confused

Your disease can go into remission, sometimes this can last for years. BUT I think the advice he
gave you about stopping meds altogether is not good. We need maintenance drugs like Pentasa
to help keep us in remission, without them the likelihood of it returning is so much greater.
If I were you, I would find another GI. Good luck!!

Plus, how can your DR say he see's nothing wrong? Can he see inside your small bowel?

A colonoscopy only goes as far as the terminal ileum, and an upper endoscopy can perhaps go into the duodenum. There are about 20 feet more of bowel that cannot be seen.

Has anyone done blood work to look at inflammatory markers? Have you had any radiology studies (small bowel follow through, CT scan, MRI with contrast)?

Don't stop taking your meds.

There is a long 18 foot endoscopy that can examine most of those 20 feet left out of normal exams, but at the very least a pill camera might be something to think about.

thank you soooo much for all responses-waking up this morning and seeing that people are out there that really care definitely helps put my mind at ease....first, the recent procedures i have had (not including the 'clear' 2009 colonoscopy) are: ultrasound of the abdomen, small bowel series, and upper endoscopy. the ultrasound looked ok, endoscopy showed a large hiatal hernia and gastritis, and small bowel series supposedly was ok as well. after drinking that white liquid which supposedly takes 30 min. or so to get where they need it, i immediately had to use bathroom but didn't. went in, they took the pictures of my insides, and the nurse said i needed to speak to the doctor because he saw something.- he repeatedly said that i must have had surgery before because whatever that white liquid is went right through me as my entire tract had showed up with no obstruction...people were walking up and down the hallway for over an hour, but for me-i could have been in and out in 15 min....i assumed that this was good as far as there being no obstruction and the pentasa was working...as far as going right thru me-i was used to that but thought it can't be normal....when going to get the results from all above tests, MY doctor said it was not abnormal for me having to go to the bathroom that fast-stop the meds, eat what i want and live a normal life. he also told me (regarding the hemorrhoids i failed to mention) that i can use some cream and to "just stop pushing". i was completely dumbfounded...here i was unemployed, no insurance, and have been chasing and finding ways to get the pentasa for basically free for the past 2 yrs and was just told to stop...........i did have several ct scans when going to the er the past and they showed 'abnormal ileum...haustral thickening of the proximal colon...'there is very abnormal thickening of the walls of the distal ileum extending to the ileocecal valve with nonspecific thickening of the haustral folds of the ascending colon and proximal transverse colon'.........
again-i am feeling ok most of the time now and am nervous to stop taking the pentasa....thanks so much to all responses-u have all helped me put my mind somewhat at ease.

Taking:
pentasa 500mgX2 four times a day
omeperazole 40mg once a day
dilantin 400mg once a day(had 1st and only seizure jan 2010)
zoloft 150mg once a day
xanax 1 mg up to 3 times a day
ambien 10mg once before bed

thanks for the advice gail...i will continue taking the meds... just found the name of another GI who takes my insurance. your help is priceless as is everyone else's

Best of luck with your new doctor. Not to sound rude, but your old doctor sounds incompetent. Any doctor who tells you to stop taking your meds should not be a doctor.. Even if you are in remission (which, by the sounds of it. you're not since you're still having symptoms), you still need meds to keep you that way and to avoid causing any further damage. Hopefully this new doctor is better than the last... Let us know what he says!