Doctors, health professionals, please! I need information about Crohn's disease?

Question

A very close friend of mine recently passed away...she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease last april and since then has deteriorated drastically, going from 105 lbs to about 80. She was on an number of medications that I noticed wiped her out, and sometimes caused her to slur her words...any idea what those were? And is Crohn's disease fatal? Could this have caused her death or was it the medications (maybe too much for her small body?) She died in her sleep a few days ago and the ME said there were no signs of trauma to her body anywhere and couldn't find any cause so they are putting it to natural causes. Please help, and serious answers only. I am so distraught over my dear friend.

Answer 1

Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes the small intestine to be inflammed. The body for some reason overreacts to everything in the bowel and attacks it, causing injury and inflammation to it. Since the intestine becomes injured, it isn't able to absorb all the nutrients the body needs from the food being digested. This leads to malnutrition, which is why your friend became so small. It also can cause diarrhea or bowel obstruction. The treatment includes drugs, nutrition supplements, and sometimes surgery. The goalis to control inflammation, prevent malnutrition, and to relieve symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea. Unfortunately, there is no cure. Treatment can only help control the disease. Your friend could have died from a number of things, including malnutrition or electrolyte imbalances related to the decreased ability of the intestine to absorb and digest food. Fatigue and slurring words (altered levels of consciousness) are highly associated with electrolytes being out of whack. I am really sorry about your friend and I hope this helps to answer some of your questions.

Answer 2

I was diagnosed in '98 but didn't have a real trouble (other than pain) for a few years. The medications all had side effects which were pretty bad and cause enough problems themselves. The main medication CD patients are prescribed are steroids. If she was on steriods and still lost weight then her disease was very severe already. The there are drugs that lower your immune system (like a cancer drug or a drug that people take to keep their body from rejecting an organ). And with a lowered or almost non-existant immune system, you can catch anything and your body may not be able to fight it as well or even fight it at all. This could be a problem for many people.

As far as her being wiped out, I was and still am so tired that I take naps daily. I think that goes along with the disease itself - although many of the medications can make that worse.

Crohn's Disease isn't normally fatal but some of effects of the disease can cause major problems to where you loose to much weight, suffer with arthritis, have kidney stones, anemia, skin sores, eye troubles, etc. You don't want to eat when it is active and sometimes the medications itself make you have constant nausea.

In all honesty, things were so bad before my surgery to remove 3 ft of infected intestine that I was about to give up the will to live. The battle can be hard. Some people with CD lead rather normal lives but some are in constant pain and have to take numerous medications forever.

I'm very sorry for your loss. I you want to learn more about Crohn's and how it affects others, go to www.healingwell.com to the community area. The group for people with Crohn's Disease is probably the largest on the site and the people are wonderful. It was great for me to be able to talk to others to find out what was normal, what wasn't , etc. I was a mess until I was able to talk to others who could understand.

Here's a list of a few of the medications that are popular with CD patients. You can look them up on www.rxlist.com.

Prednisone
Sulfasalazine
Mesalamine
Azathioprine
6-MP
Methotrexate
Cyclosporine
Ciprofloxacin (antibiotic)
Metronidazole (antibiotic)
Remicade
Humira

Again, I am sorry for your loss. I hope this little bit of information helps.

Answer 3

What is Crohn's disease?

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation or ulceration of the digestive tract. It can affect any part of your digestive tract, but it is most common in the last part of the small intestine (ileum) and the large intestine (colon).

Crohn's disease affects the deepest layers of the lining of the digestive tract, causing deep sores called ulcers.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (which affects the colon and rectum) are the most common types of inflammatory bowel disease, with ulcerative colitis being more common.

What causes Crohn's disease?

The cause of Crohn's disease is not known. It sometimes runs in families, suggesting a genetic link. The immune system may overreact to normal intestinal bacteria and cause inflammation. Disease-causing bacteria and viruses also may play a role in triggering the condition, and smoking increases the risk of Crohn's disease.

Increasingly, researchers think environmental factors play a role in causing Crohn's disease.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms of Crohn's disease are abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and diarrhea. Constipation, fever, and loss of appetite may also occur.

Crohn's disease also may cause:

Sores in the mouth.
Nutritional deficiencies, such as lowered levels of vitamin B12, folic acid, iron, and fat-soluble vitamins, because the intestines may not be able to absorb nutrients from food.
Bowel obstruction.
Anal tears (fissures) or openings (fistulas), abscesses, or skin tags that may resemble hemorrhoids.
Joint aches and fatigue.
Sometimes complications develop elsewhere in the body (systemic), including the eyes, liver, blood, and bones. These systemic symptoms suggest immune system involvement.

How is Crohn's disease diagnosed?

Crohn's disease is diagnosed through a medical history and physical exam, imaging tests to look at the intestines, and laboratory tests.

Crohn's disease can be difficult to diagnose. Early symptoms, or its only symptoms, may consist of joint aches and a general feeling of fatigue. The condition may go undiagnosed for years because symptoms usually develop gradually.

Tests that may be done to diagnose Crohn's disease include:

Barium X-rays of the small intestine or colon, in which a white liquid is used to coat the inside of the intestine so that it can be seen more clearly on an X-ray.
Colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, in which a lighted viewing instrument is used to examine the inside of the colon.
Biopsy, in which tissue is taken from the affected area and tested to distinguish between Crohn's disease and other conditions such as cancer.
Stool analysis to look for blood and signs of infection.
How is it treated?

Crohn's disease can usually be controlled with medications that reduce inflammation and cure infection, keeping the disease from producing symptoms (known as being in remission). However, while it can be managed, Crohn's disease cannot be cured.

Mild symptoms of Crohn's disease may be treated with antidiarrheal medications. Talk with your health professional before taking them, though, because they may cause side effects. Prescription medications also may be used to treat mild symptoms and keep Crohn's disease in remission.

More severe symptoms may require treatment with one or more prescription medications. You may also need to follow a special diet if you are not able to absorb nutrients properly.

If your symptoms are severe or do not get better with initial medications, you may need more aggressive treatment with intravenous (IV) medications and possibly surgery. Surgery is usually done only when severe symptoms don't respond to medication or when complications develop, such as bleeding or developing a blockage (obstruction) in the intestine. Crohn's disease tends to come back after surgery.

How will Crohn's disease affect my life?

Crohn's disease is a chronic condition that may flare up throughout your life. You may have only mild symptoms or long periods without symptoms. A few people have persistent, severe symptoms.

People who have only mild symptoms that respond to home treatment cope well with the disease. But for some others, Crohn's disease can be a frustrating condition. The persistent diarrhea that often occurs may make you feel as if your life revolves around the bathroom. You may feel isolated, be embarrassed by the symptoms, and have a poor body image. These feelings may keep you from participating in work, social, and sexual activities.

However, most people with the condition live high-quality, productive lives using medications to control inflammation and treat symptoms.

Crohn's disease can cause stress, which in turn may affect the course of the disease. Help is available if you are struggling with the condition. Seek support from family, friends, clergy, or a professional counselor. A strong social network may reduce stress and make the disease less active.

Answer 4

webmd.com would have the info you're looking for