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How to tell if you have an internal fistula??

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 5/4/2011 6:44 AM (GMT 0)
I had one that I was unaware of back when I was found thatmy bowel perforated.  In the CT scan it showed that I had a bowel to bowel fistula and it was unknown how long it had been there etc.  Right now my pain meds are not helping my pain nor is tea or a heating pad.  My gut it making lots of noise as if I have tons of gas mving around.  I have been eating a low res diet now for at least a week without cheating.  Today I had some tomato soup (about 1/4 or 1/3 a can made with water) and some bread with spread on it (country crock) then for dinner noodle soup (the box type has flavour packet and some small trait noodles I add additional elbow macaroni to it).  I know I have had extreme stress lately which is not helping the fact...in addition to the stress I have a whole month to clean this place (2 bed apt which is overcluttered from my bf using it also as a part time on the side place to run what is left of his business since he has essentially retired due to disability)..until my parents arrive.  They are nto staying here but still have to do more than your average vacuum, mop and scrub the bathroom...but not worried about that currently more concerned with the issues currently. 

Any ways to tell what might be going on my anastamosis and what is left of my TI is now on my left side (about 1/4 to 1/3 of my large bowel left after resections ilius and adhesions).  I am hungry which is a good sign and no fever yet again I was unaware the other had formed that they found in 07.

any tips or methids to figure out if this is going on again would be great

thanks

Posted 5/4/2011 11:35 AM (GMT 0)
When mine first popped up (not sure if it's gone or not), I had horrible pain on my LRQ by my TI. It was like a stabbing pain that would last a few minutes and go away. Lots of gurgling and lots of D. The one to my bladder, it hurt everytime I went to the bathroom on my lower right side like inside my hip and I kept feeling like I was getting a UTI over and over and over and over...my whole right side also got rock hard from inflammation and was tender to touch. I could only wear BIG, baggie clothes that I could tie above or below my right side.

When they got really bad right before I started Remicade, I could not lay down because the pain was so intense. Whenever I laid down, I would involuntarily moan so I'd sit up until 2 -3 (yay netflix!) to make myself tired enough to pass out. When I did fall asleep, I'd wake my husband up moaning (and a few times screaming). During the day, working wasn't too bad. Sitting and moving in a chair was fine. It only hurt a bit. But walking was rough...I could barely walk faster then a snail and looked like I was limping. It would hurt if I moved too much, too fast. I didn't have any pain pills so I took Tyelnol. Though I did have an ER visit and they gave me a lot of morphine, it didn't even take the pain away only took the edge off. Which at that point, I was soooooo desperate for ANYTHING. The only thing that really, really worked for me was a hot compress...I know you're not supposed to do that (and that's how my abscess started to burst), but I was so desperate for relief.

But for me, I didn't know I had an internal fistula until my GI order a CT after my ER visit and was like "hm...you've been having pain because 2 huge fistulae." We had thought it was a nasty stricture...

I really, really hope you didn't go through what I went through and I hope that you feel better soon...
Posted 5/4/2011 1:57 PM (GMT 0)
Could the tomato soup have upset your guts??? Kinda acidy for me.

As for if you had a fistula, I think you would feel alot worse than you are. Honestly Stef, you have had ALOT on your plate of late, and now with the stress of getting ready for company, that can't be helping any.

Have you spoken with your doc or seen him? Maybe you need to get in with them and see if there is anything going on. I will tell you when highly stressed, I get so sick I think I am flaring. But I am not, because when the stress abates, I get better. Hugs!
Posted 5/4/2011 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
Quite similar to what tooth posted. I had to use a walking stick the first hour out of bed because of the right hip, then it would loosen up. Woke up one morning it was much much worse and I couldn't walk anymore. That's my abscess drain that's still going, probably have a fistula. I'm really hoping to go on remicade for it and not get cut on.
Posted 5/4/2011 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
I think it is stress related too nanners about this time last year I began a flare and soon after I ended up with mono while on Pred. I just had that internal fistula that was bowel to bowel and I nor my Docs had any clue, I was still working at the time on pred and pain meds. Tomato soup has never bothered me before but never know with this DD what might. Tonight making the fam mac and cheese with hot dogs...my meal will probably be noodles with a small amount of butter (well country crock). In the morning I tend to have less pain and as the day goes on and I eat the pain comes on and even my bf at night at wtimes will rest his head on a pillow which sits on my heating pad thing (the ones with herbs in it that u nuke) and he cant hear the TV over my belly noises and it has been getting more talkative the last few days. Thinking about calling my GI getting him to do a CRP (atm cant afford the trip 30 miles into town with gas at its current price)
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