Mild Cramping, Energy, and Losing Weight, Working Out a Bunch

Well it has been a while since I have written a post (this is mainly because I have felt pretty well). Last evening, I had some loose bowel movements (this has been rare for me and I honestly can't remember the last time I had one). I wasn't alarmed at all as this from time to time. Honestly, if I ever have a non solid bowel movement it is the week before I take the Humira between a Thursday-Saturday.

Overall, though I don't feel too bad. Within the past 2 weeks I have felt more tired and somewhat fatigued. Some nights this past week I was in bed by 8:30 P.M. Also I have been doing my combination of hot showers and a cold pad on my stomach before bed. Before these past 2 weeks I had been working out quite a bit-with 2 hour workouts not being uncommon and probably felt the best I ever have felt in my life in terms of energy and fit. The other thing that has seemed to help my energy level is taking potassium chloride on a regular basis. Before I was taking it on and off and it really wasn't doing anything. When I switched to taking it on a regular I could definitely see a difference in my mood and energy levels.

My weight has declined steadily. Typically I am in the 163-165 pound range but recently dropped to 158 and currently hoovering around 160 pounds. Overall though I do like it as I look more trim and fit. When I lost weight I would add more and initially wasn't gaining weight but then eventually the weight came back all at once!

Concerned about the weight loss I went to my primary doctor and he said he couldn't really point to anything but said it could be a temporary virus or something that could pass. Usually I am pretty proactive if I am not feeling well. This weekend I plan to get some good sleep and just relax. Work has been fairly busy but I am not stressed as I have been at times before.

Hopefully, this cramping is a temporary thing. I have seen this many times before and honestly lucky and happy I have been in remission for so long (since June 2012). If there are any other developments that come from this I will be sure to post them on my blog.

Humira and Weight Gain

So recently I have noticed that my weight seems to stay the same (despite the fact that I work out almost everyday). Usually I spend around 30-40 minutes on the elliptical and burn 300-400 calories. When I was in graduate school I was able to work out everyday and burn about 500-600 calories per day and worked out every single day. Also I was walking a mile or two every day to class so that was also working wonders probably. To me it feels like my metabolism is slowing down. For instance, if I work out and cut back what I eat it may take a couple of days for my body to adjust (similar to if I eat a bunch of stuff it takes a while for me to put on the weight). Right now I am about 168 pounds. I would like to get down to around 162 pounds or so. I think I was too skinny before I had Crohn's and enjoy being a little filled out but also like to be comfortable in my clothes. Also I am getting older as well. I turn 28 a couple of weeks ago and maybe getting older is your metabolism slowing down. My internist mentioned that he would prefer I have some extra weight in order to buffer against a flare up. Apparently I am not the only one who has gained weight while taking Humira (an anti-TNF drug) I found this article with others who have gained

Humira is obviously suppose to stop the inflammation due to Crohn's and make me want to eat which is good (at the same time it is nice to feel slim in my work pants). I can still remember when I initially had Crohn's I was down to 125 lbs and came out of the hospital all my pants were too big for me! Most of my adult life I have been probably around 148 pounds-158 pounds. I still remember when I was working out in graduate school up until a few weeks before I went to the hospital and remember getting on the scale and thinking "gee maybe this scale is broke!". Little did I know the scale was actually correct.

Update: So I was working on this blog post the past week and actually started losing a few pounds. As of September 6, 2014 I weigh about 164 pounds (down about 4 pounds or so). I really have been eating well (I feel a little better too). Mainly I have ate salads for lunch and apples after I get home from work.

P.S.-In the picture of have posted for this blog post I think Crohn's looks like the first guy and currently I looked like the second guy (even though mentally I feel like the third guy). 

Cold Weather, Sleep, and Relaxation = Remission Plus

I recently took a road trip to Dallas, Texas over the past weekend. Work has been a little rough lately so I am glad I could take a little break (I like to work but a break every now and then doesn't hurt). I felt on Friday a tad minor flare up as I woke up early to leave for my trip. After the drive I was pretty tired however after a hot shower felt pretty good. During the trip I tested a theory I had about cold weather and Crohn's. So I rolled down my window while traveling in cold weather (under 34 degrees). I had very minor pain but realized that I felt better the longer my hand was outside. This is an interesting phenomenon. It is pretty similar to putting yourself in cold water which I did here. I don't know what the scientific underpinnings of this phenomenon but it sure is interesting.

I got pretty goods night rest last Thursday night. On Friday night I slept pretty well but still felt a little bit tired (my sleep cycle has a debt to it). I have noticed sleep does make a difference in terms of how I feel. This has been seen in some of the here and here. I wish more studies could be done like these types of things since as someone with Crohn's disease know when they feel better or worse. Knowledge from patients is important since we have some idea of what works and what doesn't work. As more people develop Crohn's and we share this knowledge we will continue to have a better understanding and refine why people get Crohn's and hopefully find a cure.

Today (Monday) I woke up for work and felt a little tired. I felt like I was just walking through the steps this morning when I woke up. Tomorrow I don't have work due to an ice day so I plan to catch up on some rest. When I don't get my sleep I also seem to crave snack food. My weight is getting up to about 166 (I am 5'11). I feel a little heavier and plan to slowly wean this down some. On the positive side I would rather have a few extra pounds then be a very skin (a few extra pounds gives me cushion in case of a flare up).