Help with Crohn's Disease? ?

Question

My husband has it....or he thinks he does. several of the men in his family have it(and the same symptoms) he doesn't have insurance ...so it has gone undiagnosed. It will be a while before we can get some insurance going. Lately I've been watching him suffer and be in pain.....

Is there anything he can do himself to keep it from flaring up or to at least make it less painful? ex: things not to eat or to eat....or over the counter meds to help?

Answer 1

hi 20, I am a female crohn's pt. for 28 yrs. I use to do medical billing in a hospital and can offer some assistance.

First, have your husband's primary refer him to a good GI. Then call their billing offer and explain the situation about no insurance. They have forms you can fill out & based upon your income, can pay at a lower rate. All MDs offices have these, pts. just need to ask about it.

For the hospital for testings, go to the business office and ask for uncompensated care forms. He will need to provide a copy of his W2 from last yr. and other information. Then based upon a sliding fee scale, he would be responsible for 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or none of the bill and it's good for an entire yr.  All hospitals have this service due to funds they set aside for folks who have no insurance.  

As a crohnie, I strongly suggest that he get looked at right away so he can be put on meds to get him into remission.

The crohn's & colitis foundation has a site you can go to for more information. they have a live chat and hotline run by healthcare experts and an open forum where pts. & family members can post questions.  Most of the drug companies have programs for the unisured and most GIs offices, mine does, will provide free samples if you don't have drug coverage.

feel free to email if you have questions. I am very active in the local CCFA chapter where I live, I counsel crohn's pts., I am a crohn's survivor (won't let it get to me), and I can truly understand all of the pain he is going through. Once he is dxed correctly, they can give him some pain meds to keep him comfortable.

best of luck to you both.  

Answer 2

First, he really ought to get a formal diagnosis, since Crohn's disease can be extremely painful and cause problems his entire life. There's no cure for it, as you are probably aware.

Also, he should not take any over-the-counter supplements INCLUDING vitamins--these can make the symptoms and the disease/inflammation far worse.

The main treatment is steroids, sometimes antibiotics, and certain drugs that calm the bowel. These cannot be obtained without prescriptions, and should NEVER be taken from someone else. Especially the steroids--these can have devastating effects later.

Save up some $$ and get him to a doctor. In the meantime, keep a food diary of which foods make his flare-ups worse, and which don't bother him. There's no special diet for Crohn's. The doctor will want to know this information, as well as details about his bathroom visits--type, duration, frequency, etc.

This is a difficult disease to control, I wish both of you luck. Just be VERY cautious about what he eats and don't try treating this with anything over-the-counter.  

Answer 3

Oh, boy I feel for him.

I was diagnosed 19 years ago and have lived with crohns its difficult. Without a diagnosis and meds it is going to be rough, and that I understand, I have been without health insurance for over a year now, and understand. People say "go to the doctor" but without the money its hard to do. The test are very expensive.

First I would see if there are any places in your area that offer assistance for the under insured, some doctors wil treat at a discounted rate, not many but there are places that will. You could help him in that way by doing the "homework" on that.

Since there is no real diet for crohns, its sometimes trial and error with the diet.

But here is what works for me, NO DAIRY at all, no cheeses, milk, butter nothing that contains dairy at all.

And low fiber foods, no raw veggies, raw fruits, nuts, grains etc. they are hard to digest and since crohns causes a "cobblestone road" effect in the colon, these foods can get stuck and cause pain etc.

So what to eat?  Cooked veggies are okay easier to digest, but stay away from broccoli cauliflower, corn and peas.

Mashed potatoes made with chicken broth is one of my faves when I'm having trouble.

And it sounds funny but there have been times that all i could eat were plain McDonald's hamburgers.

No seeded buns.

He could try drinking supplements like lactose free Boost, it has all the nutrients that he would need in it.

He needs to keep up his fluids also as not to dehydrate.

As far as the pain he can try taking tylenol, the ibruprophen pain relivers can be tough on the stomach.

I hope it helps a little, good luck to you both