Crohn's Patients

[floating_by]

Originally Posted by Paradigm

I was diagnosed with UC in the summer before High school...so summer of 05'. I was in the hospital for a week, but totally out of it for at least a month. They put me on everything, finally, prednisone worked. Only for a short while. About february into my freshman year, i went through another flare up. I was already failing due to missing so much school first semester. So that stress along with the flare up probably made things worse. Once again hospitalized for about a week, this time i needed blood transfusion. I missed school from pretty much end of February all the way through march. Dropped all but one class (im very good at math). This time it was much worse. I had cramps like i never had. some so painful it caused me to vomit a few times. So i was extremly dehydrated.

When in the hospital a second time, they put me on remacaid. It worked wonders. Havent had a flare up in the past 2 years and only going in once every 8 weeks for another treatment. No more steroids, no more methyltrexate (cant stand the smell of rubbing alcohol anymore. makes me want to puke). i feel energetic. I thought i had it bad, but reading these stories on here makes me feel lucky that i only had it bad about 2 times. but, i do know what all of you are going through.

The one thing i hate about UC is trying to explain it to people. most people ask "oh, so like ben stiller in along came polly?" and i have to explain its much more serious. Im not uncomfortable about it, its just people dont realize what i/we face.

Only smoked a few times, dont see how it would make a difference, so guess i cant request it.

I wish everyone good luck with their disease.

Glad to hear the 'Cade worked for you. Have you had any adverse side effects from it?
I've read a lot of accounts of people GETTING joint pains from the 'Cade, and I have really bad joint pains already, so that concerns me. Well, everything about that drug concerns me honestly. So many potential side effects.

As to smoking helping: for me, it seems to stop the cramping in my experience thus far. I don't think its a cure-all, certainly, but may help alleviate some symptoms. I've taken some drugs that made me very nauseous, so I would have liked to have seem if the Mj would have helped with that.

[floating_by]

Originally Posted by thebigd^

Well, few reasons. My stepmom has alot of relatives in CO.

And lemme put this together for you so you can see why we need a new start.

When I had my first hospital visit for what we thought was just UC my stepmom
was checked into the hospital at the same time for her first surgery to remove
cancerous tissues from her breast. She had breast cancer at the same time
that my main issues were going on. My dad had to take us to both of our
appointments when we needed to. Me and my stepmom were both extremely sick,
when she got done with radation, it was prolly a year later when they found out it was UC/Chrones for me, and at that time my grandma, my dads mom, was diagnosed with
lung cancer and was put on hospice in the care of our home.

Theres a few more reasons that go to this equation of us moving, but its the mere fact that we all need some new sights. A new start into being healthy, to get away from this tiny ass town.

And theres MMJ in colorado ( thats my own reason )

Oh yeah, its also going to be awesome to meet people that arent begging me for weed or calling me daily to try and get drugs, so a new set of friends would be great .

BigD,

Sounds like you have a lot going on in the family life. I wish you all the best in your move. I've been through cancer situations with my family too and it is really tough. Glad to hear your family is on board in supporting any treatments you want to pursue, including the MMJ.

[hazel.indigo]

Originally Posted by thebigd^

smoking marijuana is the only thing that keeps me from the bathroom and the cramps..

dang, my dad has crohn's. does pot really help? i've always thought something was up with him, you know like when you can sort of tell someone tokes? that's how i've felt about him. he travels for work and he's gotta go all over and he's always got eyedrops and insence in his car. wow i'm shocked.

[TDWPfan111]

yeah it really does help alot for people suffering in general. and crohns is definatly something you suffer with..

I would say when the symptoms really got me feeling down, and I dont wanna talk or really do anything, ( aka depression ) when I smoke I just feel great and feel like I'm living without any disease.. and thats important to alot of people who have been suffering for years and think theres no hope to make them feel better

[floating_by]

It's hard to describe, but MJ almost "motivates" me. I know that is contrary to everything we are told about marijuana. But in my experience thus far with it, I've done some housework and things when I was feeling too sick and unmotivated previous to smoking. It seems to help with pain and cramping for me, and elevates my mood. Depression can certainly creep in with this disease. Plus, stress seems to really wreak havoc on one's body with this disease, and any outlet to relax I have to think is beneficial. I've been getting headaches lately too, and it seems to help with those as well. I think I have a lot of tension in my neck and it seems to relax the muscles.

[thebigd^]

Originally Posted by floating_by

It's hard to describe, but MJ almost "motivates" me. I know that is contrary to everything we are told about marijuana. But in my experience thus far with it, I've done some housework and things when I was feeling too sick and unmotivated previous to smoking. It seems to help with pain and cramping for me, and elevates my mood. Depression can certainly creep in with this disease. Plus, stress seems to really wreak havoc on one's body with this disease, and any outlet to relax I have to think is beneficial. I've been getting headaches lately too, and it seems to help with those as well. I think I have a lot of tension in my neck and it seems to relax the muscles.

I know EXACTLY what you mean.

[JustChillin]

Man, this thread took off since I last checked in.

Anyway, I had a capsule endoscopy last week, which followed the wonderful halflytely prep. I swear that shit is torture...

Got some new meds- entocort ec...seems to be helping a little bit...anyone else been on this stuff?

[Paradigm]

Originally Posted by floating_by

Glad to hear the 'Cade worked for you. Have you had any adverse side effects from it?

As far as like pains or anything no (aside from the uncomfortable and stressful IV). a few days after maybe a little less energy.

[floating_by]

Originally Posted by JustChillin

Man, this thread took off since I last checked in.

Anyway, I had a capsule endoscopy last week, which followed the wonderful halflytely prep. I swear that shit is torture...

Got some new meds- entocort ec...seems to be helping a little bit...anyone else been on this stuff?

Damn, I wish I could take it. I used it for two days and I felt great on it. Watch out for mood swings on it though. I felt a little testy while on it. Sadly, made my bloodsugar levels uncontrollable for me. My two days' dosage lingered for about 4 days and it was the best 4 days I've had in the last two years. Hope it works for ya!

[dle_240]

Hhhhmmm. I have never heard of that med before. I know one of the precription I was taking gave me mood swings. I was suppose to help me sleep.

[thebigd^]

Its offical. As soon as my Medicaid health care plan type goes good on August 8th, I'm going to be trying Remicaid. I keep reading back through these posts and i'm still really weary about this drug.

Im sort of curious about Entocort Ec, can anyone explain to me about this drug? Is this drug a 5-ASA drug or an NSAID? If so, I cannot take it.

[floating_by]

Originally Posted by thebigd^

Its offical. As soon as my Medicaid health care plan type goes good on August 8th, I'm going to be trying Remicaid. I keep reading back through these posts and i'm still really weary about this drug.

Im sort of curious about Entocort Ec, can anyone explain to me about this drug? Is this drug a 5-ASA drug or an NSAID? If so, I cannot take it.

Entocort is a steroid medication like prednisone, but it is supposed to work just locally in the GI tract, as opposed to system-wide like prednisone.

[floating_by]

Toke report:

Had an OK day yesterday. Got plenty of sleep the night before (was very sick and went to bed early.) Only had one BM in the morning, but after work I must have been stressed out and the stomach started cramping and I had to go 2 more times when I got home. Lots of bleeding and mucus. Stomach was still cramping after the 3rd time, so decided to toke and see what happened. I also had a headache at the time. Took 2 nice hits. Almost immediately the headache went away, and the stomach cramping stopped quickly as well. Didn't have to go again, and slept through the night. I took the day off from work today and took my dog for a walk for about 4 miles and the stomach is OK. Hands are worthless clumps of pain still, but the rest of the body is OK.

[TDWPfan111]

so...I'm on my first tolerance break in a very long time. I wasnt getting the effects I usto love and I wanted to see how my crohns was without out it.. and to tell you the truth... I'm in fuckin rough shape..

my stomach is extremely iratable and I feel like blahhh..no energy.. and its effecting my mood because I dont wanna deal with any annoying stomach pains..

even when I do smoke, I barely smoke .5 a day.. enless its some type of occassion with friends (pink floyd light shows at MSOB, movie I would like to get high for, some TV show or album I wanna watch/listen baked outta my mind...I myself consume probally only 1 gram. and I cant get high grade bud, all mids..

blah

[floating_by]

I don't know what happened, but I've had some more tolerable days the last couple of days.
Sorry, not much to report on the MJ front. I have been avoiding dairy (milk mostly, as I had been eating a bowl of rice cereal with milk at night before bed.) Since stopping the milk, the stomach has been better, and only 1 BM yesterday and so far only 1 today! Had headaches the last 4 nights after dinner, not sure what's up with that. A little dizzy sometimes too when I stand up. My jaw has been killing me. It's like TMJ, but came on suddenly with my flare. I suppose that is the headache/dizziness culprit.