Crohns Disease

Just last week my 18 year old daughter was diagnosed with Crohns Disease. I am so sad for her. I know there are alot worse things to be diagnosed with but this is my baby and I am feeling sad for her.

Does anyone out there have any thoughts, experience or advice for me? We go see the specialist on Apr. 14th.

I would also appreciate your prayers if you are the praying kind.

Teri, I have added "Teri's daughter" to my prayer list.

I am assuming this is the one going away to college in the fall.

I will certainly pray that she receives the best medical care for her at this time. Hopefully her doctor is a nice optimistic man and not an alarmist.

When my daughter was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes we were blessed with a fantastic care team that she could relate to. Plus the fact that my husband is a Type I Diabetic and she has grown up with him testing, doing shots, exercising, and watching what he eats has also helped.

I think it might be a good idea for your daughter to meet someone a little older who is doing well with the disease. I think that sometimes peers going through the same thing are priceless. Maybe her doctor could recommend one of his/her patients. Just a thought.

Also, I know her generation is one to jump on the computer. You might want to do a little homework in this department. There are boards online that offer excellent support for different diseases. My sister found an awesome one when my mom was suffering with cancer.

HOWEVER... beware, there are also some bad ones out there too. Some may have people who only talk about the negative, depressing, stuff that you might want to keep her away from. They just go in and gripe. I don't think she needs that right now.

Please keep us posted!

Teri, I'm so sorry about your daughter's health, but rest assured there are herbal treatments that can help alleviate the symptoms.

Here is an excerpt:

Herbs that may be helpful: Doctors sometimes use a combination of herbs to soothe inflammation throughout the digestive tract. One formula contains marshmallow, slippery elm, cranesbill, and several other herbs. Marshmallow and slippery elm are mucilaginous plants that help soothe inflamed tissues. Cranesbill is an astringent. Clinical trials using this combination have not been conducted.

A variety of anti-inflammatory herbs historically have been recommended by doctors for people with Crohn’s disease. These include yarrow, chamomile, licorice, and aloe juice. Cathartic preparations of aloe should be avoided. No research has been conducted to validate the use of these herbs for Crohn’s disease.

Tannin-containing herbs may be helpful to decrease diarrhea during acute flare-ups and have been used for this purpose in traditional medicine. A preliminary trial using isolated tannins in the course of usual drug therapy for Crohn’s disease found them to be more effective for reducing diarrhea than was no additional treatment. Tannin-containing herbs of potential benefit include agrimony (Agrimonia spp.), green tea, oak, witch hazel, and cranesbill. Use of such herbs should be discontinued before the diarrhea is completely resolved; otherwise the disease may be aggravated.

** excerpt from http://www.mycustompak.com/healthNotes/Concern/Crohns.htm#Herb-Options

From "Herbs for Health and Healing" by Kathi Keville states that peppermint essential oil capsules are especially effective in treating IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).

Peppermint tea would do as well. Some of the best herbs to soothe the bowels, improve immunity and help prevent food allergies at the same time are chamomile, marshmallow, and licorice. Chamomile and licorice have been found to lower the risk of devloping colitis.

Some bowel disorders, such as ulcerative colitis, can even result in bleeding, which in turn can cause anemia. Herbalists have found that yellow dock helps increase iron levels and also tones the intenstinal lining and slows bleeding.

If you're interested, here is a formula to benefit bowel disorders:

1 tsp wild yam root
1/2 tsp yellow dock root
1 qt water
1 tsp peppermint leaf
1/2 tsp each: marshmallow root, chamomile flower, echinacea root, and fennel seed.

Add wild yam and yellow dock to the water in a saucepan, bring to a simmer and add other herbs. Steep for about 15 min then strain. Drink at least 2 cups daily.

To enhance the effectiveness, you can add carrot and celery juice to this tea.

I hope that helps.

[ April 11, 2003, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: Vicki M. Taylor ]

I would recommend that she do a little research on this disease before going to the doctor again, and writing out a list of questions that she might have, because when you are face to face with the doctor, it is easy to forget the questions and draw a blank. There are books on the subject in the public libraries, college libraries, and often free literature in doctor's offices and drug stores.
Online, you might check out some websites such as WebMD.com, and I have others saved in favorites as well. If I had a private email address, I could send you more websites to check out. Many of them have message boards where she can ask questions she might have.
Working as a nurse in the hospital, I see a lot of people with this disease. Many of them continue to lead productive, active lives...so it is not a disease that will necessarily derail her life. She should also read up on the disease in nutrition books, because diet is a large part of the treatment and exacerbation of the disease as well. There are foods and liquids she should avoid, and also foods that will help alleviate the symptoms.
Herbal cures can be helpful at times, however, if you try any, make sure the doctor is aware of these, because some of them may interfere or interact with any medications your doctor is prescribing for her treatment. Keep your doctor informed, of symptoms, reactions, any over the counter medications, and don't be afraid to ask questions. If the doctor seems too rushed to answer, ask the nurse. Sometimes she can answer your questions or can pursue the issue with the dr. and get back to you.

Thank you to all of you for your insight. We have been to the Dr. now. She prescribed Asachol and Prednisone. So far my daughter has felt much better. She has to have some GI tests done now to see the extent of her disease.

I will talk to the doc about some natural remedies.

God Bless.

My boyfriends mother has crohns.I dont know much about the condition.Is it passed down from family??How old is your daughter?I hope that medicine helps.keep in touch

My daughter had a colonoscopy last week and we found out she doesn't have Crohns after all. Instead she has ulcerative colitis. That is GOOD news. It is a much better disease to have with less long term complications. yessssss!!!

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Now we have to figure out how to care for this disease.

God Bless.