flair up after 15 years. Uhgggg!

by Tony
(Indiana)

My name is Tony. I'm a 49 year old male from Indiana. I have recently experienced a flair up after many years of remission. I am terrified to go back to the doctor. I thought I was over this after all that time. Just need some support. I'm a coward about going back to doctors. Thanks

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Reluctant to see a doctor NEW
by: Annette

Hi there Tony,

I completely sympathise with your reluctance to seek out medical assistance especially since you have been without problems for so long, but....you have to remember that doctors are there to support you and that there may well be alternative medications now that can certainly reduce this flare-up.

It can be a bit of a shock to the system but apparently about 75% of Crohn's sufferers do experience relapses so the odds were stacked against it not happening to you.

When you or any sufferer has a flare-up, you may be lucky in that it lasts only a few days. There are some things that you can to help yourself in the first instance. Essentially, you may just experience an angry reaction that may settle but, it's important to make it as easy as possible for food to be digested so stick to bland foods during this time.

It's important to rest more during this time too. Really give yourself some time to adapt and let your body fight back. Monitor your symptoms and be sure to pass this information onto a medical practitioner when you go. The more information you can give them, the greater their chance of being able to support you.

Most people suffer from bouts of diarrhoea during a flare-up so cut back on caffeinated drinks including those fizzy drinks as these are likely to make the situation worse. Keep a note of any bouts of stress you had leading up to this relapse too, stress can aggravate.

So many sufferers feel that the disease can be extremely embarrassing but to a doctor this is not a case. Of course, when it's personal to you, it can be an overwhelming disease that has a horrible negative effect on everything that you do, but a doctor is not looking at it in this way. They want to help you. Of course if you have had a bad experience with a doctor or have been given some incorrect information then I can understand, but look for an alternative doctor and do get support. This is not a disease to suffer with on your own. Having support can make a big difference.
I would be interested to hear if anyone else experiences a reluctance to seek medical support .

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