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Can someone help with question about crohns symptoms?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 4/14/2011 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,

I'm not formally diagnosed with anything yet. For the past few weeks I've been having bathroom issues. I've had an overactive bowel with some blood and mucous. My entire family all just had a stomach virus. My husband and oldest son just had diarrhea, while my younger two kids each vomited once and then had diarrhea. I started having an overactive bowel issue where everything I eat comes out, but no diarrhea. I could literally go to the bathroom 7-8 times a day. I also developed painful hemorhoids. I "thought" that the reason I didn't get diarrhea is because I take Culturelle everyday. Most of my family got the stomach bug, felt better for a few days and then got it again. But now they are all back to being healthy and I'm not. I saw my primary care doctor and she gave me a script for rectal suppositories. My hemorhoids are not painful now. I also don't always have bleeding with bowel movements.

I've had c.diff twice in the past-11 months apart. I had a stool sample tested for c.diff last week and it came back negative. When I did have my bouts with c.diff, I did not get diarrhea at all. I had terrible urgency to go and I passed some bloody mucous. While everyone goes though stressful times, we are going through a really stressful time right now. We have one special needs child and we are also foreclosing on our house. So things have been tough and I'm trying to coordinate everything for us. Although I've not had testing, doctors have told me in the past that I most likely have IBS. I have no cramping, no nausea, no lack of appetite. My doctor wanted me to get a colonoscopy but I declined because I don't honestly think I'll make it through the prep and I'm also concerned I could get c.diff again from all of the eliminating.

Can someone tell me what the symptoms of crohns are and how you first suspected you had it. Plus, can you tell me what the difference is between IBS and crohns. Oh and just to let you all know, I'm 38 and otherwise healthy.

Thanks
Posted 4/14/2011 9:44 PM (GMT 0)
IBS is irritable bowel syndrome, in which the bowel functions but causes pain and discomfort. There is no abnormal tissue found on biopsy. Inflammatory bowel disease is where the bowel is not functioning properly, there are changes to the bowel structure (inflammatory changes, sometimes ulcers or perforations, other things) and also comes with pain and discomfort. Inflammatory bowel disease is best diagnosed with biopsies taken during a colonscopy. Blood work can sometimes show inflammatory markers and other evidence that there is an inflammatory condition present.

For me the symptoms that sent me to the doctor were passing blood and mucous in my bowel movements. Thinking back though, before this happened I'd had other problems that were due to Crohn's, but did not get me to the right diagnosis because they were hard to pin down (pelvic pain, sacroileitis, mild anemia).

I'm sorry you're having a rough time right now. We had lightning strike our house in 2009 and the stress of that definitely affected my health. Best wishes to you on all your struggles.
Posted 4/16/2011 5:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hey there, to add to what kazbern said, you should try and think back if you have had any other symptoms. I never realized until I was diagnosed that bad pain on my lower right side was related to crohns. Mouth sores are also a weird but common symptoms that can help you put the peices together.
I understand your concern about the colonoscopy, but I personally think you should reconsider doing it. I know they are very unpleasant. When I was diagnosed at 16 I had two colonoscopies within six months apart. I had a really hard time doing the prep, but I was able to thankfully complete it. I think it will give you some answer and piece of mind that you are looking for

I hope I helped
Hope all is well and you feel better soon
Kim
Posted 4/16/2011 9:26 AM (GMT 0)
I know a few people with IBS and most of the time they are complaining about reflux, bloating, gas, and diarrhea, but everyone is different. They also had a colonoscopy and endoscopy to rule out any other possible causes for their unrelenting discomfort. Stress, the types of food you eat, like lots of fried food, and even diet carbonated sodas can make things much worse. I keep telling one of my friends to take Vit D and Flaxseed oil but he never does sigh.

As far as the prep for the colonoscopy.. I put mine off for years.. my regular doctor scheduled me when I was in my late 40's but I put it off and I envisioned every sort of horrible disease that was 'cooking' in me.. and at 50 when you are supposed to have this test no matter who you are to test for colon cancer (my uncle had that) I still put it off because I had done so poorly with a prep I had had to do many years earlier for a cat scan...

when I finally decided I couldn't put it off any longer in my mid-fifties... I finally had it done and they found nothing.. no polyps and no inflammation. Well after my abdominal pain got worse I had to have it again and drank a gallon (maybe it was less but it felt like it was that much) of that PEG stuff (unflavored as I get sick from artificial sweeteners). Something very unexpected happened. I actually started to feel a lot better as I was drinking it and going to the bathroom. Since then I have had 2 more colonoscopies.. all within this past year and believe me I know I am weird.. but I actually look forward to them.. I never in a million years thought I had Crohn's as no one in my family has it.. and I've been a vegetarian since I was 14... But all the biopsies were positive for it and I am so thankful to be finally diagnosed and treated. I feel so much better now even though I have to have my first surgery. I haven't had any of the pain I had been having because of the diagnosis I changed my diet to a low residue one and aside from joint pain and being anemic things are so much better.

Don't let the prep get to you... just slug it down.. takes me a bit longer than most.. I always give myself all evening to do it... and once you are finished with it and the urges to go stop you can relax and have some hot chamomile tea and know that the worse is over and the actual colonoscopy at least for me is a breeze.. I've had it with proprofal (dead out) and also with fentanal and versed.. I prefer the latter as I like to watch and have my GI explain all the stuff he is seeing and where he is taking biopsies from. It has never hurt me. Just do it. You will feel so much better to have piece of mind.
NY Veggie
Posted 4/16/2011 1:30 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your replies

NYVeggie-I, too have been a vegetarian (lacto-ovo) for years. I'm 38 now and I started when I was 16. I'm also a former NYer. I live in NC now.

I will probably need to get the colonoscopy because I'm feeling worse. I get gas and the urge to have a bowel movement. But when I go, I'm just passing odd material(tissue like substance) mixed with salmon colored blood. I have no pain and no cramping. At first I thought all of this was just hemorhoids but my primary care doc has given me suppositories and they aren't helping.

I'm waiting for the results of another stool test. This episode reminds me of when I had c.diff colitis. My first stool test was negative. It will be interesting to see what the results are of this test
Posted 4/16/2011 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Chrissy72 and welcome to Healingwell. I have to agree with the above, you really do need to have a colonoscopy to rule anything else out. The prep is the harder part, but the test is a breeze as you are sedated and don't even know whats going on. Good luck!
Posted 4/16/2011 10:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Chrissy
I think that Dr look for Cdiff first befor they think about Crohns. I was tested and it was negative. Still the symptoms kept piling on. Personally I didnt find the colonoscopy and prep all that bad... but I wanted to know ASAP where the issues are coming from. Then went for a Abdominal and Pelvic CT Scan a week later.(Which I disliked more than the prep for the colonoscopy) 2 weeks after that the Pill Cam. I have never been one to go to the Doctor for anything much. So unlike me to be delighted to get tests run to figure out what the problem is. Some people fear having tests done because they fear the results. Me I just want to know what it causing all this misery and figure out how to fix it!
A sharp knife cuts the quickest and hurts the least... Go and get what ever tests you can get done and figure out where the real problem is.
By the way.. how did they say you got Cdiff? Antibiotics?
Posted 4/17/2011 1:51 AM (GMT 0)
It had been a month or so after taking zithromax for a sinus infection. Very unusual because zithromax is not one of the big offenders for c.diff. I can't wait until Monday because I should have the results of my latest stool test. I hope that provides a clue as to what's going on.
Posted 4/17/2011 9:11 AM (GMT 0)
hi chrissy
I have a ton of internal hemmies that bleed all the time during BMs. Other times nothing...
Before I was DX with Crohn's another GI was going to get rid of them for me .. but it just so happened that I wound up in the hospital during the time of that appt with him.. I am very glad that he did not do any laser work on them as I have found out that he could have caused a much greater problem as people with Crohn's would react to this procedure with inflammation and could have started rectal problems for me which I don't currently have. I only point this out because my first GI didn't even see the Crohn's in me and maybe your GI might suggest getting rid of your hemmies.. if he does do some research on line or ask people in here and see what they say before you do it.

One of the signs I had that something was really wrong was that my stool was coming out so weird.. loose then constipated pieces.. then normal.. all in the same hour.. and it took a very long time at the toilet to have any success at all.. not quite what you are having but obviously you should go and see what's up
NY Veggie
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