crohn's disease and arthritis

[CAFERDIG]

I am now 50 and have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease since I was 27. My mother also had it.  My bowels have been in remission for quit a long time, but I suffer with severe fistulas and now severe arthritis.  I am on Remicaid infusions for over a year now.  My arthritis is getting worse and worse.  It is now causing nerve damage in my fingers and one knee. Is this normal with Crohn's?  It doesn't seem to just be my joints.  Also my radius and ulna portions of my arms will swell.  I now have tingling in all fingers on left side and right 2 fingers have pinched nerves where I cannot straighten them without extreme pain.

[Caryopteris]

With all those auto-immune problems, I would ask my doctor if he could try low-dose naltrexone for me.  It has to be mixed at a compounding pharmacy, and it would not be covered by insurance as this is off-label use, but it would cost about $40 a month.  A friend of mine is on it for a different autoimmune disease and he is free of prednisone and loving life.  

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
I am sorry to hear about your medical problems. IBS like symptoms, body aches and joint pains can be due to Lupus, Crohn’s disease, Celiac, or ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spondylitis, malabsorption syndromes like sprue, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Hence, apart from Crohn’s, all these other conditions should be looked into. Please consult your doctor regarding this. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.