Crohn's Questions

treatment of crohn’s disease

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about treatment of crohn’s disease. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.com

Q: Does anyone know about Suboxone being used for treatment of crohn’s disease?
i was diagnosed with crohn’s disease about a year ago. nothing has worked for me except for prednisone, which causes very bad side effects after awhile so i can’t take it for more than 3 months at a time. i met a girl today that was telling me about how she has had crohn’s for 11 years now and her symptoms were even more severe than mine and prednisone was the only thing that worked for her other than oxycontin and perks, which i’m not on any pain meds, (and when she was laid off her insurance ran out and turned to heroin to kill the pain) until she started taking Suboxone. She has been part of a study group for it for 2 years now and she said it has finally been approved for not only helping with opiate abuse but also for crohn’s disease treatment. she said it is a life-saver and she feels like a normal person again and has energy and it’s as if she doesn’t even have crohn’s. does anyone know anything about Suboxone for crohn’s disease? the only thing i’m finding information about it being used for is drug abuse. i really want to tell my gi doctor about it. please help.

A: hi stoe, I am a crohn’s pt. for 25+ yrs. Have you check the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s site to see what they have to say about it?
Try calling their hotline, live chat, or posting the ? on their open forum to see if anyone else w/CD has heard of it.

CCFA’s main HQ is in NYC and they do tons of research on IBD and work w/many scientists/pharmacy techs etc. to find the cause, cure, and a better way to treat the disease until a permanent cure can be found.

good luck and definitely give CCFA a look into and call them.

Q: How do I transfer my Crohn’s Disease treatment to England’s National Health Service?
My doctor in America recently told me to transfer my treatment for Crohn’s Disease to the NHS in England since I’ve been studying here and living here for two and a half years, so I could only be under his care in America when I went home for visits.
I’m scared that the NHS will not offer my medication, Mercaptopurin, as a treatment option.
I am also concerned because this medication requires blood work to check for liver damage, but I have an intense fear of needles. This is eased by numbing medication prescribed to me in America, but I am pretty much positive that the NHS would not offer that? If this was the case, is it possible to buy things supplementally? I’m sorry, I’m so confused!
Since I live on scholarships , student loans, and a crappy job, private care is not much of an option.
I should have mentioned that I do have an NHS card / #, so I know I am able get access to care. I was confused where to go from there…

A: I have Crohn’s & can tell you for a fact that the NHS is NOT the lowest treatment you can get. Personally I dont take your drug but it is available. The only problem you may have is with eligibility:
This is from an immigration site. If you have an existing condition then even if you qualify for treatment it may not apply to pre-existing conditions.
I’d check with Citizens Advice(CAB) or your local GP
“However, eligibility under this category will not generally apply if the overseas resident came to the UK knowing that they needed medical care. The exception is if they were specifically referred to the UK for treatment under a reciprocal agreement.”

Q: No sexual arousal after Crohn’s Disease treatment?
I’m a bottom guy, over the course of a year I developed a Crohn’s Disease and it had taken a great deal of my daily activity, I lost almost a quarter of my body weight as in January I was only 82 lbs, while the treatment and medication have shown progressions, and I started to go back to work, the problem is I don’t feel any sexual arousal anymore, I wonder if it’s the disease or the medication but I can’t tell my doctor because I’m not out yet, I feel guilty towards my boyfriend who has gone from understanding to all grumpy lately. I feel so useless and unattractive. what should I do?

A: my aunt has crohn’s, i don’t know that it’s impacted her sexual life, but then it’s a slightly different situation for her.

my advice is to talk to your doctor, doctor patient confidentiality prevents him from outing you and you’ll get your answers from an informed source.

if you don’t want to do that, i’m in nursing school and i swear by webmd

Q: Treatment for Crohn’s Disease?
My boyfriend’s mother has crohn’s disease and she has had some problems with it. She recently took a vacation to visit us (12 hrs away), and the day she got back home she went to the hospital for chemotherapy treatments. She told my b/f that it was nothing to worry about that it was just treatment for her crohn’s. I don’t know much about crohn’s/treatments, but I have never heard of chemotherapy as a form of treatment for this disease. She has lied to him once before when she was having renal failure and she told him that it was just a simple kidney infection. Is chemotherapy a treatment used for crohn’s disease?

A: i think so. theorpy means cure.

Q: Does anyone have information on the use of injectable methotrexate for treatment of Crohn’s Disease?
My 15-year-old daughter is experiencing a severe Crohn’s Disease flare-up that has been resistant to several in- and out-patient medical therapies. Her G.I. doc now wants to try weekly, injectable methotrexate. Any information you can share? Thank you.

A: Methotrexate belongs to the class of drugs known as anti-metabolites. Antimetabolites impede the body’s natural chemical processes, such as DNA production and cell division. They are helpful in cancer treatments. The FDA is approving cancer treatments for Autoimmune Diseases such as Crohn’s. If you’re uncomfortable giving her a shot they do it in infusions. Before doing this, did your gastro say anything about Remicade or Humira? I have Crohn’s Disease and I’m on Remicade. If she is on 6 MP (Imuran) do not do this new drug. As you know she can only take Tylenol…that is about the basic that I can tell you off hand. I’m sorry she is in a flare, they’re trying to get mine back into remission and I hope they do the same for her. Good luck.

Pharmacy & Vet Tech/Crohnie

Q: For treatment of Crohn’s Disease (vs. Ulerative Colitis), do you recommend Prednisone or Entocort?
Since Crohn’s affects the whole digestive system (rather than the more localized areas in UC), I was wondering if any of you CD patients have had better (or at least adequate) flare treatment on Entocort, rather than on Prednisone. I’d love it if my daughter with CD could be treated with something other than Prednisone… Thank you.

A: I’ve had CD for about 10 years now. I was put on Entocort about a year and a half ago, and i love it! I have only had 2 flares since i’ve started taking it, and only had to be hospitalized for one. When the flares get acute, my doc puts me on the prednisone along with the entocort, but thats usually just for a two week period till everything calms down. As far as using Entocort for maintanence, i can’t say anything bad about it – I love it, its like a miracle drug to me!

Q: Has anybody been getting Remicade treatments for Crohn’s disease, but it is not working?
I have had three infusions and I feel nothing. Others have suggested that this has been a wonder of a drug for them.

A: Jasper,

I had remicade infusions for 7 years and in the beginning they worked really well for me but then they lost their effectiveness. From what I understand, it is a miracle medication for some but doesn’t help in the least for others. If it is not working for you, you could discuss the possibility of doing self injections of Humira. I know a few people who did terrible on the remicade but had great results with the Humira. For me the Humira didn’t work either but I hope that you find something that works for you. If you would like to discuss CD further just give me your yahoo messenger or email and I will get in touch with you. I have had CD for 14yrs and I am very knowledgeable about all the meds since I have been on them. :0) Best of luck with the CD, it is not an easy disease to live with.

Q: For treatment of severe Crohn’s Disease, what are the benefits/side-effects of cortisone vs mesalamine enemas?
At various times, my daughter has been on either cortisone or mesalamine daily enemas, to treat her severe Crohn’s Disease. Right now, it is the cortisone variety. What experiences have any of you Crohn’s patients had with benefits and/or side-effects of either of these treatments? Can cortisone enemas cause side-effects similar to those of oral prednisone (weight-gain, “moon face”…)? Thank you!
My daughter is in the care of a great gastro. practice at a regional children’s hospital. She does take a double-dose of Remicade, every eight weeks. Despite that, she was hospitalized all of November and was on the usual mega i.v. prednisone, TPN, etc. While in the hospital, they had her using some type of suppository and a mesalamine enema. Upon her discharge, they discontinued the suppository and prescribed a cortisone-based enema. She was able to start tapering down on her prednisone fro 60mg/day and is now at 15mg/day. This time around, her body hasn’t noticeably gained weight, but her face in huge. (Of course, I do not hint to that!). My question about the cortisone enemas boils down to whether her being on them could be prolonging the length of time for some of her prednisone-related side-effects to wan away, What are your thoughts?

A: Hi Elisabeth, if your daughter is in a big flare, why isn’t the GI trying Remicade, Humira, or Entocort to get things under control? Is she on any pain meds to be made comfortable? Make sure she is on something as she has that right to be.

When I was younger, I found that the enemas really didn’t help so I was on oral steroids until they stopped working at 80 mg and needed surgery to improve my quality of life.

Check out the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation for more information. They have live chats, a hotline, an open forum, plus they have meetings for kids under age 18 as well as their parents.

I know it’s hard to watch your child suffer, educate yourself, ask the GI questions or even attend a CCFA meeting to talk to those who are in the same boat as yourself. Best of luck to you.

In regards to your question 4 days ago:

If I were you:I’d attend one of the CCFA support meetings & ask the members about their experience w/these meds, and then I’d ask the GI or pharmacist. But that’s just me.

Q: where can we find best treatment in USA for Colitis or Crohn’s disease?
one of our friend’s son has a Colitis disease and we are looking for a help in USA, where can we find best treatment in USA, please help. thanks

A: Check sites like centerwatch to see what kinds of clinical trials are out there. Usually facilities who perform many clinical trials for specific diseases are the leaders in their field. Good luck.

Q: Do you have Crohn’s Disease or know of anyone that does??
I need to know some treatments for Crohn’s Disease or anything that is helpful to understand more about Crohn’s. I’m really confused because my brother has Crohn’s and he is extremely sick. I’m really scared because of his condition. Please help!! Anything is helpful!!

A: hi tina, i am a female crohn’s pt. dxed at the age of 12. I’ve had it for 23 yrs.

Have you checked out the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s website? They have tons of information ranging from how to treat it, diet, coping skills, surgery, how it’s dxed, to locating a local support chapter near you to educate pts. as well as their family/friends about IBD (inflammatory bowel disease).

They have a hotline as well as a live chat that is run by healthcare experts who are well versed in IBD. There is also a forum where anyone w/IBD or who has a family member with it can ask questions to others in the same situation.

Is your brother a candidate for the newer treatments like Remicade, Entocort, Humira, 6MP, Imuran, or Methotrexate? These are the meds most GIs are using seeing as steroids have serious side effects after being on them for a long time. Have him ask for pain medication such as Demerol, Tylenol 3, Darvocet as well as something for stomach spasms like Bentyl. He is entitled to be made comfortable until his CD gets into remission.

Feel free to email me if you have questions. I’ve been an active CCFA member for over 15 yrs. I wish your brother a speedy remission.

Q: Alternative medicine for Crohn’s Diesase treatment?
Do any of you know of or have tried effective alternative treatments for Crohn’s disease? Please be as specific as possible – I am looking for things that will help. Thanks

A: L-Glutamine, an amino acid that is the main source of energy for the mucosal cells that line the intestines, and helps them heal. Dosage is adjusted for each patient. The common dose range is 6 to 25 grams divided into 3 doses per day, 30 minutes before meals. Glutamine may increase T-cell attack in Crohn’s disease. In the Crohn’s patient glutamine may also be metabolized into citrulline, which is converted to arginine, a substrate for nitric oxide sythesis. Excessive nitric oxide has been shown to contribute to tissue injury and inflammation in Crohn’s disease. L-glutamine seems to be effective in ulcerative colitis.

A clinical study of ulcerative colitis patients demonstrated that feeding 30 g daily of glutamine-rich germinated barley foodstuff (GBF) for four weeks resulted in significant clinical and endoscopic improvement, independent of disease state. Disease exacerbation returned when GBF treatment was discontinued.

It has also been suggested that cabbage juice consumption may provide benefit to patients with gastric ulcers and gastritis, by virtue of its high glutamine content.

Q: Does anyone have Crohn’s disease, know anyone who has it, or know about it? Diagnosis, treatment, steroids?
I have serious digestive issues and the doctors can’t find the root of the problem. Crohn’s disease showed up positive in my blood but when they did a colonoscopy they couldn’t physically find it in my intestines. Does anyone here have it or know anyone who does, and how they were diagnosed? Symptoms? Treatment? I know a lot of people go on steroids as treatment, and I had a question about that…I heard they make you gain weight. Is it the actual steroid itself that makes you gain weight or is it the increased appetite?

A: Crohn’s is NOT caused by stress. Stress can make it act up though.

Steroids work for some but I would ask the doc to only use them for short-term use.

I have had CD since ‘98. I went through every medication and like one other person said, everyone is different. I was allergic to a lot of the meds. So I ended up having surgery in ‘03. Then the CD came back. Fortunately I am on a drug study and it is wonderful! I am being given Humira – which is already given for Rhumatoid Arthristis – and they are seeking the approval to make it available for prescribing to CD patients. I am SSSOOOOO much better now!

Unfortunately, with most patients, it is just a trial and error type thing. You will learn with foods set you off and which are safe to eat. I stopped worrying about weight issues because I could go anywhere from 150 to 110 in a single year. (I have all sorts of sizes of clothes stashed away.)

The place on the web that has helped me the most is www.healingwell.com. Check out their forums for Crohn’s Disease. There are many, many people there willing to help you with questions and they are a very caring group.

Good luck! If I can help you out any, just let me know!
gingerinala@yahoo.com

Q: Natural treatments for Crohn’s disease?
I’ve heard about taking peppermint oil capsules to alleviate stomach cramping and pain, and omega 3 fish oil to reduce inflammation of the intestines, but does anyone with Crohn’s know of/use any other types of natural treatments to alleviate any symptoms?
thank you Iixiois, that was entirely not the answer i was looking for.

A: Other things that are helpful are:

1. Curcumin – This is an extract found in turmeric which has anti-inflammatory properties. You can put turmeric into most cooked foods. Studies have shown that adding a bit of white pepper can increase the effectiveness of turmeric by 2000%. The scientific explanation is that TNF-alpha elevation is part of the inflammatory process involved in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s Disease. Curcumin, a flavonoid from Curcuma longa (turmeric) is a known inhibitor of TNF-alpha. An in vitro study found TNF-alpha increased intestinal permeability and curcumin inhibited the NFkappaB- induced-TNF-alpha-stimulated increase in intestinal permeability. Curcumin inhibits several of the cytokines and genes involved in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s Disease.

2. Combined prebiotic/probiotic therapy – One study using probiotics (75 billion colony forming units [CFU] daily) and prebiotics (psyllium 10 g daily) showed that high-dose probiotic and prebiotic co-therapy can be safely and effectively used for the treatment of active Crohn’s disease.

3. Herbal medicines – boswellia serrata and berberine have been proven effective in Chrohn’s treatment as well. Berberine is an active constituent of several botanicals, including goldenseal, Oregon grape, Coptis, and barberry

Once you are already suffering from a flare-up, there are certain foods to avoid until you are feeling better. They include: alcohol (mixed drinks, beer, wine), butter, mayonnaise, margarine, oils, carbonated beverages, coffee, tea, chocolate, corn husks, dairy products (if lactose intolerant), fatty foods (fried foods), foods high in fiber, gas-producing foods (lentils, beans, legumes, cabbage, broccoli, onions), nuts and seeds (peanut butter, other nut butters), raw fruits, raw vegetables
red meat and pork, spicy foods, whole grains and bran.

Good luck.

Q: treatments for crohn’s disease?
Anyone using 6-MP for the treatment of Crohn’s and if so how does it work for you?

A: I took it for about two years. It took a long time to work. It worked to a certain degree but lowered my immune system tremendously. Every cough and sneeze I would catch for people around me.
Once I got better, I tried more holistic approach to Crohns treatments.
You can read about Crohns treatments and medications:

http://www.journey-with-crohns-disease.com/crohns-disease-treatment.html

All the best to you

Q: How can you avoid putting on weight when on a course of steroids for Crohn’s disease?
My Girlfriend has been diagnosed with Crohn’s deisease and is due to start her treatment which will start with a course of steroids.

She is absolutely dreading putting on the weight that seems to come with this form of medication.

Does anyone know how much weight she can expect to put on and how she can avoid it?

Thanks for your help.

A: hi graeme, I am a female crohn’s pt. for 28 yrs. dxed at the age of 12. Many gastroenterologists are starting to shy away from steroids, Asacol, and Pentasa due to the serious side effects after a long period of time and the fact that they don’t really work to keep a pt. in remission.

Have your girlfriend ask her GI if she is a candidate for Entocort. It is a type of steroid BUT it doesn’t have the serioud side effects like steroids–weight gain, moon face, mood swings, bone thinning, & cataracts. It gets absorbed into the area where the inflammation is & doesn’t go into the blood stream like prednisone that causes side effects.

Other newer treatments are Remicade, Humira, 6MP, Imuran, or Methotrexate. If her MD is persistent on prescribing the prednisone, she should avoid anything, and I mean ANYTHING that has a very high sodium content. It’s the sodium that will cause the weight gain. I learned about this when I was 12 and on it for 13 yrs. until the other meds came out, then I was weaned off of it.

If you go to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, there is more information for you to check out including diet, meds, surgery, coping, women’s issues, as well as locating a local support chapter (highly recommended for you and her to educate yourselves & meet others in the same boat), plus CCFA has a live chat & hotline run by healthcare experts and a forum where anybody can post questions to others who have IBD (inflammatory Bowel Disease–aka Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis).

The key to this illness is to eat healthy when in remission, avoid smoking, avoid drinking alcohol, (both interfere with treatments & cause flare ups), exercise, and educating oneself.

Definitely have her see if she is a candidate for the better treatments. Good luck.

crohn treatment

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about crohn treatment. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.com

Q: Are hookworms an effective treatment for Crohn’s disease ? If so is the therapy available in the USA ?
What countries is it available in ?

A: Oh, my goodness! Yuck! I looked it up, and yes, there are studies showing that hookworm can be effective treatment of Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and various other immune disorders. What a shocking discovery, but I don’t know if I could expose myself to it. I just typed your question in my search engine and found it. The lady I read about went to Africa and went barefoot. They can also cause undesirable side effects such as anemia. Thanks for an interesting question that made me curious enough to look it up. I learned something new today, because of you and it is a good thing to learn new things at my age.

Pharmacy & Vet Tech/Crohnie

Q: Has anyone tried Dr. Ray Lala’s healing mineral treatment for Crohn’s disease/Ulcerative Colitis?
While I will appreciate other remedies, I am specifically looking for results from the Dr. Lala treatment.

A: hi sm, I am a crohn’s pt. for over 20 yrs. Have you checked out the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s site for information?

They have tons of stuff ranging from diet, newer treatments to put pts. in remission faster, locating a local support chapter, as well as a live chat, a hotline, and an open forum where you can post questions to others who have IBD.

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are so many scams out there which will take our hard earned $$$ by offering false promises of a cure.

When a cure is found for IBD, I am sure it will hit the newpapers first as well as our GIs.

good luck to you.

Q: What are some new advances in the treatment of Crohn’s disease?

A: Remicade has been around for years now and being more accepted as a treatment.

Humaria is also a very new drug, similar to Remicade, but it can be done with injections rather than through an IV like Remicade. For those that fail or build up a resistance to Remicade, this is often the next step.

Check the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America website for more great info.

www.ccfa.org

Q: Stem cell treatment for crohn’s disease?
I have read a few articles stating this is a promising treatment with effects lasting longer than most prescribed drugs for this illness. I also read that skin cells can now be reprogrammed into making stem cells, which would please a lot more people since no embryos would be destroyed, right?

My question is when will this treatment be readily available for all crohn’s patients?

A: Well, the transplant is the same old bone marrow transplant that has been around for 50 years. Its called a stem cell transplant now because we now know that its the stem cells in the marrow that make the transplant work.

So, if it does work with crohn’s (but still not available to the public) all they are really doing is testing the statistics. If you are looking for the information for a a patient, they should try talking to their doctor to see if they can get into any of the trials for this.

A bone marrow transplant is the single treatment in an overwhelming majority of the diseases that adult stem cells can treat. It completely replaces the immune system, so it is pretty versatile for treating anything that originates in or damages the immune system. Crohn’s is an autoimmune disease, so it makes sense that this transplant may be able to treat it.

The stem cells in this case would come from one of two, maybe three sources… bone marrow, peripheral blood, or possibly cord blood. Skin stem cells would not be used in this case.

Embryonic stem cells are still used in research, and contrary to popular belief, the limited success of adult stem cells does not negate the need for embryonic research. But, to be clear, embryonic stem cells are not a part of this treatment.

Be warned though, this transplant is incredibly traumatic, phenomonally expensive, puts you at significanly higher risk for at least half a dozen cancers, comes with a min of a one year recovery time frame during which you will be out of work, and may leave you with life long medical complications needing meds.

It has also been suggested that cabbage juice consumption may provide benefit to patients with gastric ulcers and gastritis, by virtue of its high glutamine content.

Q: what is the best treatment for Crohn’s?
I have crohn’s and have trouble…pain and other symptoms, what can I do other than watch what I eat and take drugs??? (prescription drugs) I am just not well….please help.

A: hi big, I am a crohn’s pt. myself for over 20 yrs.

If you check out the crohn’s & colitis foundation’s site, they have an open forum where you can post questions to those who have CD, use their live chat and hotline run by healthcare experts, look up information on the latest treatments–Remicade infusions, Humira shots, Entocort capsules, pain mgt., diet, latest surgical techniques, finding a local CCFA support chapter near you, etc.

I am on pain mgt. for a hernia, Entocort to keep things under control for over 5 yrs., had Remicade and Humira a few yrs. ago, attend the local support chapters to meet drug reps, dieticians, local GIs, and to get information on which hospitals and MDs to avoid when treating a flare up.

You have that right as a patient to be made comfortable when in pain. Ask your GI or primary care MD for Darvocet, Percocet, etc. as well as a muscle relaxer, and an antispasmatic like bentyl for the stomach spasms.

I feel for you. Definitely check out CCFA and post on their forum. Family members are welcome at CCFA’s site and local meetings to educate themselves on what we go through.

I hope you feel better.

Q: Crohn’s Disease treatment in Boston?
I was diagnosed with a very atypical case of Crohn’s Disease this past May. While my doctor is wonderful, she has been coming up empty on an effective treatment plan. All biopsies, MRIs, CT scans come back positive for Crohn’s, but my symptoms are very unusual. I’m considering looking for a second opinion from a specialized center in the Boston area.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a doctor, clinic, or other resource in the Boston area for Crohn’s treatment?

A: If you were only diagnosed in May, I first have to caution that your Dr. may not have yet failed to come up with an effective treatment plan (but I don’t have the full picture). Certain drugs like Asacol take several months to kick in, and the wait is frustrating. But, if you have never been placed on one of those drugs, that isn’t your concern.

Anyhow, you are always entitled to get a second opinion about your treatment–in fact it is something I would encourage anybody who doesn’t LOVE their dr. patient relationship to do. Your disease is chronic, so you will have a long relationship with your Crohn’s physician, so you absolutely should be treated by someone you feel is competent.

I happen to work specifically in the field of Inflammatory Bowel Disease clinical research. I work specifically with patients who have refractory disease–that is disease that does not respond to conventional treatment. The good news is it would be hard to have blown through all of your options since May. The bad news is that there are patients for whom standard medications don’t seem to work. So what do you do? You find out which of those categories you fall into…

********
Just as you thought, you do this by getting a second opinion. Mass. General Hospital has an extremely well respected expert in Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis by the name of Dr. B Sands (I don’t want to put his full name on a public forum) & Brigham and Women’s is good for Crohn’s although my contact there has relocated. If you call Mass General, you of course don’t need to see Dr. Sands, b/c he’s probably hard to see–ask the person who books his appts who else is extremely good. One of the biggest mistakes patients make when calling our office is that if they can’t get an appt with the one guy they’ve heard of, they don’t take an appt with anybody else, when really, they are turning down an appt with somebody who is equally as good but who just doesn’t go on the lecture circuit as much–these people work with people they respect and who they train. If Mass General and Brigham Women’s don’t suit you, go to www.clinicaltrials.gov and do the advanced search for “Crohn’s” and “Boston” and look for other institutions where large companies like Abbott, and Elan are doing clinical trials with drugs like Humira/adalimumab, Tysabri/Natalizumab, ABT874, Stem Cells, etc. Big trials only happen with experienced physicians who know what is going on. Whichever place you choose will definitely put you on a proper approach for your IBD and you may find out that you have refractory Crohn’s, or you may find out you were misdiagnosed and have ulcerative colitis, or you may find out you respond easily to a drug you have yet to try!
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Now, if you are re-thinking the second opinion because you are waiting for some Asacol to kick in, I do want to say that if your previous doctor was just a regular gastroenterologist, you really should see someone who is more familiar with inflammatory bowel disease. They are less likely to manage you with steroids. Ask a potential Dr. how they view the use of corticosteroids in their treatment of Crohn’s–you want to know that your Dr. ultimately always wants to plan to get you off of steroids, even if you sometimes need them when you flare and never puts you on them without an exit strategy. Regular GI’s can panic and put a patient with severe Crohn’s on steroids and leave them on when they are unresponsive to drugs with which they are familiar . . . this is where the other benefit of seeing a physician at a research institution comes in. If you truly do not respond to all treatments available, you have the option of investigational therapies from a doctor who you already know and trust, rather than being sent to a foreign hospital to see new staff and new people for new-fangled treatments.

Out of curiosity, what are these “very unusual” symptoms you are having? Perhaps they are not that unusual and your physician is simply not that familiar with your disease. It may be of comfort to you to learn that others have the same symptoms if you share…

Do feel free to ask further questions…
Good luck!

A: Crohn’s is NOT caused by stress. Stress can make it act up though.

Steroids work for some but I would ask the doc to only use them for short-term use.

Good luck! If I can help you out any, just let me know!
gingerinala@yahoo.com

Q: What is the treatment for Crohn’s Disease?
Is there a diet regime for Crohn Disease?

A: While diet does not cause Crohn’s, certain foods have been shown to irritate the condition in some people. In particular, milk, alcohol, hot spices, and fiber appear to be the most aggravating foods for some people with Crohn’s disease. Furthermore, individuals with strictures (areas of narrowing of the bowel) may develop increased symptoms by eating things such as nuts, seeds or popcorn. People with Crohn’s disease should eat a nutritious diet that contains protein; enough calories to maintain weight; vitamins A, B-12, C, D, and folic acid; and the minerals calcium, iron, and zinc.
Here are some websites that have tips and recipes.
http://www.remicade.com/crohns/crohns_lifestyle/crohns_diet.jsp

http://ibscrohns.about.com/od/dietandrecipes/?terms=diet+free+recipe+smoothie

Q: Infliximab treatment for Crohn’s?
Has anyone undergone infliximab treatment for their Crohn’s Disease? What was the process like? How many treatments did you need? And how long until you saw results? Would you recommend this treatment? And how much does it cost now that it is on the PBS?

A: Infliximab (trade name: Remicade) is a “synthetic” antibody designed to neutralize a substance in our body called TNF-alpha. TNF-alpha is believed to play a big role in some inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infliximab

For Crohn’s Disease, Remicade is often given as an intravenous infusion over about 2 hours. You can find more information about the use of Remicade in Crohn’s here (supplied by the manufacturer of Remicade):
http://www.remicade.com/remicade/crohns/crohns_studies/remicade_for_crohns.html

http://www.remicade.com/remicade/assets/Med_Guide.pdf

If you already know all this information, but simply want to talk to others who had infliximab, you will probably have more luck on discussion forums specific to Crohn’s rather than here at Yahoo Answers:
http://www.crohnsforum.com/

http://www.ccfacommunity.org/Forums.aspx

Good luck.

Q: Starting Remicaid treatment for Crohn’s disease?
Would like to hear from people who are already with this teatment.

A: I have tried Remicade, and it didn’t seem to work well for me for long at least, and I had to stop taking it since I got a scary reaction once (trouble breathing, uncontrollable shaking), and some people DO get allergic reactions to it. But from what I know, it’s always given in a hospital setting and most people take Tylenol and maybe Benadryl beforehand, to help prevent a reaction. Humira (similar to Remicade), is less likely to cause a reaction since it’s made with human protein instead of mouse protein. I always found that interesting. haha.

To the other people who answered, just know that there is NO Crohn’s diet that works for everyone, and a gluten free diet is NOT always superior to meds, at least not for most people with Crohn’s. It might help some people or be superior to meds for a small number of people, but certainly not most people with Crohn’s. Not eating wheat or things with gluten is sure hard to do anyway, and I still don’t know how people with celiac disease do it, but I’m sure some of them cheat sometimes at least, and eat wheat products. haha. Rice bread and stuff like that tastes kinda crappy to me anyway, and I sure couldn’t just eat that all the time.

And it’s wrong to say people with Crohn’s actually have celiac disease a lot of the time. If anything, a lot of the time people with Crohn’s are told they have ulcerative colitis, but later on (like in my case unfortunately), find out it is Crohn’s. Celiac disease is pretty easy to diagnose from what I know anyway, by scoping someone and taking biopsies, and maybe taking specific blood tests too.

A: i think so. theorpy means cure.

ibd treatment

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about ibd treatment. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.com

Q: what is the best treatment for IBD(inflammatory bowel syndrome)?
i am having IBD for about 15 months and symptoms are bloating,indigestion,weakness and a blown stomach.

specially those who have recovered from IBD

A: Do you mean IBS or IBD? IBD is very serious and requires a doctor’s care and prescription medications and possibly surgery as listed by the other poster. IBS or irritable bowel, can be controlled at home. Measures that help IBS include avoiding fatty foods, eating smaller, more frequent meals, daily fiber supplements such as Metamucil, and often Acidophilus supplements help as well. It is worth it to try these things out before you see a doctor as that will always be their first recommendation. There are some prescription meds to help IBS if the more conservative methods fail.

Q: Natural Cellular Defense (NCD) by Waiora is effective for treatment in IBD ?
Does anyone know if the product Natural Cellular Defense (NCD) by Waiora is effective for treatment of IBD (crohn´s disease for example) ?

If you have tried it, please tell me about your experience. For how many time did you take it and what were the results.

Thank you very much

A: I would recommend prescription steroids and immune system modulators from your doctor, natural products are not the way to go for these disorders, good luck

Q: What is the treatment for IBD in snakes?

A: sadly there still is no real treatment for the disease and most snake end up being put down before they can pass it on to any more

Q: What is the best treatment for a cat diagnosed with IBD?

A: Hi there

Our cat, Lottie, was diagnosed with IBD about three years ago. Initially the only treatment the vet recommended was a special diet – the Royal Canin Sensitivity Control diet – which she loves (and so does one of our other cats, he regularly tries to persuade me to give him one of her sachets and about once a week he succeeds!)

The diet alone worked perfectly for her for about a year and then some of her symptoms returned so the vet prescribed corticosteroids to use in conjunction with the diet.

Two years on she is not only symptom free but we have found that we can reduce her medication to once every two days rather than once a day. Also we can occasionally vary her diet by giving her plainly cooked treats of white meat or fish.

There are several other brands suitable for IBD besides Royal Canin’s and Seattle has given you some good links.

Good luck with your kitty.

Q: Does an IBD Serology that shows consistency with Crohn’s Disease mean I have it?
Medications for treatment have not worked to include Prednisone. CT scan and Colonoscopy only show inflammation; biopsies of inflammation are negative.

A: Hi JMitch, I am a female crohn’s pt. for 28 yrs. Ask your GI if you are a candidate for the newer treatments for crohns–Entocort, Humira, Remicade, 6MP, or Imuran. Entocort is a steroid BUT it doesn’t go into your blood stream, only to the source of inflammation. PLUS it won’t give you a moon face, mood swings, a huge appetite, etc. like prednisone. I’ve been on it since it first came out with no problems.

For more accurate information, check out the crohn’s & colitis foundation’s site. They have stuff on newer treatments, testing for IBD, how it’s dxed, surgery, finding a support chapter near you, as well as a live chat & hotline run by healthcare experts. There is also an open forum where you can post questions to others who have IBD.

Best of luck to you. I feel your pain.

Q: Puri Nethol for IBD: side effects?? Really need to know?
Hi, has anyone ever taken this for treatment of IBD? If so can you tell me if you experienced side effects, and if so which and for how long.
Also, did it work on your IBD or did you end up changing treatment?
Thanks to all of you who takt time to answer.
Also curious about Prednisone side-effects. thanks

A: No, I haven’t but from the link below…

Purinethol
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. No COMMON side effects have been reported with Purinethol . Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Purinethol:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; itching; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); dark urine; darkening of the skin; fever, chills, or sore throat; increased or painful urination; loss of appetite; nausea; pale stools; severe or persistent diarrhea; sores or white patches in the mouth; stomach pain, swelling, or tenderness; unusual bleeding or bruising; unusual growths or lumps; unusual tiredness or weakness; vomiting; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

Prednisone…
Since prednisone has proven to be effective, patients who choose to take it should be aware of a few ways to combat the side effects.
* Bone density loss: Supplementing a healthy diet with calcium will help to keep bones healthy through a course of prednisone.
* Diet: Reducing salt intake can prevent side effects associated with fluid retention. Watching fat and calorie intake can help to prevent weight gain. A nutritionist will be helpful in planning a diet to follow while taking prednisone.
* Dosage: Talking to a gastroenterologist about the best time of day to take prednisone for maximum effectiveness and minimal discomfort could make a big difference. Taking prednisone earlier in the day (only on the advice of a physician!) could reduce side effects such as insomnia or night sweats, and taking it with meals could prevent stomach upset.
* Support: Let family and friends know about the side effects of prednisone. They need to know that it’s the drug that’s causing your mood swings or irritability.

For some patients, the negative side effects of this powerful drug far outweigh the benefits that can be derived. It may quickly stop a flare in its tracks, but at the price of altered physical appearance, mental instability, and other serious health risks. It’s not an easy choice, but every patient with IBD must make the decision to use prednisone based on his or her own needs in conjunction with a gastroenterologist.

Q: Does anyone know of an alternative method for treating an IBD known as Ulcertive Colitis?
I am actually looking for a naturalpathic treatment to compliment the medical not to replace it. A dietician, or medical/herbalist who has documentation of people that they have treated.

A: Hello, I’ve had UC for over 2yrs. Are you looking for an actual name of a dietician or naturalpathic physician … based that on asking for documentation. To avoid the scammers (and there are MANY), contact your local hospital and ask to speak with a dietician. In Canada you have to have a doctor’s referral which isn’t a problem if you have UC. Diet didn’t create the uclerative colitis and foods will not heal the ulcer. However, if you avoid citrus fruits and high fiber, usually you will have an easier time. Diet is unique in that a food I can eat, you might not be able to. Many people consume probiotics. Some follow the specific carboyhdrate diet. Others like me just take the meds, exercise, yoga to reduce stress, monitor foods that I can and cannot eat and go from there. There are also support groups in Yahoo Groups. As for a herbalist, check your yellow pages, meet face to face and ask for creditionals. There is no cure, so do not trust anyone that states there is and they will sell you the cure – no matter how much documentation they produce. As I said, there are scammers everywhere.

Q: You published some articles about treatments for IBD. Can I get copies?

A: link at

http://www.medonline.org.uk

Q: Has anyone had their cat diagnosed with Intestinal Lymphoma?
My 16 year old female, Tabatha, is currently being treated for IBD, but she wll be getting an endoscopy to determine if she may have Lymphoma of the gastrointestinal tract. Has anyone had their cat diagnosed with this and what is the course of treatment like? Is the medication given orally? I will see my vet next week, but wanted to ask you all out there.

Thanks!!!

A: Well I have not had a cat with intestinal lymphoma, but I was in your position….treating her for IBD and using the endoscope to get a biopsy to test for the lymphoma. Luckily, it was negative and she is still being treated for IBD.

The treatment for Lymphoma can be similar to IBD. It all depends on the stage of the cancer, how far it has spread, age and health of the cat, etc.
Prednisone or Prednisilone are both used to treat IBD and intestinal lymphoma. That medication (if you are not already using it) is orally, usually daily.

There are several other drugs that can be used alone or together, depending on what your Vet thinks is best. Most are pills, but there are two injections that your Vet would need to give.

Nutritional support is also a major role, as many of these drugs can cause anorexia and lethargy.

Good luck with your cat!

Q: Treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis?
I am a 31 year old female. I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis about a year ago, and I probably have some kind of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (yet to be diagnosed). I have tried 6 different NSAID’s, but they all seem to make my digestive problems worse. These drugs are usually contraindicated for people with IBD. My rheumatologist says that he doesn’t think that my disease is advanced enough to warrant the stronger drugs, given their dangers, and I agree with him. Right now I am only taking the NSAID’s when the pain is at its worst, but lately I am needing it all the time. I’m wondering if anyone has any recommendations for controlling the pain.

A: I am an AS patient, was diagnosed back in 1992 and have been symptomatic since the mid-80s.

One thing I have found about the disease – actually there are a lot of things I have found out about it, but the one that is relevant, perhaps – is that the treatment of AS symptoms and the management of the diseases (and related illnesses) involves tradeoffs. And you have to find the right balance of goodness/badness which will differ by patient.

I assume your doctor is experienced in treating AS patients – if not, you might consider someone with experience until you get your treatment regime set.

I agree with your doctor that going to the biologics may not be appropriate if the AS isn’t severe. My rheumatologist is of the same opinion, and goes to the biologics only for his most severely affected patients.

Indocin is the most effective NSAID for AS, and is usually commonly presribed. If that is not one of your six, then make it your next.

I have been treated for the past 14 years with indocin (now high dose) and sulfasalazine. I have tried other NSAIDs, including naproxen and diclofenac and found them to be useless.

This is probably the best description of AS meds you will find.

http://www.spondylitis.org/about/as_med.aspx

Enteropathic arthritis is related to AS but EA patients frequently can’t take the NSAIDs because of the same reasons you describe. This is a good summary of EA medications – some overlap, of course, with AS – that you may find useful.

http://www.spondylitis.org/about/ibd_med.aspx

If you haven’t already, consider joining the SAA – there is a lot of good information to be found at the site that you won’t find (easily, at least) elsewhere.

http://www.spondylitis.org/

Good luck. AS is not an easy disease.

Q: Do natural parasite remedies really work?
I think my husband might have an intestinal parasite, but I know they are notoriously hard to test for. He’s been having a lot of problems with his stomach and bowels lately that came out of no where (TMI, I’m sorry), and the stupid doctor just diagnosed him with IBD with no testing at all. Well, the IBD treatment isn’t doing anything, and he’s been on it for 3 months.

I thought about getting him a natural parasite remedy (they are all pretty much the same) to see if that might do the trick. But, I want to know if they really work. Anyone ever went that route instead of using prescription meds?
The reason I suspect a parasite is that he is from Central America, and his parents travel there a lot and bring back all kinds of canned meats for him. They all seem kind of suspect to me, sorry if I don’t trust their methods.

A: I would go with Parastroy, it’s a herbal natural medicine that includes a lot of herbs that are known to kill parasites, such as wormwood. I would also take a herbal laxative tea call Smooth move for a week or so, it will help clean out all his bowels. Also, try lemonade (squeeze lemons in water, that’s it). Lemons are acid but in the body they become alkaline. An acidic body is a breeding environment for parasites, whereas an alkaline environment is not good for worms. Did you know that 99.9% of all humans beings have parasites?? Yep! We just don’t think we have it. Anyway, you can get parasites in a variety of ways, including if you have pets in your house. Also by eating contaminated foods. I hope this works!

Q: Anyone with Crohn’s? or know those with IBD…?
I have Crohn’s and have recently started Remicaid infusions. I fell better since starting treatment, ie. i have no more pain, but can still feel movement when food is passing through colon. I also believe I am malnourished. My question is what are things I can do he help become more healthy and start gaining weight. I am at 140lbs, but should weight about 170lbs. What are some good healthy foods that I can digest easily and gain nutrition from? I’m was advised to eat a low fiber diet by the doc.

A: My adult step daughter has a very strict diet. She can have “red” meat maybe once a month, mostly eats chicken and fish, sometimes pork. Salad with no creamy dressings. Careful with dairy products but can and does have at least 2 yogurts a day.

Q: Inflammatory Bowel /Irritable Bowel and health loss?
Having single loose stool in morning (last 2 months). Stool test normal. Doctor says its either IBD or IBS and wants to do colonoscopy. Is there a health or weight loss in these disorders as unabsorbed food passes through the intestine ?. Is there any treatment for IBS or IBD to stop weight or health loss?. I am a thin person and have chronic acute stress issues. My doctor suspects more of a IBD as it just started suddenly. I also have other problems related to high levels of stress. What can be done to stay in good health/weight, though suffering from IBS. Please advice

A: Well – I know of a couple people who have really been helped with fish oil, vitamin E and glutamine. Sounds like meditation wouldn’t hurt too to see if you could bring that stress down a little.

Get Dr. Arkins’ book off of amazon – you can get it for nothing if you get it used. “Vita-Nutrient Solution”. He goes through all the supplements, vitamins, minerals and amino acids which he used in his practice. He ran a clinic in NYC.

Glutamine is an amino acid – it’s cheap (buy it powdered) – and Atkins feels it really helps the wall of the gut. What you have is also described as “leaky gut”, I believe. The wall of your gut is thin and infected and just not happy at all! So you need to feed it. Fish oil is very valuable too.

Fish oil – 3000 to 6000 mgs/day with 400 IU’s of vitmain E.
Glutamine – 5 to 10 grams/day – just put it in a glass and add some water. It’s tasteless.

A couple people I’ve met who have this inflammatory Bowel crap were helped almost right away with this. But read the book because there’s more in there you’ll want to know. You might also want to be taking a big vitamin B bomber. Can’t hurt. I know I read the covers off the first copy of his book I had.

Good luck with that.

Q: I have Crohn’s disease! Anyone else and how do you cope with this terrible disease?
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation or swelling of the digestive tract. It is very painful and life changing! I have had over 20 surgeries, pain everyday, take lots of meds daily, have had multiple complications and find it hard to cope with it at times. I wondered if anyone else has it and what do you do to make things better and what meds you take or treatments other than steriods that have helped? This disease was a direct factor in the end of my 18yr marriage and I wanted to know how this disease has affected others with the disease and their relationships? Thank You!

A: I guess I’ve been ‘lucky’ with my Chron’s, thus far I’ve only had one surgery and currently aren’t taking any medications.

Most of the medications I took didn’t really help me, including Remicade. The one thing that helped me in the past seemed to be good ol’ prednisone.

When I was first diagnosed I felt pretty bad, felt like my life was changed. I’ve gotten used to it. Clearly it’s not as bad as others, but you just get used to it.

Q: Inflamatory Bowel Disease?
My 13 week old puppy was diagnosed with IBD (Inflamatory Bowel Disease). Does anyone have any information about the treatment of this disease? I am concerned about this leading to other health issues, and the side effects of medications.

A: This is probably an answer for a human, but it can’t be TOO much different for a dog, can it?

“Depending on the level of severity, IBD may require immunosuppression to control the symptoms. such as azathioprine, methotrexate, or 6-mercaptopurine. More commonly, treatment of IBD requires a form of mesalazine. Often, steroids are used to control disease flares and were once acceptable as a maintenance drug. In use for several years in Crohns disease patients and recently in patients with Ulcerative Colitis, biologicals has been used such as the intravenously administered Remicade. Severe cases may require surgery, such as bowel resection, strictureplasty or a temporary or permanent colostomy or ileostomy. Alternative medicine treatments for bowel disease exist in various forms, however such methods concentrate on controlling underlying pathology in order to avoid prolonged steroidal exposure or surgical excisement[1].

Usually the treatment is started by administering drugs with high anti-inflammatory affects, such as Prednisone. Once the inflammation is successfully controlled, the patient is usually switched to a lighter drug to keep the disease in remission, such as Asacol, a mesalazine. If unsuccesful, a combination of the aforementioned immunosurpression drugs with a mesalazine (which may also have an anti-inflammatory effect) may or may not be administered, depending on the patient.”

Hope that helps…If not, you could always ask your vet. In fact, I’m surprised they would just tell you your dog has a disease and not tell you what to do about it.

treatment of crohn’s

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about treatment of crohn’s. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.com

A: i think so. theorpy means cure.

Pharmacy & Vet Tech/Crohnie

It has also been suggested that cabbage juice consumption may provide benefit to patients with gastric ulcers and gastritis, by virtue of its high glutamine content.

Q: Ever heard of Myoconda, a possible new treatment for Crohn’s?
It’s been approved by the United States FDA, they’ll probably have to do one more clinical trial before ppl can get it.

http://www.giacondalimited.com/pages/products/myo_conda.html

A: It is a Combination Antibiotic Therapy, seems to give promising results.
Thanks for the useful info.

Q: Why are simple herbal treatment for Crohn’s, I.B.S., ignored ?
Why are simple treatment for Crohn’s, I.B.S., ignored ?

Cause is probably a bacterial infection, ( key word parasites) treatment is what people have used for centuries to treat such common infections such as giardia. (By the way it took me 16 years of suffering to be told by a wise doctor that one test to rule out giardia is not enough, and the testing is not very reliable )

Seems my limited research, the common sense approach to ‘intestional problems’ strongly suggests an infection, easily treated with ( a wide spectrum anti-biotic), anti-parasitic herbs such as ginger, wormwood, grapefruit seed extract, together with fiber and probiotics, ie friendly bacteria to help digest the food.

So why are all these simple treatments being ignored ?

Why are we spending millions, on funding to raise funding for research and then spending billions to find a ‘pharmaceutical cure’, when the obvious simple cause and effects are being ignored…?

http://www.abeautifuldifference.com/webdoc.535.html

A: It seems so simple, and so cannot have money made with it.

good luck and definitely give CCFA a look into and call them.

A: Jasper,

A: my aunt has crohn’s, i don’t know that it’s impacted her sexual life, but then it’s a slightly different situation for her.

my advice is to talk to your doctor, doctor patient confidentiality prevents him from outing you and you’ll get your answers from an informed source.

if you don’t want to do that, i’m in nursing school and i swear by webmd

Q: Can I press a medical malpractice or medical negligence suit?
I have Crohn’s disease and was told by my specialist to avoid anti-inflamitories. My former doctor wanted to keep me on them for my knee pain. She also refused to give me anything for pain other than the anti-inflamitories and also wanted to stop me cold turkey off my anti anxiety medication which I have been taking for 8 years without an increase. I found another doctor that gave me my medications without complaint and also agreed the anti-inflamitories would be counter productive to my Crohn’s treatments. My new doc is an Internest. Do I have a suit worth suing for? Can I sue my former doctor for putting more of my health at risk?
Extra info, I had emergency surgery in May of 2006 and found out then I had Crohn’s. I was informed by the surgeon, and the GI specialist at that time to avoid the “Ibuprophen” but my family doc at the time told me to stay on them. She also didn’t think I had Crohn’s even tho it was found by pathology. Then she refused to refill my Xanax .025 and wanted me to stop them cold turkey. Thus is the reason why I wonder if I have a case. I don’t want to use up court time with a frivoulous case, but I don’t want her hurting or mistreating anyone else.
I forgot to mention also that I ended up back in the emergency room that November with a severe flare up of my Crohn’s disease from taking the anti-inflamitories as she had told me to. The ER doc then also told me to stay away from them. I called her office, talked to her personally, and she said I needed to be on them. I hope that makes a clear picture.

A: You don’t have a malpractice case here. While ibuprofen can worsen symptoms of Crohn’s in some sufferers, it is not medically contraindicated as a treatment. Crohn’s is an autoimmune response, and treatment regimens vary widely from physician to physician, as well as from patient to patient.

It does not appear, from what you have said, that you suffered any harm from taking the ibuprofen, since the symptoms disappear when the drug is eliminated.

What you are dealing with here is a difference of opinion between medical professionals, and not a case of clear malpractice.

Q: treatments for crohn’s disease?
Anyone using 6-MP for the treatment of Crohn’s and if so how does it work for you?

http://www.journey-with-crohns-disease.com/crohns-disease-treatment.html

All the best to you

When I was younger, I found that the enemas really didn’t help so I was on oral steroids until they stopped working at 80 mg and needed surgery to improve my quality of life.

Check out the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation for more information. They have live chats, a hotline, an open forum, plus they have meetings for kids under age 18 as well as their parents.

I know it’s hard to watch your child suffer, educate yourself, ask the GI questions or even attend a CCFA meeting to talk to those who are in the same boat as yourself. Best of luck to you.

In regards to your question 4 days ago:

If I were you:I’d attend one of the CCFA support meetings & ask the members about their experience w/these meds, and then I’d ask the GI or pharmacist. But that’s just me.

A: hi tina, i am a female crohn’s pt. dxed at the age of 12. I’ve had it for 23 yrs.

Feel free to email me if you have questions. I’ve been an active CCFA member for over 15 yrs. I wish your brother a speedy remission.

Q: crohn’s, cholestyramine and entocort?
I have Crohn’s and recently I thought of seeing a new gastroentrologist to see whether he has any new treatment for Crohn’s. I use to take pentasa 500 mg 2 capsules 4 times a day. The only thing I had concern was going to rest room 5 to 6 times a day. The new doctor asked me to stop me taking pentasa and suggested I take Cholestyramine for a month. So far I am in 3rd week and that is making me go to rest room very often and most of the time the stools are floating. I think I should stop this as I am not feeling any better. He was going to start me on entocort after this. That medicine is so expensive and I want to know does it give any relief to Croh’ns disease and is it better than Prednisone. I am asking this because prednisone is cheap. Once I took bactrim for some other symptoms but it had helped to control going to rest room a lot.

A: Herbal remedies often work when drugs don’t, and usually are much gentler on your system. If you consult a master or experienced herbalist (make sure choose one who has treated crohn’s) they should be able to help you, maybe even cure your Crohn’s, or at least manage it so you are more comfortable. Ask them about lobelia inflata and barberry bark, it might help your case. Also chickweed (organic) fresh or steamed.

diverticulosis treatment

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about diverticulosis treatment. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.com

Q: What is Diverticulosis and what causes it and what is the treatment?
During my colonoscopy this is what was found.

A: Diverticulosis is a condition of the colon, in which small outpouchings are formed from breakdown of the colon wall. Western diets high in saturated fats/low in fiber typically account for increase incidence of this conditon, especially in the U.S. There is no specific treatment for this condition other than a diet high in fiber, fruits, and vegatables.

A conditon called diverticulitis is when these small outpouchings become inflammed and can cause significant pain and possible damage to the colon. In severe cases, surgery may be required. Some practictioners will tell you to avoid seed, nuts, and popcorn to avoid getting trapped in these pouches. This is debated, but probably not a bad idea.

JRB
(4th year med student)

Q: If fiber supplements cause blockage, what else should I take for my diverticulosis?
I also have lesions all over my stomach, so I am not always able to take some meds or treatments. When I take FiberCon or Metamucil, they bloat me and I become swollen because the fiber builds up and is not easily released.

A: Make sure you drink alot of water after taking your supplements. You need to have moisture in your bowels to move the fiber on through.

Q: What is diverticulosis and is it fatal?
Is a person able to live with this disease? Are there treatments? What are the causes? Please, I need to know….

A: Diverticulosis is an outpouch in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract, most frequently in the colon. In itself, it’s neither dangerous nor deadly. Sometimes tics (diverticuli) will cause bleeding if they’re right on a blood vessel, and they can become infected, which is known as diverticulitis.

The only way you can know for sure that you have diverticulosis is by seeing a gastroenterologist.

The most common causes are thought to be age and lack of fiber in the diet.

Some gastroenterologists believe that nuts, seeds, and foods such as popcorn should be avoided, but some will say that has no effect. As far as I know, all agree that patients with diverticulosis should increase the fiber in their diet.

Q: Question about Diverticulosis?
I was diagnosed with Diverticulosis last week after having a colonoscopy.The doctor wants to see me, I assume it’s to discuss the next step for treatment.I have been having to go to the bathroom and have felt constipated with lots of gas too.I have been having very little pain on my right side.What do you think this could be still?

A: Diverticulosis as you probably know are out pouchings of the inner lining of the gut tubes. It is normally a benign condition that is quite common with age and with a diet deficient of fibers. Despite its incidental diagnosis, diverticulosis can develop into a severely painful condition known as diverticulitis (infective form of diverticulosis) which would also present with bloody stools. Your doctor would need to talk to you regarding the addition of fibers to your diet as well as other recommendations that he/she sees suitable in your case as well as warning you about the complications of such condition. Nevertheless, i believe that your recent symptoms are simply a result of the colonoscopy you had last week. It’s very common for people to feel some gas, to have disturbed bowel motion and to feel a slight pain in the abdomen shortly after a colonoscopy. I wouldnt worry at this stage but nevertheless, address these with your doctor. Best of luck!

Q: diverticulosis?
cause, treatment, diet

A: Diverticulosis is the presence of pouch like herniation through the muscular layer of the colon, particularly the sigmoid colon. The biggest cause would be the results of highly refined, low-residue diets. The treatment is an increase in dietary fiber. This aids in moving feces through the colon. You may experience bleeding from the rectum at times. You must have seen a doctor about this. If you notice other symptoms, you must tell him. He will have to do various tests to rule out anything more serious. Good luck

Q: Can New Insurer Deny Me Coverage?
I am currently under an insurance plan with my employer and they have decided to change insurance companies they are using. Under the current insurance plan, I started treatment for a condition after an emergency hospital stay. I’m still in the process of getting minor labwork done to make sure my health is improving from the inflammation that happened (Diverticulosis – Diverticulitis, to be more detailed). Can the new insurance company we are going with DENY me coverage because of this? Or can they deny any new claims on the work my doctor is continuing with the condition?

A dietary change has gotten the condition under control (no more inflammations so far), but they still want to run the tests to get a good picture of my full health.

A: When a company changes insurance, there’s usually a clause that says that if a condition is treated under the old insurance, it’s covered by the new one.

Good luck.

Q: Does Medicare covers Quiropractor treatments?
I am having pain in neck, cervical and lower back. Also, behind the right knee, thigh and hip. I am guessing if my right hip is shorter
than my left hip, because when I look my body in a mirror it seem like
that. I have osteopenia, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis and had visite a rheumatologist, and a physiatry several times and I have had a lot of physical therapies, tense, ultrasound, injections, medicines, you name it.
Now I have diverticulosis with one contained perforation and my gastroenterologist told me I can not use anti- inflamatories because them exacerbate the bad symptoms. I know because I was taking
Relafen 750 and within a week I had a very bad pains in the intestine
that send me to the hospital for 4 days. Right now, I don’t know what
to do with this situation. If someone have had a good or bad experience with quiropractors, please let me know.

A: Yes they do, but with osteopenia and osteoporosis, know that there is a great risk for injury with manipulations. Be sure to tell your DC this information so the chiropractor can take all precautions to prevent a fracture.

A: There is a difference between diverticulosis and diverticulitis. Diverticulosis are small “pouches” in your colon. Diverticulitis is infected diverticulosis. The -itis means inflammation. Diverticulitis can be very serious, requiring hospitalization, IV antibiotics and in more serious cases, surgery to remove the infected bowel. There is also a chance that the diverticulosis you have is so severe that you require surgery to have the affected colon removed. The doctor probably wants to do just what you stated, fill you in on the next step of treatment. Keep your appointment and good luck.

treatment for crohn’s disease

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about treatment for crohn’s disease. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.com

good luck and definitely give CCFA a look into and call them.

A: i think so. theorpy means cure.

Pharmacy & Vet Tech/Crohnie

Q: Are hookworms an effective treatment for Crohn’s disease ? If so is the therapy available in the USA ?
What countries is it available in ?

A: hi sm, I am a crohn’s pt. for over 20 yrs. Have you checked out the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s site for information?

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are so many scams out there which will take our hard earned $$$ by offering false promises of a cure.

When a cure is found for IBD, I am sure it will hit the newpapers first as well as our GIs.

good luck to you.

Q: What is the treatment for Crohn’s Disease?
Is there a diet regime for Crohn Disease?

http://ibscrohns.about.com/od/dietandrecipes/?terms=diet+free+recipe+smoothie

My question is when will this treatment be readily available for all crohn’s patients?

The stem cells in this case would come from one of two, maybe three sources… bone marrow, peripheral blood, or possibly cord blood. Skin stem cells would not be used in this case.

Q: Starting Remicaid treatment for Crohn’s disease?
Would like to hear from people who are already with this teatment.

Q: Drinking “Ensure” as a treatment for Crohn’s disease?
Hey everyone, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease going on 3 years ago. I have been pretty fortunate in that my Crohn’s isn’t really all that bad, I don’t really have that many flare ups and they haven’t really been severe up to this point….at least compared to some other people that I know with the condition. I take Pentasa to keep it under control. I have health insurance so I only end up paying $40.00 a month for the meds, if I didn’t I would have to pay around $400.00 for a month’s supply! <--You could buy a pretty nice car for that! Anyway though, I heard a while back that in Europe they were treating Crohn's patients with "Ensure". Yes I'm referring to the milk-like beverage you can buy at any grocery store. I was wondering if anyone else had heard this too, if so, is it actually supposed to be an effective treatment?

A: My logic would be that they are not really treating Crohn’s with Ensure but instead making sure that people who suffer from Crohn’s get enough vitamins in their diet. Many people with Crohn’s are not getting a steady diet because of their condition, so that makes me think that the Ensure is merely a dietary supplement for them. I know that this is also something that people with acid reflux should try because it has been recommended for me.

Q: Treatment for Crohn’s Disease?
I have been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease 4 years now. My flare ups occur usually once every three months. Once I have a flare up the pain is awful. Is there anything I can do during my flare ups in order to be more comfortable?

P.S. I used to be a smoker for 12 years and I’ve quit for three months now. It doesn’t seem to help a lot though!

A: Have you heard of low dose naltrexone? It really helps with Crohn’s Disease. http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/
scroll down about one-third of the page to see photos of what low dose naltrexone does for Crohn’s Disease.

Q: Humira: treatment for crohn’s disease?
Starting this treatment soon, was wondering about the side effects and procedure. If it worked for anybody.

A: hi lak, I am a female crohn’s pt. who was on Humira for a while. It takes over 6 months for it to kick in so you have to be patient.

The drug company that makes this has an RN come to your home to teach you how to give yourself the injection. They follow up with you if you have questions and side effects.

Be sure to numb the area with an ice pack (not that dinky thing they give you) so you won’t feel the medicine going in.

For more information, check out the crohn’s and colitis foundation of america’s site. they have a hotline, a live chat, and a forum where you can post questions.

good luck to you.

Q: Know any natural treatments for Crohn’s disease?
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease about 10 years ago and have been on medication ever since. I’ve been wanting to try to wean myself off them by doing some natural/alternative treatments. Does anyone know any good, proven ones?
I have tried Remicade and Entocort. My doctor mentioned Humira but decided against it.

A: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlqhwhbHVYtxg73Nhc6CSGzsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090329214012AAPlSqX

Check out my question, I would copy and paste it for your convenience, but there is too much info there. I know of multiple all natural substances which can be used and are cheap and effective.

Hey Travis, I wanted to make sure that you looked at my information because I care about your health so putting a link probably wasn’t sufficient. I’ve studied Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis for some time, to tell you the truth I have no social life whatsoever, I have OCD and social anxiety so I spend quite a bit of time immersed in research. The reason why mainstream medicine isn’t finding the cause of Crohn’s is because there are multiple causes, but the main underlying issue is usually if not always an autoimmune one.

The “immune system uses the lethal effects of oxidants by making production of oxidizing species a central part of its mechanism of KILLING PATHOGENS (wheat is a pathogen if you do not have the proper enzymes to digest it). Although the use of these highly reactive compounds in the cytotoxic response of phagocytes CAUSES DAMAGE TO HOST TISSUE, the non-specificity of these oxidants is an advantage since they will damage almost every part of their target cell. This prevents a pathogen from escaping this part of immune response by mutation of a single molecular target.

So in order to prevent pathogens from multiplying, the body attacks with a non-specific response which will damage target cells AND EVEN YOUR OWN TISSUE, for most people this is very small damage. In most people there is an enzyme which digests wheat, but if you don’t have this enzyme then your body will attack the wheat because it is treated as a pathogen.

DMSO and melatonin are all natural antioxidants which can freely move through any membranes, so using these substances neutralizes a lot of the oxidative damage but since a deficiency in the processing of wheat is a problem it’s best if you stop eating wheat and gluten which is in almost all packaged foods. I have pages of references to support this hypotheses, and the website I’ve added as a source goes into the process I described with more details. Melatonin makes you sleepy, and resets your biological clock in a way, so it’s best if you take this 30 mintues before you go to sleep like my brother who has Crohn’s.

A: Jasper,

crohns disease treatment

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about crohns disease treatment. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.com

Q: I am currently undergoing treatment for Crohns disease which consists of Remicade infusions.?
I was also recently diagnosed with Graves disease and did the radioactive idione treatment. Well a few minutes ago my dog got in a fight with another dog and I broke it up and was bit by my dog. Its not a horrible bit a bit swollen and tender. It defenitly broke the skin. I called all my Doctors and there offices are closed. Should I go to the ER or wait until tomorrow. I just started Remicade and I don’t know all the side effects

A: hi jill, I am a female crohn’s like yourself. I had Remicade treatment for mine a few yrs.ago. The only side effects I remember are others stating at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America support group meetings were that at the time of infusion they developed heart palps or difficulty breathing. then the infusion was stopped. Others had a reaction after 2 or more infusions where it just didn’t work due to the pt. building up a resistance to the mouse antibodies in it. Now they premedicate pts. with benedryl to prevent that from happening.

I provided info for their site and hotline. They also have a live chat on their site that is run by healthcare professionals well versed in IBD M-F 9 am – 5 pm. (EST).

If you can’t get ahold of your GI, call your primary care MD. Here is the information from the drug company’s website on Remicade:

What are the possible side effects of infliximab?

Serious, even fatal, infections have been reported to occur during treatment with infliximab. Contact your doctor immediately if you develop signs of infection such as fever or chills; sore throat, coughing, congestion or other signs of infection; redness, pain, or swelling of a skin wound; or burning or difficult urination.

Treatment with an immunosuppressant such as infliximab may increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer (e.g., lymphoma). Treatment with infliximab may also increase the risk of developing an autoimmune disorder such as a lupus-like syndrome. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of this medication.

If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop using infliximab and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately:
an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); or
chest pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath.
Other less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Contact your doctor if you develop

headache;
muscle or joint pain;
rash or itching;
fatigue; or
nausea or vomiting.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect infliximab?

Do not receive “live” vaccinations during treatment with infliximab. Administration of a live vaccine may cause an infection or be ineffective during treatment with infliximab.

The administration of infliximab and anakinra (Kineret) may be associated with an increased risk of serious infections, and increased risk of serious side effects. Talk to your doctor before using infliximab if you are using anakinra (Kineret).

Other medications may interact with infliximab or affect your condition. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking other prescription or over-the-counter medications, including herbal products, during treatment with infliximab.

Q: if you have crohns disease and the treatment isn’t successful. do you live?
my mom said that my dad might be having strokes and might have crohns disease. and im asking here. because right nwo im really scared because i dont kno wat will happen

A: There are many treatments for Crohn’s. Several types of medications are available to treat Crohn’s disease. There Anti-inflammatory drugs, Immune system suppressors, Antibiotics and several other medications.

If the drugs don’t work then there is an operation to do to give some relief. Once in awhile some people need a couple operations. So as you can see there are a lot of treatments avaliable. They can usually get it under control with one or the other. Sometimes a combination of surgery and medication will be used.

Stroke
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of your brain is interrupted or severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. Within a few minutes, brain cells begin to die.

Stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment of a stroke is crucial. Early treatment can minimize damage to your brain and potential stroke complications.

The good news is that strokes can be treated, and many fewer Americans now die of strokes than was the case 20 or 30 years ago. Improvement in the control of major risk factors for stroke — high blood pressure, smoking and high cholesterol — is likely responsible for the decline.

Q: has anyone not had any success with this form of treatment for crohns disease?
eat organic fruits & steamed vegetables & rice. AVOID dairy, hard meats, processed foods (artificial flavor, colors, preservatives), fried foods, popcorn, ice cream, sweets, pop, & alcohol. TAKE slippery elm, marshmellow root, ginger, aloe juice, fiber supplement such as ‘fiber smart’, probiotics, and fish oil. can anyone with crohns honestly tell me that after following this strict regimine that their crohns is not cured? my doctor does not believe me when i tell him this is all i need & i do not need to take steriods or asacol anymore. i feel great and ive met other people with crohns.. given them this advice and they feel great now too. so i want to help you all out there with crohns disease. it may be hard to eat such a strict diet but after doing it for awhile, you wont want to eat anything else.. anything else will seem gross! i went from a HUGE sweet tooth, eating fast food all the time and now i can’t eat sweet stuff or crap. just looking at it makes me feel sick. try it!
oh and i forgot.. you need to avoid caffeine and any stimulant drugs like the plaque.

A: Hi! I don’t have Chrohn’s, but I plan on becoming a gastroenterologist… specializing in food intolerances and illnesses that many doctors cast aside. From what I have read, many illnesses start in the gut. Chrohn’s is exactly that… an illness based in the digestion system. It only makes clear, conducive sense that what you put into your digestive tract effects how it functions. If you put junk into your home pipes, obviously they stopped functioning as well with time. It is even moreso with the digestive tract because it is living and chemically and electrically sensitive. I have heard a doctor discuss how the small intestines are the 2nd organ with the most nuerotransmissions… 2nd to the brain. It is incredibly important that we eat the right things to keep it functioning properly.

I applaud your efforts for taking control of your health! I encourage you to seek medical advice from someone who views the body as a whole entity. There are more and more doctors in the USA who are MDs but also becoming Integrative practitioners. http://thenewmedicine.org/ I would consider looking for an integrative MD if I were you. They believe in drug therapy as well as the non-traditional methods such as diet, supplements, stress-reduction, etc.

Below I have included a great article from Dr. Weil (an integrative doctor)… about some Crohn’s research and how he prefers treating patients with it.

Good luck and keep up the GREAT work!!

Q: A treatment for Crohns, IBS, depression, schizophrenia, a positive approach to disease treatment: Probiotics?
Chemcial imbalances for many people is a common term for diseases of unknown origins, diseases or symptoms.

Well what can cause these chemcial imbalances, a bacteria, a virus, yes, but also this can be caused by a lack of ‘probiotics’ ( acidophilus) referring to the friendly bacteria that operates your digestive system.

When was the last time the doctor gave you bacteria, friendly bacteria ?

Modern medicine is all about attacking a problem.

What if the problem cannot be attacked, but cultivated, because the real problem is a lack of what is called friendly bacteria that processes food into chemicals. (yogurt, saurerkraut)

Since our body operates through bio-chemcial processes, then a lack of proper chemicals because we lack the ‘workers’ within the digestive system will cause many diseases, including cancer, or the breakdown of body cells; due in part because they don’t have the proper chemicals.

Have you heard of probiotics ?
Can this be the missing link ?
The “link” I mentioned referred to the probiotics.

If you are looking for a link, look up “parasites’, ‘’symptoms of parasites’, treatment for parasites.

Here is one:

http://www.abeautifuldifference.com/webdoc.535.html

A: Probiotics is very critcal for optimal health; however, there is only one product that guarantees that the microflora reach our intestines live (500 million) and that’s all-natural Optiflora (a patented process). Other products such as yogurt only indicate that the microflora are live at the time of manufacture not that they will be live when they reach our intestines. So, I agree that probiotics is essential for good health – use Optiflora!!!!

Best Wishes

Q: What is the treatment for Crohns disease. Can it completely cured/?
This has refence colon bleeding, while clearing the bowls

A: Crohn’s disease is a chronic disease of the intestines, therefore there is no cure for it. There are measures that can be taken to alleviate the symptoms, which seems to work for some people. Surgery, diet, relaxation techniques, alternative therapies (acupuncture, massage, reflexology, etc.) probiotics, etc. have all been proven to help individual cases.

Q: Have you or anyone you know used IV treatments for Crohns disease?
What was the outcome and cost? Did insurance cover it? Any info would be helpful.
Thanks!

A: My older sister has Crohn’s. She has been managing the
illness for over twenty years.
It is possible for Crohn’s Disease to go into
remission. However, most flare-ups are handled with
oral meds, such as Lialda (a form of mesalamine)
Prendisone (such as Depo-Medrol), & Azulfadine.
There are many new drugs used today to treat Crohn’s.
My sister was only on IV meds once, and that was when
she was hospitalized and dehydrated.
Insurance does pay, your doctor has to tell them why you
need IV meds as opposed to the orals.
This was our expericence. Hope this info helps you.

Q: Crohns disease treatments? PLEASE HELP?
I have been using remicade for about 4 months and it has been working really well except for the fact that it will stop working at about 4 and a half to 5 weeks so my doctor keeps uping the dose. I am now at the limit he wants to put me. So far it has been 2 days since my treatment and i am not noticing a big difference. Usually it is noticable the next day or so. If this doesn’t last 6 weeks then I will have to use some other medication like humira. I can do an IV but the thought of a self injected needle really scares me. How long does it take most people to get a responce from remicade and would some of my stomach issues be provoked by anxiety and nervousness of possible having to use another medication. I have noticed I usually have to use the bathroom imediatly after somthing that is scarry happens. Should I talk to my doctor about this?

A: Remicade worked for a little while with me but then I had to have surgery cuz I got an infection from my intestines actualy breaking open. just a little. I had a iliostomy for 2 years and then they reversed it and took out the diseased intestine. so after 2 surgeries I am symptom free for 3 years now. I just take one 50mg 6mp pill a day.

Q: Are there any similarities in the treatments for Crohns Disease and Lupus?
Similar as in steroids and/or pain meds,antibiotics etc?

A: Yes–as they are both auto-immune diseases. Your immune system is out of whack and basically turns on you.

Inflamation is one of the main pain sources for both conditions and steroids are used for both to reduce this.

However, while both have common meds used in treatment the rest is done on an idividual basis upon evalution of symptoms and severity.

Q: Crohns disease?
Anyone here have it? Can anyone tell me anything about it? And the consequences of delaying treatment for it? My boyfriend may have it, he has just been admitted to hospital after being very very sick for nearly a month. I’m on the other side of the country and… kinda… well yeah, anything you can tell me would be great.
Should have mentioned – they couldn’t finish the test because his bowel was to thin and they were worried about it perforating. It may be perforated anyway since he put off going to hospital for so long. He is on steroids, if is bowel isn’t perforated they’ll start him on Remicade, if he doesn’t respond well they’ll take him into surgery and give him a colostomy bag. So, So very very worried.

A: Ty C,

Yep I got it, I’ve had it since I was 13, I’m now 47, last surgery 2.5 years ago, healthy since… First question, WHY would you/he wait to treat it, Crohns is difficult at times to diagnose so once diagnosed chances are you have had symptoms for awhile, delaying treatment will do one of two things
1) You’ll / he will be the lucky one and it will heal by miracle (yes I believe in them)
2) It will progress and get worse in which case it will only be more miserable, WAY more miserable.

Crohns is no joke if its a bad case like mine

My suggestion, if the doc says Treat it, TREAT IT NOW…

Good luck on this, and may God bless

Q: Hi, I have Crones disease and Hepatitis B. What diet and treatment options are there?
I am 23 years old and have been living with Crohns disease since I was 16. I just recently got diagnosed with Hepatitis B. I have been really depressed and feeling totaly alone! Is there anyone that can relate to me and give me diet and just some basic information on the best ways to maintain a healthy life?

A: I hope you are seeing a gastroenterologist; they will be able to help you with both problems. I don’t know a lot about Chrone’s but for HBV (Hep b) you will need to abstain from alcohol. Most people clear HBV through their own immune response after a short period of time, so you will need further tests to see if you have cleared it or if it has become chonic. If it’s chronic, you will need to have a healthy lifestyle (diet, exercise) and discuss treatment options (lamivudine, pegasys) with the doctor. If left untreated, HBV is the leading cause of liver transplants. It can progress to cirhossis and liver cancer. If you take care of yourself, you can live a healthy life. I don’t want to scare you, but you need to know the facts. Hopefully, you will clear it naturally, as 90% of people do who become exposed to HBV. Best wishes.

Q: The NEW FDA approved ALLI pill and Crohns disease?
Could i take this pill if i have crohns disease? Just curious because of the treatment effects?

A: I would not suggest it as it can affect the digestive system. Check with your doc and I’d wait to see how it REALLY affects ppl first. FDA approval means squat these days.

Q: free nhs treatment for crohns and chronic diseases?
if you have chronic illness such as crohns, can u get free nhs prescriptions all your life?

A: As far as I’m aware, paying for an NHS prescription has nothing to do with what illness you have or what medications you recieve. If you are considered able to afford to pay for prescriptions, you do.

Q: My cousin has Crohns Disease?
i recently found out my 12 year old cousin has Crohns Disease..what happens now? what treatment is involved? any information you have is greatly appreciated!!

A: Well, her GI doctor should help her with treatment. She may need medication, and will def. go on a special diet for now.
Have you found any crohn’s and colitis websites yet? You should spend some time looking at those and learning about your cousin’s disease.
I am glad your cousin got diagnosed, I hope she will be feeling much better very soon!
go here for a little more info:

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/

Q: When will there be a cure for Crohns disease? I know that they are working on a vaccine in England.?
I have had Crohns for 2 years. Currently on Humira, asacol , and imuran. Have been on the Humira for a month but havent seen a remission yet. Actually , i have never seen a remission since ive been diagnosed. I want there to be a cure , or at least something close to it. Frustrating to see all efforts go towards all of these band aid treatments, instead of trying to figure out what causes this stupid disease. I just wish whoever researches all of this stuff would just use a little common sense.

A: Hi Cole

Here are some remedies to help the healing process.

Causes
Crohn’s disease can be caused by a variety of factors, including poor diet and nutrition, food allergies, imbalanced levels of hydrochloric acid, impaired immunity, infections, lack of exercise, “leaky gut” syndrome, pharmaceutical drugs, and stress.

Quick Action Plan for Crohn’s Disease
1. Diet is of primary importance. Avoid all sugars, refined flour products, and carbohydrates, milk and dairy products, processed foods that contain preservatives and artificial sweeteners, alcohol, hydrogenated and trans-fatty oils, as well as foods that are common allergens.

2. Emphasize organic, fresh vegetables and non-citrus fruits, organic grains, as well as organic, free-range meats and poultry and wild-caught fish.

3. Drink plenty of pure, filtered water throughout the day.

4. Enema containing butyric acid two to five times a week. (Add one tablespoon of butyric acid to one quart of warm water.)

5. Supplements with vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, taken with a multivitamin/multimineral formula. Essential fatty acids, especial omega-3 oils, are also recommended.

6. Stress reduction through the use of various mind/body medicine techniques, such as biofeedback, hypnotherapy, meditation and relaxation exercises.

7. If you smoke, stop and if you are currently taking aspirin or other NSAIDs, consider replacing them with safer, more effective natural remedies.

8. Soothing baths two to five nights and alternating hot and cold water packs placed over the stomach and upper abdomen.

9. Juice remedies include aloe juice; wheatgrass juice; cabbage, papaya, and carrot juice; and carrot, beet, and cucumber juice.

10. Juice of half a lemon with warm water, especially in the morning.

11. Allow yourself to receive emotional support to help you embrace some of the common underlying issues identified with Crohn’s, such as abandonment, anger, disappointment and rage, which often settle in the gut. Seek out a therapist or other skilled practitioner that can guide you through emotional healing work.

Best of health to you

Cheers

Q: Cure for Crohns Disease !?
Cure for Cronhns Disease !?

My name is Caesar J. B. Squitti a wrighter and researcher of sorts. (discovered anti-truths 1994: http://www.thejesuschristcode.com )

It appears that mainstream science has ignorned a simple cause of many illlnesses (a set of symptoms) and that is an unknown bacteria or parasite.

There are simple treatments for this disease, beginning with a wide spectrum antibiotic (erthomycin or garlic piece (not cut) plus fiber and probiotics (yogurt and saurerkraut).

This treats a lower intestinal infection that can cause intestinal problems, and ultimately a corruption of the bodies biochemical balances that can cause other symptoms, we call diseases such as MS, Depression, Schizophrenia, and some Cancers.

If you are suffering from intestinal problems were you aware of this ?

If not please look up ‘herbal treatments’ for Crohns.

Good Luck !
Made money ?
Garlic, fiber, ie Kellogs Psyllium, and Saurkraut or Yorgurt.

I sell diamonds !

A: Fortunately I don’t suffer from the disease. And you should ignore Joachine’s answer…he is full of crap. In many of his other answers and in his profile he “claims” to have served in the military for 6 years and calls people who have actually served posers and liars.

He just stated that he has had Crohns Disease for 40 years. People enlisting in the military have to answer YES or NO to a series of 75 medical questions. If the answer to any of them is YES they have to provide medical PROOF that the condition is no longer present. With active Crohns for 40 years Joachine would have been disqualified from joining. Unless he LIED. And if he did he was probably caught and dis-honorably discharged for fraudulent enlistment. So Joach..which is it? Either way you are a liar…

And maybe you are lying about having Crohns Disease…just another poser. If do…you are really sick and pathetic. Why don’t YOU please remove your bogus answer?

So joah…which is it? Put up or shut up.

crohn’s treatments

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about crohn’s treatments. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.com

A: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlqhwhbHVYtxg73Nhc6CSGzsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090329214012AAPlSqX

Check out my question, I would copy and paste it for your convenience, but there is too much info there. I know of multiple all natural substances which can be used and are cheap and effective.

A: Jasper,

A: Other things that are helpful are:

Good luck.

Q: Are there any new treatments for Crohn’s disease?

A: There are several new therapies currently being tested in clinical trials. The FDA recently ok’d the return to testing for Elan/Biogen Idec’s monoclonal antibody called Tysabri. The preliminary findings were very positive. Treatment in these trials is provided free of charge. To find clinical trials for any disease state go to one of the following sites:
www.clinicaltrials.gov OR www.centerwatch.org

These list trials by disease and location so you can find a doc in your area that can work with you.

Q: are their known natural treatments for Crohn’s disease?

A: Boswalla is an herb that has been shown to be effective in GI disturbances such as Crohn’s or IRS. THere is evidence based medical proof of its efficacy, although it is not marketed very well since herbs are not regulated like drugs are int he US. BE CAREFUL of trying this without consulting your physician.

Q: treatments for crohn’s disease?
Anyone using 6-MP for the treatment of Crohn’s and if so how does it work for you?

http://www.journey-with-crohns-disease.com/crohns-disease-treatment.html

All the best to you

Q: Are hookworms an effective treatment for Crohn’s disease ? If so is the therapy available in the USA ?
What countries is it available in ?

Pharmacy & Vet Tech/Crohnie

A: i think so. theorpy means cure.

Q: I am uninsured, have crohn’s disease, not taking meds, no surgeries in 12 years. I can’t find insurance.
I haven’t had any Crohn’s treatment for the past two years, no problems. How can I find a provider that will not disciminate against pre-existing conditions?

A: i think you’ll need to get a job that provides insurance.
good luck.

It has also been suggested that cabbage juice consumption may provide benefit to patients with gastric ulcers and gastritis, by virtue of its high glutamine content.

A: hi sm, I am a crohn’s pt. for over 20 yrs. Have you checked out the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s site for information?

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are so many scams out there which will take our hard earned $$$ by offering false promises of a cure.

When a cure is found for IBD, I am sure it will hit the newpapers first as well as our GIs.

good luck to you.

A: hi tina, i am a female crohn’s pt. dxed at the age of 12. I’ve had it for 23 yrs.

Feel free to email me if you have questions. I’ve been an active CCFA member for over 15 yrs. I wish your brother a speedy remission.

A: hi big, I am a crohn’s pt. myself for over 20 yrs.

I feel for you. Definitely check out CCFA and post on their forum. Family members are welcome at CCFA’s site and local meetings to educate themselves on what we go through.

I hope you feel better.

treatment for crohn’s

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about treatment for crohn’s. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.com

Q: Are hookworms an effective treatment for Crohn’s disease ? If so is the therapy available in the USA ?
What countries is it available in ?

A: i think so. theorpy means cure.

Pharmacy & Vet Tech/Crohnie

A: hi sm, I am a crohn’s pt. for over 20 yrs. Have you checked out the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s site for information?

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are so many scams out there which will take our hard earned $$$ by offering false promises of a cure.

When a cure is found for IBD, I am sure it will hit the newpapers first as well as our GIs.

good luck to you.

Q: Crohn’s Treatment?
Has anybody been taking Entocort?
how did effect you, what were the side effects, how long did it take for the side effects to go away, did it stay, how are you feeling now, u better worst?, any suggestions?

Thanks

A: Hi OM, I am a female crohn’s survivor who has been on Entocort for a while. My GI prescribed it for me b/c steroids have serious side effects if on them for a long time, which I was and needed to get off of them.

The great thing about Entocort is that it goes right to the source of inflammation. It doesn’t get absorbed into the bloodstream like prednisone, thus, no side effects like the moon face, mood swings, weight gain, increased appetite, etc.

I haven’t had any problems while being on this. It is a 3 mg capsule & the normal dose is 3 capsules a day. One thing though, there is no generic for it so the copay can be high. Ask the gi if he has any samples he can give you. That is what I did when I knew I was short on cash and just needed a month’s supply to tie me over.

The crohn’s & colitis foundation has a website with tons of information as well as a hotline and a live chat that is run by healthcare workers well versed in Crohn’s during the week.

Feel free to email me if you have questions.

A: hi big, I am a crohn’s pt. myself for over 20 yrs.

I feel for you. Definitely check out CCFA and post on their forum. Family members are welcome at CCFA’s site and local meetings to educate themselves on what we go through.

I hope you feel better.

Q: What is the treatment for Crohn’s Disease?
Is there a diet regime for Crohn Disease?

http://ibscrohns.about.com/od/dietandrecipes/?terms=diet+free+recipe+smoothie

My question is when will this treatment be readily available for all crohn’s patients?

The stem cells in this case would come from one of two, maybe three sources… bone marrow, peripheral blood, or possibly cord blood. Skin stem cells would not be used in this case.

Q: Starting Remicaid treatment for Crohn’s disease?
Would like to hear from people who are already with this teatment.

It has also been suggested that cabbage juice consumption may provide benefit to patients with gastric ulcers and gastritis, by virtue of its high glutamine content.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infliximab

http://www.remicade.com/remicade/assets/Med_Guide.pdf

http://www.ccfacommunity.org/Forums.aspx

Good luck.

A: i think you’ll need to get a job that provides insurance.
good luck.

Q: Ever heard of Myoconda, a possible new treatment for Crohn’s?
It’s been approved by the United States FDA, they’ll probably have to do one more clinical trial before ppl can get it.

http://www.giacondalimited.com/pages/products/myo_conda.html

A: It is a Combination Antibiotic Therapy, seems to give promising results.
Thanks for the useful info.

Q: Why are simple herbal treatment for Crohn’s, I.B.S., ignored ?
Why are simple treatment for Crohn’s, I.B.S., ignored ?

So why are all these simple treatments being ignored ?

Why are we spending millions, on funding to raise funding for research and then spending billions to find a ‘pharmaceutical cure’, when the obvious simple cause and effects are being ignored…?

http://www.abeautifuldifference.com/webdoc.535.html

A: It seems so simple, and so cannot have money made with it.

crohns treatment

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about crohns treatment. For more, visit the Crohn’s Disease website DrCrohns.com

Q: Does anyone on here suffer with crohns and what treatment do you have?
I have had it for the last ten years it is no fun, especially trying to keep up with two kids. When I am feeling ****.

A: I find the best treatment is changing my diet. That’s the only thing that works to stop the pain and diarrhea.

As a general rule, the grain and cereal foods at the top of this list make the safest, easiest, and most versatile soluble fiber foundations for your meals and snacks.[1]

Rice
Pasta and noodles
Oatmeal
Barley
Fresh white breads such as French or sourdough (NOT whole wheat or whole grain)*
Rice cereals
Flour tortillas
Soy
Quinoa
Corn meal
Potatoes
Carrots
Yams
Sweet potatoes
Turnips
Rutabagas
Parsnips
Beets
Squash and pumpkins
Mushrooms
Chestnuts
Avocados (though they do have some fat)
Bananas
Applesauce
Mangoes
Papayas (also digestive aids that relieve gas and indigestion)

*Please choose a baked-daily, high quality, preservative-free brand. White bread does not mean Wonder.

Why is soluble fiber so special? Because unlike any other food category, it soothes and regulates the digestive tract, stabilizes the intestinal contractions resulting from the gastrocolic reflex, and normalizes bowel function from either extreme. That’s right – soluble fiber prevents and relieves BOTH diarrhea and constipation. Nothing else in the world will do this for you.

I’ve enclosed a link that will give you more information about how to change your diet. I know this works.

I provided info for their site and hotline. They also have a live chat on their site that is run by healthcare professionals well versed in IBD M-F 9 am – 5 pm. (EST).

If you can’t get ahold of your GI, call your primary care MD. Here is the information from the drug company’s website on Remicade:

What are the possible side effects of infliximab?

What other drugs will affect infliximab?

Do not receive “live” vaccinations during treatment with infliximab. Administration of a live vaccine may cause an infection or be ineffective during treatment with infliximab.

Q: free nhs treatment for crohns and chronic diseases?
if you have chronic illness such as crohns, can u get free nhs prescriptions all your life?

Q: Is treatment in a Hyperbolic chamber good for Crohns and Ankylosing Spondilitus?

A: I would think no. Hyperbaric works by adding more oxygen to the blood and increasing blood flow to bodily tissues. Those are diseases would not benefit from increased blood flow

When was the last time the doctor gave you bacteria, friendly bacteria ?

Modern medicine is all about attacking a problem.

What if the problem cannot be attacked, but cultivated, because the real problem is a lack of what is called friendly bacteria that processes food into chemicals. (yogurt, saurerkraut)

Have you heard of probiotics ?
Can this be the missing link ?
The “link” I mentioned referred to the probiotics.

If you are looking for a link, look up “parasites’, ‘’symptoms of parasites’, treatment for parasites.

Here is one:

http://www.abeautifuldifference.com/webdoc.535.html

Best Wishes

Stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment of a stroke is crucial. Early treatment can minimize damage to your brain and potential stroke complications.

Below I have included a great article from Dr. Weil (an integrative doctor)… about some Crohn’s research and how he prefers treating patients with it.

Good luck and keep up the GREAT work!!

Q: Giardia treatment: Best choice for intestinal problem ie IBS, Crohns, and others… ?
Intestinal problems ? Labelled with IBS, or Crohns ?

Did you know that many tests for bacterial infections are not 100% accurate, in fact giardia requires some 3-6 negative tests to prove you don’t have it. Most doctors believe one is sufficient.

Research into herbal treatments for giardia, and related symptoms, has shown several ancient herbal treatments.

Which ones do you believe or have tried to be the best ?

Garlic.
Ginger
Green Black Walnut Hulls
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Oregano Oil

Something else ?

Simple Herbal Treatments !

http://www.abeautifuldifference.com/webdoc.535.html

A: Hi:

Well I use a probiotic which is Acidophilus, I choose bland foods, I tend to eat less fiber when I have a flair up. I take grape seed extract2 X day, Fish oil caps, and I always carry with me different forms of peppermint as peppermints help with the cramping.

Be safe and be well

Q: What is the treatment for Crohns disease. Can it completely cured/?
This has refence colon bleeding, while clearing the bowls

Q: Have you or anyone you know used IV treatments for Crohns disease?
What was the outcome and cost? Did insurance cover it? Any info would be helpful.
Thanks!

Q: i was just diagnosed with crohns, anyone have it and have had the remicade treatment?

A: Sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with such an awful disease. I have been on pretty much every treatment including remicade. I have to come off it though because of an adverse reaction I had during my Last treatment. I can not imagine that your gi would go to remicade as a first treatment though.. Usually you start off with the less harmful meds i started off with asacol (i know the name is just awful for use with ibd..LOL) and prednisone. Then went to imuran then 6mp and pentasa, then entocort and librax, then remicade, then back to a combination of other treatments.. I would talk to my gi and ask why they are wanting to start you on something like remicade first.. Here are some links that i am sure you will find more useful than yahoo answers when it comes to crohn’s disease.
http://ccfa.org/ – crohn’s and colitis foundation of america – they even have online chat with a nurse or you can call with questions about meds or whatever.
http://crohns-sanity.org/forum/index.php – great for forums
http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=17 – great forum also..
I also have a list of 30 or so sites that have been helpful to me that i can email you if you would like..
I hope I have atleast been a little helpful

Q: Are there any similarities in the treatments for Crohns Disease and Lupus?
Similar as in steroids and/or pain meds,antibiotics etc?

A: Yes–as they are both auto-immune diseases. Your immune system is out of whack and basically turns on you.

Inflamation is one of the main pain sources for both conditions and steroids are used for both to reduce this.

However, while both have common meds used in treatment the rest is done on an idividual basis upon evalution of symptoms and severity.

Q: Is anyone familiar with TSO for Crohns?? Can they be transported or pose any health risk to someone else?
Happy New year! I am not familiar with the experimental treatment of TSO for Crohns disease, although I have checked websites, I do not see any answers as to whether or not it can be of any detriment to a partner not taking it coming from someone that is. Also, what are some health risks to the person that is taking it?

A: They feed you helminths which are very small worms, but not the worms you are thinking of. It is thought that this will decrease the host’s inflammatory processes. If a host has crohn’s it is thought that the disease will subside. I found the following research article for you. Best of luck.

Background: Crohn’s disease is common in highly industrialised Western countries where helminths are rare and uncommon in less developed areas of the world where most people carry worms. Helminths diminish immune responsiveness in naturally colonised humans and reduce inflammation in experimental colitis. Thus exposure to helminths may help prevent or even ameliorate Crohn’s disease.

Aims: The aim of the study was to determine the safety and possible efficacy of the intestinal helminth Trichuris suis in the treatment of patients with active Crohn’s disease.

Patients: Twenty nine patients with active Crohn’s disease, defined by a Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) 220 were enrolled in this open label study.

Methods: All patients ingested 2500 live T suis ova every three weeks for 24 weeks, and disease activity was monitored by CDAI. Remission was defined as a decrease in CDAI to less than 150 while a response was defined as a decrease in CDAI of greater than 100.

Results: At week 24, 23 patients (79.3%) responded (decrease in CDAI >100 points or CDAI <150) and 21/29 (72.4%) remitted (CDAI <150). Mean CDAI of responders decreased 177.1 points below baseline. Analysis at week 12 yielded similar results. There were no adverse events.

Conclusions: This new therapy may offer a unique, safe, and efficacious alternative for Crohn’s disease management. These findings also support the premise that natural exposure to helminths such as T suis affords protection from immunological diseases like Crohn’s disease.

——————————————————————————–

Abbreviations: CDAI, Crohn’s disease activity index; 6-MP, 6-mercaptopurine; DNBS, ditrinitrobenzene sulphonic acid; TNBS, trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; inflammatory bowel disease; helminths; immunomodulatory; Trichuris suis

Crohn’s disease is a chronic relapsing inflammatory reaction that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is common in parts of the world where helminthic colonisation is rare and uncommon in those areas where most people carry worms.1 It appears to result from an inappropriate immune response to normal gut flora. Helminths down-modulate the host immune response to unrelated antigens,2–4 a property that could be beneficial in Crohn’s disease. Helminths reduce inflammation in experimental murine colitis.1,5–7Trichuris suis, the porcine whipworm, is similar to human whipworm T trichiura. Ingestion of T suis ova results in short term self limited colonisation of humans.8 We therefore conducted a 24 week clinical trial to evaluate the safety and possible efficacy of live T suis therapy in Crohn’s disease.

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Patients were enrolled in a 24 week open label study after giving informed consent. The University of Iowa Institutional Review Board approved the protocol. Subjects with Crohn’s disease, as defined by standard clinical, radiological, and histological criteria, were recruited and followed at the University of Iowa and clinical practices in the State of Iowa. Patients 18–72 years old were eligible if they had a Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) between 220 and 450.9 A small bowel series and colonoscopy were required within the year before enrolment. Patients continued their Crohn’s disease medications if they met the following enrolment criteria: (1) mesalamine or derivatives if they had been receiving it for >8 weeks and the same dose for >4 weeks; (2) oral prednisone up to 25 mg/day if patients had been receiving it for >8 weeks and the same dose for >4 weeks; and (3) azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) if patients had been receiving it for >6 months and the same dose for >8 weeks. Before enrolment, patients had to have a haemoglobin concentration of >10.0 g/dl, white blood count of 5000–15 000/mm3, platelet count >150 000/mm3, no iron or vitamin B12 deficiency, total bilirubin <1.5 mg/dl, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase <100 U/dl, alkaline phosphatase <250 U/dl, blood urea nitrogen <40 mg/dl, serum creatinine <2.0 mg/dl, and stool examination negative for pathogens or Clostridium difficile toxin. Women had a negative pregnancy test and practised birth control. Patients with ileostomy, colostomy, resection >50 cm, obstructive symptoms, or anticipated need for surgery were excluded. They were not enrolled if (1) treatment in the last 12 weeks included cyclosporine, methotrexate, infliximab, or other immunomodulatory agents, (2) treatment in the last two weeks included antibiotics, antifungal, or antiparasitic medications, and (3) they had other diseases that could interfere with compliance or interpretation of the results.

Specific pathogen free pigs were given T suis ova by gastric gavage. After allowing time for worm maturation, adult worms were isolated from the colon and cultured in vitro. Ova produced in vitro were collected and allowed to embryonate for 5–6 weeks in phosphate buffered saline containing penicillin/streptomycin/amphotericin B at 22°C. The embryonated ova were then made bacteria free using 0.2% K2Cr2O7, washed with sterile saline, and stored at 5°C in phosphate buffered saline. Standard viral and bacterial cultures were performed on aliquots of ova to assure that they contained no pathogens. Pigs were inoculated with stored ova at regular time intervals to assure that the ova remained infective. This analysis demonstrated that stored ova retained viability for at least nine months. Eggs were divided into individual aliquots of 2500. This number of ova was the same as that used in our earlier pilot study.10 Subjects returned every three weeks to drink the ova suspended in a commercial drink. The study coordinator witnessed that all of the subjects consumed the drink.

Patients kept daily diaries of clinical symptoms. Dosing of all other inflammatory bowel disease medications was held constant. The following were obtained at entry and every six weeks: medical history and physical examination, pregnancy test, complete blood count, liver profile, and stool examination for ova, pathogens, and C difficile toxin. Means (SD) are given. Medians are presented with interquartile range. The two tailed Fisher’s exact test was used to examine patient characteristics that might predict response or remission.

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A total of 29 patients were enrolled and their baseline characteristics are shown in table 1. Most patients had longstanding disease (median 3.9 (1.5–6.8) years) and were refractory to standard inflammatory bowel disease therapy before enrolment. Fourteen patients were on corticosteroids and/or azathioprine/6-MP. Only 5/29 (17%) were on no medications; of these, 10 previously had tried corticosteroids and/or other immunosuppressants (azathioprine, 6-MP, infliximab). Mean CDAI was 294, indicating that patients were moderately ill. The cohort included patients with anatomical disease distribution similar to that of the Crohn’s disease population at large.

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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the patients*

Patients were compliant with the protocol; all patients completed their symptom diaries, attended all clinic visits, and received all doses of the ova. None was lost to follow up. Four withdrew at or before week 12 because of ongoing disease activity, and one withdrew between weeks 12 and 24 because of pregnancy. Ongoing disease activity was defined as failure to respond or achieve remission and these individuals are included in the analysis. There was no indication that the ova therapy made any patient more ill, and there were no side effects or complications attributable to therapy. Patients developed no new symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or worsening of diarrhoea. There was no deterioration in CDAI in the four patients that withdrew before week 12. Analysis of laboratory data collected during the study showed no significant changes in complete blood count or differential, blood urea nitrogen or creatinine, or aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, or alkaline phosphatase. All stool specimens were negative for ova and parasites.
At week 12, 22 patients (75.9%) responded (decrease in CDAI >100 points or CDAI <150) and 19/29 (65.5%) were in remission (CDAI <150). At week 24, 23 patients (79.3%) experienced a response and 21/29 (72.4%) were in remission (fig 1A). Mean initial CDAI of responders was 287.1 (47.8). It decreased to 92.0 (49.2) at week 12 and 99.9 (35.6) at week 24 (fig 1B). Thus the mean improvement in CDAI for these patients was 195.1 and 187.2 at weeks 12 and 24, respectively. There were six patients with a baseline CDAI between 250 and the minimum entry criterion of 220. All six achieved both a response (improvement in CDAI of >100) and remission (CDAI <150).

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Figure 1 (A) Percentage of patients achieving remission or response at week 12 or 24 after initiating ova therapy. (B) Mean change in Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI, mean (SD)) for respondents to ova therapy. CDAI <150 is remission. p<0.0001, week 12 or week 24 compared with baseline (time 0).

We performed subset analysis of patient characteristics looking for predictors of outcomes. Sex, patient age, disease duration, smoking status, or disease location did not influence the frequency of response or remission. There was a trend for patients using immunosuppressive drugs to improve to a greater degree than those not using these agents (table 2). Also, patients with a prior history of terminal ileum resection were less responsive.

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Table 2 Subset analysis of patient characteristics for response and remission

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Human helminthic parasites were considered as a therapeutic option. Many could not be used because there are no available sources other than a human carrier. Eggs from such a source would risk inadvertent transmission of pathogenic microbial agents. Also, some human helminths have disease potential or raise public health concerns.
Trichuris species are helminths with favourable characteristics for therapeutic use. Their life cycle minimises the risk of inadvertent colonisation. Trichuris ova mature in the soil and are ingested by the host. Ova hatch in the duodenum, releasing larvae that ultimately grow in 6–8 weeks into adult worms. They migrate to the terminal ileum and colon but do not invade the host. Worms can remain viable for 1–2 years in the natural host. Adult worms release ova that are shed into the stool. These ova are immature and are not capable of colonising another host until they incubate in the soil for several weeks to allow embryonation.

We chose T suis as the helminth to colonise subjects in this study. T suis, the porcine whipworm, is genetically related to T trichiura, the human whipworm. T suis is not a natural human parasite but it has been shown experimentally to colonise humans briefly without causing disease.8 The ova can be produced using pathogen free pigs, and processed to assure absence of biological contaminants.

Treatment with T suis ova for 24 weeks yielded a response rate of nearly 80% and a remission rate of nearly 73%, which was much greater than the anticipated placebo effect.11–14 This was particularly notable as many patients had refractory disease. Thus T suis ova therapy may produce substantial and sustained improvement in active Crohn’s disease. However, the study was open label, and we cannot exclude a high placebo effect. The treatment caused no side effects or complications even in patients receiving multiple immunosuppressants (for example, corticosteroids and azathioprine/6-MP), suggesting a high safety profile.

Subset analysis of the data suggested that patients on immunosuppressive therapy faired better, as did patients with an intact terminal ileum. We can only speculate on the reason for these observations. It is possible that immunosuppressives could have influenced T suis colonisation. Also, there could have been a synergistic interaction between the immunomodulatory effect of the helminths and the immunosuppressive effect of the other drugs. Terminal ileal resection also could have affected worm colonisation, or perhaps residual symptoms from the surgery confounded CDAI scoring. Both of these observations need confirmation in a prospective trial to assure that they were not artefacts.

There is an immunological basis to expect that exposure to helminths such as T suis will prove beneficial in Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease involves over reactive Th1 pathways, and helminths blunt Th1 responses. For example, helminths attenuate intestinal inflammation in animal models of inflammatory bowel disease. Interleukin 10 deficient mice spontaneously develop a Th1-type colitis characterised by infiltration of the lamina propria with interferon producing CD4+ T cells.15 Colonisation with T muris or Heligmosomides polygyrus retards development of colitis in interleukin 10 deficient mice.1 Mice and rats treated with di- or trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (DNBS, TNBS) develop a Th1 cytokine driven colitis that shares features with Crohn’s disease.16 Mice and rats exposed to Schistosoma mansoni are resistant to TNBS colitis.6,7 Colonisation of mice with Trichinella spiralis diminishes DNBS induced colits.5 This protection is associated with decreased systemic and colonic interferon and interleukin 12 expression, which are critically important Th1 cytokines.

Colonisation with helminths augments several immunoregulatory pathways that limit Th1-type inflammation. Helminths induce production of interleukin 4 and interleukin 13, which are Th2 cytokines. This Th2 response inhibits production of Th1 cytokines thereby reducing colitis severity.6 Helminths also induce regulatory T cells and immune regulatory substances such as transforming growth factor ß, interleukin 10, and prostaglandin E2 that assist in maintaining host mucosal homeostasis.4

In summary, T suis is well tolerated and appears efficacious for Crohn’s disease in this open label trial. Helminths probably inhibit intestinal inflammation by mechanisms different from current medications. Helminths may offer an easy to administer alternative or supplement to currently available therapeutic agents. These results justify a double blind controlled clinical trial. Furthermore, these results support the hypothesis that helminthic exposure provides protection against some immune mediated inflammatory disease like Crohn’s disease.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Betty Musgrave, clinical research coordinator. Drs Miriam B Zimmerman and William Clarke, Department of Biostatistics provided assistance with study design, statistical methods, and data analysis. Additional participating University of Iowa gastroenterologists included Drs Jeffrey Field, Khurram Qadir, and David Ramkumar. Collaborating gastroenterologists from the State of Iowa included: Drs Dean Abramson, Nile Dusdieker, Joseph Ewing, Jon Gibson, Bernard Leman, Randall Lengeling, Sudhakar Misra, James Piros, Douglas Purdy, Leon Qiao, Surish Reddy, Robert Silber, Joseph Truszkowski, and Gary Weinman.

The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America provided the primary support for this study. The Broad Medical Research Program of the Eli and Edythe L Broad Foundation, the Ed and Liliane Schneider Family Foundation, and the Thomas Irwin Memorial Fund also provided partial support. The study sponsors had no involvement in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data, in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

FOOTNOTES

Conflict of interest: None declared.

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Elliott DE, Urban JF Jr, Argo CK, et al. Does the failure to acquire helminthic parasites predispose to Crohn’s disease? FASEB J 2000;14:1848–55.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
Sabin EA, Araujo MI, Carvalho EM, et al. Impairment of tetanus toxoid-specific Th1-like immune responses in humans infected with Schistosoma mansoni. J Infect Dis 1996;173:269–72.[Medline]
Borkow G , Leng Q, Weisman Z, et al. Chronic immune activation associated with intestinal helminth infections results in impaired signal transduction and anergy. J Clin Invest 2000;106:1053–60.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
Weinstock JV, Summers R, Elliott DE. Helminths and harmony. Gut 2004;53:7–9.[Free Full Text]
Khan WI, Blennerhasset PA, Varghese AK, et al. Intestinal nematode infection ameliorates experimental colitis in mice. Infect Immun 2002;70:5931–7.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
Elliott DE, Li J, Blum A, et al. Exposure to schistosome eggs protects mice from TNBS colitis. Am J Physiol 2003;284:G385–91.
Moreels TG, Nieuwendijk RJ, De Man JG, et al. Concurrent infection with Schistosoma mansoni attenuates inflammation induced changes in colonic morphology, cytokine levels, and smooth muscle contractility of trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid induced colitis in rats. Gut 2004;53:99–107.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
Beer RJ. The relationship between Trichuris trichiura (Linnaeus 1758) of man and Trichuris suis (Schrank 1788) of the pig. Res Vet Sci 1976;20:47–54.[Medline]
Best WR, Becktel JM, Singleton JW, et al. Development of a Crohn’s disease activity index. National Coorperative Crohn’s Disease Study. Gastroenterology 1976;70:439–44.[Medline]
Summers RW, Elliott DE, Qadir K, et al. Trichuris suis seems to be safe and possibly effective in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Gastroenterol 2003;98:2034–41.[CrossRef][Medline]
Sands BE, Winston BD, Salzberg B, et al. Randomized, controlled trial of recombinant human interleukin-11 in patients with active Crohn’s disease. Aliment Pharm Ther 2002;16:399–406.[CrossRef][Medline]
Sandborn WJ, Feagan BG, Hanauer SB, et al. An engineered human antibody to TNF (CDP571) for active Crohn’s disease: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Gastroenterology 2001;120:1330–8.[CrossRef][Medline]
Panaccione R , Canadian Consensus Group on the use of infliximab in Crohn’s disease. Infliximab for the treatment of Crohn’s disease: review and indications for clinical use in Canada. Can J Gastroenterol 2001;15:371–5.[Medline]
Feagan B . Infliximab in the treatment of Crohn’s disease. Can J Gastroenterol 2000;14 (suppl C) :6C.[Medline]
Berg DJ, Davidson N, Kuhn R, et al. Enterocolitis and colon cancer in interleukin-10-deficient mice are associated with aberrant cytokine production and CD4(+) TH1-like responses. J Clin Invest 1996;98:1010–20.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
Neurath MF, Fuss I, Kelsall BL, et al. Antibodies to interleukin 12 abrogate established experimental colitis in mice. J Exp Med 1995;182:1281–90.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Will worms really cure Crohn’s disease?
G L Radford-Smith
Gut 2005 54: 6-8. [Extract] [Full Text]

Q: The NEW FDA approved ALLI pill and Crohns disease?
Could i take this pill if i have crohns disease? Just curious because of the treatment effects?

A: I would not suggest it as it can affect the digestive system. Check with your doc and I’d wait to see how it REALLY affects ppl first. FDA approval means squat these days.