Roy M. – My AMAT Success

I have had primary, recurring Crohn’s disease symptoms for the last 32 years. I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in November, 1983. I had pain in right lower quadrant of my belly, bouts of cramping with watery stools, flu like body aches and joint pain.

There were few treatment options at the time. Initially, I was treated with a low residue diet, Azulfadine, Bentyl, Flagyl and Prednisone as required. My disease continued to progress, eventually requiring two surgeries. The first was in July of 1987. I had a stricture removal in my terminal ileum. The second was in May of 1998. Again, I had a stricture removal in my terminal ileum.

In 2000, my treatment changed to Imuran and Remicade. I still required Prednisone periodically to treat Crohn’s flares and began to experience significant joint pain. In the winter of 2002, I had to stop Remicade after developing serum sickness.

From 2002-2015, I was treated at different times with 6MP, Asacol, Flagyl, Methotrexate, Budesonide, and Prednisone. Despite all of this, my disease continued to progress requiring a third surgery. In January of 2005, I had yet another stricture removal in my terminal ileum.

Three months after my third surgery, a colonoscopy revealed active Crohn’s disease near the surgical site. I had to start prescription medication for belly and joint pain. In the summer of 2006, I started treatment with Humira but continued to require Prednisone to treat periodic Crohn’s disease flares. By the winter of 2010, I had to stop Humira because it was causing possible demyelination (stripping) of the nerves on the left side of my body, causing numbness and pain on the top and side of my head, my forearm and my lower leg. After stopping the Humira treatment, I reverted back to previous medication treatments, including Asacol, 6MP, Budesonide, Flagyl, Bentyl, and Prednisone.

In the summer of 2012, I was advised to see a surgeon to discuss removal of more adhesions/strictures. I ended up declining another surgery after talking with the surgeon. In January of 2013, I had Brachytherapy (a type of radiation therapy) to treat prostate cancer. Then, in March of 2013 I developed multiple painful new Crohn’s disease lesions in my rectum from the radioactive seeds. I had to treat the new lesions with topical steroids. The new lesions required a significant increase in prescription pain medication.

With nothing left to try, I began the Anti-MAP antibiotic therapy (AMAT) in the fall of 2014. Within 30 days the rectal pain was gone. I no longer required narcotic pain medication. By May of 2015, the Crohn’s disease pain in my right lower quadrant of my belly was also gone. Even the bouts of reduced sensation on the left side of my body are gone. Currently, I am down to a daily dose of only 5mg of Prednisone each day and I plan to taper off this medication.

While I still have pain and symptoms associated with abdominal adhesions, AMAT has significantly improved my quality of life. Now I am able to exercise more and enjoy each day with less discomfort.