Ulcerative Colitis/2013 and Chron's/2014

I am posting this information for my wife.

My wife is Japanese, 78 years old and has Scleroderma.

She was diagnosed May 2013 with Ulcerative Colitis after a colonoscopy. She was put on Asacol 800 mg 3x day. She developed side effects and was switched to Apriso .375 gm 4 tablets once a day.

This past April she had a severe attack that which included being nauseous, cold sweat, bloating, severe cramping and had trouble moving her bowels. This lasted almost 7 or 8 hours until she finally was able to have a bowel movement.

After that episode the gastro doctor decided she needed another colonoscopy, which was done April of this year. The results came back showing Chron's disease (I believe in her lower bowel section.) The Colitis seemed to be on her left side.

She had no further problems, until today - 08/06/14. She was unable to have a bowel movement so she took one dose of Miralax. After lunch she threw up and now is still having a problem having a bowel movement. She seems to be going through the same scenario as she did in April.

She saw her rheumatologist on June 3, 2014. We explained to him my wife's symptoms since she last saw him (she sees him once a year.) He felt the nausea, bloating and pain was caused by, and these are his words, "a small bowel bacterial overgrowth, which is a common complication of scleroderma and which could recur."

His suggestion was to have a ready supply of antibiotic to restart immediately if the symptoms recur. He recommended rotating between at least two antibiotics and to use Diflucan whenever she is on an antibiotic.

Our gastro didn't agree and does not want to put my wife on an anitbiotics.

After this current episode, I think I'm going to try to get the two doctors to talk to each other - they're not in the same town. Don't know if that would help but I think it's worth a shot.

Robert

Hi Robert
It seems a bit add that your rheumatologist would be making GI diagnosis. If I was speaking with him I would be asking what his qualifications are to make this.
In any case, if you trust this person and you want to know if your wife had this, you can ask your GI for a Jurgen breath test. This is the test in the USA

Healing thoughts
Dave

I am going to list my wife's symptoms again, as I am not so sure she is having a UC or Chron's attack but she was diagnosed with both those diseases.

1. Unable to have a regular bowel movement (BM), no diarrhea. When she goes it's just small hard pieces.
2. She normally does not see any blood during a BM.
3. When she has an attack it begins with severe abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, unable to have a BM, eventually being able to have a BM - mostly diarrhea and rectal bleeding.
4. Her discomfort can last for a day or more.
5. Her current attack started on a Wednesday and as of Sunday she still doesn't feel that good, weak, some abdominal cramping - not as severe as before and no rectal bleeding to speak of.

She had a similar attack in April, 2014 and since than was fine; no diarrhea or major cramping or bleeding.

Then four months later she gets another attack.

We will be going to see her GI some time this coming week to go over her problems but from what I've seen on this forum, my wife doesn't seem to have exactly the same symptoms.

I mean, is it normal for a person to have an attack that lasts 4 or 5 days and then nothing for a few months and then another attack for 4 or 5 days?

Thanks,

Robert

My wife saw her GI doc yesterday as she still isn't feeling too great. For one thing she is very tired - which I think is either related to the antibiotic or the steroid.

The net of the visit was that the doctor wants her on the steroids for six weeks and the antibiotics for one week. She also is changing her medication from Apriso to Cozalal beginning tomorrow.

The doctor also ordered a stool sample test to check for C. diff toxin A & B. I'm not sure how that's going to work as right now my wife doesn't even feel like she has to go (bowel movement) so I'm not sure you can say she is constipated - which we told the doctor and she felt it was because my wife hasn't been eating that much the past week and had diarrhea from the attack.

I told my wife if she doesn't have a bowel movement by tomorrow I think we have to talk to the doctor again, though maybe the doc is right. I don't know how long it takes for a person to get back to a regular routine after they've gone through such an attack.

Robert

Did your wife get her diagnosis of Crohn's disease from a biopsy? My cousin has scleroderma, and from what I understand, when it travels to internal organs it can cause great difficulties. Are you sure she actually has Crohn's and not complications from the Scleroderma?