Immune System Suppessants And Mortality Risks

[tex]

Hi All,

For anyone who has a child in the family who has been diagnosed with an IBD, and for whom immune system suppressants have been recommended by their doctor, please read the depressing article at the following link before approving the use of such a treatment. Normally, mortality is not a risk in pediatric IBD cases. So the mortality risks mentioned in the article are almost entirely due to aggressive treatment with immune system suppressants.

Mortality and malignancy, the most serious complications of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, were relatively rare and linked most commonly with aggressive treatment rather than the condition itself, according to recent study data.

In a multinational retrospective study, researchers surveyed all pediatric gastroenterologists in 20 European countries and Israel on cancer and/or mortality among their pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) from 2006 to 2011.

Among 44 children diagnosed with IBD (median age at diagnosis, 10 years; 26 boys), 18 cases of cancer were identified and/or 31 patients died. Twelve cancer patients had Crohn’s disease, and 19 patients who died had ulcerative colitis (UC). The most common cancers were hematopoietic tumors (n=11). Mortality was attributed to infections (n=14) and other causes, including cancer (n=5), uncontrollable disease activity related to IBD (n=4) and procedural complications (n=3).

Aggressive therapy in pediatric IBD patients linked to mortality, cancer

This is an example of iatrogenesis at it's worst, and IMO it's primarily due to the propensity of most doctors to downplay the risk of side effects of any drugs that they prescribe. Obviously, ignoring the risks has consequences.

Tex

[gluten]

Hi Tex, A doctor from Brighams and Woman's Hospital in Boston warned me about taking an immune system suppressant. I will share that site with the members of the gluten intolerance group. Jon.

[tex]

Jon,

Adults seem to fare better on immunosuppressants than kids do. Of course, a risk exists, but for adults, it doesn't seem to be as serious as it is in the case of young people. This is probably due to the fact that as adults, our immune systems are mature, whereas with kids, their immune system is still developing, and therefore very vulnerable to any types of influences that might cause corruption in the development process.

Or maybe we just don't hear about those problems with adults, as much as we hear about adverse events for kids. The media know that sensationalism sells ads, so they tend to focus on whatever grabs the attention of the largest segment of their followers.

That said, I agree with you — I would be very reluctant to take an immunosuppressant, unless I thought it were absolutely necessary.

Tex

[Zizzle]

Or maybe we just don't hear about those problems with adults, as much as we hear about adverse events for kids.

Many people with my diagnosis develop cancer, and they attribute it to the disease, or age, or God's will. I rarely see anyone linking it to their long-term use of immunosuppressants.

[kayare]

My daughter's young friend, 19, has Crohn's and is on an immunosuppressant. She has had multiple surgeries and hospitalizations. Neither she nor her parents will consider diet changes for her - very sad.