Does this sound like it could be Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis?

I realize you can't be diagnosed via the internet, but I am at my wit's end and want to know what sorts of things to bring up/ ask my pcp at my next appointment in March. Just from people who maybe have experienced the same type of thing.

I'm going to be a little graphic about bowel issues here, but I'm trusting that this is one of the few adult corners of the internet that it not all "lol, poop".


Last year, after having two EMG's w/ NCV, and a blood draw, I was diagnosed with B12 deficiency anemia and dyemylineating peripheral polyneuropathy. :( I was only 25, and I am still pretty freaked out about it.

I got sent to a neuro, who ruled out MS with an MRI, and as for bloodwork, she ran ANA, E-Sed rate, folate, & RA Factor, all normal.

My PCP started me on B12shots last June- first every day for a week, then once a week for four weeks, and then finally my once a months, which I've been on every since. THey've been drawing my blood every three months, and not only did they only ever go up to a 'low normal', despite the monthly injections, they actually dropped. My pcp said most people would have had to back off the shots a little.

(My values were originally 160, then went up to 395, then dropped to 360).

I had a full celiac panel done, which was normal. I then got sent to a hema, who was convinced I had pernicious anemia. She did bloodwork for parietal cell antibodies, intrinsic factor, methylmalonic acid, and homocysteine. All normal.


SO, for this month, she has upped my shots to once a week again, then I have to get my blood drawn yet again to see if *that* has helped it go up any.

My PCP had mentioned that if the hema couldn't find anything, the next step was a GI. She thinks I'm having an absorption issue, since it's getting directly injected into my muscle, and it's still being wonky.




SO, if you've made it THIS far, I congratulate you. Now I'll get on to the bowel issues!

Like I said, they've already ruled out celiacs. I've never given a GI issue too much thought, because I don't have all the extreme symptoms.

Basically, there was a period last year when I was constipated for months. When I got diagnosed with the B12 deficiency, I added a little meat back into my formerly vegetarian diet to try and help boost my levels, and bowel movements became a little more normal.

BUT, I get stomach cramps (and acid reflux?) pretty often. I have to pop antacids every few weeks:( Sometimes they are sharp, sometimes they are dull achy pains. I don't really ever get diarrhea, which is why I'm confused on if I have a GI issue...the only time I can remember it happening recently was about a year ago. Maybe longer? I woke up in the middle of the night with TERRIBLE stomach pain. I though my appendix was gonna burst or something- but it ended up just being diarrhea. I chalked it up to eating something bad and went along with my night.

I often feel like I have to strain when I'm having a BM, and more often that not, even if my stomach is all crampy before I go, not much will come out. Or there's a lot of mucous.

It's not all that bothersome, which is also why I'm hesitant to think it's Chrohns, or UC, after reading so many horror stories...but I am at my wits end. I am terrified to not know why my B12 is so low, and I just want it fixed.

I thought maybe someone would have a story like mine, where they have some cramping/ straining/ irregularities but nothing like OH MAN THIS IS THE WORST PAIN EVER, END OF THE WORLD stuff.

Any thoughts are welcome!

If you took the time you read all that, thank you. I know it's a little all over the place, I'm trying to recap what I can remember from the last year.

Welcome to Healing Well Bretta! We often talk poop here and often in even more graphic terms than you used. Everyone with Crohn's has poop issues or has them intermittently. Bowel transit times run from one extreme to the other - very fast as in mouth to anus in 6 hours; or very slow, perhaps a bowel movement every 7-10 days. It used to be the thinking, and still is in some circles, that people with Crohn's only have diarrhea. We have quite a few members that have CD and are constipated.

In my opinion, I doubt you have ulcerative colitis. B12 is normally absorbed in the terminal ileum, which is at the end of the small bowel. Ulcerative colitis only involves the colon, ergo I doubt you have UC. So you do need to see a GI and have a colonoscopy. During the colonoscopy, the GI needs to take biopsies in the termial ileum to have the pathologist look for Crohn's and any other problems that exist there.

I have peripheral neuropathy caused by untreated Crohn's disease. The progression has halted since the Crohn's has been treated and better controlled. I still have B12 issues and might suggest trying methylcobalamin. I buy sublingual tablets, let them melt under the tongue. They have been very effective in getting my B12 up. I stopped taking them for about a year and I got anemic again because I can't seem to use the B12 in food very well. If you want to try the sublingual B12, make sure you buy Methylcobalamin. Many supplements use cynacobalamin and the body have to change that to methylcobalamin before it can be absorbed. That is what my body can't seem to do. I take 1 gram tablets. Of course talk to your doctor about this first.

The pain I had for 25 years was never too much I couldn't live with it. However, I had active Crohn's playing havoc with a lot of my body systems, not just the guts. So you are not nuts to explore this avenue. I am very interested in what becomes of the search to find the cause of your B12 issue. If you remember, keep us updated!