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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 2/21/2008 1:22 PM (GMT 0)

Hello Everybody

As maybe some of you know I am at the hospital receiveing the IV meds, becaiuse everithing I ate I was vomiting.

So after the exam Scan, doctor found 3 strictures in my small intestine, she said that this could be causing me the vomits and all the pain.

I did no get very good, what are those strictures, DO I need surgery for that, or medications will handle with them?

She also diagnosed me with perianal fistulas, which I always thought that wre hemorroids, but it is not.

I am a little worried now, I am currently taking falgyl, Hydrocortisone and Cipro intravenous.

Have you guys ever had this strictures? What has happened to you?

Thanks guys!

Posted 2/21/2008 1:30 PM (GMT 0)
I have one stricture,and was put on Humira,so that decreased ALL my inflammation,and my GI was able to open it all the way up with a scope,it took a year to get my inflammation down,but only 3 months with the Humira. Everybody has to have differant treatment.

I hope you feel better soon :-)
Posted 2/21/2008 2:12 PM (GMT 0)
Strictures are very common with crohn's disease. A stricture is just a narrowing of the inside of the bowel wall. These narrowings are usually caused by inflammation of the wall of the bowel and/or scar tissue that has built up after years of inflammation. If your strictures are caused by inflammation then treatment will focus on reducing the disease activity with drugs. If there is no active disease (inflammation) and it is caused by scar tissue, drugs won't help. There are several surgical options, including balloon dilatation, stricturplasty and cutting out the stricture.
Posted 2/21/2008 2:16 PM (GMT 0)

belleenstein said...
Strictures are very common with crohn's disease. A stricture is just a narrowing of the inside of the bowel wall. These narrowings are usually caused by inflammation of the wall of the bowel and/or scar tissue that has built up after years of inflammation. If your strictures are caused by inflammation then treatment will focus on reducing the disease activity with drugs. If there is no active disease (inflammation) and it is caused by scar tissue, drugs won't help. There are several surgical options, including balloon dilatation, stricturplasty and cutting out the stricture.

Hi, by scar tissue you mean "old inflamation"?

Thanks

Posted 2/21/2008 3:33 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Veronica,

I hope you are already starting to feel better.  Almost 2 years ago, I was at the hospital for 10 days with a partial obstruction, and they found out I had a stricture.  I had the same symptoms with you, vomitting and pain.  I also had Cipro, Flagyl and Pred via IV, and then everything went back to normal.  I didn't have surgery, it cleared with medicines, and I went home.  The  stricture is still present of course, but I don't play with fire, I watch what I eat (no raw fruits or seeds, vegetables etc) and I take all my pills as prescribed.  If your strictures are from inflammation, they should clear with the medication.  If the stricture is from scar tissue, then maybe it needs to be taken out with surgery.  Many people live with strictures for years, and surgery - at least here in Greece - is considered the last option.

Try to relax and accept all the extra care you have at the hospital, and when you start eating, do it very slowly.  Please keep us informed, and feel free to ask questions!!!

My best regards,

Christina tongue

Posted 2/21/2008 6:45 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Veronica,

A stricture is a narrowing in your intestine. If this place in your intestine is too narrow, food and fluids can't go down, so they might come back up in vomit. 

Some strictures go away completely because they are only temporary, caused by inflammation. As soon as the inflammation goes away, the strictures go away.

Other strictures are caused by scar tissue. On your skin, if you get a cut, it can leave a scar...maybe a bump on your skin. In your small intestine, even after inflammation goes away, the healing process can cause a scar. The scar causes a narrowing in your intestine...a stricture. This does not go away,even when there is no inflammation.

My daughter has a stricture formed by scar tissue, but it is not a problem unless there is inflammation. If there is inflammation, it closes (or narrows) the stricture more and she starts vomiting. Now she is in remission on Entocort, so the stricture does not bother her.  

I hope that your strictures are caused by inflammation and go away now that you are on the IV medicines. The medicines you are on can all be used to try to stop inflammation. Steroids are usually very effective in stopping inflammation quickly. Two of the medicines, Cipro and Flagyl are antibiotics that can also help reduce inflammation and might even help with the fistula.

Even if your strictures are formed partly by scar tissue, meds can still help:) I hope you feel better soon.

Posted 2/21/2008 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Veronica-

When I was diagnosed with Crohn's a couple of years ago I had already been struggling with symptoms for more than 5 years. By the time I was diagnosed I already had bad strictures that were mostly scar tissue. We tried to clear them up for over a year but alas, to no avail. I ended up having a subtotal colectomy (a removal of most of my large bowl) last year. So, here's to you hoping it's just inflammation! If they caught it earlier enough you'll probably have better success than I.

Cheers!
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