AboutMiranda Expertise I can answer most questions pertaining to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis) as well as the medications, surgeries and tests associated with it. I am not a doctor so please don't ask questions that aren't related to this specific area or close to it because it is not my area of expertise.
Experience I have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease for over five years and have dealt with the disease since I was twelve years old. I have been through every medication, numerous exams as well as surgery. I have also worked at a camp for chronically ill children the past three summers and two of our sessions are Crohn's and Colitis so I am very familiar with both conditions.
Organizations Crohn's Colitis Foundation of America, IBD Campus Connection
Education/Credentials I will be finishing up my Bachelor of Arts in Health and Human Biology this spring and I am currently applying to nursing schools to become a nurse practitioner.
Expert: Miranda Date: 4/29/2008 Subject: ULCERATIVE COLITUS
Question MY SISTER HAS A VERY SERIOUS CASE OF ULCERATIVE COLITUS, SHE HAS FINALY GOTTEN IT UNDER CONTROL BUT THE REMICADE(I DONT KNOW HOW TO SPELL THAT) TREATMENTS HAVE PRETTY MUCH DESTROYED HER IMMUNE SYSTEM, NOW SHE HAS A REALLY BAD STAPH INFECTION AND SHE CANT TAKE THE ANTIBIOTCS TO GET RID OF IT BECAUSE SHE ALREADY HAS NO IMMUNE SYSTEM AND IT WILL CAUSE SOMETHING CALLED C-DIFF, WHICH MEANS SHE WILL HAVE TO HAVE HER COLON REMOVED AND FOR A 24 YEAR OLD GIRL THAT IS JUST NOT AN OPTION, ALL OF THE DOCTORS SHE SEES TELL HER THERE IS NOTHING SHE CAN DO AND THEY ARE NO HELP, WHAT IS SHE SUPOSED TO DO JUST SIT AROUND AND DIE OF THE STAPH INFECTION. SO MY QUESTION IS WHERE DOES SHE GO FOR HELP? DOES SHE JUST LET THE STAPH INFECTION GET SO BAD SHE ENDS UP IN THE HOSPITAL?
Answer Being a person that is also on Remicade and has been on it for over 3 years I know what you sister is going through. I know that Remicade can supress your immune system, but unless she has had blood work (CBC) it is impossible to know exactly how her immune system is doing, and how many white blood cells she has in her body. Staph infections are defintely nothing to mess with, and she should not have her next Remicade until the infection clears up. Since she has a staph infection she should probably listen to her doctors advice and take the antibiotics, because if she doesnt take care of it, the infection can worsen and cause her to become sicker. Just because her immune system is a bit low doesnt mean that she will 100% without a doubt develop C.Diff. To go off of that if she does develop C.Diff that doesnt mean that she will have her colon taken out. C.Diff can be treated (oddly enough with antibiotics) and is generally cleared up, but it can take a long time and be quite annoying and keep the person feeling ill for a while. Like I said before I have never heard of anyone getting their colon taken out because of a c.diff infection, but I am not a GI doc therefore I dont see IBD cases daily. In terms of a colectomy (colon removal) for someone her age it is not fun or the ideal, but it is not unheard of. I have known kids that have had their colons taken out before they were two years old because of UC, as well as kids in elementary school, middle and high school, and although it isn't always an easy situation it is definitely manageable. When I have talked with other people that have UC (severly) they say that they wish they hadn't waited to have their colon taken out because of how much better they felt....and the UC is gone for good.
So at this point I encourage your sister to call her GI doc and talk with him/her about the staph infection, immune system, and c.diff concerns because he/she knows her the best in terms of her UC. Tell her not to worry about the consequences of taking medications to clear up serious infections like staph because she does not want them to progress. Hope this helps!
