Here's my story:
I just turned 28.
about 4-5 months ago I started experiencing some random nausea which was leading to weight loss. Now, I have a very fast metabolism, and I am (was) also a competitive weightlifter, so I used to eat a lot of calories just to not lose weight. In other words, if I miss a few days of eating, I will lose 4-5 pounds. Anyway, I went from about 175 to around 155 in about a month, but I had no symptoms other than random nausea throughout the day.
A few months later I had random bouts of diarrhea. I'd be sitting at my desk working or whatever, and then get the urge "oh hey, I have to go diarrhea now." I'd go to the bathroom, do my thing, and then go back to work. My next bowel movement would often be regular. I should add that through my life I randomly have diarrhea here and there, sometimes following an exotic meal, and other times triggered by stress, so I never thought much of it.
Six weeks ago I was sitting around watching TV when I got this pain out of the blue in my lower right groin area. The pain moved around a bit, and traveled from my inguinal region into the top of my thigh, sometimes into my right testicle, and back into my groin. It moved around throughout the day. I immediately assumed I had a hernia and went to the doctor, who found no evidence of a hernia. I then got a urine test to check for kidney stones, which was negative. He told me to take some ibuprofin and just lay low for a while, thinking perhaps it was a pulled muscle (even tho I hadn't done anything physical in months) so I did, and over a week the pain went away.
Three weeks later, the pain came back during a bowel movement (diarrhea) while I was visiting my parents. I immediately thought "Uh oh, this isn't good" and went to see my doctor. I told my doctor about the weight loss, nausea, and pain, and got checked again for a hernia, which showed no results. My doctor told me to "eat more" because I was losing weight, and I said I would love to, but I'm nauseous quite often. She immediately sent me to the hospital to get a CT scan.
During the next week, I experienced significant nausea and abdominal pain that moved all around, from my groin, into my thigh, into the approximate appendix area, into my right hip bone, into my kidney area in the back. It was on the right side 90% of the time. I should add that every time I had a pain, I would press on it, but that never increased the pain (I was basically attempting to self-check myself for an appendicitis, which typically increases in pain if you press on it).
The CT scan showed "mild thickening of the terminal ileum wall." I was told to go see a gastroenterologist.
The gastro looked at my CT results with me and said "this might be IBD, we need to either confirm or rule it out ASAP because if it is, we need to start on treatments right away." I got scheduled for a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy the following week. He told me not to eat a lot of fiber as that could make the diarrhea worse.
The result of my colonoscopy was relatively unremarkable, however my gastro doc told me that one of the biopsies had a granuloma which was "suggestive, but not indicative, of Crohn's."
The result of my upper endoscopy showed that I have a hiatal hernia, but that was not likely causing my abdominal discomfort.
I just had a bloodtest that is supposed to check for Crohn's markers that is being sent to Prometheus Labs in California. I'm also supposed to schedule a small bowel follow through xray.
Randomly, within a few days after the colonoscopy, my abdomen started feeling better. I suspected maybe there was something goofy going on in my bowels and the colonoscopy prep cleared it out (it cleared out everything else in there, lol).
about a week ago, the pain came back in my lower right groin area, moved around that bottom area and into my thigh like before. I had one more hernia test (negative) and another urine test (negative). Over the past 4 days, it has slowly worked it's way up into my lower right abdomen and it currently varies between my right hip bone, right kidney, and the midpoint between my navel and right hip bone.
Ever since the colonoscopy my bowel movements have been relatively "normal."
Let me try to describe this pain. It's not like a debilitating pain. I would describe it as somewhere between "discomfort" and "pain." When it's in my abdomen, it feels like the feeling you get if you rip a scab off. I almost want to stick my finger into my guys and scratch it (if that was even possible), if that makes any sense.
Anyway, I've been doing a ton of research as to what it could be, and I'm actually quite freaked out that it could be Crohn's. I've heard that NSAIDs aren't good for Crohn's, so I've started taking Tylenol for pain instead.
I asked the doctor if it could be chronic appendicitis (rare) and he said my appendix looked normal on the CT scan. I keep hoping to find another (easily treatable) condition that matches my symptoms, but I can't. The other thing I thought of is C. Diff. I *was* on antibiotics about 3 months before this whole ordeal started...
One other symptom I should mention, as I've heard this can be a symptom of Crohn's. For the past few months I've noticed that I have had the WORST smelling gas and bowel movements. I mean normally it doesn't smell good, but I'm talking like it's extra vile now. Even when I was visiting my parents over the holidays, when I came out of the bathroom after having a bowel movement they were like "omg, we could smell you out here!" My family isn't ashamed to talk about poop. lol.
So I just wanted to present my story here. Does this sound like it could possibly be Crohn's? What conditions can result in granulomas that aren't Crohn's? What conditions other than IBD can result in ileum inflammation? I've heard just standard gastroenteritis can cause bowel inflammation, and I did have diarrhea before my CT scan, but then there would be something else causing my continual lower right quandrant pain. In fact, I was almost hoping I had a hernia, because that would explain every symptom. Don't get me wrong, I don't want a hernia, but I'd choose that over Crohn's. I haven't had any blood or mucus in my stools ever.
My diet continues to be reduced as I'm not really that hungry. I'm down to 144 pounds now and I kind of look like a skeleton (I'm 5'9" and about 8-9% bodyfat). I'm trying to eat mild foods just to not upset anything. I drink Kefir in the morning for breakfast (probiotic yogurt), lunch is usually something bland like ramen or crackers and peanut butter, and dinner is something a little more substantial like mashed potatoes and a bit of meat. (compare this to my previous diet which was 4-5000 calories a day, lots of protein, weight lifters diet, etc. I eat less all day now than I used to have in one meal before).
I'm getting worried now because every day that lower right quandrant pain becomes slightly more intense. The Tylenol doesn't do anything. The pain just comes and goes as it pleases, but it's usually present.
Oh, and finally, I'm worried if it's Crohn's because I know that corticosteroids are used to treat inflammation, but I developed chronic tic disorder at 17 (I know it makes me quite a statistical outlier to develop it at that age), and steroids will worsen the condition. Are there any other anti-flammatories that can be used in place of prednisone or corticosteroids?
You know, I probably do have Crohn's. Tic Disorders have theories suggesting that they are autoimmune, and Crohn's has been suggested to be autoimmune as well. I think my immune system hates me. I was always perfectly healthy until I was 17. Turns out my high school had "sick building syndrome" and was full of toxic mold. A bunch of teachers and students got weird diseases. Some molds are neurotoxins. Yeah, that's probably what did it.
Anyway, cheer me up and suggest other conditions I could have other than Crohn's.
(edit - fixed some formatting issues)
Post Edited (newbie00) : 1/22/2009 1:08:20 PM (GMT-7)