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What is Crohn's disease? The simple description is an inflammatory disease that leads to severe ulceration of the digestive tract. It can occur in any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, or any combination of the parts; however, it's usually seen in the lower part of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. The ulcerations permeate the first four layers of the intestinal lining, making it much worse than ulcerative colitis which affects the first two layers. When the ulcerations heal it leaves scar tissue that narrows the part of the gastrointestinal tract in which it occurs, and can sometimes form pockets that trap food and waste similar to diverticulitis.
If you suffer from Crohn's you really don't care what it is or where it came from, you just want it taken care of. It's severely painful and can be truly embarrassing. The abdominal pain is intense, the diarrhea can be non-stop causing sores that can sometimes bleed, and then there's the almost constant nausea that can lead to weight loss because even the thought of eating has you in pain and running to the bathroom.
No one's entirely sure what causes Crohn's. Some say it's an autoimmune disease, some say it's at least partially a viral condition, and still others contribute it to a recently discovered defect in the gene that's involved in recognizing and activating the immune system's response to bacteria (Kerry Bone). Most professionals seem to be coming to an agreement that it's really a combination of those things as well as environmental factors like diet, stress (which definitely aggravates the condition), smoking, etc.
Although anyone can get Crohn's, those between the ages of 18 and 35 seem to be the most susceptible; at least it's diagnosed most often for people in that age range. It affects men and women equally and though all ethnicities can develop Crohn's there are statistics that show African Americans are least likely to be diagnosed while those of Jewish heritage are most likely to develop it (Natural Standard). With an estimated half million people in American having been diagnosed with this condition there is evidence that heredity may play a part. According to Natural Standard people with Crohn's in their family histories are about 30 times more likely to develop it than those whose families show no history of it.
Okay, so how do you know if you have Crohn's? It can be difficult because, depending on the severity, the symptoms are ones that can also be related to some very common problems. The usual ones that normally wouldn't frighten you into thinking you have Crohn's are diarrhea, decreased appetite and abdominal pain. That sounds pretty much like a stomach bug or the food poisoning; and because of where the inflammation usually occurs it may even feel like an overwhelming stomachache.
With Crohn's the pain can be mild as I mentioned above, or so severe it completely interferes with any kind of social life, not to mention the frustration of having diarrhea day in and day out. It can make your working life a living hell. If it's not caught early enough, the diarrhea can cause weight loss, depletion of vital electrolytes and minerals, and dehydration. Some other signs that can accompany Crohn's are arthritis, fatigue so bad you don't even want to get out of bed not to mention that you couldn't fall asleep if you wanted to because of the pain or the fear of diarrhea during the night, eye problems, and skin disorders among other things. And if it's not treated at all it can eventually kill you.
If the pain is so severe you feel like screaming, which may be from open sores on the intestinal wall, or the diarrhea lasts more than a week or so and/or has blood in it, then of course you'll want to see a gastroenterologist no matter what you think it is. Usually a colonoscopy and/or an endoscopy will be done to determine if it's Crohn's or some other bowel disease.
The first most commonly prescribed drug is mesalamine (Pentasa, Asacol, Rowasa, etc.) which is an anti-inflammatory. It acts on the lining of the gut to block the production of certain natural chemicals (prostaglandin and others) that may cause pain and swelling (Pentasa drug description). Depending on the severity of the symptoms some other drugs that are prescribed for Crohn's are corticosteroids like Prednisone which have been shown to effectively reduce inflammation of the GI tract, immune system suppressors, antibiotics, anti-diarrheals and fluid replacements.
All of these, except the fluid replacements of course, carry numerous and serious side effects. Mesalamine can cause nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea, headache and loss of appetite. Corticosteroids can cause greater susceptibility to infection and worsen or cause diabetes, and may cause thinning of the bones, easy bruising, cataracts, and weight gain (Natural Standard). Immune system suppressors are even worse; in addition to the nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and lowered resistance to infection, they can suppress blood cell production in bone marrow, hair loss, and increase risk to certain cancers. Antibiotics can cause upset stomach, diarrhea, and inflammation of the colon. (Merck)
It sounds to me like these are most of the symptoms you're trying to get rid of by using this medication; and those are just the common side effects, they're not the more serious ones.
There are two herbs that come to mind in treating Crohn's and they are Boswellia serrata (frankincense), and garlic. There have been more studies done on Boswellia than on garlic but looking at the herbs and their constituents and actions you can see how they would be effective in treating Crohn's disease.
Boswellia is a tremendous anti-inflammatory, immunomodulator, and analgesic. According to Kerry Bone in an article called Using Herbs and Diet to Beat Crohn's Disease, a boswellia extract was compared to mesalamine in a randomized, double-blind study; boswellia worked better to reduce the symptoms of Crohn's with a lower dose than the mesalamine (3.6 g per day of boswellia compared to 4.5 g per day of mesalamine). Boswellia also less side effects than the conventional drugs; in fact I can only find that you shouldn't use it during pregnancy or use it on children (Natural Standard monograph on Boswellia). Other information on side effects says there is no hematological, biochermical, or histological side effects at doses up to 1,000 mg a day (Alternative Medicine Review).
Garlic is touted to be one of the best natural antibiotics there is, as well as being anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and analgesic; it's also a gastrointestinal antiseptic. Any herb such as this with activity against mycobacteria is recommended to help correct bowel flora which is usually dysfunctional in Crohn's (Kerry Bone). Antibiotics have also been shown to help heal fistulas and abscesses in people with Crohn's (Natural Standard) so garlic would be a good choice. The main problem with garlic is, of course, the odor. Studies show that garlic tablets with an enteric coating reduce this problem. It is an anticoagulant also so you have to be careful using this, especially if you're taking aspirin or another anticoagulant. Because of this activity do not use it if you're pregnant.
Obviously if you're already on a treatment regime for Crohn's don't just stop taking the prescribed medicines in favor of natural treatments because that could cause more harm than good. Talk to your doctor about incorporating the herbs and possibly weaning off the pharmaceuticals. You might get lucky and have an open-minded doctor willing to give it a try in favor of the reduced side effects if for no other reason.
References:
Bone, Kerry (2004). Crohn's Disease, Phytotherapy Review & Commentary
Bone, Kerry (2008). Using Herbs and Diet to eat Crohn's Disease. Dynamic Chiropractic. Huntington Vol. 25, Iss. 11; pg 26
Health-Cares . net (accessed 5/27/2009). What're the treatment options for Crohn's Disease? http://digestive-disorders.health-cares.net/crohns-disease-treament.php
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. (accessed 5/27/2009). What is the treatment for Crohn's disease? http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/index.htm
Natural Standard Monograph, (2009). Crohn's disease. www.naturalstandard.com/monographs/conditions/condition-crohns
copyright Kate Lickey May 2009
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