Fever always symptom?

mindyk81

Regular Member

Joined : Oct 2007

Posts : 60

Posted 10/19/2007 6:04 PM (GMT 0)

I've been diagnosed with CD since I was 14. I've had several flares in the past 12 years. I was finally put on Imuran and entered remission.

For the past 3 weeks, I have been severely tired, bloated, nauseated, constipated, and sore around my navel area. The cramps sometimes radiate up to my ribcage and towards my back. There have been times when I couldn't even touch my abdomen. It feels like I'm walking around with a bowling ball in my intestines. I've taken stool softeners/laxatives and still have pains after BM. I'm going to go on a liquid diet until I see my GI Dr. next week.

I'm concerned that I should go to the ER in case I have a blockage. I'm hesitant b/c I'm not running any fever. Does fever always accompany flares? I don't want to wait this out too long, but don't want to overreact either.

Idolwild

Regular Member

Joined : Sep 2007

Posts : 29

Posted 10/19/2007 6:14 PM (GMT 0)

I have been in a "flare" since early June, and have not once had a fever. My D has gone away at this point, and stool is normal and regular, but I walk around each and every day feeling as you've described up above to a varying degree: bloated, mild twinging pain, occasional nausea. I have not had serious C or pain after BM though. Hard to know what is the drugs and what's the disease. My doctor has mentioned "neuro-motor pain", I guess there are lots of nerve endings in the gut that get stimulated with this disease. Who knows. I have given up trying to find root cause for just about anything - this disease (in me at least) and the way I feel seems to be completely random from day to day. The GI doc seems to think that the one concrete thing is the stool getting back to normal, so things must be progressing.

JudyK89

Veteran Member

Joined : Dec 2006

Posts : 1986

Posted 10/19/2007 6:17 PM (GMT 0)

I don't specifically remember running a fever during a flare I'm sure there's times I have, but you don't need to be running a fever to have a blockage or even be in a flare. I don't even run a fever if I have an abscess a lot of the time. If you're still having BM's and gas, you're "probably" okay. Are you throwing up? That's usually the key for me, emptying has either slowed enough (partial blockage) or stopped (blockage), making me throw up (on top of the pain).

That said, symptoms can be different for everyone. If the pain is too much to bear until you get to see your GI, go to the ER. Usually if I'm trying to decide if I should go to the ER, it means I should.

You may want to call your GI and let him know, maybe he can put a call in to let them know you're coming and what may be going on.

njmom

Veteran Member

Joined : Apr 2006

Posts : 1885

Posted 10/19/2007 6:23 PM (GMT 0)

My daughter didn't have a fever with her first flare.

Erik45

Regular Member

Joined : Oct 2007

Posts : 149

Posted 10/19/2007 6:33 PM (GMT 0)

I get fevers with flares all the time now. I didn't at first but in the last couple of years i do. Good luck and get well soon.

potty pooper

Regular Member

Joined : Dec 2006

Posts : 375

Posted 10/19/2007 8:31 PM (GMT 0)

I have had chrohn's for over 42 years and never have had fevers as a result. Also had many blockages,never with a fever.

Becoming undone

Veteran Member

Joined : Jul 2007

Posts : 927

Posted 10/19/2007 8:45 PM (GMT 0)

Well if you're on prednisone or any other immunosuppressants, you may not always have a fever even though inflammation may be occurring. And if on these or long time inflammation, the body may have a low grade fever (under 100) which can still be diagnostically revelant. However, in my experience, and those among us here, that you can have gnarly complications (bleeding), etc without fever. Be guided more on the pain. If you can't stand it, don't suffer, get help immediately, you're body is trying to tell you something. I hope you feel better, cause I wouldn't wish this on anybody. And it seems anti-karmic that so many good people out there, like you all, are feeling so bad. (too mushy?)

ozonehole

Veteran Member

Joined : Dec 2006

Posts : 559

Posted 10/19/2007 10:24 PM (GMT 0)

Crohnies with a low-grade fever that tends to never go away usually have internal fistulas. I had this problem, and it wasn't cured until I had a bowel resection.

Another, more serious, cause of fever is an abscess. That needs to be drained, treated with antibiotics, etc.

A "flare", which is kind of ill-defined, basically means the disease is active and you're having inflammation which may be accompanied by diarrhea, pain, bloating, and possibly obstruction. So if you don't have a fever, that's great, but it's hardly a sign that you're in remission.

Hope everyone is feeling well,
Robert

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