Crones Disease: Avoid Side Effects of Your Medicines
by Charlotte Kamman
Medicaments for Crones Disease have strong side effects. Some even actually worsen the underlying cause, and you have to take more and stronger medicines to stay ahead of the worsening symptoms. If we approach the illnes from a totally different angle, possibilities suddenly arise in unexpected ways.
Mainstream doctors use mainstream medicines to try to improve the condition of their patients. In the case of Crones Disease, this means trying to stop or lessen the symptoms which are caused by the underlying disease. The medicines will not cure the disease though, and in many cases they will actually worsen the underlying cause. Most used are Aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, antibiotics, immunomodulators (to calm the immune system), and biologic therapies for moderate or severe Crones disease.
Allopathic (mainstream) doctors rely on these medicines to control the symptoms of Crones disease although they know that none of these medicines will actually cure the underlying cause. If we read about the side effects these medicines have, we might want to give the whole matter another thought: Diarrhea Headache, dizziness Increased risk of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract Indigestion, nausea, gas Hair loss Rash Decrease in white blood cells High blood pressure Mood swings, psychosis, insomnia Weight gain, moon facies Acne, increased facial hair, stretch marks Increased risk of infection Osteoporosis Vomiting Cough Sinus infections Sore throat
The problem of the Biologic Therapies is not only the side effects, but also the frequent injections (up to every 2 hours). The other medicines are normally taken orally, but can also be applied more locally targeted, in the form of enemas and suppositories.
I want to make a special note on corticosteroids. Some corticosteroids can also be given intravenously. Corticosteroids can have severe side effects, like an increased risk of infection, so even the mainstream doctors will hesitate to prescribe them for a longer period of time. If you want to stop taking corticosteroids, make sure you taper off them gradually. Stopping them suddenly can worsen side effects.
Antibiotics are used to "control the level of bacteria in your intestines". Now this is something I do not really understand. What I learned at school, is that our intestines functioning is based on good bacteria, which help to digest the food and eliminate the indigestible part. If I take antibiotics, they will kill, or at least diminish, ALL bacteria in my gut. If I have a very low level of good bacteria, doesn't that mean that any bad bacteria can take over very easily? Do antibiotics solve a problem on the short run, but create a problem on the long run?
Immunomodulators blunt the immune response. Researchers believe that Crones disease is caused by an overreactive immune system, and doctors use these medicines when other drugs to block swelling haven't worked. They are used for patients who have developed complications like fistulas. Immunomodulators may make corticosteroids more effective and allow you to take lower doses of them. Most immunomodulators are taken orally, but some are injected. They tend to be more expensive than standard Crones disease treatments such as aminosalicylates. Since these drugs suppress the immune system, they can put you at higher risk of developing infections or other illnesses. It is advisable to take regular blood tests to check the effects of these drugs on your bone marrow, liver and kidneys.
Biologic therapies are a new treatment for Crones Disease and they are also the most expensive. They are used for patients who do not respond to other treatments, but because of the possible severe side effects, doctors will be hesitant to apply them. Although the pharmaceutical industry tells us that the risks are small, they still warn for the effects of suppressing the immune response. There is some evidence that they increase the risk of conditions like blood infections, tuberculosis, and lymphoma.
Often Crones Disease will cause diarrhea, and you will have to take medicines to compensate for the fluid loss and to stop the diarrhea. Some of the mentioned medicines can interact with common drugs like birth control pills, antacids, and even vitamins.
If we recap all the information in this article, it is clear that an alternative approach to Crones Disease is dearly wanted. Improving the natural balance of bacteria in our gut would be helpful to start with, and a general improvement of our overall immune system is vital. If we find a additional treatment which helps us to reach these goals, we could start to use it as a way to help our body to regain it's natural strength, and eventually the new approach could take over the treatment using medicines.
Crones Disease is a heavy burden, and you don't want even more pain and discomfort due to unwanted effects of medicines. Learn here how to avoid this and instead of worsening your Crones Disease, treat the underlying cause. Click here for other unique 'crones' articles.
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