Medicines for joint pain in Crohn’s disease | Medicines for Crohn’s disease

Medicines for joint pain in Crohn’s disease

Joint pain is a common side effect of Crohn’s disease. Sometimes the joints are also inflamed (arthritis), but more often there is joint pain without signs of inflammation. In an acute episode, large joints are usually affected, while in remission it is mainly the small joints that cause problems.

Unfortunately, the usual antirheumatic painkillers (e.g. Diclofenac) cannot be taken if Crohn’s disease is present, as they can trigger the relapse. Paracetamol and Metamizol are more suitable in this case. In order to prevent the recurrence of pain, Crohn’s disease itself should be treated first and foremost.

If the pain persists despite a well-adjusted underlying disease, antirheumatic therapy must be started, for example with methotrexate (first choice), the chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, leflunomide or sulfasalazine that is actually used for malaria treatment. If there is no improvement, TNF antibodies (Infliximab and Adalimumab) are used, as in the basic therapy of Crohn’s disease. However, these TNF antibodies can also cause joint pain themselves as an undesirable side effect.

Can Crohn’s disease be treated without medication?

Crohn’s disease is a systemic disease with a sometimes severe course. As such, it is treated in orthodox medicine with very strong medications, whose possible side effects make many sufferers recoil. The temptation to try out alternative therapies of some “miracle healers” who advertise a complete cure for the disease is understandably great.

Nevertheless, this must be strongly discouraged. There is no therapy whose effectiveness has been proven to be greater than that of drug treatment. Alternative methods such as homeopathic remedies or very special nutritional plans should only be used to support pharmacological therapy, if at all.

Medications should never be discontinued without authorization.Otherwise, a persistent inflammation can and will permanently damage the digestive tract. Fistulas, scarring, abscesses, intestinal obstructions, intestinal ruptures and an increased risk of intestinal cancer are the result. A life-threatening spread of the inflammation to the entire body is also absolutely conceivable.