Breakthrough Crohn’s Disease Guide

Having been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease your doctor no doubt made you aware that a cure for Crohn ‘s disease has yet to be found, but that research is ongoing. There are many steps you can take to help relieve your symptoms and some patients can go into periods of remission, however Crohn’s is a chronic condition that will be with you for life, or until a cure can be found. Some patients opt to participate in clinical trials to speed up the process of finding not only the cure, but perhaps the cause as well.

Some of the most common clinical trials are those that are testing new medications or existing medications that have yet to be approved for use in patients with Crohn’s Disease. Once past the initial testing phases these drugs need to be tried out on humans to gauge effectiveness, and also to determine if what the side effects may be.

There are no guarantees that by participating in drug trials your symptoms will improve. Many trials include half the patients taking the real drug, and others will be taking a placebo. Due to FDA regulations, you will be made aware of any potential risks before you sign up, so make sure you read the small print.

Before you sign up for a trial, you should talk through the implications with your doctor. You may not be a good candidate for a trial, and if that is what your doctor says make sure you listen. However, your doctor might think you are a good match, and if this is the case, there are some questions you have to ask yourself and information you should find out about the trials before getting started.

Will you be staying elsewhere or at home? What are the risks? Will you be compensated? Can your family do without you for the duration of the trial if need be? What are your options if something were to go wrong? Once you have all of the answers to these questions, you will have a better idea if you want to continue or not.

Before you make a final decision and have weighed all of your options, you might want to go online to read what others have said about clinical trails. Many have found great relief with some of the drugs they have tried, and have been happy to be included. They feel that they are doing something for themselves and for everyone else. Others haven’t had such positive experiences.

In the end, the final decision is yours, and you should not feel guilty if you don’t want to do it. There are many good reasons not to do so. If you do choose to go through one or more clinical trials, you may be involved in something that might finally be considered the cure for Crohn ‘s disease. However, even if a cure is not found, you may have helped with a mediation that brings relief to many.

For more information about clinical trials have a look at the following websites:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/
http://www.centerwatch.com/
http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/
http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/clinicalresearchtrials.stm
http://www.clinicalconnection.com/

If you haven’t already signed up you can grab your free copy of the Crohn’s Disease Newsletter - Overflowing with ideas for easy to implement natural treatments for Crohn’s disease, plus information on why research trials offer hope in the search for the cure for crohn ‘s disease.

Someone living with Crohn’s disease might enjoy long periods of remission, only to find that they are suddenly experiencing a flare up. The Crohn’s symptoms that each person will have will vary from person to person, but they all mean the same thing. Inflammation is the root problem with Crohn’s disease, and this can be anywhere in the digestive system, but usually occurs in the intestines. Symptoms indicate that inflammation is ongoing, and treatment might be necessary. There is no known cause for this condition, and some of the triggers that people say bring on flare-ups are highly debated.

Some believe that bacteria build up in the system is one of the triggers for Crohn’s flare-ups. There is always a certain amount of bacteria in the system, and this is something that everyone has. It’s thought that certain foods might trigger an overabundance of bacteria and that leads to the inflammation getting worse. This then triggers symptoms to appear. Many believe one troubling bacterium is found in milk and milk products. Though eliminating milk might eliminate the trigger, Crohn’s flare-ups will probably continue after the initial reaction. There are other foods that some consider triggers as well.

Stress can also be a trigger for Crohn’s flare-ups in some people. There has been no evidence that stress can cause this condition, but it might indeed be a trigger. Stress is known to weaken the immune system, and since Crohn’s is considered to be an autoimmune problem, you can see where this might lead to a problem. You should make sure you are living as stress free as possible and that you do all you can to learn how to reduce stress in your life. This can be accomplished by getting rid of your most stressful activities, if possible, and finding time in your day to take up things like Yoga and breathing techniques to reduce some of the stress you are feeling day to day.

There are other triggers that are being researched, and might very well be behind flare-ups of Crohn’s inflammation. Some say that even though antibiotics are needed to treat Crohn’s, they can also cause inflammation, citing NSAIDs (i.e. ibuprofen) as example. Many believe that smoking is also a trigger. This is yet another good reason to quit. This is one of the most promising things you can eliminate when it comes to possible environmental trigger for flare-ups.

Though defined triggers for Crohn’s symptoms have yet to be discovered, there is some promising research that says there may be a defective gene that can cause Crohn’s in some people. The Mayo Clinic reports that though this is something that they are researching, they have no found a way to counteract this, but they do hope it will prove to be an arm of research that helps with establishing a cure in the future. Though the science behind triggers is not perfect, it may indeed lead to more helpful treatments in the future leading to easier management of Crohn’s symptoms.

If you are looking for natural cures for Crohn’s disease, you are going to be disappointed. There is no cure yet, though research is ongoing. However, there are natural things you can do to help get rid of many of your more troubling symptoms, and that can at the very least, offer you much relief.

You may be able to cure some of your symptoms and go into remission, but you aren’t going to be completely relieved of the disease. You may find that some of these will help and some will do nothing for you. It’s usually a case of trial and error and results can depend on the progression of your condition and how bad your flare-ups tend to be.

One of the most talked about natural remedies for Crohn’s disease is altering your diet. There is a diet called the Specific Carb Diet that might offer you some relief. This diet eliminates a lot of different foods, and you might find that you don’t have many food choices left. However, if it works for you, and many sufferers have reported success by following it, giving up certain foods may well be worth it.

The Specific Carb Diet tells you to removed milk products, oats, grains, most vegetables, sugars, and anything that contains preservatives. You can have lean cuts of fresh meats, and many different types of fruit. It’s recommended that you take a vitamin supplement when following this diet and you should always talk to your doctor about it before you begin.

Herbal remedies have had success with reducing intestinal inflammation associated with Crohn’s. There can be some relief if the herbs are taken correctly, however you should make sure you talk to your doctor or health professional about them as they may interact with your prescription medications. Just because something is classed as natural or herbal it doesn’t necessarily mean its safe.

Along the same lines, another natural remedy for Crohn’s disease is acupuncture. This is used to stimulate points along the body that, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, are connected to the health of the digestive system. Acupuncture works by triggering the body’s self-healing properties. Crohn’s is thought to be an auto-immune condition, so this might indeed offer some relief.

Stress reduction is another popular natural approach for Crohn’s disease symptom relief. Though stress does not cause Crohn’s, as some think, stress can make symptoms worse. Activities like yoga can help, along with other stress busting exercises and breathing techniques.

You may also find you become a little depressed when you are in the middle of a flare up. The symptoms of Crohn’s can limit the quality of life, and that means its quite normal to feel sad and detached. A way of combating this might be to seek help for depression. You may not want to take any medications for this, but there are some exercises programs that can help you, and you may also want to consider talking to professional counselor about it.

As mentioned, there is no cure for Crohn’s, but you might want to think of your natural cures for Crohn’s disease as cures for your symptoms. You will have to see what works for you, as everyone is different, and what works for one won’t work for others.

No matter what it is you want to try, it is important that you keep your medical doctor informed. They should help you monitor your condition. If your doctor seems reluctant when you mention any of these natural cures for Crohn’s disease, let them know you want to try them, but you want to do them under their supervision. It is important they monitor your condition, and also your intake of the nutrition that you need.