Hey,
Just have a few questions about IBD. Bit of background, I was diagnosed with IBS when I was 17 after episodes of stomach pain and diarrhea and was told to avoid dairy - after a while I found dairy didn't seem to be a problem, so continued to eat it, had occasional episodes of pain and diarrhoea lasting a few days but from reading about IBS came to understand it was normal; I just thought of myself as having a 'sensitive stomach,' was open about it and made friends with Buscopan and Imodium. It was an annoyance, especially when I had an episode of it lasting a few days, but it didn't cut into my life so I didn't consider it too much of a problem.
Back in September I was referred to hospital by an out of hours doctor in the middle of the night with really severe abdominal pain and vomiting. After a few days of tests I was diagnosed with gallstones, an inflamed gallbladder and pancreatitis; I was kept in for another week or so whilst the infections calmed down and was told I would need it removed. I finally had the surgery in November.
For the first couple of days, I was fine; I could eat normally and despite being in pain from the surgery and a bit spaced, I felt better. However, a week or so after, after eating one sandwich I was in just as much pain as I was that night I was admitted to hospital; I was sick and had a bout of diarrhoea like I've never had before (sorry to be so blunt :P) I had been warned that I may experience diarrhoea after having my gallbladder removed so I put it down to that.
Since then, however, I have continued to have diarrhoea and pain. The pain is so bad that it sometimes has me in tears - and I don't consider myself to have a low pain threshold. I have sharp pains in my left and right side throughout the day, sometimes all day long. I have diarrhoea on a daily basis and it is always painful, watery, sometimes very dark and sometimes streaked with blood. I am constantly tired and lethargic. I am a student and have missed many of my classes because of it. I also, especially recently, get pains in my back. As it disrupts my daily life I am beginning to get very depressed.
I've been to the doctor a few times - initially I was prescribed Questran, which didn't work. The other asked me to provide a stool sample, and I honestly have not been able to because the urgency to get to the toilet is so bad that I don't have time to arrange it. She also said she'd organise a blood test for me but I've not heard anything back. I went to see a doctor at an urgent care centre on Friday night, who, after telling him my symptoms, told me it sounds like either colitis or Crohn's, and wants me to see my GP tomorrow (Monday) for an urgent referral for tests, colonoscopy etc.
After reading up on IBD the symptoms do match mine, although I do find it odd that the symptoms only became really bad after I had my gallbladder removed. I have read that there is a correlation between Crohn's and gallbladder disease, but not that it can cause it?! Very confused. If anybody with more knowledge of the disease than me could please shed some light on this - and also what to expect when I go for testing - I would be really grateful. If it helps I'm 21, female, not overweight and generally active.
Thanks - sorry it's long!