Need advice! I've been extremely sick for 8 months. Under severe stress from undiagnosed crohn's that flared with a vengeance as my husband and I were making a huge life change with moving and selling a business. I've had very little sleep in 8 months. Still trying to figure out what I can and cannot eat. Anything to reduce the flare at this point. Flare actually makes my lips swell and burn and blister in my mouth. My stress level is off the charts. Found a new primary care and gastroenterologist. I was put on Apriso for 5 weeks and havent experienced any relief. I've tried 3 different anti anxiety meds. I need advice on anything natural to help me.
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Tammy, are you looking for assistance with the anxiety or the Crohn’s? It sounds like you could use a course of prednisone - I hope that’s been suggested.
I was hoping to get a handle on the crohn's with diet and more natural healing methods but at this point I think you're probably right. I am so inflamed right now. I dont sleep more than a couple hours at a time at night wake up for an hour or so and repeat the process. Lack of sleep and malnutrition are probably contributing to the stress. My Dr said stop the Apriso if I dont feel it's working. I didn't understand how it would when its primarily for UC and time released for the colon.
I agree that the Apriso is a surprising choice. If the idea is to deliver the medication to the pouch then Canasa suppositories or mesalamine enemas would hit the target more reliably. It also seems like you may need treatment along the whole GI tract, given your mouth symptoms, so targeting the pouch may be insufficient.
It’s okay to pay attention to your diet, and it might help a bit, but it’s useful to know that it may also have little or no effect. You can drive yourself crazy turning knobs that aren’t connected to the machine.
I hope you feel better soon!
No solid food is working right now. Raw juicing and banana smoothie with coconut milk and ice seems like its working at the moment
Hi Tammy. I have Crohns, diagnosed after my IAPP surgery in 1993. I manage it with acupuncture and have not been on medication or had a flare for 20 years. In my experience diet is not what controls flare ups, it's reduction of inflammation and anxiety. In addition to acupuncture treatment, am on Lexapro for that although the first two weeks of this drug was absolutely horrible for side effects, I hung on and now am quite able to tolerate high stress levels.
I don't think you're current state will last long term. I think you will be able to find something that works for you eventually - please don't despair. It is just really crappy that we have this diagnosis ON TOP of the first one. A bit of shitty odds really. 
Jenn
What were your side effects with Lexapro