Ill partner may be Crohns

Limerickgal82

Hi Guy's my partner has been very ill for the last 3 months. He had a colonoscopy and was advised that his bowel and Intestine are in very bad shape they reckon he has either Crohns or Ulcerative Colitis (i know im spelling wrong ) he is very down in the dumps as he has been off work for 5 weeks. He can not sleep unless he has a sleeping tablet and he does not like taking them as they leave him groggy the following day!! I am looking for help on this is there any herbal tablets he can take or anything i can do to help him with this. Any feedback welcome !

star-pants

Has his doctors not given a definitive diagnosis? Have they recommended any treatment (medication etc) ?

Limerickgal82

They have prescribed nothing to be honest they are quite slow on the results of the colonoscopy! he ahs lost 3 stone in 3 months and is very tired in constant pain etc and im just worried about him. He has pains in joints and things as well i think it will be another week before he has results. so i suppose in the meantime i am just looking for any info i can that might ease the pain in joints etc.

star-pants

I can understand where you're coming from, it must be horrible to see him so sick and tests/results can seem like forever.

It's just that it's hard to really give advice, because something someone might suggest might have adverse effects on him, which is why people generally try to steer away from medical advice as such. I would suggest ringing his GP and asking what he can take (for right now) to ease the joint pain etc.
I suffer with joint pain myself and I know how horrible it is, I try not to take anti-inflams as apart from not wanting to rely on them, they can upset your tummy etc (they do with my mother). <snip>

Limerickgal82

Thank you !! Yeah its tough he has changed from a happy active person to someone who cant do very much !! I never realised how common it was or how hard it is to get a doctor to give some advice !! But thanks again

star-pants

There are lots of helpful threads in this forum on Crohns and Ulcerative colitis, but just to take any advice with caution (as you're still waiting for diagnosis and subsequent method of what to do to help). It is quite common unfortunately but there is also a lot of support so do come back and read threads or ask questions.

Limerickgal82

Thank you so so much. I was starting to feel at a loss to be honest but you have been a star ill have to read all the threads ! and ill take your advice about being cautious about the medical advice on the threads!

Sacred_git

Hi, really sorry to hear that, my sister has suffered from crohns for many years now, its very difficult for the doctors to diagnose it, they almost want it to be collitis,i would research research everything and try and hold out on any "major" surgery(removals),if it comes to it, although the pain can be unbearable, if you ever go down that road, ask the docs how significant the surgery will be on the improvement of the condition and can it lead to more serious surgery, id imagine they couldn't give a definitive answer though, on the bright side my friend has it too and while he suffers a bit the meds have been doing the trick for him for years too and he only suffers acute collitis, so i guess its luck of the draw, anyway its important to stay positive and be strong, good luck and all the best

Limerickgal82

Thanks! I am really hoping that he can avoid the surgery route if possible!! I have heard of good and bad stories ... your dead right about it being luck of the draw ! We couldnt get over how quickly he became sick he had never been sick not even a cold ! Sorry dont want to sound over dramatic I have fingers and toes crossed that he gets a favourable result from the Consultant!

sarahlulu

I hope he gets better soon, we had the same battle for a diagnosis when my Dad was ill. He had the exact same symptoms, and by the time he was finally diagnosed he was in constant agony, and was as thin as a skeleton, He was finally diagnosed withCrohns, and just to give something positive, he is doing great now. getting medication right took a while, but he rarely has pain any more.

Limerickgal82

Thank you !! Thats what we are hoping for. I am more worried about him losing weight that he doesnt really have to lose and the the Doc's dont seem bothered by it all !

degrassinoel

i have crohn's, when i was being diagnosed back in the 90's it took a really long time, weight loss was a factor of being sick with it, but your partner's loss of weight could be anything.

until a doctor can say for certain what it is, there's not a lot anyone can do unfortunetly. i know how distressing it can be to see someone literally waste away from who they were, but the road back is a lot easier than the road there (in my experiance at least)

If it is crohn's, there's a chance he'll be put onto steroids for a while (couple of weeks usually) this brings with it a massive appetite for every kind of food, and the weight will pile back on.

The thing to remember when someone is sick and cant keep food down, or cant eat even, is that most of the weight thats being lost is fat and muscle, its a big strain on the body in general.

talk to the doctors, and ask if he can take vitamin supplements or even soup/milkshake/blended food if solid food is the problem. (Very small amounts at first)

Anyway, sorry to hear about your partner, and fair play to you!

sam34

OP- as i understand it your partner does not have a definite diagnosis yet, so be cautious reading teh crohns/UC threads on here, as they may not be applicable.

as regards sleeping tablets, he should speak to his doctor about alternatives.

herbal remedies may not be suitable for him- not all herbal remedies are safe and natural.

The_Conductor

OP- I suffer from Crohns too- and have been through the wars with it. Regardless of the pain your other half is in- and I know only too well what the pain is like- you really should be asking the consultant for dietary advice on how to minimise further weight loss at present, and how to get as many calories and nutrients in as possible. If Crohn's is suspected, they often suggest people take convalescent foods (such as Ensure etc) to try to stabilise their dietary intake- though very often you have to specifically request dietary help from the consultant before they even discuss this.

If it is Crohn's (or UC) and surgery is prescribed as the best course of action- seriously- it can be amazing, and is not something that should be feared. It can bring an entirely new lease of life to people.

Until such time as your other half has a definitive diagnosis- you really need to stop looking at potential horror stories on the internet, ring the consultant- get his/her advice on any matters of concern to you (be it problems sleeping, severe pain, inflamed joints, dietary advice etc). Its dangerous to go hunting for information or advice on the internet when it really may not have any relevance to you whatsoever- and in fact cause more harm than good.

Regards,

SMcCarrick

star-pants

OP - Smccarrick has pointed out to me that if it is suspected Crohns, putting heat on joints can actually be bad - so my apologies for that.
As I said before, best to run everything by his GP first.

Limerickgal82

He had an appointment yesterday with his consultant. He advised that the tests did not show what exactly he has so he has to have more test but put him on Salazopyrin. He is finding it hard to find food that suits him at the moment. one slice of toast and half a bowl a soup a day isnt very interesting

diskodolly

my heart goes out to you and your partner i was 2 years waiting on a diagnosis,
you will have to drive your gp consultant mad trying to get app and get things moving you may need to do some of this for him as it can be hard to be pushy when your feeling so rotten,

he could ask his gp for a short course of steroids they will give him huge relief im not sure if he have to be diagnosed first before he be giving them. but i know people that are on them for other illnesses. they really ease the dreadfull symptoms!!!