Do you have Crohns and no tolerance for drugs to treat anything?

Hello @peni, Welcome to Connect. It has to be extremely difficult when you have a condition like Crohn's and the medications used for treatment cause even worse side effects for you. I'm not sure if you have seen the other discussions on Connect where members with Crohn's have shared experiences with treatments. Here's a search link that lists the different discussions - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/discussions/.

If you haven't already seen it, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation has some information on diet and nutrition that might be helpful - https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/patientsandcaregivers/diet-and-nutrition. They also have some information on the different treatment options - https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/patientsandcaregivers/what-is-ulcerative-colitis/treatment-options.

I did see a discussion you might find interesting - Has anyone done intermittent fasting for PSC/Crohn’s/Diabetes?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/has-anyone-done-intermittent-fasting-for-psccrohnsdiabetes/. Have you tried intermittent fasting?

I tried 3 drugs for Crohn's before I found the right one... You didn't mention which drugs you've tried. Have you tried a Biologic? I now have taken Stelara for 7 years with no side effects. Keep working with your doctor and don't give up!

@peni - wondering how you are doing with the rotation diet and your Crohn's?

I don't care who you are, if you have Crohn's, you need to look at the web sites devoted to Low Dose Naltrexone. Read about it and find a doc who will write a script. It will help over 80% of Crohn's patients. I had it for over 40 yrs and now I am medication and symptom free. Have been for several years. I take 2 mg because 4mg didn't seem to make any difference. So 2 mg is all I take. I had a rheumatologist who didn't beleave in it but it was too small an amount to hurt and wanted me to be happy, so she wrote the script. Any kind of dr. can write it. It will take a compounding pharmacy however, because the dose is set for you. I have no side effects.

I had allergy, sensitivity or side effects to ALL drugs taken for anything all my 85 years, just like my mother did. She took them, was totally crippled by RA & lung damage, died young in terrible pain. I avoided most drugs with naturopathic vitamins, minerals and herbs. A rotation diet for Crohn’s works but is impossible to always follow but I do not have pain from it or my RA. I take Eliquis now for atrial fibrillation congestive heart failure until the side effects start. Then it’s back to natural blood thinners. I also have pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, but do not catch contagious colds or flus even when my nearest family and friends do. Has anyone had a combo like this except Mom and me?

Regarding "all drugs", I know NSAIDs are evil and most corticosteroids have irksome side effects. I have collagenous colitis; my diet controlled it for 7 years until I got covid two years ago followed by norovirus (a sucky year). I also have celiac and am sensitive to a lot of things, such as preservatives in food. Budesonide is a designer corticosteroid that is mostly localized to the intestines, so has a lot fewer side effects than most meds. The main thing that hits my GI tract is stress, but a few months of budesonide during bad flares helps tamp down my autoimmune reaction. It is also prescribed for Crohn's.

Yes, I know Budesonide very well. It is the only thing that we Crohn's people have for the small intestine. Mine was full of blisters until I discovered LDN. Look it up.

I wish there were more meds and treatments for us (and more restrooms). I have microscopic colitis, for which 3 mg Budesonide seems to work well. If that plops (so to speak), I'll try LDN. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8996009/

I think any disorder that involves inflametion will respond to LDN and it seems to help the immune system. There isn't much to lose by giving it a try.

Mine is controlled by diet and managing stress; I had flares after getting diagnosed with new maladies. The flares are abating and will likely be gone once I am off budesonide in a few months. Budesonide has the advantage for microscopic colitis that the collagen layer thins while on it, reversing damage. Chron's is a lot different. If Budesonide doesn't work, then I'll try LDN.