Diagnosis
- Crohn's disease
- Pattern of spleen Qi deficiency (U68.0 / 脾氣虛證), Pattern of Qi deficiency and Dampness-phlegm (氣虛濕痰證)
Chief Complaint & Secondary Complaints
- Abdominal pain (colicky)
- Abdominal discomfort (bloating, flatulence)
- Repeated constipation and diarrhea
Major Medical History
- Crohn's disease - Diagnosed after abdominal CT examination at a university hospital 4 months before visiting the hospital. Taking immunosuppressants.
Results
- Symptoms improved without taking chemosynthetic drugs (immunosuppressants, etc.), and recovered from Crohn's disease inactivity (rest, quiescent) state and remission state on colonoscopy performed 6 months after treatment.
Crohn's disease treatment
The above patient visited BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic to receive Korean Medicine help for Crohn's disease, which was diagnosed 4 months ago.
Bleeding during defecation began about 3 years before visiting BM, and the symptoms worsened, and while being treated at a primary medical institution (general surgery), Crohn's disease was suspected during a colonoscopy.
So, after being referred to a higher-level medical institution (university hospital), the patient was diagnosed with Crohn's disease through an abdominal CT scan.
When reviewing the patient's medical records, abdominal CT tests observed edematous changes in the ascending colon and active inflammation along the right middle abdomen, and CRP (c-reactive protein) levels were high at 11.4 mg/L in laboratory tests.
The medical staff at BM can diagnose the disease as
- Crohn's disease (Crohn's disease)
by referring to these findings based on the results of Korean Medicine/Internal Medicine by K.M.D/laboratory tests, etc., but emphasized not to be bound by the disease name.
The medical staff at BM advised the patient that labeling their physical condition as 'Crohn's disease' will not help them recover and may actually lead to bigger health problems by failing to focus on the fundamental cause causing the symptoms.
It was emphasized that the biggest cause of symptoms in the patient is not the disease called Crohn's disease, but rather unhealthy eating habits.
Based on this understanding of the disease, we diagnosed it as a "Pattern of spleen Qi deficiency (脾氣虛證)" or "Pattern of Qi deficiency and Dampness-phlegm (氣虛濕痰證)". And we started treatment according to the Korean Medicine perspective that our bodies are organically connected.
The Metabolism Modification program was conducted under an intensive treatment plan of approximately 5 months, during which intensive treatment and management were provided through a comprehensive intervention based on Korean Medicine treatment tools.
At the time of the first visit, the patient was taking four types of drugs related to Crohn's disease, including Azathioprine (immunosuppressant) and Mesalazine (anti-inflammatory agent, which is active in inflammatory bowel disease), as shown in the table below.
We determined that the most fundamental cause of the patient's symptoms was unhealthy eating habits. The patient was frequently exposed to spicy and irritating foods such as “maratang (a spicy soup dish using spices),” processed foods such as bread and desserts, refined sugar, and chemical additives. But she rarely ate vegetables and was a very picky eater.
Accordingly, we emphasized that in order to restore inflammation and digestive conditions in the body, intensive treatment through taking herbal medicine and correction of lifestyle and eating habits must be carried out.
In addition, the use of chemically synthesized drugs(Azathioprine, Mesalazine, Trimebutine, Ferrous Sulfate) may cause serious side effects such as increased risk of infection or tumor development, decreased bone marrow function, anemia, pancytopenia, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, digestive problems, and hives, etc. We advised the patient to immediately stop taking medications other than immunosuppressants and gradually taper off the immunosuppressants while taking the herbal medicine.
Our body's immunity refers to the phenomenon in which the internal environment of the living body defends itself against antigens, which are external factors. BM determined that the cause of the patient's symptoms was not the body's immunity or inflammation itself, but unhealthy eating habits. And we concluded that the patient's body was simply reacting to unhealthy external factors.
Above all, immune and inflammatory responses are part of the body's vital activities and are the body's defense mechanisms and recovery responses necessary to change unhealthy intestinal cells into healthy cells.
If this immune and inflammatory response is blocked by chemically synthesized drugs, the body cannot recover, and in severe cases, serious digestive infections or cancer may occur. Therefore, the use of chemically synthesized drugs such as immunosuppressants always carries the risk of serious side effects.
Stool test
Therefore, rather than taking immunosuppressants and anti-inflammatory drugs, which are chemically synthesized drugs, we improved the patient's eating habits and lifestyle and used herbal medicine that helps the human body's vital activities. Through this, we attempted to treat it using the treatment method of “Reinforce healthy qi to eliminate pathogenic factors (扶正袪邪, a method of treating disease by ensuring the normal life activities of the human body are carried out well)”, which helps the body's immune function and heals unhealthy digestive conditions.
Detox Meal Prep.
The patient strongly agreed with our view that immunosuppressants may be an obstacle that impedes the body's recovery and that long-term exposure to these dangerous drugs at a young age such as a teenager may ultimately lead to detrimental health outcomes. And the patient gradually reduced her immunosuppressant medication while taking herbal medicine, and completely discontinued it after two weeks of treatment.
(omitted below)
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[10s/Female] Crohn's disease
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Stool inflammation test, Calprotectin
