Crohn’s update

My Crohn’s symptoms seem to have been a bit better over the last week or two, which is making me feel a little more hopeful. It gets discouraging having symptoms continue week after week, month after month.

I’ve been on Humira since late September and Low Dose Naltrexone since November 1. I saw my doctor Jan 9, not feeling very happy at the extent of symptoms I was continuing to have.

She talked about other treatments we could try, including two new meds her group is doing clinical trials for starting in a month or two. For now she wanted to increase the Humira to weekly instead of every other week and see me again in six weeks to see if that was helping. (Assuming blood tests she did that day showed nothing contra-indicating that plan). After my blood test results came back, she confirmed the Humira increase and also added Lialda and an antibiotic (Vancomycin) in case of infection. At my appointment she suggested I take 1 Imodium daily, which is an over the counter med. I had started taking 1/2 after my visit in December but she thought I increase it to 1.

I’d stopped taking multivitamins in the fall. My Jan 9 blood tests showed I’m anemic so I’ve started taking them again plus extra iron. The doctor’s list of all possible treatments that have been at all effective included the probiotic Saccharomyces Boulardii. I found some at Whole Foods, so I’m taking that too.

It seems that I’ve had less pain over the last 1-2 weeks which I very much appreciate. The weekly Humira hasn’t even started yet – tomorrow will be my first injection just one week after the previous one. Maybe that will help even more – I hope so!