Crohn's disease??? questions about humira???
I am almost 14 years old and i have crohns disease. i was diagnosed in april of 2007 I started out with all the basics like asacol and imuran and prednisone (BLERG!!!!) but then they stopped working and i was going soooo high levels on prednisone so then i switched to remicade. Remicade worked wonders for like...7 months or so but the last one i had gave me joint pain so bad i couldnt move (i always get joint pain after remicade but this time i couldnt move at all) so i switched to humira. So i've heard its a possibility to get lymphoma from remicade or humira. 2 questions 1) what are the side effects of humira? so far i've had pain obiously from the shot itself and burning for 15 minutes after, joint pain, and some stomach pain 2) is there a higher risk of getting lymphoma from humira vs remicade? or was remicade a higher risk? or is the risk so slim its nothing to worry about? pleeease help me!! thanks so much
How to gain weight with Crohn's Disease?
Hi! I'm 15 and also have crohn's disease. I was diagnosed but then misdiagnosed as having an eating disorder (cause I'm a teen girl.) Well I was mistreated for that both intensive outpatient and inpatient. And what do you know I never did have an eating disorder! Well I was on an average diet of 4,000-5,000 calories and 4x the fat and lost even more weight leaving me at a deadly 85lbs (5'8")! We tried all the oral supplements (ensure plus, boost plus, CIB plus) nothing worked. I finally went to another hospital and they said that my body couldn't absorb the fat and that I was going to die within days. We decided on getting an NG tube (instead of drinking the nasty peptamen). I did extremely well and could eat what I wanted during the day. With the predigested formula I finally gained weight!!! I kept it in for 5 months and reached 110lbs (5'9")! It was so nice I was no longer a stick! I still lose weight immediatly if I eat high fat. I have my maintained my weight on a low fat diet. I strongly suggest tube feeding if all other methods fail! If you have any questions just ask me! Hope this helps! =)
What was your longest stay in the hospital? Why?
My longest stay was 7 days.About 10 years ago, I went in for a one-night stay. I was having a laparoscopic hysterectomy. Unfortunately, my surgeon accidentally cut into my bowel, so I ended up with a bowel resection, a 4-hour surgery, a big scar, and a week in the hospital.My surgeon, fortunately, realized what he had done right away, and called in another surgeon, who just happened to be right outside the operating room. I actually feel really lucky. People die from accidents like this, especially when the mistake is not noticed right away.I have some funny stories from that hospital stay including the time my daughter called (she was about 17) and asked what I did all day. “Have you made any friends?” she asked. No, I didn’t make any friends. I looked out the window. I barfed every 8 hours when they hung a new bag of metronidazole.I was something of a celebrity on my floor because I guess everyone was afraid they would get sued. Every day I saw half a dozen specialists. I saw interns, residents, surgeons, infectious disease people, and the list went on and on.No, I didn’t sue them. Accidents happen. The surgeon was sorry and didn’t try to hide his mistake. He was sick over it, and I saw him twice a day every day. It had a happy ending, and I got a month off from work. Yeah! And I didn’t have to have a colostomy, even temporarily.
Can you die from crohn's disease?
hi aud, no he can't die from the Crohns itself...but from other complications such as liver or pancreas problems due to the medications he is on but a good GI will monitor his w/blood work to prevent that from happening. He can however, have serious problems though if he doesn't take the medications as prescribed. One thing he can't do is stop prednisone cold turkey, otherwise he will wind up in the hospital & become very very ill w/ adrenal & kidney failure. I've had crohns for over 21 yrs. & some of the common myths are: stress and diet cause crohns FALSE: they contribute to it when you flare. the flare is caused by the inflammed tissue in your intestines. 2. Crohns can kill you FALSE: w/all the newer meds and treatments, it is very rare. if you take your meds according, eat a healthy diet (when you're not in pain), don't drink or smoke, for women DON'T TAKE HORMONES, & work with your GI even if it means bloodwork, endoscopies, colonoscopies, etc. 3. You can't do anything once you are dxed w/Crohns FALSE Once you are on a medication regime that gets things under control, you can resume your daily activities. For more information check out the Crohns & Colitis Foundation of America's site. there you can locate a local chapter in your town& your brother can meet others like himself & swap stories on coping w/CD, download info on the latest treatments, diets, exercise, surgery, coping mechanisms, dating, etc. there is even information on going to school. Crohns is not the end of world. There are many famous ppl with it: Anastacia, Dwight Eisenhower, Mike McCreedy from Pearl Jam, Shannon Dorhetty (90210),JohnYork (Scorpio-GH), Mary Ann Mobley former Miss America. Also, find a good registered dietician who's well versed with IBD. He can get a referral from the MD, a local hospital, or from the site listed to locate an RD in your town. They have the experience b/c they do internships before graduating at hospitals/nursing homes dealing w/all sorts of illnesses.
What type of diet may contribute to gall bladder disease?
Actually it's the "4-F's" you left out fertile. Pregnancy is also a risk factor. Actually risk factors include: oral-contraceptive use (or high estrogen in general), Family history (genetics), Increased triglycerides, diabetes, liver cirrhosis, spinal cord injuries, prolonged fasting state, inactivity, certain drugs (like a common antibiotic ceftriaxone), Crohn's disease, diseases that turn over red blood cells rapidly (genetic diseases and very common sickle cell anemia). I'm sure there's more but these are off the top of my head. Generally foods in HIGH saturated fats, low fiber, low calcium, and low vitamin C seem to have the highest risk factors. By the way, a study of 46,000 people who drank 2 or more cups of coffee per day had a 40% less chance of developing gallstones or sludge. Sincerely, Doc
Severe right side abdominal pain with a lump below ribs?
This started 4 days ago. I went to the hospital on the second day and they couldn't find anything wrong. All they did was a urine test and a CT scan. They didn't even take my blood. They eventually said that I was just there for pain medicine and sent me home. Yesterday, the pain was manageable. Tonight, I'm in pure misery. It hurts on my right side right below my ribs and straight through to my back. My chest is hurting too. I feel like I need to throw up, but when I try nothing comes up. I now have developed a lump under my ribs about the size of a nickle. It doesn't hurt to touch, but you can definitely feel it. I double over in pain when it comes on. (It comes and goes.) I don't have insurance, so one trip to the hospital was more than I can even begin to handle. I can't afford to go to the hospital again unless I know there is something seriously wrong with me. Any suggestions?