Could anyone help me?

[shira826]

I am 23 years old and have crohns. I am on the SCD diet that has fortunately helped me for the past few year. While i have not had any flare-ups thanks G-D,  as of lately developed discomfort and irritation in my eyes. I saw two eye specialists they suggested eye drops but it did little to alleviate the discomfort. I checked with an other specialist who diagnosed it as blepharitis and prescribed doxycycline [antibiotic] which started helping but after sometime i started experiencing abdominal pain and immediately stopped taking doxycycline. I went to a GI for the abdominal pain. He claims that  irritation in the eyes is not blepharitis but an inflammation caused by the crohns. He recommends me to take cipro to treat the inflammations in my body.  Could anyone help me with this matter? Does it make sense that these two are related and by treating the crohns my eyes will be healed? Or is this a separate matter of blepharitis? Or perhaps blepharitis is common in people with crohns?
Thank You!!!!
Eagery awaiting your responses!!!

[shhm]

Dear em,
I have had Crohn's for 25 years now. 17 operations (most in the 1980's) have not stopped me having a really high powered career, a husband, daughter and travelling the world. Don't fall prey to the people who tell you that allergies or work are the cause of your illness. It's rubbish. Every person reacts to food in a slgihtly different way and what is bad for some is essential for others. If you limit your diet too severely, you will risk far more serious illnesses caused by vitamin deficiencies, which are always a problem with Crohn's anyway. As for work, steady, low level stress supresses the immune system, which helps Crohn's patients, but short periods of high stress do the opposite. Read up on cortisol release to understand why.
My gastroenterologist has kept me healthy and active all these years by a) prescribing azathioprine, b) not reacting to endless fads in Crohn's research and c) only ever having prescribed prednisalone on three separate (unsuccessful) occasions. Steroids effectively replicate a boost to your immune system by increasing blood flow to an injured area. Your immune system is overactive, so just say no to all the things which boost it, except when you have a cold.
Good luck with your health and remember that sickness is a hinderance, but not to your ability to choose - unless that is your choice.
Kind regards,
Sally

[blonde_eM]

atm I have sores all over my arms, had a dermatologist take a biopsy last week and then say that its an allergy which is rubbish. Theres no itching nothing just lumps. I had lumps on my legs last year which was crohns related. It means the inflammation is coming out in a more physical way. I took a short course of steroids to get rid of them and am starting a course of them tomorrow to get rid of these arm sores.

I hate steroids but occasionally I have to take them to calm these other inflammations that happen in relation to crohns. I just bump up my calcium intake to help protect my bones from the roids.

Cant believe you girls were so young when you were diagnosed. I'm very sorry to hear this. I was diagnosed at 31 and I was pretty severe. 6 years on and one bowel resection later I am amidst the worse flare up triggered by way too much work and not looking after myself.

Find a naturopath that specialises in crohns/gastro disorders. I have been seeing one for 3 months now and her advice has been a blessing:

Give up gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine and alcohol - I didnt believe it at first but I'm about 90% there - hard with gluten in everything and I love dairy. But this will reduce your symptoms in a big way. High doses of fish oil too. I swear by it. I have a swig morning and night of concentrated oil, tastes like crap even with flavouring but I noticed less bloating with in 2 days.

I wish you both the BEST and take care of your body x

eM

[lizziecee]

Hi Shira,

It does indeed make sense that eye infections are related to Crohn's disease. Blepharitis is in fact an infection of the eye lash follicles, which I suffered from for many years as a teenager.  I don't know if this was a fore-runner of abdominal Crohn's, as I was not diagnosed with Crohn's until I was 24 yrs.  Infection in the eye itself is called conjunctivitis and causes painful redness of the white of the eye.

Ciprofloxacin is a common wide spectrum antibiotic which my gastro often prescribes to deal with minor flares.  You should be quite safe in taking Cipro, and it may heal the infection.

Liz.