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Reply posted for CarolinaChux.

I had many of the symptoms you have had.  Like you, prednisone was the only thing that worked for me. the biologics available now were not available to me back then.  You might have your blood levels checked, I passed so much blood without realizing it I became severely anemic, which made me feel exhausted all the time, but also unable to sleep at bedtime. Blood transfusions and ambien helped out there.
I also had trouble keeping food down. The blander the better. I ate a lot of McDonalds big breakfasts. It seemed like the earlier in the day the better chance I had of keeping it down. 
If you are depressed and feeling sorry for yourself, consider people worse off than  you are. Waiting in my hospital for treatments, I’d watch people go by who were .way worse than I was.people who were in wheelchairs, using oxygen, battling cancer.  Made me feel pretty good about my issues .

Reply posted for IamTorn.

have you tried Humira.  I have been on it for 5 months now and finally I feel better then I have in a long time.  The biggest issue I have now is sever tiredness.  I fight to stay awake and the Humira nurse said she never had that issue from other patients.  Does anyone else that may read this deal with Extreme exhaustion.  I mean I will be ok and next thing i know its 3 hours later i feel asleep.

Reply posted for CarolinaChux.

Hey Bud, 

Its not easy dealing with these kinds of Diseases, 

Ive been dealing with Crohn's disease since i was 12, I'm 24 now. 

I understand  how frustrating and degrading/humilating it can be to be the "butt" end of a joke, 

My friends, family, coworkers always make fun of me for my extended and frequent bathroom trips, but i've learned to just accept it as a part of life, My Father has been a great help in this regaurd. Always supportive and understanding of my pain and insecurites about this. 

I'm "severely anemic" (according to my doc, not sure what the difference is between regular and severely but meh) and have a hard to getting to sleep, staying alseep, and then staying awake in the morning. its difficult because i never feel fully rested no matter how much i sleep or rest.

I will share that prednisone messed with my head alot causing me to get extremely depressed, i was banned from taking that drug shortly after my first severl months of using it. 

that might be causing some of your depression? 

thats just from my personal experiance. 

Anyways bud, Don't ever feel like suicide is the answer, you still have alot to live for, and you shouldn't give up.  

Reply posted for CarolinaChux.

I'm sorry you are struggling. I understand the battle. I have been there. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis more than 15 years ago. I literally lost a job because I had to take so many days off from being sick. I have been medicine free and surgery free for the past 10 years now though with lifestyle changes and natural medicine. The first thing to check is for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Find a naturopathic doctor near you to run this test along with a food sensitivity test to find out what triggers inflammation in you. Along with that, some supplements that have helped me: l-glutamine, aloe vera, turmeric, and omega 3. it is best to remove common food allergens that increase inflammation: corn, wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, potatoes, and alcohol. Avoid carageenan in milks and foods. Avoid sugar! Green vegetable juice 3x per week with kale, cucumber, celery, green apple, parsley, and ginger can help reduce inflammation and pain in the body plus help your cells repair themselves. Hope this helps :)

Reply posted for charbs.

CarolinaChux,
We are sorry to read about the challenges you are having with managing your disease and the problems at work.    Living with ulcerative colitis can be challenging but there is help.   There are financial assistance programs that can help with the cost medications and medical co-payments.  You can find information on financial assistance at:  https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/living-with-crohns-colitis/managing-the-cost-of-ibd/ .    Getting the right treatment is key to getting your disease into remission.  Speak with your doctor about other treatments as steroids are most often intended for temporary use https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/resources/types-of-medications.html

 
Apply for work place accommodations and learn more about your rights under the American’s Disability Act (ADA).  We have a fact sheet on employment and IBD that might be helpful for you at:  https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/assets/pdfs/employment-and-inflammatory.pdf .     Learn more about your social security disability options at: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/resources/applying-for-social-security.html .    Remember, Social Security Disability is not about having ulcerative colitis or other disease/conditions, it about whether or not you can work while having the disease.   If you plan to apply, start a journal or note book to document how your disease has prevented you from doing your job and not just that you have uc or other health concerns https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/resources/webcasts.html#Anemia or https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/living-with-crohns-colitis/mental-health/how-can-ibd-affect-your.html
 
Try to go to a support group to surround your self with other patients and families who understand what you are going through.   Find support groups at: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/living-with-crohns-colitis/find-a-support-group/ .   We also have a one on one support program called the Power of 2 where you can talk with other patients by telephone. 
 
Call us at the IBD Help Center to talk through some of you options at 888-MY-GUT-PAIN (694-8872) x 8