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So...types of Crohn's. Is it always just one type?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 5/10/2011 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
After my recent bout here, I seem to fit Ileitis to a 'T'. Does that mean that's the one I have and of so, does that mean I'll be limited to those symptoms? Or am I making this too simple?
Posted 5/10/2011 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
Well most CD patients tend to have primary disease in a specific area . . . I think the ratio is something like 40% ileo-cecal area, 20% primarily colon and the rest up in the small bowel prettty much exclusively. However, it can and does move around over time and in some patients shows up throughout the GI tract, with skip areas in between. So yes, it is probably oversimplifying to say "I have ilieal Crohns" when in fact we all have IBD, meaning bowel, which really means the whole system.
Posted 5/10/2011 8:38 PM (GMT 0)
Here is a list of the five types of Crohns:

The five types of Crohn's disease with their symptoms are:

Ileocolitis: Ileocolitis is the most common type of Crohn's disease. It affects the small intestine, known as the ileum, and the colon. People who have ileocolitis experience considerable weight loss, diarrhea, and cramping or pain in the middle or lower right part of the abdomen.

Ileitis: This type of Crohn's disease affects the ileum. Symptoms are the same as those for ileocolitis. In addition, fistulas, or inflammatory abscesses, may form in the lower right section of the abdomen.

Gastroduodenal Crohn's disease: This form of Crohn's disease involves the stomach and duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine. People with this type of Crohn's disease suffer nausea, weight loss, and loss of appetite. In addition, if the narrow segments of bowel are obstructed, they experience vomiting.

Jejunoileitis: This form of the disease affects the jejunum, which is the upper half of the small intestine. It causes areas of inflammation. Symptoms include cramps after meals, the formation of fistulas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain that can become intense.

Crohn's (granulomatous) colitis: This form of Crohn's disease involves only the colon. Symptoms include skin lesions, joint pains, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and the formation of ulcers, fistulas, and abscesses around the anus.

I have the Ileocolitis type of Crohns, which is also known as the stricturing type of Crohns. My Crohns has stayed basically the same. Though the surgeon has told me that since I have had resections, I "could" be more susceptible to fistulas. More than likely the type that go from intestine to intestine or from intestine to skin. But so far, so good, I haven't had any issues. Hugs!
Posted 5/11/2011 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
IBD is typically crohn's or ulcerative colitis (however diverticulosis is also a form of IBD) with ulcerative colitis your entire systems is not affected though, nor with diverticulosis, with those 2 types of IBD it's limited to the large bowel/colon...however with UC it usually affects the rectom as well as the colon....crohn's is the only one that can actually affect the entire GI tract from mouth to anus and with crohn's it can affect more than one area of the GI tract at a time as well, though it's not very common for it to do so it definitely can still happen (speaking from exeperiance).

My CD mainly affects my anus and my colon (referred to as crohn's colitis).
Posted 5/11/2011 7:13 PM (GMT 0)
Out of curiousity.

Is there one tha tis harder to control than another.

I recently seen my family doctor who thinks I might have it in my upper small intestine and just curious to know the possibilities.


Thank you

Posted 5/11/2011 8:00 PM (GMT 0)
My 'main' Crohn's is classified as gastroduodenal and occurs in the stomach, duodenum and esophagus - but I am also prone to significant amounts of inflammation in my jejunum, sometimes concurrently. From what I hear, although doctors use the types to identify the predominant area of inflammation, many IBD sufferers  also experience instances where inflammation occurs elsewhere in the GI system.

Daunting, I think how hard your IBD is to control is very much a case of  how it presents in the individual rather than the specific type. I will say that my GIs have struggled far more with treating my gastroduodenal Crohn's because it is considered a 'rare' type (less than 4% of sufferers diagnoses with this profile) and therefore there has not been the same foundation of treatment case-studies to work from. However, with all Crohn's it can be a case of trial and error. Despite struggles, I personally have found that through attentive experimentation my doctors have managed to develop certain treatment strategies which are proving to be very effective! I think that the course of treatment needed for Crohns even within 'types' can be very individual-specific - we all manifest disease slightly differently.

Posted 5/11/2011 8:11 PM (GMT 0)
Daunting I would say that Sera actually has the harder type of Crohns to control. And as she stated, her type of Crohns is actually pretty rare. I believe less than 4-5% ever even have this type of Crohns. The most common are the ileocolitis or Ileitis. But not everyone gets every symptom listed. Its kinda wierd but when first diagnosed it was the worst, but I have never been that sick since. I have been sick with flares, but never as bad as when first diagnosed. Hope that helps. Hugs!
Posted 5/11/2011 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
"Its kinda wierd but when first diagnosed it was the worst, but I have never been that sick since. I have been sick with flares, but never as bad as when first diagnosed."

I keep hearing this and it gives me strength. After seeing the first ever signs of any type of improvement, I'm feeling finally like I've hit the bottom and am starting to crawl back up. I'm also telling my girls this, they're not used to seeing dad so lazy. I've got them making fun of all the pain noises I make too, seems to have taken the sting out.

During one particularly bad moment where I was grunting quite heavily, my oldest started to yell 'PUUUUUUSSSSSHHHHHH'.

Ahhhhh, good times.
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