ileum vs.ovary pain

Hi everyone...this question is for the ladies
I get pain in my lower right side and it comes and goes. I know my ileum is inflamed since I had a recent colonoscopy, but I have also had ovarian cysts in the past. I talked to my GI about it and he is ordering a pelvic ultrasound just to rule out an ovarian cyst in addition to the ileum issue. It seems like when my hormones get off balance, which happens as I am in peri-menopause, my crohn's also acts up at the same time. I'm wondering if anyone else struggles to figure out the difference in the pain? I'm trying to avoid a CT of my abdomen which was another option, because I don't want the unnecessary radiation.

Thanks for the response. I think overall I'm doing better since I got off the Entocort, but my pain in my right side is persisting. I have had two other CT scans 4 and 5 years ago, and I have read that abdominal CT scans have the highest radiation. We were originally going to do the CT scan to see if I have small intestine involvement, but since I'm doing a little better, we are waiting and doing the ultrasound first. I have a great doc who listens and communicates well with me, but this dang disease is just so confusing!!!!

The two pains are very similar. Before I was dx I was always at gy's office. Now I've gone past that point in my
life, I know exactly what the problem is :)

So if your left ovary never hurts, like mine and Kazberns didn't, I would suspect the pain you're feeling
is CD pain. Good luck with your Ultra sound.

Well, at my diagnosis I had inflammation in the rectum and cecum. So both left and right. I was also doing a lot of work trying to get pregnant, so I had a lot of cycle awareness, and I was trying to connect the pelvic pain with my ovulatory cycles and could never quite get it to fit. I complained so much to my reproductive endocrinologist that he did a lap convinced he'd find my pelvis full of endometriosis. Of course, my pelvis was completely clear. That was happening at age 32, and I didn't have my first scope until I was 38. If we could turn back time.....

The only time I had "known" ovary pain was after a car accident in 1965. Every other month for over a year I had right ovary pain from the bruising it received during the accident. That was 1965.

However, when the Crohn's hit, it took us awhile, in fact it was an ER doctor who pointed out that I ended up in ER once a month w/my Chron's in a REAL flair: pain, bloating, nausea. He suggested that I go on birth control pills to stop my periods. My family doctor and I discussed the pros and cons but before making any decision I ended up obstructing, possibly perforating, etc., etc. and a resection for the Crohn's. That was 1975-1978.

Then I was blessed w/a 20 year remission of Crohn's activity - or at least symptomatic remission until 1998. Fortunately we got on it and started medicating it right away and for the most part its stayed mild since its return responding well to Pentasa w/the addition of Imuran.

2003 tho we accidentally "found" a 4 cm simple post-menopause ovarian cyst on the left ovary. I don't remember whether w/CT scan or abdominal xray. At my option we've continued to monitor that cyst (and some other considerably smaller ones (mms instead of cms) on both ovaries) since then w/periodic transvaginal ultrasounds. That 4 cm cyst is now 8 cms. I have absolutely no symptoms from any of these cysts.

The symptoms I DO occasionally get from the Crohn's are anywhere from a razor blade to a sword, and rarely a battle axe, being dragged across my lower abdomen along the path of the TI and even more rarely across my upper abdomen about where I would think the transverse colon runs (except the scopes never reveal any colon involvement).

My last CTE revealed that the dilation proximal to my old resection site which is partially obstructed expands almost to the size of my stomach when filled w/the "dye" solution. That obstruction at the time was to the left and the dilated portion was at the upper left to middle abdomen. Whether "things" are tethered there from adhesions from the old surgery or whether they can still slop and slither around and wouldn't still be in that area at the next imaging I haven't the slightest clue.

I struggle with this too. Just this past year, I was at my Gi's office twice complaining of right sided pain. First I had another CT scan revealed nothing much, then I had a SBFT showed nothing that would be causing the pain. Then because of arthritis in my lower spine I had an MRI and guess what? They found a 3cm cyst on my right ovary. I'm also peri-menopausal and have a history of ovarian cysts and yes it's hard to tell the difference at times. In fact my first surgery was to remove an ovarian cyst that adhered to my appendix. That was the catalyst that set off my first major flare -- the one that almost killed me.
Such fun being a female CDer isn't it?

Thanks, it's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who gets confused. I stare at anatomy charts and it doesn't help at all. The office will call me to give me the date of my ultrasound. I'll let you know how it goes.

Hi NY veggie, Thanks for posting. I'm feeling much better than I have been lately, but my LRQ pain is not severe, but persistent. I had a colonoscopy a month ago, and I know that my ileum is inflamed, and the biopsies confirmed active Crohn's so we are assuming that is the pain I am feeling. I can't help worrying about my ovary though, because it feels just like ovary pain to me. My Ultrasound isn't scheduled until Dec.15. My doc was willing to do a CT scan when I was feeling horrible last week, but I seem to be getting better, so we are waiting it out. I weaned off Entocort because it was making my symptoms worse. We increased my Pentasa....I'm just hoping that will be enough to control the inflammation. I guess I just have to have some patience and wait. At least I'm feeling better, so it's tolerable.

Menopause is defined as the point at which menstruation ceases, where cessation means you haven't had a period in 12 months. My FSH hormone levels are "menopausal," but I'm still menstruating every couple of months. Perhaps it's splitting hairs, but if you're still having menstruation cycles it doesn't make sense to call yourself post-menopausal.

You can certainly have Crohn's disease with few symptoms. There are people on this forum with that situation. One of my friends has been treated for 25 years for RA but found out at her baseline colonoscopy at age 50 that she had inflammation in the terminal ileum. Despite the fact that her two sons had Crohn's diagnoses in their adolescence she was very surprised. She elected not to treat the inflammation.

I had serious problems with popcorn for years before my Crohn's diagnosis, so yes, it's possible that this food irritates you particularly badly. The protein molecule in corn is not what irritates people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, but there are plenty of folks out there who find corn problematic.

And yes, I think a barium series would be more helpful while you're having symptoms.