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Yesterday's colonscopy supports Crohn's diagnosis

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 11/28/2007 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone. I have posted here before about my possible Crohn's diagnosis despite that fact that I have no real GI symptoms. I finally had a colonoscopy yesterday and it showed all the typical Crohn's stuff in my terminal ileum -- inflammation, scarring, and ulcers. I should have the biopsy results in a few days. The good news is that it all looks mild. My next step will be to follow up with a GI to determine course of treatment.

How strange to have this diagnosis without being or having ever been sick with any of the typical GI symptoms. This whole journey stemmed from what I thought was a hemorrhoid! I guess I have one very sharp and on-the-ball colorectal surgeon who persisted in her opinion that my skin tag was characteristic of Crohn's despite the lack of any other symptoms. In the end, the appearance and biopsy of the skin tag, the number and location of associated anal fissures, my Prometheus blood test results, small bowel series, and yesterday's colonoscopy all point to Crohn's.

You guys are a great source of information, and I'll be checking in here from time to time, especially once I know what, if any, treatment the GI recommends, as well as if I have any flares at some point in the future.
Posted 11/28/2007 6:49 PM (GMT 0)
 I have to say that you are lucky that you had no real symptons from the crohns, before I got diagnosed I was so sick for months and I had to go through all kinds of test, before I got effically diagnosed.

Posted 11/28/2007 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
crohns37, right you are, and I feel strangely guilty about that. All here seem to have suffered through so much and in some cases had to fight to get their diagnosis so they could be treated appropriately, while I am so far in a state of disbelief over this Crohn's label when I've never been sick. Mostly I'm wondering if anyone else here had their Crohn's discovered in a manner similar to mine, before the onset of GI symptoms. Will I always have a mild case, or will it get worse over time?

I'm also curious about treatment when no GI symptoms are present. A retired GI I know says I should go on medication now. My surgeon seemed more iffy ... she said that with no symptoms to control, we won't have any good way of knowing if the medication is working. A professional colleague with Crohn's says she is only on medication during flares, and that it has been several years since her last flare. Another professional colleague with Crohn's is on medication for life even during periods of remission. So it seems there are many differing opinions on this! Once I get the biopsy results back, I'll schedule an appointment with the GI recommended by my surgeon to discuss the options that work best for me, but I'm very interested in the experiences of others.
Posted 11/28/2007 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Adria,
It is good news that you have no GI symptoms! In Oct. 2006, I was hospitalized with severe anemia, but no GI symptoms at all. I had a colonoscopy, endoscopy and SBT and all tests were negative for any disease! They sent me home after an iron IV for the anemia. I stayed fine (no GI symptoms) until June 2007 when I got a high fever for weeks, a raging throat infection (which I believe was Crohn's) and severe diarrhea. Repeat tests showed severe anemia again, an ulcer in my small intestine, inflammation in my ileum, some inflammation in my colon, and a positive for Crohn's blood test. I wish I had been diagnosed and treated in 2006, as maybe I wouldn't have gotten so sick.
Go to the Crohn's foundation website at www.ccfa.org. Their recommendation is that you should be on medication to induce and maintain remission. The 5-ASA drugs (Pentasa and Asacol) are anti-infalmmatory drugs with minimal side effects, and especially since you have no symptoms, may be a good place to start. Definitely keep that appointment with the GI! I hope you remain symptom free forever, and never for a second feel guilty about it. We all celebrate when someone feels WELL!!!!
Posted 11/28/2007 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Welcome to HW and glad to have you with us. Sounds like you have some things going on there and I am glad you found it before you got to feeling not good. I was DX with severe crohns and had the complications of crohns.There are different beliefs about treating crohns so hopefully you and your GI will come of with some sort of plan .Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing .lol gail
Posted Yesterday 1:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Adria,

I think that its great that you are not sick, but I defenitley recommend that you keep on top of it, cause its not fun when it flares up. I know that when they told me back in 1998 that I had crohns, I cried all the way home and I live 50 miles from the Digestive dr., I never heard of crohns before, so I didn't know what I had. I had surgery 2 years ago in Nov. and that following Jan. my crohns had already got back active. I am now taking 9 colozal, 4 bentol, a vitamin, iron pill, and now last week they added 6MP a half pill a day, and now I am waiting till the 11th for my CTeclpsyophe  test and I am scared to death.

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