Should I just keep taking the meds?

[zHassanz]

I have been taking meds for Crohn's (Pentasa, Imuran and Solupred) for 45 days today, and there has not been a single improvement since then. I have discussed this with my doctor the last time I visited (that was a week ago) and he said that he thinks I'm just being too "impatient" and that he himself is noticing that I'm getting better (I don't know how since all the symptoms are felt by me not him).

I'm not really sure if he's just being stubborn or that I should just wait. And if I do wait, for how long? Is that even normal; noticing no improvements after that long time? Or do I need surgery?

I feel really down and very stressed out when I think of this, and I really hope that this will be sorted out soon somehow. :/

 

[Clash]

It can take a few months for imuran to reach effective levels. Has he been testing to make sure your dosage doesn't need adjusting? Pentasa alone often isn't enough and even as adjunct therapy may not work well.

Is solupred a steroid? If it is a systemic corticosteroid then you should see improvement with it more quickly than with the other meds. Sometimes once you start to taper the pred the symptoms will return especially if the maintenance meds haven't had time to reach therapeutic levels.

 

[tzvia]

I waited about 4 months while on Humira and no improvement. At that point, my Dr and I agreed that surgery was the best option.

You could always get another opinion from another GI. It's not so great that your GI says that you are improving yet you do not feel like you are improving. Can your GI tell you what evidence he bases that statement from?

 

[cookie_cat]

I sorta know how you feel. I'm not on the same meds, but every time I go in the GI asks if I'm feeling better, I just feel the same. The best thing to do is have faith in the medical professionals.

 

[zHassanz]

It can take a few months for imuran to reach effective levels. Has he been testing to make sure your dosage doesn't need adjusting? Pentasa alone often isn't enough and even as adjunct therapy may not work well.

Is solupred a steroid? If it is a systemic corticosteroid then you should see improvement with it more quickly than with the other meds. Sometimes once you start to taper the pred the symptoms will return especially if the maintenance meds haven't had time to reach therapeutic levels.

Yes, I have done tests to check the Imuran dose and I have already started doubling the dose and I don't notice any different.

And yeah Solulred is Prednisone, and I have started tapering it off (from 2 pills a day now I take one) maybe I should ask him if I should just Increase the dose again? I'm having finals and I have been doing really bad and I don't want to carry all those unpleasant symptoms with me to the next semester or I might just fail.

 

[zHassanz]

I waited about 4 months while on Humira and no improvement. At that point, my Dr and I agreed that surgery was the best option.

You could always get another opinion from another GI. It's not so great that your GI says that you are improving yet you do not feel like you are improving. Can your GI tell you what evidence he bases that statement from?

Maybe I should just wait; I'm very confused about it, to be honest.

Seeing another GI wont be that easy, though. It took me 4 other doctors to find this one who was actually able to diagnose me with Crohn's; others were too dumb to realize that and they have put me on meds for peptic ulcer and GERD for 6 months.

I don't really know where he gets that idea from, but he just says that I looked like a drug addict when I first came to see him and that now I look more healthier.

 

[zHassanz]

I sorta know how you feel. I'm not on the same meds, but every time I go in the GI asks if I'm feeling better, I just feel the same. The best thing to do is have faith in the medical professionals.

How long have you been taking your meds for?

I'm really sorry we have to go through this, and I'm trying to have some faith, but it's not that easy when even drinking water leaves me bloated for hours.