has anyone ever experienced a crohns flare without pain?

Oh, yeah. Crohn's is a sneaky, insidious disease. For years gastros have been content to treat the symptoms and assume remission when there is none. Crohn's can be aggressive or it can bide its time and just perk away "silently". There is true remission - and there is symptomatic remission.

Dr Eugene May used to counsel those who wanted to drop their meds or at least their dosages that the meds and dosages that got you into remission were the meds and dosages that had the best chance to keep you in remission.

I've been in total remission or symptomatic remission on and off for the last 12 years thanks to Imuran and Pentasa. Every few years I drop my Pentasa from 2 gr 2 x daily to 1 gr 2 x daily and I can even get away w/it for a month or two or even sometimes three - and then symptoms return and I smarten up and go back up to my scripted and (so far) successful dosage. (Some people never learn and thank goodness God looks after fools!). But each time I'm foolish enough to drop that Pentasa dosage that partial obstruction at the old anastomosis gets narrower and narrower.

I exp. that just yesterday, I went to my gi and he felt a little to hard at my resected site, It was tender for sure, but man after he did that, it kinda ruined the day, I had to pick up wife after gall bladder removal, so we planned my visit her gb out, anyway, I had to take 2 extra pain med's, my resected sitre hurt all d**n day and into evening. he is great doc, I really like him, but he really needed to feel it, he's a hands on type guy, when he does colonosc, and endo's, I walk out of that hosp. like I haven't had any procedure, he's really fast, with very little fentynol

curt

Thankyou all so much for a bit of insight, I ended up at the doctors and he felt the abdo, the stomach, didnt hurt when he pushed on the stomach only when he got to the small bowel, where it CD is situated so Artist guy exactly know what you mean, that then triggered some pain and again frequent toilet trips. So his conclusion is its the CD, I was hopeful there, kind of thinking gastro instead. Its been so difficult the past 15 years to try and distinguish womens pains x with whats the crohns pain, I had endometriosis removed in july last year so, its now trying to figure out what is what, if that makes sense, and I know you women probably get what I mean. Sudsmom - I will def keep that food diary updated for the next gastro visit. He started 9mg of budesonide, and I am on continual pentasa. He also took bloods yesterday for my WCC and Hb, however no blood/ mucous has been present. So after my visit yesterday I came home popped some buscopane, grabbed a cold flannel for the hot sweats and headed to bed. Woke this morning feeling good enough to head back 2 work, a bit tierd still but got through the day.

(Hugs to you all and will keep you all updated for sure) xox

Post Edited (puppet) : 2/2/2011 3:11:02 AM (GMT-7)

thanks Novaslady, sorry if got that wrong. You have a good day also. I just had a look at your profile and noticed you were diagnosed at 53, my dad found out he had it at 55 only when he had a complete blockage and neady emergency resection, that was 3 years ago now. It was surprising as I was the only one in the family before that and then dad popped up with it, doctors always said its teenager into the 20's when diagnoses occurs....they sure got that wrong didnt they. xox

sorry to hear thats happening nawlinscate, it's literally a pain in the you know what. Very frustrating I know, have you asked your doctor to perhaps do inflammation marker blood test, Hb ect? I was lucky my crohn;s was picked up on a barium x-ray series. Although in colonoscopy examination they could not find it, my blood tests showed all the signs of crohns, then they went in to resect wasnt responding to steroid, imuran and a cocktail of meds. THey found and removed, then I ended up with a complete bowel block 2 years later that nearly killed me. I had nasogastric tube in for 2 weeks, then early ours of the morning in the 2nd week all I could do was moan. They rushed me in to theatre where my bowel had died and the toxic waste poisoned my system, ICU then for 3 days. I have to agree a very sneaky disease, and mysterious as you mentioned. Hang in there.

Nawlinscate - obviously it is CD, did they tell you the pathology reports from that resected part? Please do tell if ya find out anything. I cut caffeine out (loved coffee, it didnt like me), vegies like corn, and ones with seeds ect. Onion is another nasty one for me too.

I've had sharp abdominal pain hit, without getting increase in bowel movements, and I've had increased bowel movements with no abdominal pain. It sure is confusing. I'm not sure I've ever been in a complete remission, but I've thankfully had times that have been very tolerable. Right now I'm confused with my symptoms. I hate not knowing if it's just something I ate, or am I flaring up.