HORSHAM, Pa., May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- JOM Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (JOM), a service coordinator that provides delivery services and customer support to Centocor, Inc. and Ortho Biotech, L.P., was notified May 6, 2008, that a transport trailer carrying DOXIL(R) (doxorubicin HCl liposome injection), PROCRIT(R) (epoetin alfa) and REMICADE(R) (infliximab) was stolen while the driver was traveling from a distribution center in Kentucky to a specialty distributor. This incident has been reported to local and federal law enforcement offices, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; however, the transport trailer and product have not yet been recovered.To ensure patient safety, Centocor and Ortho Biotech are voluntarily withdrawing products with lot numbers matching those of the stole...
Specialist centres must take steps to reduce the amount of radiation people with Crohn's disease are exposed to from diagnostic imaging, radiologists have urged [1]. Patients with Crohn's disease may be particularly vulnerable to radiation owing to their young age at presentation and an elevated risk of some intestinal malignancies such as small bowel lymphoma.Researchers estimated the cumulative effective dose (CED) of diagnostic radiation of 354 patients with Crohn’s disease treated at a tertiary centre.They found that 55 patients, 15.5 per cent, had a 'high' CED – defined as greater than 75mSv.Less than six imaging studies were performed per patient over the first five years of the 15-year study. During this period the mean CED was 7.9mSv, with CT ...
Man, every time I feel like I just might be getting ahead I seem to flare up. I hate to say it and I know it will disappoint everyone from Dr. Shafran to my wifey but I suck at taking my meds lately. I feel like with the Humira I was doing well and I want to go back on it. But I was having an allergic reaction to Humira. I bring it on myself and I know it, but I am having pain and way too many urgent "movements"! I need to be better about my Pentasa! Ok, short but had to Vent. Keep your heads up guys and gals!...
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for sufferers of Crohn's disease. Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) received approval for use in adults with moderate to severe Crohn's disease who have not responded to conventional therapies. This product was approved with a Medication Guide."Crohn's is a debilitating disease that disrupts the quality of life for its sufferers," said Julie Beitz, MD, Director, Office of Drug Evaluation III, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA, Rockville, Maryland. "This drug works to reduce the signs and symptoms of Crohn's, but it also carries risks that will require patients on it to be closely monitored by their physicians or other healthcare professionals."Patients treated with certolizumab will receive ...
Hey guys, have had a recent upswing in traffic here at the living with crohn's diseaseblog (livingwithcrohnsdisease.blogspot.com) and just wanted to welcome the new visitors. Feel free to comment or share your stories and advice about living with crohn's disease. Have a great weekend.Also, have seen an increase in traffic in those looking for basic Crohn's Disease information and am hearing the question "What is Crohn's Disease?" Quick refresher for those folks:An estimated 500,000 Americans have Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract. Like ulcerative colitis, another common IBD, Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating and sometimes may le...
The Pearl Jam benefit concert will be held Thursday, July 20th at 8 p.m. at Portland's Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. In 2002, Pearl Jam guitarist, Mike McCready made public his 20-year battle with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and has since been committed to raising awareness about the disease, which can cause abdominal pain, fever and weight loss that can disrupt peoples' lives.The benefit concert will take this subject, typically thought to be too delicate to discuss in public, out of the shadows and into the spotlight. McCready has been a spokesperson for the NW Chapter of CCFA and is also featured in a radio Public Service Announcement (P...
April 8, 2008 - Taking omega-3 fatty acids can be helpful for many things, but maybe not for preventing a relapse of Crohn's disease. Two related studies show that omega-3s are not effective in preventing inflammation associated with Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that can affect anywhere along the digestive tract. With Crohn's, a patient may experience periods of remission and recurrence. Researchers looked at whether high doses of omega-3s worked as maintenance therapy in patients with Crohn's disease in remission. A total of 738 people participated in two studies. No significant differences were observed between the two treatment groups in either trial. In one study, 363 participants were assigned randomly to take either a daily omega-3...
FRIDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have identified new genetic markers for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in a study they say provides further evidence that people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent are more likely to develop the conditions.Up to 30 percent of people in the United States with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a family history of the condition, and about 25 percent of those families have histories of both Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, according to background information in this multi-center American and Canadian study. People of Ashkenazi Jewish (eastern European) descent are at least twice as likely to develop a form of IBD and are more likely to hav...
I need a good plan to suprise my doctor Friday...any suggestions? Anyways, here are some funny colonoscopy jokes below (i have printed them before I know)A physician claims these are actual comments from his patients made while he was performing colonoscopies:1. "Take it easy, Doc, you're boldly going where no man has gone before."2. "Find Amelia Earhart yet?"3. "Can you hear me NOW?"4. "Oh boy, that was sphincterrific!"5. "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"6. "You know, in Arkansas, we're now legally married."7. "Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?"8. "You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out. You do the Hokey Pokey ..."9. "Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!"10."If your hand doesn't fit, you must acquit!"11. "Hey, Doc,...
Excerpted from The Autoimmune Epidemic: Bodies Gone Haywire in a World Out of Balance--and the Cutting-Edge Science that Promises Hope (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster). To read the entire article, check here.
Most of us, at some juncture in our lives, have played out in our minds how devastating it would be to have our doctor hand down a cancer diagnosis or to warn us that we are at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Magazine articles, television dramas, and news headlines all bring such images home.
But consider an equally devastating health crisis scenario, one that you rarely hear spoken about openly, one that receives almost no media attention.
Imagine the slow, creeping escalation of seemingly amorphous symptoms: a tingling in the arms and fingers, the sudden appearance of a speckled rash across the face, the strange muscle weakness in the legs when climbing stairs, the fiery joints that emerge out of nowhere -- any and all of which can signal the onset of a wide range of life-...
So Amy got a blue Crohn's disease ribbon tattoo on her foot. I am so lucky to have her support and it means alot to me. Thanks sweetie. Also I had to share the story of when Amy just asked our 9 year old what Crohn's disease was. His response: "Crohn's Disease is a disease that makes you crap yourself."...
Yeah so I guess now I have "anal Crohn's" in the form of a potential fistula. I guess that explains why I walk around with paper towels folded up between my ass cheeks and have such urgency issues. Anyways, now crohn's has given me the luxury of an excuse to shove my own fingers up my ass. So after a Corona or two the other night, I laid on the couch and lit some candles (yes, literally...I am such a romantic). After the mood was set I got the astroglide out of Amy's night stand and crammed a Canasa rectal suppository up my ass. How hot is that!? So I guess the Canasa is pretty much like a Pentasa or Asacol but it just goes up the poop chute.Gross I know, but makes for good laughs as I have in typical fashion told this story to everyone. Gotta love Crohn's humor and poop
So I saw the Dr. Shafran and Patty today. I gotta say these guys (Winter Park, Fl) are the best gasto doctors I have come across in the 13 years I have had Crohn's Disease. Anyways we discussed a wide variety of topics. I need to be Humira free for 3 months before I can start the clinical trial that is Stem Cell Transplant for Crohn's. The trial is actually a 4 stage blood transfusion that I am going to read up on more (and report my findings tonight). It seems pretty low risk, but there is a 1/3 chance I will get a placebo, (what, red kool-aid??) 1/3 chance I get a half transplant (hopefully my right side!), and 1/3 chance I will get a full transplant. I am going for a 3-d Cat Scan next week which will allow them to better see the extend of my disease. As a bridge I am going back on Penta...
to find out...I ran into Ira and Anita on the street today at a St. Patty's Day Parade in Winter Park (a bit early I know). Anyways after reading up on the whole Cell">stem cell and Crohn's thing I am nervous as hell for this appointment. However with nothing really working medication wise (Pentasa/6MP, Asacol, Remicade, Humira, etc), I am down to either letting it go until a major flare up, Surgery or this whole Stem Cell Transplant. I will post after I meet with Dr. Shafran and his staff....
Long story short. I am now having what I think to be an allergic reaction to Humira. (I have had them to Remicade in the past). My doctor wants me to stop treatment and come in next week to discuss the possibility of a stem-cell transplant. I profess complete ignorance and in fact know nothing about it. Below are some articles that I have not even had time to read yet. In scanning them apparently they can cure Crohn's, something I did not understand to be possible. I meet with Dr. Shafran and his staff a week from Monday to discuss this. I plan on doing a whole lot of research in the meantime. It looks like it has only been done a few times (see below). Grasping at straws here, but does anyone have any insight?-ScottStem Cell...
NORTH PROVIDENCEHe’s destined for a trip to Disney World and a visit to the White House for a possible meeting with President Bush.But 10-year-old Jacob Kaufman admits that if there’s one thing that leaves him excited these days, it’s not the trips or any honors but the fact that he may have turned a corner in battling a rare form of Crohn’s disease that made him miss school for nearly six months.He’s not out of the woods yet. But after undergoing so many tests, procedures and surgeries, Jacob, a fifth grader at James L. McGuire School, is at the point where some doctors at Hasbro Children’s Hospital believe his disease is in remission and that he may be ready for another try for a reverse colostomy that would allow him to live a normal life once a...
For people with Crohn's disease, Humira may be effective if Remicade no longer helps, new research shows."We are very encouraged by the findings of this study and look forward to larger prospective studies," says researcher Konstantinos A. Papadakis, MD, with the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, in a news release. His paper appears in the current issue of American Journal of Gastroenterology.Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a serious chronic and inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract, causing diarrhea, cramping, stomach pain, weight loss, and in some cases rectal bleeding. These symptoms wax and wane, with periods of active inflammation and disease followed by periods of inactivity. There is no cure for Crohn's disease, but Remicade h...
Tysabri Approved for Crohn's DiseaseTUESDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Tysabri (natalizumab) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease in people who haven't responded to other therapies.Tysabri, made by the Ireland-based drugmaker Elan and Massachusetts-based Biogen Idec, was approved in 2006 to treat relapsing multiple sclerosis.The drug has a boxed warning of increased risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a viral infection affecting the brain that could cause severe disability or death, the FDA said in a statement. Anaphylactic reactions and liver injury also have been reported in some users.Crohn's patients prescribed the drug will be enrolled in a restricted distributi...
I need a Humira shot. I can feel it. Ate too much crap during the Super Bowl and am spending my energy fighting off the cold that is going around as well as a Crohn's Flare up. The Pats lost in a great game. They played poorly and got beaten by the better team on that night. Good for the Giants...heartbreaking to lose the Super Bowl while on the verge of the greatest season in history, but it happens. I am happy my kids actually saw a New England team fail....I think they think championships are a given. Certainly not the way I grew up! People ask me pretty often if people die from Crohn's. Unfortunately they do. Sad Story below.(article is here)A PREGNANTwoman who died with her unborn ...
Abbott Laboratories Inc on Wednesday posted a quarterly profit in line with expectations, driven by higher sales of its drugs and medical devices and favorable foreign exchange factors that bolstered overseas revenue.Abbott posted a fourth-quarter profit of $1.20 billion, or 77 cents per share. That compared with a loss of $476 million, or 31 cents per share, in the year-ago period when the company took charges related to its purchase of Kos Pharmaceuticals.Excluding special items, Abbott earned 93 cents per share, in line with the company's forecast of 91 to 93 cents per share.Company revenue jumped 16 percent to $7.22 billion in the quarter, above the $6.96 billion average forecast of analysts polled by Reuters Estimates. Growth would have been 4.5 perce...
I feel like I am ALWAYS one step away from a Crohn's flare up. Dr. Shafran has just put me on weekly Humira shots. I am a day overdue because the Insurance company always screws it up, but my refrigerated shipment of Humira should arrive today. Hope all is well with you guys....
CBS is doing a special on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard (and wife Mary) at 3:30. It will be about his "remarkable journey", and I assume it will focus on or at least highlight the football player's battle with Crohn's Disease.Stay tuned for details and possibly a link to the inverview. As you know, I am a big football fan, and am dissapointed that I can't really cheer for my favorite athlete with Crohn's disease today...on account of them playing my team....the New England Patriots. Search my blog for several articles detailing David Garrard's Battle with Chron's.-ScottMore info on his Crohn's (from jacksonville.com interview)One test came in 2004, when he had surgery for Crohn's disease, a painful infla...
Crohn’s Disease: Intermittent Distress and FMLAby Presley Reed, M.D.Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that intermittently debilitates a small percentage of the US workforce.The disease usually occurs in younger employees which sometimes makes it difficult for employers and coworkersto understand the individual.s need for intermittent leave.Because Crohn's disease is a permanent condition with symptoms that flare upintermittently, the employer must remain receptive and responsive to requests for intermittent FMLA leave for the duration of the individual.s employment.Not only do the symptoms present intermittently, but their intensity also varies greatlybetween episodes for any patient. Consequently, physicians may be hardpressed to establish specific estimates for re...
Happy New Years to all. It's been a while and by some miracle my health has been pretty good. Hopefully I don't ruin it by celebrating too much tonight. Swedish meatballs, beer, 7-layer dip, Patron, Hypnotiq and Red Bull, Sausages....ugh. Recipe for Crohn's Disease Disaster anyone?Anyhow, happy new year to you all. I am greatful for all of the support from the Crohn's Community and am glad to be able to provide information, experiences, and a good poop story now and then!...
1. Keep to Your Routines - Continue to take your medication on time and get regular rest. Crohn’s Disease Flare Ups are bound to happen when you don't follow the routine that works for you.2. Beat the Holiday Blues - If you feel the holiday blues coming on, don't be afraid to talk to your healthcare provider. The sooner you get help, the better you will feel throughout the season. As I have said many times, I always have Crohn’s Disease flare ups during the holidays. So far so good this year!3. Don't Party Too Hard - Decide which social functions you can realistically attend without stress overload. Running yourself ragged to make every holiday party can leave you too tired to enjoy any of them. Be sensible about ho...
Scientists at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, have discovered a certain type of bacteria in cattle as a likely cause for Crohn's disease in human beings. The bacteria, called Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, are known to cause the debilitating Johne's disease in cattle. It is believed the bacteria are transferred from cows to humans via milk and dairy product consumption. The British scientists have been able to observe reactions caused by the bacteria in the human body that could tap it as a cause for Crohn's disease. This could open up new ways for finding more effective treatment options for Crohn's.Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammation of the intestines. Patients suffe...
Although stress doesn't cause Crohn's disease, it can make your signs and symptoms much worse and may trigger flare-ups. Stressful events can range from minor annoyances to a move, job loss or the death of a loved one. Every flare-up and even my initial diagnosis can be directly related to stress. Almost every Chron's Disease patient I talk to or hear about supports a simple fact. There is a link between Crohn's and Stress.It is basic science (and common sense). When you're stressed, your normal digestive process changes. Your stomach empties more slowly and secretes more acids. Stress can also speed or slow the passage of intestinal contents. It may also cause changes in intestinal tissue itself. For someone with Crohn's...
Hey guys, go my Humira shot Wednesday night. Nothing much new to report other than I have been waking up with pretty bad cramps. Doc Shafran usually says thats not a great sign. We'll see, makes me nervous as my Crohn's invaraible acts up during the holidays. Got my leg tattoo worked on yesterday. My wife is getting a Crohn's Disease ribbon tattoo (very small) on her foot to show her support for all of us Crohnies.Also, below is a great article on travelling and Crohn's. I thought it was appropriate given the holiday travel many of us will be planning to do. Article is from Sara Jenkins, Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attent...
So this morning I get to work about an hour early as normal. I fold up the sports section of the Orlando Sentinel and put it my back pocket. I then begin my casual stroll to the bathroom. "Nothing to see here folks, not going poop..just minding my own business..."So I read about all of the NFL news, wash my hands, check my face out in the mirror for any leftover toothpaste or zit cream, and walk back into the office. I stroll through the hall of our accouting department and give a half-hearted, monday morning hello to the ladies. I see our COO walking down the hall and she is looking at me funny.From about 20 ft away, I see this look...then she asks me what is that....At this point I notice that I have toilet paper (from lining the seat) stuck in my pants. And n0t 5 sheets. I double it up ...
Link to the article is here - http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/news/deltona/orl-crohns0207dec02,0,4333743.storyDr. Shafran (Winter Park, FL) was featured in the Orlando Sentinel today for an article highlighting his Crohn's Disease Research. He just published a paper on a new antibiotic used to treat Crohn's, and the relation to bacteria and Crohn's Disease. Yours truly, Mr Scott Roy, is featured in the lead photo. I love the way Dr. Shafran and his staff take care of me!! He is an awesome doctor. I encourage you all to check out the article, and if you are in Florida, you will not find a better Gastroenterologist.Here is the article:Dr. Ira Shafran sees Crohn's disease patient Scott Roy at his Winter Park office...
Watching the Jaguars Colts NFL game today and they mentioned David Garrard's Battle with Crohn's Disease and also some stuff on his wife Mary. As a result I have had over 250 visitors so far today (average about 125 a day) from people doing Google searches for terms such as David Garrard Crohn's. Garrard Crohn's, David Garrard wife Mary, David Garrard Crohn's Treatment, Jaguar crohn's, mary garrard and many more. For those of you looking, my David Garrard 2 of my Garard related posts are here, and here....
Typical past few days and nights. Severe pain in the area of my Crohn's (terminal illieum) and big-time night sweats. It is likely a combination of the Crohn's and a crowded bed..whatever it is, it has me sweating. We got a new boxer puppy...He is 10 weeks old, and sleeps between my wife and me. Our 9 year old springer sleeps across our feet. It's a crowd, and last night I slept in the ever-desirable "fish hook" position. Fun times! Anyhow, my Crohn's always acts up during the holidays. I have been running again so maybe that will keep the Chron's Disease at bay. We will see. Good luck to all of you Crohn's disease sweaters out there....
Hey guys...I try to keep this blog Crohn's related...but if for some reason you want to know more about me as a person outside of our disease...check out my Myspace Page, here. Feel free to drop me a line there or friend request me!...
As many of you may know, guitarist Mike Mcready of Pearl Jam is a long time Crohn's Patient. You may not know that he is currently treating his Crohn's with Humira. Does anyone know what David Garrard (quarterback for the NFL's Jacksonville's Jaguars) is treating his Crohn's with?Regarding Mike McCready of Pearl Jam (From Billboard):However, the guitarist has now been in Crohn's remission since the spring of 2005, thanks to a largely carbohydrate-less diet and a new medicine, Humira, which is also used to treat arthritis. That combo allowed McCready to endure the extensive tour Pearl Jam set out on in support of its 2006 self-titled album for J Records."I've been out for shorter period of times that were 20 times as miserable, because I just couldn't manage...
Hey Guys - I found some interesting new info on Smoking and Crohn's Disease. Alot of people ask me about the realtionship between smoking and Crohn's, so here you go ( from April 2007):A new study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology suggests that smoking may determine which part of the intestinal tract is attacked in those who suffer from Crohn’s disease. Where the disease is located often determines whether the patient will eventually require surgical treatment.“In patients who smoke, Crohn’s disease tends to appear more frequently in the small intestine, rather than the colon,” says study author Dr. Marian Aldhous. “Our data shows that when Crohn’s disease is located here, it tends to cause more pen...
Hey Guys - I found some interesting new info on Smoking and Crohn's Disease. Alot of people ask me about the realtionship between smoking and Crohn's, so here you go ( from April 2007):A new study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology suggests that smoking may determine which part of the intestinal tract is attacked in those who suffer from Crohn’s disease. Where the disease is located often determines whether the patient will eventually require surgical treatment.“In patients who smoke, Crohn’s disease tends to appear more frequently in the small intestine, rather than the colon,” says study author Dr. Marian Aldhous. “Our data shows that when Crohn’s disease is located here, it tends to cause more pen...
Tuesday was rough for me. B12 shot, blood drawn, Humira. Probably nothing compared to what some of you are going throuigh and what I have been through in the past.Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Hope the Turkey treated you guys well and you could all eat at least some mashed potatoes. I felt well, ate twice and had a few beers with the family. Just a quick post. more later.-Scott...
I am staying the course and sticking with Humira, but we may up it to once a week instead of bi-weekly. I had blood drawn and got a B12 shot. While I am doing better than I was at this time last year, I am not out of the woods yet. It was so nice to see Dr. Shafran, Anita and the rest of the staff. He is such an awesome doctor. While I was there the Orlando Sentinel was there doing a story on Dr. Shafran and the photographer snapped pictures throughout my visit. Stay tuned for a link to the story on a new treatment Dr. Ira Shafran is presenting at a medical conference in Miami next week. I am excited for him. I got in a nice 3.4 mile run after my Doctor's appointment.I read an obituary in the Orlando Sentinel for a man named Michael Cleary that died after a battle with Crohn's Disease. It ...
Going to the good doctor Shafran in Winter Park on Wednesday afternoon. Maybe he can give me a miracle cure so I can chow down on Thanksgiving. This is the time of year that I had a big Crohn's Flare up that landed me in the hospital in 2006. Hopefully the Humira keeps me away from there but stress at the new job is begging to differ. I am doing OK...standard Crohn's cramps. I haven't been to Dr. Shafran and am curious to see what is new with my treatment as well as catch up with his wonderful staff!...
After lining my side of the bed with towels and having pretty much the worst night sweats I have ever had...my wife challenged me this AM with a statement that went something like this "I know the Dr. is holding out alot of faith on this Humira working but I don't know if it really is." I paused to reflect and have to wonder myself. The pain has been getting worse and the night sweats are back. I am fresh off a shot Friday night too...so usually I am doing OK at this point.About this time last year (before I started this Crohn's Blog), I had to go on a liquid diet and ended up not being able to eat at Thanksgiving or Christmas). I lost about 12 pounds...that might be the only good part.....and spent about 5 days in the hospital.Anyways, crazy week at work. Just took on responsibility for a...
