Do you get your small intestine checked during a flare?

What medications are you on & what is your dr doing to help you with this flare? It sounds like you need to see your dr & determine if more meds need to be added or changed. Since it's been a year since your scope he may suggest doing one to compare to what was going on a year ago.

Take care.

No, the last flare was last year, the most recent colonoscopy was just this week. Lots of inflammation and ulcers, etc but I’m wondering if since I’m not normally constipated if I should ask for my dr to check my small intestine (since the colonoscopy only sees the large intestine). I’m on Humira and loaded up on prednisone after the scope 😕

The colonoscopy (in my experience) is just to see the large intestine and ileum, not the rest of the small intestine. I’ve had MRIs and CT scans before for that but this is a different experience now since I don’t usually have constipation as a symptom. This has been a symptom for the last few months and I finally got my dr to do more extensive blood and lab work and then he realized I needed the colonoscopy sooner than later. Has anyone had any experience with this? I don’t want to change medication just because the dr doesn’t know where the problem is 😕

Straydog, have you had the pill cam test for your Crohn’s?

Ahhh, that’s good to know. I’ve had Crohn’s for 15 years and have been on Humira for about 7 years. I’ve has MRIs to look at my entire colon but my colonoscopies only go as far as the beginning of the small intestine (I do have all the reports) I guess I was wondering more of if anyone has gotten upper GI or endoscopies. I don’t mind as much of the test is invasive since they all are, I just don’t want something to be missed that will need surgery or worse later.

Thanks but I’m not interested in changing my medication if the dr can’t determine where the problem is. I was fine/in remission after last year’s flare that lasted a few months. I’ve had to change medicines before so I understand how it goes.

I was mainly interested in hearing if anyone, after years of diarrhea as their main symptom in a flare, had then dealt with a change of months of constipation or if their Crohn’s had begun to cause problems in their small intestine. Thanks though!

Sara14, I haven’t asked the dr yet but I have an appt next week - I wasn’t sure if an endoscopy is the best thing to ask for since I have never had one. (Just MRIs & CT scans X-ray abdomen & obv colonoscopies) My dr seems content to sometimes keep me on prednisone and hope that helps but I’m concerned I have new developing symptoms that aren’t my regular Crohn’s diarrhea/bloating/pain etc. I’m going to see if the endoscopy is something I can have done soon; this all just seems very off right now and not like anything I have experienced 😕

EruditePaul, thank you, that is helpful! My last CT scan was probably 3 years ago (an MRI last year) and I have never had any strictures (that I know of or have shown up in imaging or procedures). I’m going to ask my dr for one next week; I can’t figure out why I would start having constipation as a symptom after 14 years. Crohn’s seems to be a lot of guesswork for doctors 😕

Sara14, not prednisone often but it’s always pushed as a first line of defense. It’s a great drug in that it works so well but the side effects and long term damage is so bad that I usually make sure I have a plan for short term use only and weaning off as soon as possible. In the past I’ve had prednisone calm a flare only to realize later after I weaned off that the other medication I was taking had stopped working (remicaide, I had developed antibodies so ended up in another flare 6 months later.) It’s frustrating with the doctors because you really have to be your own health advocate and really push for tests and questions and sometimes they seem happy if you’re either not dying or calling their office 😕

My main concern is that since I have this new constipation (new meaning the last 6 months or so) that I could have a stricture or narrowing that ends up untreated and gets bad enough where they just want to do surgery. I’d obv like to be proactive and take a more preventative approach. I’ve never had a Dr with Crohn’s or UC so I’m really thankful for the personal experiences in this group! ☺️

P.s. I love that you’re vegan! I’ve definitely found that it has improved my health in so many ways! 💚

Sara14, they’re going to do an MRI so hopefully can see something with that. I asked about fasting/bowel prep beforehand when I was scheduling it and the woman just said fast for 4 hours before (then I go in and drink the suspension/contrast/whatever gross liquid. You’d think I’d need to do a bowel cleanse though right? If they’re trying to see the small intestine and anything out of the ordinary?

I've never had an MRI so I can't help there. That's pretty great you don't have to prep though. I know the contrast stuff is pretty disgusting though if it's anything like the barium x-ray stuff. Good luck with the test!

Yeah, I’ve had MRIs before where they look at the small intestine and bowel and have had me do the prep so I’m going to do it again for this one - it was a medical secretary who books the appointments who told me I only needed to fast for 4 hours and I don’t think she knew what she was talking about. Obv better safe than sorry to get an accurate picture! When you go in they have you drink the two big containers of premixed suspension liquid, it’s totally disgusting but one of those things you have to grit your teeth and just get it down. Wish me luck!!