Question about fever and microscopic colitis

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 5:37 pm

Hi Little Mary.. I'm sorry your co-workers are not supportive. I have been very fortunate to have a great boss and co-workers who are very supportive.

I had more or less the same symptoms as you but I was in reverse for the D. My D showed up after about 10 years of the pains and I have moderate damage to my SI and hip joints.

Like you once I was put on Imuran a immune suppressant like Humira, I felt great. The pains have basically ceased.

I am glad that you are feeling better Mary, this can be a long frustrating road.

Take Care

--Joe

littlemary · Post by **littlemary** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 8:09 pm

Joe, do you have Microscopic Colitis? I am glad you just have minimal damage to your joints and are pain-free now. If not caught early enough, there can be a lot of damage. Did you say you have AS? I can't remember - suffer from CRS (can't remember s**t) also.

I want to say to everyone out there who is suffering in silence - don't let lab work define how healthy you are or not. I do lab work for a living and lab tests are not the be all and end all of whether you are sick or not. I have seen completely normal CRP's and ESR's even in Crohn's disease patients. One rheumatologist I had seen ordered a billion tests on me and when they came back borderline or negative he declared me perfectly healthy. I cried the whole way home and even said to someone that I wished I could go to sleep and not wake up the next morning. (I also had a dog die the day before). I never went back to him.

Luckily I found a good rheumatologist who was old-school and actually listened to my symptoms and not just at the blood work. Two weeks later I had the Humira. I also have an excellent GI doc who doesn't put too much stock in blood tests and really listens to me. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for them.

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 8:41 pm

Mary for the past 10 years I have dealt with increasing pain in my lower back (hips & SI joints) About 3 years ago I started getting iritis & uveitis. I had random unexplained D but nothing long enough to call a problem. I was initially dxd with FMS, but that was not the issue. I was dx'd with AS after the iritis and a positive HLBA-27 test. Shortly after that the MRI showed joint damage in the SI and hip joints (mostly on the left side for some reason). About this same time the Raynauds started; all of these are autoimmune disease. The D was slowly happening more often, but not enough to pursue.

Last April the D came on with a vengeance. After a both a regular colonoscopy and a pill camera, I was found to have Crohns and collagenous colitis. From April to September I took Entocort 9mg a day which helped most of the D , but the pain was still there. After consulting with my GI doc and rheumatologist it was decided to switch to Imuran an immunomodultor or immuno-suppressant to help manage the symptoms. It took a bit to get used to the med, but it has been great in stopping the D and pains as long as I avoid soy & wheat or other trigger foods.

--Joe

littlemary · Post by **littlemary** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 1:09 am

Joe, me too, I have Raynaud's also! Aren't we just a mess? It helps to have sympathetic, knowledgeable doctors, which are hard to find. I give myself my Humira injection this Sunday evening, and this sounds weird, but I can't wait. I feel so much better on the Humira. Also, I wanted to tell you, my GI doctor prescribed something called Levsin, which is kind of like Immodium on steroids, for the abdominal cramping I get during a flare. Don't know that much about Crohn's, just that it is much nastier than what I have. If you have cramps, check out the Levsin. I am also on Sulfasalazine, enteric-coated, because I have gotten very nauseated on the uncoated kind. It depresses me sometimes when I see all the meds I am on, but I know there are many out there much worse than me. Thanks for the input, and keep me posted on how you are doing!

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 7:08 am

Fortunately my Raynauds is pretty mild and only in my hands. For the most part is just meant having to wear gloves in the colder weather, but its been nice not to have it bugging me this year. At this time I only take the Imuran and vitamins. I am hoping the crohns and MC stay in check with the Imuran.

Take Care Mary

--Joe

littlemary · Post by **littlemary** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 7:28 pm

Yes, my Raynaud's is fairly mild also. You should have good luck with the Imuran. I really am not on that much either, sulfasalazine, Levsin (for cramping), Humira, and some supplements. Oh yes, Tramadol if I need it for a little osteoarthritis pain. And anti-anxiety meds because of my coworkers. I was always prone to anxiety after my dad left, and it turned into severe panic disorder when I was raped in my 30's. I never reported it. It has gotten a whole lot better, just some anxiety.