Tired all the time.......

I am always tired from my Crohn's like I've just ran a marathon.

Chronic fatigue

by Heidi
(Ontario, Canada)

I have found that taking Pentasa 4000 mg/day, keeps the inflammation at a bearable level, but the smallest stresses (eg. Christmas season) will create immediate discomfort and genuine fatigue.
I am allergic to fish and unable to take the fish oils. I take effexor now to keep the stress down as much as possible.
I find the fatigue really interferes with my quality of life and am wondering if anyone can give me any ideas for boosting my vitality without boosting my immune system?
My specialist actually wants to start me on Imuran in the fall as I'm not improving ... can anyone offer information on personal experiences with this?
I was only diagnosed with Crohns last year, but I'm absolutely certain I've been dealing with this for a decade or more.
Thank you for any information you can provide.

fatigue

what to take if your fatigue, and you have chrons disease

So tired of feeling sick!

by CC
(Ontario, Canada)

Hello all,
I am 32 year old woman from Ontario. I became sick when I was 15, but wasnt diagnosed until 6 months later when I was 16 years old and bedridden!
I have been lucky, for the last 17 years I have had a 10 year remission which ended a year ago. I have always been on medication, and when I was diagnosed I was put on prednisone and mesasol. During my remission and through my 3 pregnancies I was still on mesasol for maintenance. Since I was well for so long my "brilliant" GI suggested I wean myself of the mesasol. What a mistake! I have been sick ever since. I had a colonoscopy in February followed by my Dr instructing me to go on Pentasa. 12 pills per day, 3 pills in 4 increments. My pharmacist was concerned the dosage was too high. In the beginning I started to feel better, but never was completely without pain/diarrhea. I have been trying to see my GI but he is booked up until December. Somedays are so severe for me, with pain, diarrhea and bleeding that I cant handle it so I take immodium and tylenol to try and make it through the day! I usually need to sleep with a heating pad and have even had 'accidents' on really bad days!
Obviously the Pentasa isnt working for me, and my family Dr wont even prescribe me steriods (even though I begged her), but she is pushing the GI to see me on an emerg basis.
What would you do? Should I just go to the local hospital? I know whats wrong with me, I just cant get anyone to help me!!

tired all the time

by Neale
(Cape Town South Africa)

I am 61 years old . I have had crohns for about 18 years , I have had two ops . I am however , from what I have read one of the lucky ones . I have very little pain or bleeding . I am however tired all the time . In the morning I am ok for the first two hours , but there after I dont last longer than an hour and then I have to rest or sleep for an hour and so it goes on throught out the day , every day . If I do any physical or indeed mental work during my good moments I dont last more that a half hour . My doctor says he does not think my symptoms are crohns related , there must be something else wrong with me . I have had all other medical possibities checked out and I am told everything else is fine . Is anyone having similar symptons ? . I really want to get to the bottom of my problems as life is so frustrating when one can not plan anything and /or do anything through out the day . If these are indeed crohns problems then my doctor must try and find some solutions and I must keep bugging him , but if I am the "the only one , as he says , then i must try and find some other answers .