There is really only one way to treat it medically, and that's with specific abortive medication. When you feel a CVS attack coming on, all you can do is take your abortive meds and hope for the best. These meds are simply Zofran for nausea, Ativan for the panic and an opiate for the severe abdominal pain. However, due to the nature of the disease and the severity of the medications I need, I can't find a doctor willing to treat me.

What makes it worse is that while I've had doctors who are supportive of my Cannabis use (my primary care physician for example), in the last two days I've had two different places (a pain management specialist and a psychological evaluator) flat out refuse to prescribe my desperately needed medication unless I stopped using Cannabis.

Let me tell you how crucial the use of Cannabis is to my condition - even if I take my abortive meds, there have been times when they didn't act quickly enough before I threw them up. Inhaling Cannabis immediately after taking my abortive meds helps calm my nausea long enough for the meds to work and aborts the episode. That alone has been the only reason I've managed to mostly stay out of emergency rooms.

Is there any new pressure being put on doctors to refuse treatment if the patient uses Cannabis? I would think since California law allows it for medical use, why is there any problem? I am at the end of my rope. I hope I can get the help I need soon.

Covey

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About 3,000,000 Americans suffer from Crohn's disease, and once you are diagnosed with the disease, you always have it.

According to Gastroenterologist Dr. Arthur Ostrov, people can be born with a genetic predisposition for Crohn's, an autoimmune disease that can kick in at any age. The ingestion of bacteria can set it off.

"A bacteria who sets off an attack against themselves, an autoimmune attack. The result is an inflammation, a swelling that can be anywhere for the mouth all the way to the bowel to the very end with manifestation that can involve the skin, the eyes, the joints and the back," Dr. Ostrov said.

Symptoms can range depending on the severity of the disease.

"We may just have inflammation and that can cause pain, diarrhea or weight loss. We may have narrowing of the bowel and that will cause obstruction a blockage, pain, bloating,” Dr. Ostrov said.

Similar to allergies, flare-ups of Crohn’s can be seasonal and have a number of triggers.

"Certainly smoking cigarettes, stress, lack of sleep, stressful activity in your life can make it worse these."

A series of blood test can diagnose Crohn's and many patients can find relief by medication.

"The disease itself can be modified just like rheumatoid arthritis by drugs,” Dr. Ostrov said. “The pain can be made better the inflammation therefore diarrhea weight loss, cramps can be made better so you really bound and tied to the medicine for the rest of your life."

Click here  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/crohns-disease/DS00104   to learn more about the disease.

According to the law of natural selection, genetic mutations that make people sick would ordinarily get suppressed in the human genome during the course of evolution. But the opposite can happen if that genetic variant occurs on the genome close to one that carries big advantages, as new University of Utah-led research shows.

A team of scientists has concluded that a genetic variant implicated in Crohn’s disease, a painful chronic bowel disorder, "thumbed a ride" with the same genetic adaptation that allowed humans to nourish themselves on the world’s first food crops thousands of years ago.

Researchers believe the genes responsible for Crohn’s were swept along with variants that helped humans adjust to agricultural diets after eons of hunting and gathering wild foods, according to results published Thursday online in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Senior author Stephen Guthery, a U. associate professor of pediatrics, initiated the study to explore the intriguing association between this helpful variant to the gene OCTN and Crohn’s disease. He hypothesized that genes in IBD5, the same region of the genome where OCTN is parked, predispose people to the condition.

"We focused on a single genetic risk factor for Crohn’s disease," Guthery said, quoted in a U. news release. "This risk factor contains several genes, and it is unclear which of these genes cause Crohn’s disease. Our work suggests that one genetic mutation in this region became common in Europeans because it was beneficial, and that neighboring disease-causing genetic changes hitchhiked and became more common."

Agriculture gained a foothold in an area known as the Fertile Crescent, centered around modern day Iraq’s Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Some of the first domesticated foods, such as milk, lentils and peas, are devoid of ergothioneine, an amino acid and antioxidant common in meat and fungi.

Along with the spread of agriculture, a genetic variant to the OCTN gene enabled humans to quadruple their absorption of ergothioneine, according to lead author Chad Huff, a U. postdoctoral research fellow in human genetics. It swept through European populations because it gave those with the variant a "2 percent selective advantage," Huff said, meaning carriers would produce 2 percent more offspring than non-carriers.

"We tend to think of adaptive evolution as something that is always beneficial. But rapid adaptation can be inefficient and sometimes even detrimental," he said. "In this case, we think an adaptation to a transient change in diet around 12,000 years ago resulted in a genetic predisposition to Crohn’s disease that is present in about half of all Europeans today."

Only a fraction of a percent of those with this genetic predisposition actually develop symptoms, a lifelong inflammation of the bowels, that afflict an estimated 700,000 Americans.

The team used a genetic association study, a technique that compares the genomes of many unrelated Crohn’s patients to those without the disease.

They discovered that the OCTN mutation was associated with Crohn’s only when it was paired with changes to a nearby gene called IRF1. To confirm their suspicion that IRF was a genetic culprit, the team studied gastrointestinal biopsies of Crohn’s patients and found a 72 percent increase in IRF gene expression compared to those without the disease. Meanwhile, there was no increase in OCTN gene expression.

"We are trying to identify the actual variants that cause Crohn’s. This puts us closer to identifying genetic risks," Huff said. "We can also apply this technique to other regions of the genome for other diseases."

I lost 50 pounds in two weeks, had severe complications, had to get my appendix removed, and two colonoscopies.  After remicade I was feeling better, but still experienced nausea and abdominal pain.  After telling me they couldn't do anything I looked towards alternatives, found cannabis and it worked wonders.  I gained my appetite back in about a month, minimal abdominal pain and I feel a lot healthier.  I get remicade every 6 weeks, and I vape/smoke 3 to 5 times a week maybe one or two sessions during the night.

Colon/Small Bowel

Subject Category: Colon/Small Bowel

Am J Gastroenterol advance online publication 11 January 2011; doi: 10.1038/ajg.2010.487

Gluten Causes Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Subjects Without Celiac Disease: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Jessica R Biesiekierski B Appl Sci1, Evan D Newnham MD, FRACP1, Peter M Irving MD, MRCP1, Jacqueline S Barrett PhD, BSc, MND1, Melissa Haines MD1, James D Doecke BSc, PhD2, Susan J Shepherd B Appl Sci, PhD1, Jane G Muir PhD, PGrad Dip(Dietetics)1 and Peter R Gibson MD, FRACP1

1Monash University Department of Medicine and Gastroenterology, Box Hill Hospital, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia
2CSIRO Preventative Health Flagship, CSIRO Mathematics and Information Sciences, Brisbane, Australia

Correspondence: Peter R. Gibson, MD, FRACP, Department of Medicine, Box Hill Hospital, Box Hill, Victoria 3128, Australia. E-mail: peter.gibson@monash.edu

Received 16 March 2010; Accepted 10 September 2010; Published online 11 January 2011.

Top of page
Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Despite increased prescription of a gluten-free diet for gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals who do not have celiac disease, there is minimal evidence that suggests that gluten is a trigger. The aims of this study were to determine whether gluten ingestion can induce symptoms in non-celiac individuals and to examine the mechanism.

METHODS:

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled rechallenge trial was undertaken in patients with irritable bowel syndrome in whom celiac disease was excluded and who were symptomatically controlled on a gluten-free diet. Participants received either gluten or placebo in the form of two bread slices plus one muffin per day with a gluten-free diet for up to 6 weeks. Symptoms were evaluated using a visual analog scale and markers of intestinal inflammation, injury, and immune activation were monitored.

RESULTS:

A total of 34 patients (aged 29–59 years, 4 men) completed the study as per protocol. Overall, 56% had human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ2 and/or HLA-DQ8. Adherence to diet and supplements was very high. Of 19 patients (68%) in the gluten group, 13 reported that symptoms were not adequately controlled compared with 6 of 15 (40%) on placebo (P=0.0001; generalized estimating equation). On a visual analog scale, patients were significantly worse with gluten within 1 week for overall symptoms (P=0.047), pain (P=0.016), bloating (P=0.031), satisfaction with stool consistency (P=0.024), and tiredness (P=0.001). Anti-gliadin antibodies were not induced. There were no significant changes in fecal lactoferrin, levels of celiac antibodies, highly sensitive C-reactive protein, or intestinal permeability. There were no differences in any end point in individuals with or without DQ2/DQ8.

CONCLUSIONS:

“Non-celiac gluten intolerance” may exist, but no clues to the mechanism were elucidated.

GMO IS WHY, THANKS TO MONTASANO GENETIC(S) TAMPERING.

Fundic Gland Polyps and Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) Drugs

This study is currently recruiting participants.

Verified by Columbia University, February 2011

First Received: May 21, 2010   Last Updated: February 2, 2011   History of Changes

Sponsor:     Columbia University

Information provided by:     Columbia University

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:     NCT01130363

  Purpose

The class of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medications such as omeprazole has proven extremely effective in the treatment and prevention of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Although the FDA approval for PPI therapy is limited to 6-8 weeks, many individuals remain on these agents for years, and human studies have suggested that long-term use of a PPI can result in enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cell hyperplasia, as well as being associated with the development of fundic-gland polyps of the stomach. These findings raise the concern of the possibility that long-term use of PPIs may predispose to the development of neuroendocrine tumors in patients. The investigators aim to examine clinical parameters, including history of PPI use and fasting gastrin levels, as well as histologic characteristics (particularly the presence of ECL-cell hyperplasia) of patients found to have fundic gland polyps during endoscopy. The investigators hypothesize that there is a correlation between fundic gland polyps of the stomach and the use of proton pump inhibiter medications.

Condition
Fundic Gland Polyp

Study Type:     Observational
Study Design:     Observational Model: Case Control
Time Perspective: Prospective
Official Title:     Determination of a Possible Association of Fundic Gland Polyps With the Use of Proton Pump Inhibitor Drugs

Resource links provided by NLM:

MedlinePlus related topics: Cancer Endoscopy
U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by Columbia University:

Primary Outcome Measures:

    * Primary outcome: Correlation between incidence of fundic gland polyps and PPI use [ Time Frame: 1 year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
      We aim to examine clinical parameters, including history of PPI use and fasting gastrin levels, as well as histologic characteristics (particularly the presence of ECL-cell hyperplasia) of patients found to have fundic gland polyps during endoscopy. We believe there is a correlation between fundic gland polyps of the stomach and use of proton pump inhibiter medications.

Biospecimen Retention:   Samples With DNA

Blood draw: A fasting serum gastrin (FSG) level will be obtained to evaluate for hypergastrinemia at a follow-up visit after EGD. Approximately 4 cc's of blood is required. As many patients have been on long term PPI therapy, the FSG level is one method of determining whether the patient is on super-therapeutic levels of PPI which may need to be adjusted.

Biopsy specimens: Gastric fundic gland polyps found during endoscopy will have biopsies taken of the polyp, adjacent normal gastric body or fundus, and from the antrum.

Histological evaluation of biopsy specimens: Biopsies will be stained with H&E as well as neuroendocrine cell markers to assess for the presence of ECL cell hyperplasia. Paraffin-fixed tissue will be stored for future biological analysis. This will only be done after all clinically relevant analyses are completed and only if adequate tissue remains.

Estimated Enrollment:     200
Study Start Date:     October 2006
Estimated Study Completion Date:     December 2012
Estimated Primary Completion Date:     November 2011 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Groups/Cohorts
Fundic Gland Polyps on PPI
Patients found to have fundic gland polyps on endoscopic evaluation that have also been prescribed and regularly take a proton pump inhibitor.
Fundic Gland Polyp not on PPI
Patients found to have fundic gland polyps on endoscopic evaluation that have not been prescribed a proton pump inhibitor.
Group 3 (Control Group)
Individuals who are prescribed proton pump inhibitor but are not found to have fundic gland polyps on endoscopic evaluation.

  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:       18 Years to 85 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:       Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:       Yes
Sampling Method:       Probability Sample
Study Population

Individuals found to have fundic gland polyps on endoscopic evaluation and are on proton pump inhibitor (PPI), individuals found to have fundic gland polyps on endoscopic evaluation but are not on PPI or patients on PPI but had no fundic gland polyps found on endoscopic evaluation (control group).
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

    * Age 18 and above.
    * Able and willing to sign informed consent.
    * The patient had a gastric fundic gland polyp detected on EGD that was removed and sent to pathology or patient had no fundic gland polyps on EGD but are on PPIs and will serve as controls.

Exclusion Criteria:

    * Unwilling or unable to sign informed consent for the study.

  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01130363

Contacts
Contact: Harold Frucht, MD     212-305-9337    
Contact: Joanna Martinez-Gomez     212-305-9337    

Locations
United States, New York
Columbia University Medical Center     Recruiting
New York, New York, United States, 10032
Contact: Harold Frucht, MD     212-305-9337       
Contact: Joanna Martinez-Gomez     212-305-9337       
Sponsors and Collaborators
Columbia University
Investigators
Principal Investigator:     Harold Frucht, MD     Columbia University
  More Information

No publications provided

Responsible Party:     Columbia University Medical Center: Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases ( Dr. Harold Frucht/Director of Gastrointestinal Oncology )
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:     NCT01130363     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers:     AAAC2805
Study First Received:     May 21, 2010
Last Updated:     February 2, 2011
Health Authority:     United States: Institutional Review Board

Keywords provided by Columbia University:
Proton Pump Inhibitor
Gastric carcinoid tumors
Gastric cancer
Fundic Gland Polyps

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Polyps
Pathological Conditions, Anatomical
Proton Pump Inhibitors
    Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Pharmacologic Actions

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on March 15, 2011

   
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    * CDC: Hepatitis C infection rates have leveled off
      The CDC found that U.S. rates of hepatitis C infections dropped more than 90% from 1990 to 1992 and have leveled off since then. Researchers said the findings might have been because of a decline in the use of needles among those taking illicit drugs. The agency also noted that from 1982 to 2006, blood transfusion-related HCV infections dropped to almost nonsignificant levels. WebMD (2/14) Email this Story

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Guide to Healthy Living

    * Calorie postings don't influence teens to buy healthier meals
      More than 50% of teens in New York City said they recognized calorie labels in fast-food restaurants but only 9% reported that such postings influenced them to buy a lower-calorie meal, a study in the International Journal of Obesity found. Researchers learned from food receipts that teens ate the same amount of calories -- about 725 -- before and after the mandatory calorie postings began in the city. NYTimes.com/City Room blog (2/15) Email this Story

    * RD discusses the importance of whole grains
      Make the switch from refined grains to whole grains gradually to avoid gastrointestinal distress that can come from the added dietary fiber, says registered dietitian Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. She says that rather than worrying about grams, use servings to get the recommended intake and shoot for 1 cup of whole-grain cereal at breakfast, two slices of bread at lunch and a cup of cooked brown rice for dinner. The Boston Globe (free registration) (2/16) Email this Story

    * Experts: Weightlifting can be a good option for obese children
      Weightlifting is an effective and enjoyable exercise option for obese children as it allows them to take rest breaks and may enhance their self-esteem because they have an edge in strength training over thin children, experts said. Dr. Teri McCambridge of the AAP said that forcing obese children to participate in aerobic activities could be bad for their joints and their self-confidence. Los Angeles Times (2/14) Email this Story

Diagnosis & Treatment

    * Expert: It is not surprising many have both GERD, asthma
      It is not surprising to find people have both asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to medical columnist Dr. Jeff Hersh. He said the esophagus and trachea run parallel from the back of the throat and that close proximity may allow for multiple interactions that could explain the connection. Milford Daily News (Mass.)/GateHouse News Service (2/15) Email this Story

    * Study questions acid suppressors for non-ICU patients
      Prescribing acid-suppressing drugs to hospital patients who are not critically ill to prevent nosocomial gastrointestinal tract bleeding may not be called for, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School found for every one episode of nosocomial GI bleeding prevented, 770 people had to be treated with acid suppressors. Medscape (free registration) (2/15) Email this Story

    * EE symptoms similar to GERD can delay prompt diagnosis
      Parents and physicians can overlook eosinophilic esophagitis in a child because the symptoms are similar to those for the more common gastroesophageal reflux disease. Dr. F. Dan Atkins of National Jewish Health in Denver said it often is not until a child begins to lose weight and is failing to thrive that a proper diagnosis is made. InternalMedicineNews.com (2/15) Email this Story

Policy Watch

    * Nevada bill would require obesity training for child-care providers
      The Nevada Senate's Health and Human Services Committee has cleared Senate Bill 27, which would require nutrition and fitness training for child-care providers. The bill, which now goes before the full Senate for a vote, is aimed at curbing childhood obesity. Las Vegas Sun/The Associated Press (2/15) Email this Story

    * HHS: Arizona doesn't need permission to restrict Medicaid eligibility
      Arizona doesn't need federal permission to stop covering childless adults when its Medicaid program comes up for reauthorization Sept. 30, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wrote in a letter to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (2/16) Email this Story

The Last Word

News and information from the American College of Gastroenterology

    * How to handle belching, bloating and flatulence
      Ever wonder why you experience belching, bloating and flatulence from time to time? Although intestinal gas is unavoidable, you may be able to alleviate the symptoms by following some helpful tips. Email this Story

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This approach is in clinical trials now.  It has a large target audience, and early studies are fascinating.

This is being used for Crohns, MS, Chronic Pain and other some autoimmune problems.

From scanning the literature, it appears that it does not cause problems with the endo-cannabinoid system,
like it was designed to do with the opiate system.  It also appears that at low doses it can enhance
cannabinoids somewhat, and might bump the cardiovascular effects slightly (slightly higher heart rate).

Has anyone tried this?

To all patients with IBD that use cannabis/marijuana!

Dear Patient,
reports from patients suggest that use of cannabis/marijuana reduces symptoms associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
We are conducting a study that is assessing the use, the benefits and the side effects of cannabis/marijuana for the self-treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis). This questionnaire is directed to all patients with IBD that use cannabis/marijuana for their IBD.
We are asking you to complete the internet based questionnaire. Please make sure that you respond to all questions which may take you approximately 10 minutes.
This research study has been approved by the University of Calgary, Canada, Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board. You are under no obligation to complete this questionnaire. Your responses to this questionnaire will be kept strictly anonymous.
Thank you for taking the time to read this material and fully respond to the questionnaire.
If you have any questions, please contact the administrator for this study: Cannabis_use_in_IBD@gmx.com

  Please, support this research initiative by following the link and answering a 10 min (3 pages of questions) questionnaire.

To start the study:

http://ibd-cannabis-survey.limequery.co … mp;lang=en

"Dairy cows can also carry some common maladies, including mastitis, a bacterial infection of the udder; foot rot, which they can develop from standing for long periods in manure, mud and damp straw; and Johne's (pronounced yo-neez) disease, a wasting illness.

Scientists believe these diseases are not carried into the human food chain, with one possible exception: Health and animal scientists are currently debating whether the traits of Johne's are responsible for Crohn's disease in humans. Crohn's disease is an intestinal disorder that can cause inflammation of the colon, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss."

You can read the full article here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nati … 4254.story