Health Care

By Jeff Foster

This chronic and inflammatory disease of the bowel which leads to a cacophony of life altering symptoms including pain and rectal bleeding, Crohn’s Disease is a battle many face today.

Unfortunately there is no currently no cure for Crohn's disease, but there are many treatment options available that have been successfully used by many in the long term treatment and management of their thiss disease.

There are various Crohn's disease treatment options. Many patients find that a combination of therapies work best at controlling their symptoms. Options include prescription medications, nutritional supplements, and in extreme cases, surgical intervention.

Currently there are several categories of prescription strength medication used in the treatment of Crohn's. Medication classes such as anti-inflammatory medications, steroids, immune system suppressors, antibiotics, and even anti-diarrhea medications or fluid replacements have all been used successfully in the battle of thiss disease. Patients often find a complex combination of these drugs best control symptoms.

Because of the inflammation of the GI tract which goes hand in hand with Crohn’s disease, the anti-inflammatory drugs work well since they reduce inflammation. There are several common anti-inflammatory medications used in the treatment of Crohn’s, such as Sulfasalazine, Pentasa, Asacol or Dipentum. Some of these have rather nasty side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and wicked heartburn. If the side effects are too much, then another drug can be tried instead.

Medications used to treat Crohn's disease may also include steroids. Typically patients begin steroids at a high dosage when the disease is most active and then the dosage is lower as symptoms become more controlled. Steroids have a great reputation for helping to control it. One of the more negative side effects unfortunately is that this drug makes you much more susceptible to an infection.

Another exciting promise in the field of drugs used to treat Crohn’s disease is a medication by the name of Remicade. This drug is showing lots of promise because of its reaction. It is the first in a group of drugs that block the body’s inflammatory response. Remicade is FDA approved for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s that has not responded to the traditional therapies.

Anti-diarrhreal medications are also used in the treatment. These drugs are helpful since the abdominal pain and diarrhea associated with Crohn’s is one of the toughest things to handle.

Prescription medications designed to suppress the human immune system are also used to treat and manage Crohn's disease. These amines suppressing drugs work by blocking the body's natural immune reaction that contributes to the inflammation of the G.I. tract. Some patients report side effects such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Often patients are also less able to fight off an infection.

Some patients with Crohn’s disease are treated with antibiotics since these medications can target bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.

Drugs to treat the disease are a must in the battle for control and for a more positive outcome on your long term health. Ignoring the symptoms of Crohn’s disease or choosing to be non-complaint with your prescribed medication treatment is a poor choice and one that should be avoided.

So get together with your doctor and work it out. Together you can make the best decision about the right drugs for you in treating this disease.