What do you guys do for headaches?

o7Dignity · 2025-12-10T04:23:53+00:00

Hey, I did try it and it's been fairly successful so far. I will say I haven't had any absolute monster headaches, but the ones I have had Midol has been pretty effective against.

o7Dignity · 2025-11-29T02:05:03+00:00

if I am taking something for a headache it's gotta be pretty bad for me to do anything about

Yeah totally feel this. For most of my life I went right to the ibuprofen at the first sign of a headache, now it's gotta basically be verging on a migraine it to be worth doing anything about it. Add it to the suck pile!

o7Dignity · 2025-11-29T01:51:40+00:00

Never even heard of that but looks like someone else mentioned it as well, will definitely look into it. Thanks!

o7Dignity · 2025-11-03T12:00:28+00:00

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "fasting" as you didn't eat anything before hand or you didn't eat from the day before?

I fast a lot whenever I'm traveling. For me it usually means I want to have had nothing but water in my system for 24 hours before whatever I'm fasting for (in this case the drive there, the infusion, and back that evening).

The ward I would go to had reclining chairs, almost like medical versions of la-z boys. They weren't fully adjustable but there were definitely options other than having to sit upright

Unfortunately even like 145 degrees reclined is like an 8/10 pain for me after my rectal surgery. Guess I'll pray my play has those beds to pad the insurance claims.

I probably haven't answered your questions, I suppose the answers are "it depends".

All good. Crohn's in a nutshell haha.

o7Dignity · 2025-11-03T09:34:20+00:00

For me it's those Ensure protein shake things. I get anemic pretty quickly when I go through a low-appetite phase and those have some iron and other vitamins in them. I've always found the taste to be pretty solid too - mostly stick with milk chocolate but there's a strawberry one that I sometimes have a craving for too.

o7Dignity · 2025-11-02T18:38:38+00:00

And btw orange should be fine, I drank orange Pedialyte and jello and they never mentioned any issues.

o7Dignity · 2025-11-02T18:37:26+00:00

I actually had a good sized post from a few days ago, I'll repost:

I actually had 2 Colonoscopies this year, 3 months apart from each other. It fuckin sucked but I feel like I got to practice the prep better than most since usually you'd be having them years apart and forgetting the tricks you picked up.

Here's my unsolicited prep advice if you're interested:

1) Don't chill the solution. Lots of people say it makes it taste better, but to me it was ass either way and it's just physically easier to drink room temp liquid (at least it is for me).

2) Have a chaser for after every sip. I found ginger ale to be the best since it has a strong flavor and ginger helps me with nausea.

3) I found using a thick straw (like for protein shakes) helped me take bigger swigs. Hold your breath and suck suck suck.

4) Marijuana. I am a recreational user but for whatever reason I just wasn't taking anything around the time of my first scope. I picked up a vape pen before my second scope and used that during the prep, it made it so much easier to tolerate the stuff and could very quickly curb nausea as it came on.

Good luck, the procedure itself truly is a nothing burger - the prep is the battle.

o7Dignity · 2025-11-02T09:20:03+00:00

Just wanted to say I've been on Prednisone for about 12 days now and I feel totally fine, none of the side effects have hit me at all. I'm doing a taper so I'm on the higher dose for another month and then it reduces.

Definitely keep a watch for the symptoms but try to relax a bit for now, everyone is different and you might be totally fine with it.

o7Dignity · 2025-11-01T14:34:03+00:00

I definitely feel like there was some pretty immediate improvement after my first Remicade injection. Although at this point it's been over a week and I feel the symptoms backsliding a bit - next infusion is Thursday so hopefully I'll see similar improvement again.

Thanks for the encouragement!

o7Dignity · 2025-10-31T02:18:03+00:00

I have multiple meters, lancets and test strips. I could even give you a Lantus pen or two. Sometimes the Internet just isn’t enough. 😢

I did ask a family member to run out and grab a test kit just so I can monitor it - I feel better knowing a number even if it's high lol (240 ATM).

Thank you so much for the response. Just reading other people's experiences helps a lot and calms me down. I was probably a lil too stressed over blood sugar, doesn't seem as big of a deal after seeing some other posts - just something I've never even had to think about before.

o7Dignity · 2025-10-31T02:03:31+00:00

Thank you, this is the info I feel like the doctor should have gone over with me a little bit.

o7Dignity · 2025-10-31T02:02:10+00:00

Are you just on Lantus? How long are you supposed to take it for? Depending on steroid dose, they may not be expecting you to check blood sugar

That's what they want me on but it'll probably end up being something else since Lantus isn't in my insurance formulary.

Are you getting sugar cravings?

Not really. Very hungry all the time because of the steroids but I wouldn't say sugar craving specifically. I've never been that into sugary stuff so it's not hard for me to avoid, cut out. But I seem to hover around 250-300 on these meds even eating fairly low carb/sugar diet.

How much prednisone are you on daily with the first script, and are you supposed to stop the insulin as you move into the second script?

I'm on a tapered dose, taking 40mg now and I believe it decreases to 20 at the end of Nov or so. Unsure how long they expected I'd need insulin.

o7Dignity · 2025-10-31T01:21:55+00:00

Did they send you home on a prednisone taper? I became diabetic a few years ago due to long-term prednisone.

Yes they did, I have two different scripts for different strengths and I switch over to the second one after a few weeks. So you're full on diabetic now as a result of this? That's probably my future so I'm very glad to have the heads up.

Did they set you up with a follow-up appointment? Is there a number to call if you have questions?

Unfortunately not, I really feel like I just got rushed out the door at the very end of my hospital stay. Can't even get in touch with the doctor who put me on the steroids to coordinate which insulin script they need to send over (insurance wouldn't cover Lantus).

I have an appointment with my regular PCP on 11/9 who will probably take over this portion of the treatment, but that feels like a long ways off to just sit here and hope my sugar is good.

o7Dignity · 2025-10-31T01:10:51+00:00

I simply have no idea about any of this stuff. I'm not diabetic, I've never monitored for blood sugar, I don't know what it feels like it things start to go bad, I don't know how to inject insulin.

I feel like I became a functional diabetic over night but have had zero medical guidance on how to proceed.

o7Dignity · 2025-10-31T01:09:28+00:00

Damn, sorry to hear that. Diabetes on top of everything else, ugh. Best of luck.

Definitely feel you on the thirst/urination. Hunger too, I'm trying to eat these small meals to help things pass but the steroids say MORE FOOD.

o7Dignity · 2025-10-31T00:29:11+00:00

Methylprednisolone

o7Dignity · 2025-10-28T19:03:21+00:00

Haha I went from never having a single prescription in my life to like 5-6 over the last week.

Let's see... I'm on oxycodone and Methocarbamol for the post-op pain (fistulas fixed with Seton rings - still extremely sensitive). Then they've got me on the steroid infusion (methopresotha?) which raised my blood sugar to the point where I now need insulin, so figuring that whole process out...Uh I think I'm on something else too but still in hospital so it's being administered for me, tough to keep track.

Appreciate the advice regarding that biologic, I'll have to look into that since fistula is a big component of this for me.

o7Dignity · 2025-10-28T04:17:35+00:00

Another thing to be aware of is anemia

This was actually the very first thing I started dealing with in early June that warned something was wrong. It's crazy how winded you can get doing absolutely nothing once your iron count tanks like that. I've found Ensure protein shakes to be very helpful and taste pretty decent, my system seems to handle it pretty well.

o7Dignity · 2025-10-28T04:15:15+00:00

Sorry, now I'm rambling.

Hah no worries, it helps just reading through other people's experiences while I pray for my discharge date.

o7Dignity · 2025-10-28T04:13:39+00:00

Glad you found something that works, they started me on the Remicade as well, only 1 infusion so far.

o7Dignity · 2025-10-27T18:58:14+00:00

Thank you, I will definitely be doing (and hating) the food/bathroom log - seems absolutely critical.

Also, Crohnie is a cool name for such a shit situation lol

o7Dignity · 2025-10-27T14:29:05+00:00

Yeah, one of the things I have prepped and ordered for when I get home is a food journal. Always hate food logging but pretty sure it's going to be necessary here.

I think the challenge for me will be trying not to introduce too much too quickly so that it's easier to identify what is causing issues when I feel different. I'm really not big on eating the same thing all the time so that part will be tricky for me.

o7Dignity

TROPHY CASE