Unmedicated?

[MissBG]

Is there anyone out there that is unmedicated and doesn't have a stoma?

I was on Asacol and Aza when I got really sick and my liver went all wacky and for about 4 days was on no meds at all. My dr now has me on flagyl to treat the "current flare" with a script for zofran to be used as needed.

Here's the deal though... I feel fine. The flagyl always makes me a little yuck but other than that I feel fine. Little nausea, normal bowel habits, no blood, and little to no pain. I go to the lab friday and then back to the office wed to see if my liver is back to normal and I am toying with the idea of asking him if we can just kinda wait and see how things go before we add the Asacol back. No more Aza for me as I am pretty sure that is what messed with my liver.

But really is there any reason to start reintroducing meds if I am not having any symptoms?

 

[Miss Underestimated]

I think it really depends on the amount and degree of inflammation. Effect of inflammation is long-term. You gradually build up a kind of scar tissue, that thickens the walls of your intestines, until finally, nothing can get through there. Then it can become life-threatening (happened to me), with perforation and infection, and lots of bad stuff.

So while you don't feel any bad symptoms, it's silently doing it's damage. What they want to do is stop the inflammation before it does any more damage to the walls of your intestines.

 

[rygon]

There are quite a few people but most are on strict diets. Its one of those things that if you want to try it good luck but its best to find a doctor who is willing to give it a try as well (as it seems most want to go for the drug route)

 

[KWalker]

Hey . No meds here. I've had crohns for 20 years now, no surgery for crohns (aside from an abscess), no diet, no medicine. I'm very active, bike 10km a day and work a very busy and physically demanding full time job. I eat whatever I want and I still enjoy fast food and other greasy foods. I just eat fairly healthy when I eat at home.

I was on the meds listed below this post and just found that I didn't feel any different than when I was or wasn't on them. In fact, being off meds I feel better now without medicine because I don't have to deal with the side effects these meds give.

There is no cure for crohns. All the medicine will do is hide your symtpoms. If you don't show symptoms, what's there to hide? People say that without medicine your insides will just get worse but when I compare myself with "normal" people, there is physically no difference. There could be people that have crohns and don't even know it because they have no symptoms. Personally, I'm against putting more chemicals into my body when they can't get rid of the problem. Too many people depend on medicine these days because they're taught that there is no other option. Maybe those chemicals from medicine are also damaging our bodies so it gets to the point where they work, but they also make things worse. Its not healthy to live on medicine.

I get it once and awhile where I feel like crap. It lasts a few days, I deal with it and get on with my life. The ONLY symptom I have is diarrhea and that's when I do go to the bathroom. I'm never running to the bathroom, I'm never wondering where the nearest bathroom is, etc. I got approx 4 times a day and when I do it isn't formed. I'd say that's a pretty decent sacrifice for lifestyle I can manage without medicine.

I know some people won't agree with me but I hope this shows you another side to crohns. If you want to pm me for any personal questions or question you don't want to post, please feel free.


Oh and my colonoscopy last month showed I do have active inflammation and my crohns is in fact active. To me, its still not worth it for meds. If it gets bad enough that I need meds, then I'll go back and look into them.

 

[MissBG]

Thanks everyone! I would be thrilled to go without meds if possible but I fully intend to follow my drs advice and keeping an eye on things. Your right kwalker some of the meds are pretty scary!

 

[KWalker]

Just make sure that YOU feel comfortable with your doctors decisions as well and that you make him educate you on everything you want to know.

 

[MissBG]

Went back to the dr today and my labs came back completely normal! Very exciting considering he was worried about liver failure.

Anyway we talked about how I was feeling and agreed to dial my dosage back to only 800 mg of asacol once a day and see how things went from there. Also got the green light on my tubal and I start back on the Asacol after the surgery. Very happy to have some good news for a change. Now on to my pre-op appointment with my OBGYN tomorrow to get the surgery scheduled.