Are they changing your diagnosis from Crohn's to UC or are they saying that you have both? What has led them to change their thinking?...
It varies from person to person. For me, it doesn't do anything unless I take it several nights in a row - and in that case it doesn't force a bowel movement, it just makes things a lot easier to...
I had a lot of headaches after the initial infusion/loading dose of Stelara. But they were in my forehead only, not my neck. They weren't much different from headaches I've always gotten, just a lot...
The following are generalizations but are based on data: 1. For a person with UC who gets no response from an anti-TNF like Humira, the odds of Entyvio working aren't very good. 2. For a person with...
What corticosteroid did you try? What dose and for how long? Did it help partially or not at all?...
Do you have a copy of the biopsy report that led your doctor to conclude this is UC and not Crohn's disease?...
What medicine did you take for the parasite? Is there any evidence the parasite remains? Did you respond at all to Humira? Partial response?...
I don't have personal experience to share, but low stool elastase can happen as a result of IBD-related diarrhea (ie, it's kind of a false positive), but it can also be a real positive. Sometimes IBD...
Pretty often on here I've found on here that I disagree with a GI's treatment plan or something the GI says. But in this case I pretty much agree with your GI's assessment and plan. I think this is...
Interesting. I'd say this is more evidence to suspect Crohn's disease, to get an indictment, and even enough to put it on trial, but is it enough to convict? Hard to say. A biopsy of that area would...
Ah, ok, I see. I'm in California too but not on Kaiser. My girlfriend is though, so I kind of know how they work in house. You might be able to get the test done and work with Prometheus to pay your...
Yeah, I think that's a reasonable approach. Hopefully you continue to improve and this never becomes an issue again. But if it does, you'll have a pretty good idea what testing to do. Did you ask...
Thanks for letting us know that the MRE came back clear. That's good - but also a bit frustrating I'm sure. How are your symptoms lately? For what it's worth, I was feeling fine when I had the...
Haha, I meant that the original post in this thread has been edited. IAC's post first said that Dr. Pravda himself had been banned from this forum, and that is what I was responding to when I said it...
Sorry clo, I wasn't clear. My response was meant for the original post. And now the original post has been edited....
I think you need to read the statement again. It would be hard to ban somebody who has never had an account here....
There are several websites that do refer to it as a biologic, but technically, they're wrong. Poopydoop is correct. I looked at the Rinvoq website and I can't find where they refer to it as a...
Is your UC flaring? ie, are you having diarrhea? That is a common cause of low potassium. If you haven't been having a lot of diarrhea and your potassium is still low, you need to get a urinalysis to...
a stool sample would be used to test for infections and possibly to check levels of fecal calprotectin, a protein found in stool that is a marker for inflammation in the colon. A blood test would be...
Don't you mean *blood tests* for antibodies to Humira?...
I agree with CCinPA. You should be seeing some improvement by now on the renflexis. Since you're not seeing improvement: 1. Have they done stool cultures to rule out infections, including c. diff? 2....
They didn't see the stricture or the fistula during the colonoscopy in Jan 2023? How close is the stricture to the ileocecal valve? I would think the GI would want to see it on a scope and take...
How was the stricture found? What tests were done then that gave you the Crohn's diagnosis? How big is the stricture in terms of length and in terms of how much narrowing? Have they discussed doing a...
Still on the prednisone? 30mg? If so, go back up to 40mg and stay there for the time being. Did the biopsy results come in? What date did you take your first dose of adalimumab and what were the...
https://prometheuslabs.com/disease-tests/ibd-sgi-diagnostic/...
One other suggestion: Ask your doctor about getting the IBD blood test done by Prometheus Labs (and see whether your insurance will cover it). Some GIs like to use it, while others don't. It tests...
Yeah, my case is weird and unusual, and it made it really tricky to diagnose. You're right that it's a blessing though that it has stayed mild and hasn't really damaged any one area. For the first 20...
It's worth noting that my situation is rather unusual in how it comes and goes in several different places along my GI tract. My disease is considered fairly mild but widespread along my GI tract...
MR enterography an CT enterography are roughly equivalent in their ability to find problems. The most important things between the two are cost, time, and radiation exposure. CT is a little quicker...
Ulcers in the TI are a big clue, but by themselves aren't enough to say for sure that it's Crohn's.disease. Medications can cause it (though I wasn't taking any of the meds known to cause it)....
When you say the colonoscopy was able to view the TI, that probably means just the first couple of inches. Same with the duodenum for the upper GI. That's what they always did with me and said it was...
CRP is a non-specific indicator of inflammation, so its usefulness is limited. It can't tell you where the inflammation if if it comes back elevated. But fecal calprotectin has some limitations too -...
Oh, another question: Any family history of IBD or any other immune mediatated inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, uveitis, lupus, psoriasis, etc)?...
Have you had the stool tests for infectious agents? Have you had blood test for CRP? Was it elevated? Did they do any further investigation for the low stool elastase? (Blood tests specific to...
Are you on prednisone along with the Humira and imuran? I think it's good to give it Humira a little more time, but also be quick to let them know if you get worse or aren't improving in the coming...
Nah, it's not weird. Blood seen in stool or bowel movements is *very* common in UC, but is a may-or-may-not happen with Crohn's. Many patients with Crohn's colitis do see blood, but many don't. As...
Well, I almost hate to give this reply, but I'm concerned even more about your care plans now. First, you should NOT have the capsule endoscopy done. You already know you have a stricture in your...
Good luck with the Entyvio and let us know how you're doing. One drawback of Entyvio is that it can be slower acting than other biologics. It varies from person to person, but you will likely see...
Thanks for sharing all the details. Makes it a lot easier to know what's been going on. I wouldn't beat yourself up over taking NSAIDs or the antibiotics. NSAIDs have been a big no-no for IBD for a...
When was this scope performed? And when did you have the MRI? Was it with oral and IV contrast? Was it called an MR enterography by chance? Do you take any medications, even over the counter? Like...
So for your unique situation, here are my thoughts (which could change once you share your scope results): 1. I wouldn't take 6mp or imuran. 2. I wouldn't take mesalamine 3. Sulfasalazine is worth...
As for claims of healing one's self by diet, supplements, etc, you are wise to be skeptical. Yes, diet can help with symptoms, but it's very individualized - what helps one person might be tough on...
As for the step-up or top-down approaches, ideally there should be an in-between, where they consider your current disease activity, your possible/probable future course (will it stay mild? Is it...
The 2nd doctor is correct - mesalamines are not approved for Crohn's disease - and they never were. Studies have shown their results to be the same as placebo, or maybe so slightly better that maybe...
Thanks for sharing the report. It does sound a lot more likely to be Crohn's than UC. Biopsies will tell more, but I'm betting it's Crohn's. In terms of medical treatment, it doesn't change much....
The docs might also want to take a different view of the stricture by doing either an ultrasound or a CT scan or MRI of the colon....
One thing to point out about starting and stopping the Humira so quickly is that often with more severe colonic inflammation and bleeding, it can take a lot of up-front dosing (loading) of an...
Your scope medication of fentanyl and midazolam is a commonly used combination sometimes called "twilight sedation" because it doesn't completely anesthetize you like you would have for a surgery....
Did they give you any details about the stricture (such as its location in your colon, its length, and how wide/narrow the passageway is in the strictured region)? Can you tell us exactly what the...
LOL, slightly is the understatement of the year. Those commercials are incredibly annoying, not slightly annoying! :-) My doc actually said I could switch to Skyrizi from Stelara if I wanted, and I...