stoma output like? is it watery because taking both those things mentioned helps to stop leaks, I know exactly how you feel.
My mum brought in a lovely Marks and Sparks gown for me in Hospital, and I sprung a leak all over it, I just burst out crying out of anger/frustration/hopelessness at the damn thing, but taking the above meds has helped me and now I get away with 1 change per day - I also make sure I lay flat when putting it on and also make sure I'm bone dry around the stoma.
Hope these tips help! Good luck
My mum brought in a lovely Marks and Sparks gown for me in Hospital, and I sprung a leak all over it, I just burst out crying out of anger/frustration/hopelessness at the damn thing, but taking the above meds has helped me and now I get away with 1 change per day - I also make sure I lay flat when putting it on and also make sure I'm bone dry around the stoma.
Hope these tips help! Good luck
I am on loperamide 2mg which I take 4 times a day although my output is still watery most of the time, my consultant increased this to 3mg although my doctor says he hasn't received the fax about it, but have an appointment tomorrow with the doctor so will discuss it with him as fed up not sleeping. I stand up when I put my stoma bag on but I always ensure the area is dry before applying. I know what you mean about the frustration and the anger as I only tend to feel that way when I have a leak. I've had one today up to now so am hoping it stays that way
Thankyou for you time
Thankyou for you time
