Crohn's Disease: Rectal Cleaning + Remicade + Fish Oil

[Electricchild]

Hi everyone,

I don't post here often, but I have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease in August of last year. For a whole year now, I have been dealing with my problem, and my first surgery involved draining of an anal abscess. I have dealt with the problem through Entocort up until January of 2007, when my surgeon and GI realized that the problem was not going away (infection kept reoccurring, and more rectal cleaning under anesthesia had to be done).

So we switched to remicade, and since Jan 07 I have had very little problems with infection and it has been working like a charm. Unfortunately, the abscess pocket is still not fully healed, and my surgeon needs to go in tomorrow and clean it out again, which does not worry be so much since I have been able to avoid surgery for over half a year now.

On Sunday, I will go in for my remicade infusion (last one was 2 months ago). I am hoping that both the procedure and the infusion will blast away the Crohn's for a while, but to keep the inflammation away, what do you guys think of fish oil? (Cod liver oil).

It was suggested to me from a naturopathic doctor, and I was wondering about the success rates you guys have experienced with it (for those who use it). Do you think I would have a better shot and keeping my Crohn's in remission with the fish oil? The remicade WILL do it's job, that's for certain, but I can't keep doing it forever, and my body might eventually start making anitbodies to make me resistant to remicade, which would be frightening. I need to find a way to stop relying on remicade.

Thank you for your help!!!!

[lodgen]

i been on remicade for over a year,i take omega 3,6 ,9 ,any fish oils are
great for you ,take a good multivitamin from a heath food store that's
iron free.i am in remission right now and i have not had any anal abscess
but had to endure three rectal operations from it . if your remicade works
it will hopefully avoid any surgery and you should be fine,the side effects
are minimal for taking it in short periods of time.make sure your diet is
very healthy and i take extra virgin Olivia oil cold press every day,no
bread or constipating foods,i found that heavy food is worse and eating
very blended or small amounts are better,weight loss is a big issue
with crohn's and trying to gain is always a challenge.
good luck

[Electricchild]

Thank you for the response. I will continue with the fish oil since it has seemed to help you as well.

I too am suffering a weight problem. At 21 years old, I was a complete stick when I was diagnosed with Crohns... approximately 110 lbs. I was weak, and had little energy to do anything.

After eating a lot and lifting weights + brisk walking I have been able to gain 40 lbs in the last year and have arrived at a decently healthy weight of 150 at 22. I am still trying to gain of course, but there is no hurry now that I am closer to a normal 22 year old. I want to start lifting heavy in a gym sometime but I am still quite self-conscious due to the fact that I would certainly not be able to perform well for my first couple of visits. That is why I am doing exercises in the house or outside (walking or jogging) until I am energetic and strong enough to do something a little more demanding.

[brandime8]

I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease almost 3 years ago but had symptoms for about 6 years total. I'm 5'7'' and normally weight 135 lbs. About 2 years ago I was very surprised when my weight dropped to 110 lbs. I really looked sick, but I really was trying to gain weight, eating about 6 meals a day. It took several months but I was finally able to get back to my normal weight. I was on Remicade for a short time but had an allergic reaction so they switched me to asacol, then entocort, tried Remicade again, and now Humira. I have had a lot of issues since December 2006 and have been in the hospital quite often. It turns out that I have 2 feet of strictures and it looks like surgery is now inevitable. I read on another message board that Remicade has been known to cause that. I'm not sure of the accuracy of that but it may be worth looking in to for those who are taking Remicade. I have also been on Prednisone off and on for the past 3 years. I never gained weight until March of this year. In a 4 month period, I gained 50 pounds! Talk about an emotional roller coaster. I'm off the steroids now but I have yet to see any results. Anyone else with me?

HELP

Brandi (F/27)