Crones Disease: What Do Your Medicines Do? by Charlotte Kamman

If you are taking medicines for your Crones disease, you will probably recognize a lot of the symptoms and side effects mentioned in this article. After a summary of the most problematic sides of mainstream medication, a possible solution is given to improve life quality and health in the long run on a solid basis.

Medicines are the most common Crones disease treatment. While none can cure this inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), they are used to try to reduce the swelling that causes the symptoms. The most frequently used medicines for Crones disease are Aminosalicylates and Corticosteroids to Block Inflammation, Antibiotics to Control Intestinal Bacteria, Immunomodulators to Calm the Immune System, and Biologic Therapies for Moderate or Severe Crones disease. Brand names of these medicines are (amongst others): - Aminosalicylates : Mesalamine (Asacol, Pentasa), Balsalazide (Dipentum), Olsalazine (Colazal) - Corticosteroids: Prednisone (Deltasone), Budesonide (Entocort EC) , Hydrocortisone, Methylprednisolone (Medrol) - Antibiotics: Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), Metronidazole (Flagyl) Immunomodulators: Azathioprine (Imuran, Azasan),6-mercaptopurine (Purinethol, 6-MP), Methotrexate (MTX, Rheumatrex, Mexate) , Tacrolimus (Prograf), Cyclosporine A (Sandimmune, Neoral) - Biologic Therapies: Infliximab (Remicade), Adalimumab (Humira).

I studied the medicines which doctors subscribe for Crones Disease. I discovered that most of them have mild to sever side effects, especially when taken for a longer period of time. Actually, if I realize that my body does not have time to recover and regain it's own balance after taking a course of medicine, I start to see the course this whole thing is going to take... :-( Side effects are (amongst others): 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

Enemas and Suppositories can be used to apply the medicines more locally and targeted. Biologic therapies are applied by frequent injections. Needless to say that this will have a major impact on your social life.

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 said to be used to control bacteria levels in the intestine and reduce the symptoms of Crones disease. They can also resolve infections caused by the condition. If you think well about it, antibiotics probably kill all bacteria in your intestines, the good ones and the bad ones, and they do not leave a healthy level of good bacteria behind. They probably leave a not so healthy level of bad resistant bacteria behind if you have bad luck... If your good bacteria are wiped out by frequent antibiotic-use, it is quite probable that you develop inflammations on gut-level, simply because there is no shield of good bacteria any more which protects your gut form attacks from outside. The question is here is antibiotics solve a problem, or actually create a much bigger problem on the not so long run.

Injectable or oral immunomodulators are used if the patient did not react well on other medicines to reduce the swelling, or for patients which developed complications like fistulas. Often they are given in combination with corticosteroids, whereby you can take lower doses of the latter, because their effect is increased by the immunomodulators. Immunomodulators are more expensive than other medicines used for Crones Disease, and you are at higher risk to develop secondary infections or other illnesses because they suppress the immune system. Doctors advise you to have your blood monitored regularly to see the effect 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.

Some medicines will interacts with other common drugs like birth control pills, and they can even break down vitamins or stop there absorption into the bloodstream. When you have diarrhea you will have to take medicines for that, and you will have to compensate the fluid loss.

To recap: Treating Crones Disease with medicines will not cure the condition, and on the long run even probably make it worse. If we have a way to boost our immune system and improve the balance of bacteria in our gut, we will feel better and the symptoms will start to subside. Medicines will be necessary in a lesser amount, and as a result the side effects will also be less. our overall condition will improve, and eventually the new approach could substitute the treatment using the mentioned medicines.



Crones Disease is a chronic disease which has a big impact on the patient and his family. Side effects of medicines can make life more complicated; here you will find an alternative to help your body overcome your Crones Disease.

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