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Posted 5/10/2008 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
eyes I was wondering it seems like everyone is always talking about C-scans, MRI's but I haven't heard of anyone talking about capsule endoscopy ( the camera pill ).I've had one and my GI wants to do another...He was talking about a C-scan, But now he wants to do the pill again... I wasn't to worried the first time, I really didn't know what I had, I had never herd of crohn's... So it was no big deal. It showed I had 4 spots, so my GI wants to see if they have changed or what..I've had a lot of pain and bloating, I just don't want that pill to get stuck...And has anyone else heard of one getting stuck????



Ne Ne yeah
Posted 5/10/2008 9:46 PM (GMT 0)
There are threads dealing with this but I don't remember their names-but in short yes there are people here who have had them and they will be around soon to share their experiences. They have a disolvable test pill that they can give you before the capsule endoscopy if their is concern about it getting stuck.
Sj
Posted 5/11/2008 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
NeNe . . . go to the top of the page and find a blank box and the words "Search Site". Type in "pill cam stuck" or "capsule endo stuck" or other combination of words and you find lots. Blessings!
Posted 5/11/2008 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
I really WANTED to do the capsule endoscopy and have wanted to for years BUT we KNOW I have a partial obstruction at my old resection site so I refused to do the PCE regardless how badly I wanted to "see" until they ordered the Agile Patency Capsule for me to try first. (Good thing too, the APC did get stuck!).

The APC is the exact same size as the PCE but it is dissolvable w/in 3-4 days. You swallow the APC and 26 hours later go in for a simple abdominal xray. If the APC is seen on xray you are NOT a candidate for the PCE.
Posted 5/11/2008 3:19 AM (GMT 0)
What happens when it gets stuck?
Posted 5/11/2008 4:22 AM (GMT 0)
CrohnieToo, you aren't necessarily not a candidate for the capsule endoscopy if the patency capsule doesn't go through. I did two patency capsules, and both times they didn't pass (and just dissolved). But I decided it was more important to find out what was going on, because my doctor and I figured if it got stuck then at least we would know what it got stuck in. And the actual pill camera passed within a week. So I was lucky, but it isn't necessarily for everyone. I'm having another one done in August after I return from studying abroad this summer. It does help the doctor to see some things that they otherwise wouldn't be able to see.
Posted 5/11/2008 6:48 AM (GMT 0)
I had the capsule done after I healed from my partial bowel resection to map out the disease. I did fine but most of my inflammation was down. If the capsule gets truly stuck, they have to do surgery to get it out. The images from it were really neat, it found stomach ulcers I had developed and didn't know I had, plus bleeding ulcers in my small bowel. good luck to you!
Posted 5/11/2008 8:24 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Brit. But its a long standing anastomosis (1978) and we know from previous imaging procedures that inflammation has been going on there on and off for the last 9 years. I've had a surgical recommendation for several years now but since I keep popping in and out of symptomatic remission I just don't feel sick enough yet to agree to another resection. I really don't care to put myself in the position of HAVING to have that surgery because I swallowed the PCE and it go stuck.

But I, oh so very much, would LOVE to see just what the innards of my small intestine does look like - sigh! Just not enough to risk surgery.

We know where the narrowing is and we also can clearly see the amount of distention above it.

Now - I wonder if "when" I am ready to agree to the surgery, I could con my gastro into doing the PCE and then when it gets stuck head like heck for Mayo for the surgery. Hmmmmmm. (I wonder if she would go for that .....) besides, maybe it "wouldn't" get stuck .....
Posted 5/11/2008 3:21 PM (GMT 0)
The first time I had the pill I had no problem.. My GI said hes not to worried about what he will find, but after reading some of your posts it makes me think.. I've been constipated for a few and I keep getting bloated..When it started my GI wanted to do a C-scan, now he wants to go back to the pill.. when I did the first pill, they found 4 sores..My GI said that was not bad.. Then he did a colonoscopy, and said he saw the crohn's at the end of my colon where it attaches to the small intestine.My question is how long does it take to get really bad. It has been a year and sense the last one and I've been getting worse all the time..But at the same time I want to know for sure..


Ne Ne
Posted 5/11/2008 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
Inflammation eventually causes scarring. It is the scarring that causes the blockages that "could" make it difficult to pass the PCE. Most likely you are still quite safe to go the PCE route. On the other hand, if you have had really aggressive Crohn's who's to say how much scarring has occurred. Why not ease your mind by insisting on the dissolvable Agile Patency Capsule first?
Posted 5/12/2008 3:58 AM (GMT 0)
I had one. Thats how I was DXed. Had no trouble with it, but at that time nothing stayed in me more than a few minutes anyway. I never did see it pass but doc said it did so it was still taking pics when it went.
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