by Christine Hand
(Australia)
I've had crohns for more than 40 years with increasingly long attacks in the last 3 years due to multiple abdominal surgeries causing adhesions. A crohns attack irritates the adhesions which then makes the crohns worse and Dr's are unable to help. Only in the last 10 years have I experienced much effect from secondary inflammations such as arthritis, iritis, fissures or others experienced by family members sharing the condition. I now suffer from foot, knee, shoulder, back and hand pain but it is only severe when I am in or recovering from a severe attack.
For over 2 years I've been having cryotherapy, both full body & spot treatments on my abdomen. Although you feel better immediately it takes several, this is individual but say 5 roughly to really calm the abdomen and reduce the inflammation in the joints. This was expensive and I became very ill twice due to lock downs and after 2-3 weeks I would crash without this treatments. In January, 2021, I had a Meyers solution IV ($239) & the expensive B12 injection ($60-80, I don't use this expensive one anymore). I felt better the next day but I think that was just a brain boost from the B12, I still hurt a lot. The effects of Meyers IV are subtle. I found over 2-3 weeks, slight reductions in pain from the adhesions but most of the bloating from the crohns went in the weeks after my first infusion. After 1 week my appetite returned although it was still uncomfortable after eating, atleast I got to eat without pain or discomfort. It's now 6 months and 5 Meyers IV's later, approximately every 6 weeks. I'm returning to cryotherapy to try to relieve the last few symptoms. I went 4 months without cryotherapy and I am very much improved with just the IV's but there is still an ache in my right hip (ileocecal valve internally, small meets large intestine area) and elsewhere. I'm confident 5 cryo sessions will reduce it if I can commit financially.
I have tried many things over the years from steroids to acupuncture, medical and natural.