CD treatments- surgeries and medication
There is no certain cure for Crohn’s Disease, however, medications and surgeries are opted to ease down the symptoms. People with CD can lead a normal and happy life if right treatment is given to them. The major purpose of the treatment of CD is to stop the inflammation of the GI tract. The two main type of treatments given to CD patient is Medication and Surgery.
Medication
Medicines are usually preferred to counteract the symptoms of CD. Right medications can reduce or control the inflammation in the intestines and will help to:
- Get rid of the symptoms
- Stimulate restoration of the damaged tissue
- Set the disease in remission and stop it from flaring back
- Postpone and eliminate the need for surgery
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Medications are offered to the patients according to the severity of the symptoms.
- Mild symptoms are treated with an antidiarrheal medicine such as loperamide (Imodium). This prescription slows down or stops the excruciating spasms in your intestines that cause uneasiness.
- For mild to moderate symptoms, the doctor will rather prescribe aminosalicylates, antibiotics and other medicines to bring down the inflammation.
- Severe symptoms, on the other hand, are treated with corticosteroids, immunomodulatory medicines, or biologics.
Other medications prescribed to ease the symptoms are:
- Antibiotics: If aminosalicylates are not able to work efficiently on the symptoms, the doctor will recommend you a course of antibiotics. Antibiotic lessen the bacteria in the intestines which further reduces the inflammation.
- Steroids: Deltasone (prednisone) or Entocort EC (budesonide) will be recommended if both aminosalicylates and antibiotics fail to work. However, it is advisable to take steroids only for the short duration of time.
- Immunomodulator: if severe symptoms are seen then your doctor will prescribe you immunomodulators. Common immunomodulators are:
Imuran (azathioprine)
Purinethol (6-mercaptopurine)
Trexall (methotrexate)
- Biologic response modifiers (biologics): They are often taken in combination with other medicines or are given intravenously through injections. Commonly used biologics are:
Remicade (infliximab)
Humira (adalimumab)
Cimzia (certolizumab pegol)
- Other medicines: in addition to the above-mentioned medicines, other medicines can also be used to relieve the signs and symptoms. Some alternate medicines are:
- Anti-diarrheal: fiber supplements like psyllium powder (Metamucil) or methylcellulose (Citrucel) can be used to harden the stools.
- Pain relievers: For mild pains, the doctor might recommend you acetaminophen but common pain relievers like ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, etc. are not advisable as they might only worsen your symptoms and disease as well.
- Iron supplements: Chronic intestinal bleeding might cause iron deficiency anemia. So taking iron as a supplement is a must for CD patients.
- Vitamin B-12 shots: Crohn’s disease is said to cause vitamin B-12 deficiency. Vitamin B-12 prevents anemia and promotes normal growth and development.
- Calcium and vitamin D supplement: Steroids used to ease the symptoms can increase your chances to get osteoporosis so you may need to take calcium and vitamin D supplement.
- • Alternate medicines for CD: very little is known about the utility of the alternative medicine for the treatment of Crohn’s disease.
Some of the commonly used alternative medicines are:
- Herbal and nutritional supplements: FDA has not yet approved the use of alternate medicines for the treatment, as it might cause some side effects and dangerous interactions. Consult your doctor before taking any supplement.
- Probiotics: No evidence has been produced to prove the utility of probiotics in the treatment of CD.
- Fish Oil: People tried using fish oil to ease the symptoms, however, the research totally dismissed the use of fish oil for CD.
- Acupuncture: People went for acupuncture and hypnosis to control the symptoms of CD, but neither of them is well studied for the same.
- Prebiotics: Prebiotics are natural components of plants that help increase healthy bacteria in the intestines. Studies have still hadn’t shown any positive side of prebiotic use.
Surgery
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If any of the above-mentioned medication fails to bring down the symptoms of the disease, your doctor might recommend you surgery. Research says that about 80% of people who have Crohn’s disease will need to undergo surgery at one point of their life. Commonly preferred surgeries are
- Colectomy: the surgeon will take out a small part of your colon and reconnect the remnants.
- Strictureplasty: IF the parts of bowel get blocked, a procedure called strictureplasty is carried out to reopen the blocked areas of the bowel.
- Intestinal Transplant This is seldom used in Crohn’s disease. In this procedure, the inflamed small intestine is removed and replaced with a healthy intestine of the person who has recently died.
- Bowel Resection: The unhealthy portion of the bowel is removed and the healthy ends are sewn together
- Proctocolectomy and ileostomy: The large intestine and the rectum is removed and the anus is sewn together, leaving the lower part of the small intestine intact. A small opening called stoma is made in the lower belly which is then connected to the ileum. The stool is exited from this opening into a small pouch called ostomy which is attached to the skin around the stoma.
CD best Hospitals in U.S
For the treatment and better recovery of your disease, it is suggested to visit these best healthcare service in the United States. These hospitals and health care centers have been ranked best according to the US News, based on the number of success stories and a number of patients treated.
1. Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
Bed Count: 1132
2. Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH
Bed Count: 1268
3. Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
Bed Count: 947
4. UCLA Medical Center
Los Angeles, CA
Bed Count: 466
5. Johns Hopkins Hospital
Baltimore, MD
Bed Count: 951
6. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, CA
Bed Count: 865
7. UPMC-University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Pittsburgh, PA
Bed Count: 1528
8. Mount Sinai Hospital
New York, NY
Bed Count: 1048
9. Mayo Clinic
Phoenix, AZ
Bed Count: 268
10. Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston, TX
Bed Count: 839
Crohn’s Disease and Pregnancy
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Women with Crohn’s disease might develop complications in getting pregnant during the flare up periods or during the time when the disease is active. However, for most of the women, the fertility is restored to normal during the remission period. The risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and developmental defects gets higher when the disease is active.
CCFA advises women to wait for at least 6 months after their last flare-up before trying to conceive a baby.
Crohn’s Disease Diet
Diagnosis of Crohn’s disease might require little changes to your diet as some food might elevate the symptoms of the disease. CD straightaway targets the digestive system and affects the body’s ability to digest to digest and derive the nutrients from it.
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The following strategies can help you deal with dietary issues related to Crohn’s Disease:
- Reduce the portion size: give up the habit of taking large sized meals three times a day. Instead, break up the meals into small portions and try grazing throughout the day.
- Avoid high fiber food: high fiber food is recommended to everyone, but people with Crohn’s Disorder can find food high fiber like nuts, popcorns, beans and vegetable skins highly bloating during the flare up periods. Go for cooked, pureed and peeled vegetables instead.
- Avoid fatty and greasy food: Fatty foods are difficult to digest and worsen the symptoms especially when you have inflamed small intestine.
- Limit Dairy Products Consumption: People with CD find it hard to digest lactose, the sugar found in milk and other dairy products. So it is highly advisable to refrain from dairy goods as much as you can
- • Limit the caffeine intake: Caffeine content in tea coffee or soda can fuel the bowel irritation and worsen the flare-up.
And the last but definitely not the least, don’t lose hope!
