What were your first crohn's symptoms?

Excuse me if this topic has been posted before. Just wondering how it all started for others... My first symptoms were fissures and skin tags that I thought were just painful hemmies about 20 years ago. I had no idea that I could be getting crohn's, even though my mom had it. I saw the agony she was in and assumed that was what all crohn's patients would experience all the time. Silly me!

In my teens (after going on BC pills at the age of 15 and started smoking at 14) I started getting perianal crohn's skin tags which would come and go on their own {of course I had no idea it was the makings of crohn's disease at that time---never even heard of crohn's or IBD} Of course when I went in for my physicals, if the anal tags happend to be there at the time, I'd ask the doc and was told it was just hemmies...I told them I was never constipated so why would I get hemmies, of course they told me that I must get constipated from time to time or I likely wouldn't have hemmies...needless to say, all the docs that told me they were hemmies were big IDIOTS.

Even though I didn't show any other signs of CD, perianal crohn's skin tags look different than hemmies, clearly the medical field screwed me over.

Then about a yr and 4 months after I had my first baby (I put on twice my weight during pregnancy) the bumps appeared during my pregnancy and in those 9 months they stayed (that was probably the longest they stayed without going away) well they never did end up going away, instead they got worse and I started getting sick internally with CD. I told my GP and she sent me to get an emergency hemerroidectomy, they were banded not cut off, so even though I told them I was starting to have increased BM's they ignored me and proceeded as if the tags were hemmies, right after the so called "hemmy surgery" I became very sick with tons of D and blood and major frequency with mucous (my anus with the tags, rectum, colon and part of my small intestine all became inflammed with crohn's).

I hate telling this story about how my CD started, but I do for the sake of others so they hopefully won't suffer like I did....I will also mention, that when I was 19 I woke up one day with what I thought was a blister on my bottom lip, well it wasn't a typical blister (I realized that later after getting sick with IBD and starting to put things that happend to me together) because by the middle of the day my entire bottom lip was completely swelled up so I went to the ER cuz being 19 yrs old and having this hideous huge bottom lip scared the hell out of me, but of course the ER doc said he had no clue what would cause that other than getting punched in the mouth (which is what I should have done to him) and told me to go home and ice it.

Gawd I hate this disease...and doctors!

My first symptom was loss of appetite, a feeling in my stomach every time I put food in my mouth. Then as it progressed it became a cramp just to the right and down an inch or two from my belly button. vomiting and D. I was preggers and at 5 months they opened me up because they realized I had an obstruction. They said "they released the band" and started me on prednisone. At 7 months pregnant I was obstructed again and they did the resection. I went from 107 pounds to 152 pounds 2 months later when I delivered my son by C-Sec.
I had never heard of Crohn's Disease prior to being told that I had it.

Good Evening Big Betty,  after suffering with constipation for over 40 years, within a year, it changed to diarrhea, and since then it is diarrhea every day, averaging 4 to 5 times a day. 

I was pretty sure I had Crohn's because I have a good friend with Crohn's and recognized the symptoms right away.  It wasn't until 2007 that I finally got a diagnosis mainly because I didn't want to know. I waited 3 years to find out and I don't advise anyone else to wait that long. I should have checked things out before then, it was probably just fear.

Because I am now quite outspoken about the disease, and I let people know I have it, one of my other friends came to me and asked me about her symptoms.  I was able to let her know that she needed to go ask her doctor and she has since found out that she has Colitis.

The more you discuss this disease and other related diseases, the better, it helps others be aware of their symptoms, and go to their doctor.

Hmm...Looking back I'v always since I can remember delt with D (IBS) since grade school. I was 36 when dx. I remember when I turned 26 I could not be out in the heat anymore. Really sensetive to temp either way actually...with either hives cold or rash heat! I started getting bloody stool off and on after my gull bladder was taken out at 29. Sorta down hill from there.

Hi Big Betty:  I was originally dx'd w/UC in '82, had a jpouch in '93, and developed fistulas in '10.  Of course, now "they" believe it's Crohn's, and probably has been Crohn's all along, mainly due to the fistula formation.  I had skin tags and fissures prior to the colectomy, as well as bloody diarrhea, pain...

I had no idea at the time (no web access!) that the skin tags and fissures could be an indication of Crohn's. I agree with NiceCupOfTea:  ask questions, and if you don't understand their answers, or if they are not complete answers for you, ask more questions. 

 

For me it was diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and severe joint pain. That was 1997-98. No joint pain since then (thankfully) but I've been through the wringer in other ways, as has everyone else here.