Athletes with Crohn's Disease

It has been a while since I have posted and wioo start posting my own experiences again. In the meantime, its also been a while since I posted a list of athletes (past and present) who live with Crohn's Disease. So here you go:

David Garrard - Retired NFL Quarterback - Garrard suffers from Crohn's disease and has appeared in television commercials regarding treating the illness. He has spoken to children at the Painted Turtle Camp, a camp for children with disorders about living with Crohn's disease.

Carrie Johnson - Olympic Kayaking

George "The Animal" Steele - Wrestler - Maybe he got it from eating the turnbuckles

James Morrison - British Golfer

Kevin Dineen  and Theo Fleury - NHL Hockey Players with Crohn's (Thank god for pads)

Matt Light - NFL Football with Crohn's Disease - Go Patriots! The three-time Super Bowl champion had surgery to remove more than a foot of his intestine. Now retired from football, the athlete shares his story with others to raise awareness and educate the public about Crohn's disease.

New Johnson & Johnson Drug - Stelara Helping Crohn's Disease Patients

Johnson & Johnson's Stelara helped a significantly higher percentage of Crohn's disease sufferers than those who received a placebo, according to a study of patients who had not been helped by other commonly used drugs.

In addition, nearly 70 percent of patients who stayed on Stelara beyond the initial six weeks of the mid-stage study continued to respond to the drug and there was a significantly higher rate of remission at 22 weeks than in a placebo group.

Stelara, known chemically as ustekinumab, is already approved to treat the skin condition plaque psoriasis and is in late-stage testing for psoriatic arthritis. An approval for Crohn's would give the drug entry into an estimated $1.3 billion U.S. market and $2.7 billion market worldwide.

The intravenous biotech drug met the primary goal of the study as almost 40 percent of patients who received the 6 milligrams per kilogram of weight dose of Stelara achieved a clinical response -- defined as a 100-point reduction in the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) -- after six weeks of treatment.

That compared with a response rate of 23.5 percent of patients who received a placebo.

Two lower doses of Stelara were also tested in the study of 526 patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease who were not helped by, or could not tolerate, treatment with a widely used class of drugs known as TNF antagonists, such as Abbott Laboratories' Humira.

Those who received 1 mg/kg had a 36.6 percent response rate and the 3 mg/kg dose led to a 34.1 percent response rate.



"To see these kind of outcomes, where you have high response rates in the short term and then good remission rates out toward five or six months of therapy, it shows unequivocally that the drug is effective for treating Crohn's disease," said Dr. William Sandborn, the study's lead investigator, who presented the data at the Digestive Disease Week meeting in Chicago on Sunday.

"It's effective in the patient population that has the greatest unmet need at this point in time," Sandborn said of patients who do not respond to anti-TNF drugs.

He said a 100-point drop in the CDAI was clinically meaningful to patients. "They'll feel measurably better."

"The patient population was really quite ill and had very high disease activity, and despite that we saw nice response rates," Sandborn said.

In a second phase of the study, those who responded to Stelara after six weeks of treatment were given either a 90-mg injection of Stelara at week eight and week 16 or a placebo.

After 22 weeks, 69.4 percent of the Stelara patients maintained a clinical response and 41.7 percent were deemed to be in clinical remission. That compared with 42.5 percent who maintained a clinical response and a 27.4 percent remission rate in the placebo group.

Clinical remission was defined as a CDAI score down to 150. Patients in the study on average started at 320 or 325 on the CDAI scale, researchers said.

Crohn's is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that affects an estimated 700,000 Americans. Common symptoms are abdominal pain and diarrhea, and it can lead to bowel perforations. Many Crohn's patients require surgery when medicines no longer control symptoms.

The rate of infections and other serious side effects was similar in the Stelara and placebo groups, researchers said.

"We'll need more patients and longer-term data to really fully characterize the safety profile in Crohn's disease, but so far so good," Sandborn said.

Read more about Stelara for Crohn's Disease: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/09/crohns-patients-respond-new-medicine-study/#ixzz1O24uFkPV

Humira Causes Vision Problems - Abbot and Humira Face Lawsuit

Hmm, I took a lot of Humira for Crohn's Disease, and my eyes are much worse now than they were back in 2008. Maybe I should look into this!

Abbott Laboratories faces a product liability lawsuit over Humira, their blockbuster arthritis and Crohn’s Disease drug, which was filed by a woman who alleges that she has developed optic nerve damage and permanent vision problems from Humira.


The Humira lawsuit was filed by Jamie Bixby in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on May 20, 2011.

Bixby alleges that side effects of Humira caused her to develop optic neuritis, an inflammation of the optic nerve that has left her with permanent impairment to vision in her left eye and a future risk of other nerve problems, including multiple sclerosis or loss of vision in her other eye.
Humira (adalimumab) is a “biologic” drug, which is part of a class of medications known as TNF blockers or tumor necrosis factor blockers. The medication was launched by Abbott Laboratories in 2003 for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, but was subsequently approved for other indications, including treatment of Crohn’s Disease.

According to allegations raised in the complaint, Abbott downplayed the potential risk of Humira vision problems, despite the fact that information was available to establish notice that the drug may increase the risk of optic neuritis and other nerve damage from central nervous system (CNS) demyelination.

Bixby began using Humira in April 2008 for treatment of Crohn’s Disease, after her doctor suggested that the medication may be a better option than the long-term use of the steroid prednisone, which had been managing her symptoms. No warnings were provided on the drug label or prescription information that Humira may cause permanent damage to her vision at the time she began taking the medication.

In May 2008, Bixby indicates that she began experiencing severe headaches and pain in her left eye, which led her to call the toll free number provided with her Humira packet to ask if the problems may be related to the use of Humira. According to allegations contained in the complaint, Abbott’s nurse told her that eye pain was not related to Humira and suggested she contact her physician.

When Bixby contacted her doctor, she was told by the doctor’s office that they were unaware that eye problems were a known issue with Humira and scheduled an appointment for the following week. However, the next day Bixby noticed that the vision in her left eye became blurry with blacked out areas, causing her to leave work and seek immediate medical attention at an eye clinic.

Bixby was diagnosed with optic neuritis from Humira in both eyes, though she only experienced vision problems in her left eye. Following her diagnosis, Bixby was admitted for inpatient treatment to receive 4 days of intravenous steroids.

“Unfortunately, because Abbott had not adequately warned Ms. Bixby or her physician about the risk of optic neuritis, the diagnosis and treatment came too late to prevent permanent vision impairment for Ms. Bixby,” the complaint states.

Bixby previously worked as a web designer, and claims that she continues to suffer from headaches and eye pain that impact her ability to look at a computer screen for significant periods of time. She also continues to suffer blurry vision and black holes in the vision from her left eye, and has extreme light sensitivity and changes to her depth perception that affect her ability to drive or ride a bike.

Plaintiff alleges that Abbott downplayed the risk of Humira side effects, including the risk of Central Nervous System (CNS) demyelination, which can cause optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, multiple sclerosis or other nerve problems.
http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/vision-problems-from-humira-lawsuit-18413/

New Story of Hockey Player with Crohn's Disease

Keith Nicholson could not escape the celebration after he broke open a regional championship a week ago with three goals during a dramatic third period. After the buzzer sounded, teammates surrounded the inspirational forward and doled out congratulations.

Hockey buddies do not hug, they hit.

It's probably a good thing Nicholson had the helmet and the body armor on because he got punched in the arm, slapped in the head, poked in the chest.

The recognition of a big moment came from every direction. It was the senior's final game in a Mounties uniform at Sport-O-Rama, and the folks who know the story line weren't letting him slip off the ice without a proper send-off.

"It was so much fun watching a friend tear it up like that," classmate Willy Baker said.

Nicholson was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at the age of 12, and was fighting a flare-up a year ago when Suffern was preparing for the state tournament. He was hurting. Nicholson came back from that attack faster and stronger, and will be playing against Williamsville North in a Division I state semifinal at Utica Memorial Auditorium on Saturday.

Probably.

"It could pretty much come back at any time, so even though it's called 'remission,' it never really goes away," Nicholson said of the condition, which causes inflammation of the digestive tract. "Last year, I dropped to 130 pounds when I was sick. Right now, I'm probably 165 pounds, but I'm on the medicine always. There's nothing they can do when you're in a flare-up, you have to just deal with it, and that's really the worst part."

And that's as much as he'll complain.

"When he was dealing with everything last year, he didn't tell anyone," Mounties coach Rob Schelling said. "He just keeps battling. That's why he's so well liked by his teammates and friends and teachers; he cares more about others than he does himself."

Nicholson is part of an energetic first line with Mike Gorton and John Redgate, and he's second on the squad with 19 goals. The natural scorer doesn't mind playing in the shadow of teammates like Jake Jaeger, Tyler Stark, Jon Fuchs and Baker.

(from Lohud.com)

Crohn’s disease trial uses stem cells taken from placentas

A placenta provides a home for a baby, keeps the mom's body from rejecting it and soon could help patients suffering from Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and stroke, officials said Wednesday at the World Stem Cell Summit.

Patients with Crohn's disease, which inflames the digestive tract, have shown improvement with placenta-derived stem cells, which are adult stem cells, said Steven A. Fischkoff, vice president, clinical and medical affairs at Celgene Cellular Therapeutics.

The New Jersey-based biotech company is moving into the second phase of a Food and Drug Administration-approved clinical trial that uses placenta stem cells in patients with Chron's disease. It also is beginning a trial with patients suffering from multiple sclerosis.

Soon it is planning to seek FDA approval to use the placenta stem cells in patients suffering from stroke, based on the work of a neurology researcher at Henry Ford Health System.
"This could potentially affect a lot of people … and if we are successful, we will reduce the chances that people will have to go into nursing homes or rely on someone for care," Fischkoff said during the last day of the World Stem Cell Summit. "What really terrorizes people with a lot of these diseases is that they lose their independence."

The World Stem Cell Summit, a global gathering of researchers and leaders in Detroit, wrapped up its sixth annual event Wednesday at the Detroit Marriott. The three-day event, which was preceded by a free day at the Detroit Science Center, brought in nearly 1,000 scientists, industry leaders and advocates.

Attendance was down slightly from last year's summit, but this year's was the best ever staged, said Bernard Siegel, executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute, which presents the summit.
Prior to the summit, University of Michigan announced it had created its first embryonic stem cell line.
During the summit, an announcement was made about the new Oakland University William Beaumont Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine. Scientists and companies from around the globe showcased their research and innovations.

"There is a fight to be fought and a war to be won," said Grant Albrecht, a patient advocate living with Transverse Myelitis, a neurological disorder.

The stem cell community has to stay focused on keeping the research on track, Siegel said, and that means mobilizing support for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, which is currently in jeopardy with a lawsuit that seeks to ban it.

"Funding in the U.S. for embryonic stem cell research is on a knife's edge," Siegel said. "It can go either way. We can go back … or we can move into the 21st century. If you take the tool out of the tool kit, you delay the research to cures. It is akin to crushing hope."


From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20101006/METRO/10060437/1409/metro#ixzz12ZTjxTwz

From Wall Street Journal - Unraveling Crohn's Genetic Trail

From April 27, Wall Street Journal In the search for the causes of irritable-bowel conditions like Crohn's disease, doctors had long focused on diet. But studies have repeatedly failed to show that foods are to blame.

Now, researchers are focusing on genetic mutations linked to these conditions. The hope: to develop a therapy that fixes those mutations in order to actually cure diseases like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, rather than just treat the symptoms.

For more than 15 years, Warren Strober has been studying these diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Md. He and other scientists have shown that dozens of genes are linked to Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.


Dr. Strober's current work centers on developing a stem-cell-based therapy to correct one particular gene mutation for Crohn's. But the wide variety of mutations means that there could eventually be a number of different treatments that target patients based on their genetic profiles, a strategy known as "personalized medicine."

In irritable-bowel conditions, the immune system attacks harmless bacteria normally found in the gut. This response leads to inflammation of different parts of the digestive tract, which in turn can cause pain, fissures, abscesses and obstruction.

In Crohn's, the walls of the digestive tract become inflamed, and any part—from the mouth through the large intestine—can be affected. With ulcerative colitis, only the lining of the bowel is damaged. Together, the conditions affect about 1% of the U.S. population.

People with Crohn's can suffer from chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, fatigue and sometimes rectal bleeding. They may also have problems absorbing an adequate amount of nutrients from food, particularly if too much of the intestine is removed. The disease can stunt the growth of children.



Treatments have improved in recent years and now include powerful, injectable biologic medicines that reduce inflammation, such as Johnson & Johnson's Remicade and Abbott Laboratories' Humira.



But these therapies aren't cures, and not everyone responds to them. In severe cases, patients must undergo surgery—sometimes multiple surgeries—to remove parts of the bowel or colon that are blocked. For Crohn's, in particular, because it can develop in any part of the gut, inflammation can recur even after surgery in a different segment of the digestive tract. Within 10 years after surgery, 80% to 90% of Crohn's patients will have a relapse, according to researchers.

In their search for a cure, Dr. Strober says he and his colleague, Ivan Fuss, are "bounding ahead" on research in mice that aims to fix a genetic mutation called NOD2 associated with Crohn's. The idea would be to have the body repair itself by growing the corrected gene using so-called induced pluripotent stem cells.

Stem cells are those that can develop into different types of specialized cells, like heart or muscle cells, and are mostly found in embryos. Induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, are made by taking adult specialized cells and turning back the clock, engineering them to an earlier stage where they can reproduce again.

Dr. Strober's team has already figured out how to take cells from the intestine and convert them into iPS cells. Now, they are working on fixing the genetic defect in the iPS cells before testing the therapy in animals.

First, they take segments of human DNA that contain the NOD2 gene mutation and break the DNA apart. Then, like a puzzle, they reassemble the DNA except for the one broken piece—the gene mutation. That piece is replaced with a new, corrected piece of DNA.

After the gene mutation is corrected, the completed iPS cell will be administered into the bone marrow of mice with Crohn's disease, where the new intestinal cells that develop should be fully functioning again. They plan to begin testing mice later this year.

The biggest challenge with this type of "integrated science" approach—one that combines genetic information, physical symptoms and biology—is narrowing down which genetic combinations are critical to which patients, according to Stephan Targan, director of the division of gastroenterology and the institute for inflammatory bowel immunobiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Dr. Strober and others are also looking at different genetic and molecular pathways that could lead to better understanding and treatments for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.  Other researchers are examining how genetic mutations affect the type of bacteria that are found in the digestive tract. Greater presence of certain types of bacteria may be more likely to trigger an immune response. Still another area of research focuses on understanding how individuals' genetic makeup can make them susceptible to certain other Crohn's triggers, such as stress, smoking and the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers.

Celgene PDA-001 Stem Cell Therapy is Safe Treatment for Crohn's Disease

According to Business Week, Celgene Corp. reported a successful safety trial of a placenta-derived stem cell therapy as a treatment for Crohn's disease. Celgene said the early stage trial showed PDA-001 is safe. It also showed signs of effectiveness, and Celgene is planning to begin studying the therapy as a treatment for several other diseases.

The study involved 12 patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease who had not been helped by at least one previous treatment. They were given two infusions of Celgene's PDA-001 at one week apart, at one of two doses. Celgene said PDA-001 is derived from normal, full-term human placental tissue. The treatment is being studied by the company's Celgene Cellular Therapeutics unit.

Crohn's disease is marked by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Almost 1 million people in the U.S. suffer from the disease, according to Celgene.

Anyone involved in the Celegene study for Crohn's?

Crohn's Disease Flare Up

Maybe it is my diet, maybe it is stress, but I sure feel like I am entering into a flare up. Not as much stomach pain, but I feel like I spend so much time in the bathroom. Usually by now I've pulled out of it, and I haven't been on any medicine for the past couple of years, but it is starting to look like I need to find a good gastro in South Florida. Anyone have any recommendations on either pulling out of a Crohn's Disease Flare up or a good gastroenterologist in the Boca Raton area?

Living with Crohn's - Vitamin D Deficeincy Linked to Crohn's

Chronies - Are you getting  your Vitamin D?

MONTREAL, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Canadian researchers say vitamin D can counter the effects of Crohn's disease. Researchers at Montreal's McGill University Health Center and University of Montreal found vitamin D acts directly on the beta defensin 2 gene, which encodes an anti-microbial peptide and the NOD2 gene that alerts cells to the presence of invading microbes.

Both Beta-defensin and NOD2 have been linked to Crohn's disease -- an autoimmune disorder in which a defect in innate immune handling of intestinal bacteria leads to inflammatory bowel disease.

"Our data suggests, for the first time, that vitamin D deficiency can contribute to Crohn's disease," study leader Dr. John White of McGill says in a statement.

White suggests siblings of patients with Crohn's disease who have not as yet developed the disease make sure they are vitamin D sufficient. "It's something that's easy to do, because they can simply go to a pharmacy and buy vitamin D supplements," he says.

The study findings are published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

New clinical Trial for Crohn's Disease

Robarts Clinical Trials at The University of Western Ontario in London, Canada, has been awarded a 4.7 million dollar grant to conduct a randomized controlled trial evaluating treatment options for Crohn's disease. The outcome is expected to lead to a more streamlined treatment path and better disease management for patients. Abbott, the global health care company, has provided a grant to complete research for the REACT (Randomized Evaluation of an Algorithm for Crohn's Treatment) study.


Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder that is characterized by symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding. It typically effects younger people and can result in serious complications such as bowel obstruction. Although conventional anti-inflammatory treatments such as prednisone improve symptoms, they are associated with important side effects and are only partially effective. Many patients require surgery to treat the disease.

The REACT study will be carried out at 40 gastroenterology practices in Canada and Belgium. The sites will be randomly assigned to treat patients with Crohn's disease to either a conventional management strategy featuring gradual escalation of drug therapy or a newer paradigm that features early use of combined immunosuppression with a tumor necrosis factor alpha blocking drug and an anti-metabolite.

"This trial builds on the results of recent studies that suggest use of combined therapy early in the course of treatment yields superior long-term results," says Dr. Brian Feagan, the lead investigator for the study. "We are excited about this project since it is the first large-scale, community-based evaluation of this approach. We expect that patients treated with combination therapy will be more likely to enter remission and rates of hospitalization and health-care utilization will be reduced." Dr. Feagan is the Director of Robarts Clinical Trials and a professor in the Department of Medicine at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

David Garrard - Crohn's Disease Hero!

No matter how this football game ends, David Garrard is doing an awesome job. Through 3 quarters, David Garrard has 3 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions to Peyton Mannings 3 and 1. My favorite athlete with crohn's disease is having a monster night and after 3 is leading his Jacksonville Jaguars to a potential victory over the Colts. Not bad for a fellow Chronie!

Does Brock Lesner have Crohn's Disease or Colitis

Does Brock Lesner have Crohn's Disease? Dana White announced that Brock Lesnar has a potentially career-ending illness. White didn't name the illness, except to quiet unfounded speculation by saying it isn't cancer or AIDS and that it is an "intestinal disorder" that requires "major surgery." We do know that UFC fighter Drew McFedries has fought with and fought against Crohn's for many years (see my blog post)


This, of course, has fans speculating about what the mystery illness could be. So far, the best guess appears to be Colitis or Crohn's Disease. Stay tuned, if Brock Lesner is confirmed to have Crohn's I will get the scoop.

Happy Thangsgiving Chronies!

I hope you get to spend time with family and friends. I am excited to spend some time in Boston and the berkshires in Massachusetts with mine. Thanksgiving, after all is a word of action, so I would like to thank all of you for your support and dedication to this blog. I've made some wonderful contacts and learned a ton from you all. I am proud that I have been able to help some of you as well.

Don't eat too much turkey (for those of us lucky to be healthy enough) and watch your health.

Best regards,

Scott Roy

Crohn's, Immunosuppressants, and H1N1 Flushot Vaccinations

I have had some people on immunosuppressants to control Crohn's disease, if they should receive the H1N1 vaccination in shot form, or as a nasal mist. From what I am reading, you should absolutely get a shot, as he live virus in the nasal mist is too much of a risk to children and young adults whose immune systems are not fully functional.

From the suncoast news:

Infants to young adults are among the most likely to contract swine flu and should be vaccinated against the H1N1 virus, public health experts say. But what about people in this age group who are taking immunosuppressant drugs to combat chronic health problems such as Crohn's disease, asthma, HIV and rheumatoid arthritis?

The answer, according to doctors at the Nationwide Children's Hospital, is yes, but with a caveat: children and young adults taking immunosuppressants should receive the H1N1 vaccine via injection, not the nasal mist.

"It is extremely important that they get the H1N1 vaccine and receive it in the form of a shot, rather than in the form of a mist," said Dr. Dennis Cunningham, an infectious disease physician and medical director of epidemiology at Nationwide Children's Hospital, in Columbus, Ohio, referring to patients on immunosuppressant medication.

Cunningham and his colleagues prefer the injectable form of the H1N1 vaccine because the mist vaccine contains live swine flu viruses.

"We do not want kids whose immune system is already weak to receive a live virus," Cunningham said. "Immunity to the H1N1 flu, among other diseases, is very important for kids with chronic conditions."

Cunningham, who is on the faculty of the Ohio State University, is leading the anti-H1N1 efforts at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have declared all people from 6 months to 24 years old to be at high risk of contracting swine flu. There are thought to be roughly 5 million children and young adults in the United States taking immunosuppressant drugs to control chronic health problems.

An H1N1 vaccination is not a guarantee that young people with suppressed immune systems will come in contact with the swine flu virus. To further protect them doctors recommend a "ring vaccination." The term refers to having parents, siblings and others with whom young people on immunosuppressants come in regular contact vaccinated as well.

Even so, children on immunosuppressants who have had an H1N1 vaccine injection and are inside a ring vaccination are still at risk when outside the home because people they come in contact with night not have been vaccinated.

Crohn's Sufferers - Did You Use Accutane?

Thankfully most of my skin problems were a result of Crohn's (THANKS PREDNISONE!), but if you have Crohn's, it could be because you used Accutane. Which also means you could be getting paid large!

Ennis & Ennis, P.A. announces today it is still investigating and accepting Accutane cases against the manufacturer of the drug Hoffman La-Roche. David Ennis states, "although Hoffman La-Roche announced in June 2009 that it will no longer sell Accutane due to generic competition and large legal costs defending the drug this does not absolve La-Roche from liability from patients who took the drug in the past and have suffered Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease". Ennis went on to state 6 juries in New Jersey have ruled in favor of plaintiffs in excess of $33,000,000 in damages finding that the company did not adequately warn of the side effects associated with IBD, Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease. Ennis believes that there are thousands of patients who suffered from these side effects and are not aware it was due to Accutane use.

Ennis & Ennis, P.A. is also investigating and accepting cases against the generic manufacturers of Isotretinoin which is the generic name for Accutane. The generic versions of the drug are Sotret, Claravis and Amnesteem. Ennis states, "The generic drug makers have the same duty to warn as La-Roche, but they have chosen to use the same label as La-Roche which is a head in the sand approach. It is amazing to me that based on the court findings and evidence presented at trial which is now in the public domain the FDA has not stepped in to require a Black Box warning."

Ennis & Ennis, P.A. has been accepting and investigating Accutane cases since 2003. Ennis & Ennis, P.A. continues to offer free legal consultations to all users of Accutane and Isotretinoin that may have developed IBD, Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s Disease. Potential victims can call toll-free 1-800-856-6405 or go to http://www.ennislaw.com or http://www.the-accutane-lawyer.com and fill out a free online case evaluation form.

Ennis & Ennis, P.A. is a nationwide law firm with offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Washington D.C. Ennis & Ennis, P.A. specializes in mass torts and represents individuals against pharmaceutical companies worldwide as well as medical device makers.

Aw Crap, Not Skin Cancer - Immunosuppresive IBD Meds Linked to Skin Cancer

Aww crap. Crohn's is bad enough. Not only do we have a higher chance of getting colon cancer, but now we have to wear even more sunscreen. It is not good being a surfer with Crohn's!

MONDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who are being treated with immunosuppressive medications may be at increased risk for non-melanoma skin cancer, a new U.S. study says.

Researchers analyzed data on 26,403 Crohn's disease patients and 26,974 patients with ulcerative colitis in order to evaluate how the use of immunosuppressive and biologic medications to treat IBD affected non-melanoma skin cancer risk.

The study found that the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer was higher in IBD patients than in a control group. Recent use (within 90 days) of any immunosuppressive medication was associated with greater risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (adjusted odds ratio 3.28), as was recent use of the thiopurine class of immunosuppressive medications (adjusted odds ratio 3.56) and recent use of biologic medications in Crohn's disease patients (adjusted odds ratio 2.07).

Persistent use of any immunosuppressive medication, which was considered use for over one year, was strongly associated with non-melanoma skin cancer (adjusted odds ratio 4.04), the study authors noted. The association was even stronger with persistent use of thiopurine medications (adjusted odds ratio 4.27). In Crohn's (not Chrones, crones, chron's, chrones) disease, persistent use of biologic medications was also associated with a raised risk (adjusted odds ratio 2.18).

"The increased risk of [non-melanoma skin cancer] in patients with IBD is likely related to the immunosuppressive medications used to treat the disease, although we can't rule out changes to the immune system itself as a result of IBD as contributing to this risk," said study leader Dr. Millie Long, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"In patients on immunosuppression therapy after organ transplant, previous studies have shown a clear association with [non-melanoma skin cancer]. Other studies have demonstrated that azathioprine, which is in the thiopurine class, can increase the photosensitization of human skin," she noted.

Long concluded that the study "demonstrates that patients with IBD on immunosuppression may also be at risk for [non-melanoma skin cancer]. As a result, our long-term management plans for IBD patients should stress the daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreen and increased awareness of [non-melanoma skin cancer] to help to prevent complications."

The study was scheduled to be presented this week at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, in San Diego.

A New David Garrard Crohn's Disease Article

From thetelegraph.com

When David Garrard was 5 years old, he fell in love with football. After watching older brother Quincy practice with his team, David knew that’s what he wanted to do when he grew up.

Garrard became a star quarterback for Southern Durham (N.C.) High School, and earned a scholarship to East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.

While at ECU, he led the Pirates to consecutive bowl berths, including the memorable GMAC Bowl in 2001.

The Pirates blew a 38-8 halftime lead over Marshall, and its quarterback Byron Leftwich. The Thundering Herd stormed back for a 64-61 double-overtime victory – still the highest scoring bowl game in NCAA history.

When the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Garrard in the fourth round of the NFL draft, his childhood dream had become a reality.

He was the No. 3 quarterback, behind incumbent starter Mark Brunell and his GMAC Bowl game nemesis, Leftwich.

Garrard played in just six games during his first two seasons. Then in the spring of 2004, his NFL career nearly came to an abrupt end.

Garrard had been complaining of stomach pains, but figured it was just an upset stomach. When the pain persisted, he saw the team doctor.

The diagnosis he received was an unexpected one.

Garrard had Crohn’s Disease, an ailment he didn’t fully understand.

"A lot of times it takes an individual many years to figure out what it is," Garrard said. "If you’re not having true signs or symptoms you can kind of write it off as irritable bowel. Luckily for me, I was able to get treatment right away."

Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease, which involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract because of an overactive immune system. It’s an often-misdiagnosed disease, and if left untreated can become fatal, as the body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs to function.

Garrard approached his battle against Crohn’s like any other opponent.

"I wanted to defeat it," he said. "I couldn’t let Crohn’s take over my life. A lot of pro athletes think they’re invincible. This brought me back to reality. It gave me a gut check, literally."

His family was also confused, and began researching the illness immediately.

"They were very shocked and concerned because I’ve always had a clean bill of health," Garrard said. "Then I get diagnosed with Crohn’s, a disease they had never heard of. They tried to figure out everything they could do, research-wise."

Garrard, his two older brothers, Anthony and Quincy, and their younger sister, Adrian, had lost their mother to breast cancer in 1992, and were not going to let this disease take another member of their family.

Along with Garrard’s wife, Mary, his siblings found spiritual treatments, holistic treatments and all natural herbs as remedies for their brother.

"They were like, ‘We’re going to throw as many things at this that we can,’" Garrard said. "Maybe there’s something out there than can work. To already have lost one family member as important as our mother was, they just didn’t want to go through that again."

Garrard had a painful flare-up in April of 2004, and noticed blood in his stool. He required surgery to remove some of his intestines, which were blocked because of scar tissue.

"It can be very painful, especially in a full-blown flare-up," Garrard said. "Nothing passes through. You’re not able to get nutrients, and have to get a feeding tube. With that scarring, it’s hard for it to be removed without surgery. Some people have to resort to colostomy bags if it gets too bad."

Since his diagnosis, Garrard has become a spokesman for the battle against the painful disease, and the drug company Centocor began donating $10,000 for every Garrard touchdown last season. Centocor is the manufacturer of Remicade, the medication Garrard said has kept him symptom-free since 2004.

Garrard has six touchdowns this season following 17 a year ago. To date, Centocor has donated $230,000 through Garrard’s "In the Zone for Crohn’s" foundation to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCFA).

"We need to increase that, and keep it going," said Garrard, whose Jaguars play host to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. "Hopefully we can get a cure to this disease. It affects a lot of kids, and the kids are the ones who are having the hardest time because in school, they have to deal with a lot. Other kids don’t understand what they’re going through. I’m trying to do as much as I can."

Garrard said the stomach pain associated with Crohn’s is much worse than anything he’s felt on the football field.

"It’s not like aches and pains of a football game," the eight-year veteran said. "Those I can deal with. The Crohn’s pain is definitely tough."

Garrard has also taken an active role in raising awareness of the disease, educating the public, and increasing funding to find a cure. He has traveled across the country, visiting Camp Oasis regional camps for children with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He has also started a local chapter of the CCFA in Jacksonville.

Garrard saw action in just four games in the 2004 season, but considers himself fortunate that his flare-up occurred in the offseason. He said the disease drained him of his energy because his body wasn’t utilizing the food he had eaten.

When the Jaguars decided to name Garrard as the starting quarterback before the 2007 season, it raised some eyebrows.

Leftwich had been the team’s No. 1 quarterback since the end of the 2003 season, and remained as such entering 2006.

But when Leftwich went down with an ankle injury in week six of that year, Garrard took over. He was not flashy, but efficient in guiding the Jaguars to a 5-5 split the rest of the year.

Then came 2007, when Garrard threw an NFL-low three interceptions, was third in pass efficiency, and the Jaguars went 11-5 to earn a playoff berth.

Garrard missed four games that season with an ankle injury, but came back in 2008 to start all 16 games. He became just the second Jaguars quarterback to start all 16 games in a season. The Jaguars saw their wins dip from 11 to five, but Garrard said being on the field for every game allowed him to prove his durability.

"It actually felt good because I had heard that no Jaguar quarterback other than Mark Brunell had ever started all 16 games," Garrard said. "I’ve never really been a guy who’s had a lot of injuries, and I wanted to show that I can go through all 16 games, and lead the team. But I’d take a few games off for a winning season."

The Jaguars are in the same position they were a season ago, sitting at 2-3 after five games. They beat Denver in week six of the 2008 season, and will try to even their record Sunday against St. Louis. What Garrard hopes to avoid this year is the tailspin that sent them to a 2-8 finish last season.

"I wish I could put a finger on what happened," Garrard said of last season. "We just didn’t play as well as we could, and our record showed it."

Coming off what Garrard called an "ugly" 41-0 loss to Seattle, the Jaguars now prepare for the winless Rams. He said it’s business as usual.

"It’s just like any other work week," Garrard said. "It’s the NFL. You’re not going to dominate a team, and you have to be prepared. No team wasn’t to be another team’s first win. Every team is going to fight you tooth and nail to the end. We have to show up prepared and execute our game plan."

Sunday’s start will be the 22nd consecutive for Garrard, whose career nearly ended before it ever really began.

Keywords: NFL quarterback with Crohn's Disease, NFL players with Crohn's Disease, David Garrard Crohns, David Garard Crohn's, chrones, crones, cronhs

Is Crohn's Disease Genetic? New Study Thinks so...

This is a popular topic....is Crohn's Disease Genetic? It is the first question every parent that has a kid with Crohns Disease or prospective parent with Crohn's asks....I know I did. Here is a new article that I just saw on WebMd --

A gene variant common in whites is linked to Crohn's disease, an intriguing new study suggests.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In IBD, the delicate balance of the gut ecosystem is disrupted by an excessive inflammatory immune response.

People who carry the gene variant make less of an inflammation-dampening enzyme called CD39. This may tip the immune balance toward IBD, suggest David J. Friedman, MD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and colleagues.

"Our data indicate that CD39 [gene variants] are associated with inflammatory bowel disease in humans," the researchers conclude. Their report appears in the Sept. 29 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers fed mice a chemical that gives them IBD. Specially bred mice lacking the CD39 gene had worse IBD than mice with a normal version of the gene.

All humans have a CD39 gene. But some have a version of the gene linked to lower CD39 levels. Friedman and colleagues identified a genetic marker for low CD39 production. They then looked for this marker in 1,748 patients with Crohn's disease and in 2,936 people without IBD.

They found that the genetic marker was significantly more common in people with Crohn's disease. Moreover, people without IBD were more likely to carry two copies of the high-CD39 gene, while those with Crohn's disease were more likely to carry two copies of the low-CD39 gene.

Genetics are not destiny. Not everyone with the low-CD39 gene has or will have IBD. Even having two copies of the gene only increases a person's risk of Crohn's disease by 27%.

But since about 40% of whites of European ancestry carry at least one copy of the gene, its effects across the entire population should be quite large.

Moreover, the gene may affect more than IBD. It's also linked to kidney disease in people with diabetes and to blood clots in the arteries.

The researchers plan to perform more extensive studies of the role of the CD39 gene in IBD.

David Garrard - In the Zone for Crohn's Disease

Centocor and David Garrard, quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars will continue the In the Zone for Crohn's program this football season to raise awareness and provide funding for Crohn's disease research, education and support. Last year, In the Zone for Crohn's raised $170,000 for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America.

Centocor Ortho Biotech will again make a donation of $10,000 to the CCFA for each touchdown Garrard scores, passing or rushing, during the 2009 NFL season.

"I feel fortunate to be able to bring even greater awareness to this often misunderstood condition," said David Garrard, quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars. "Through my play on the field and by speaking out on my condition, I hope to continue to further educate the public and be an example to others who are living with Crohn's disease."

The program will kick off with the Jaguars' first game of the season on September 13 and will culminate at the end of the 2009 season. A contribution will be donated to the CCFA based on Garrard's total touchdown performance. The In the Zone for Crohn's program kicked off during the 2008 season. By the end of the season, Garrard helped raise $170,000 for the CCFA through his play on the field.

What other Crohn's Disease sufferer has done this? David Garrard scored nearly 50 touchdowns over the past three seasons for the Jaguars. David Garrard is entering his third season as their full-time starting quarterback.

About David Garrard
David Garrard knows first hand the painful, debilitating and often embarrassing effects of Crohn's disease. Prior to the 2004 football season, Garrard began experiencing the excruciating symptoms associated with the disease, lost a significant amount of weight and missed several weeks of pre-season training. Following his diagnosis, David underwent surgery and, in consultation with his doctor, began a treatment regimen. David returned to the playing field by the start of the 2004 season and in 2007 led the team to its first playoff win in eight years.



About Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, affects approximately 500,000 Americans, including approximately 100,000 pediatric patients. The cause of Crohn's disease is not known, but the disease is associated with an abnormality of the immune system that could be triggered by viral or bacterial infections, a genetic predisposition or diet. Symptoms of Crohn's disease can vary but often include abdominal pain and tenderness, frequent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss and fever. For those that ask is there a cure for crohn's disease, There is currently no cure for Crohn's disease.

Hynotherapy For Crohn's Disease

Anyone tried this?? I guess it makes sense considering it can reduce stress, one of the biggest causes of Chron's Flares.

Hypnotherapy has long been used to help people cope with stress. No matter what the source of stress is, hypnosis is a relaxation technique that calms the mind and body into a deeper state of relaxation. Research has shown that when stress is a contributing factor in a physical or physiological situation, hypnotherapy helps reduce symptoms associated with that ailment. Studies show that hypnotherapy is very beneficial in treating people with Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease. It affects about 2 to 7 in 100,000 people. The disease can be quite debilitating and sometimes life threatening when symptoms are not controlled. It causes the digestive tract to inflame and can cause severe abdominal pain, malnutrition, and diarrhea. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Crohn's disease. Instead, symptoms must be treated, for example with hypnotherapy, and people with the disease can live a long life with their symptoms under control. According to the Mayo Clinic, stress does not cause Crohn's disease, but it can cause symptoms to worsen or cause a flare up.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, there is no way to prevent Crohn's disease, but managing the symptoms is possible through diet, lifestyle changes, and alternative therapies. The main goal is to prevent flare-ups and to remain in remission as long as possible. People with Crohn's disease have reported that stress makes their symptoms worsen. Relaxation techniques are very helpful in reducing the symptoms of Crohn's disease. The University of Maryland Medical Center also promotes the use of hypnotherapy because studies have been shown that it improves immune function, decreases stress, increases relaxation, and eases feelings of anxiety.

A study conducted in Europe included 266 participants with Crohn's disease. The researchers found that hypnotherapy and psychotherapy improve the treatment of the disease. The study found that emotional conflicts such as stress, depression, and anorexia effect the transgression of the disease. Relaxation techniques used in hypnotherapy and psychotherapy were found to give patients greater control over their symptoms.

More research is finding that there are links between stress and physiological diseases. There is a direct link between emotional stress and Crohn's disease flare-ups. Alternative therapy such as hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, yoga, and meditation has been shown to improve the overall well-being of Crohn's disease sufferers. Since there is no known cure for Crohn's disease, alternative therapies are highly suggested to help people control their flare-ups and remain in remission. Hypnotherapy promotes relaxation and puts the Crohn's disease sufferer in control of their symptoms in a safe and natural way.

Sources

Crohn's disease. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved August 21, 2009 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cr...

Crohn's disease. (2008). University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved August 21, 2009 from