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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 1/27/2014 8:20 PM (GMT 0)
i just got my test results from my calprotectin test and the numbers are really good. i'm at 42 which is the same as a normal person almost. what i dont understand is i dont feel any better. i took the test because i started feeling worse and it say's i'm normal. i still have some pain and bloating and havent noticed any improvment. i'm a little baffled i guess. just wondering if this is good or bad sign? and has it happened to anyone else? i have also been strugling with alot of emotional stuff, i know i was diagnosed with crohns 3 years ago but it's still hard for me to just accept it. on top of everything i have alot of stress from my parents seperation. was wondering how some of you guys deal with emotional problems? its just hard not getting down about having crohns and then get thrown on an emotional roller-coaster with family problems. sorry if i'm rambling on :-/
Posted 1/27/2014 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
My parents got divorced when I was in 3rd grade, and I was later diagnosed with Crohn's my freshman year of high school. I think that I somewhat successfully dealt with my stress and emotional problems with a mantra of "laughter is the best medicine." This was both in the media I consumed (comedy movies, TV shows, etc) and the way I interacted with others.

I believe that I was strong in my faith, and I found prayer to be a very strong and helpful tool.

I also used video games as a mindless escape, when necessary.
Posted 1/27/2014 8:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Rango,
I'm sorry about your parents...that's got to hurt. I hope you have someone you can confide in like a good friend or relative, or you might want to consider individual or family counseling.
I can relate to you as far as still having symptoms despite normal test results. At my last GI visit, I was telling my doc that before my Crohn's diagnosis, that I had IBS, but now my IBS seems so much worse, and I don't understand why. He said that even with medications, those of us with Crohn's might still have some level of chronic inflammation, even when it doesn't show up on tests....so it's probably not all IBS. I haven't quite figured out what to do with that info, but it did make me feel a little less like a hypochondriac. For me, staying busy and distracting myself helps with both pain and stress...exercise helps too. And of course you can always hang here and vent to us!!!
Posted 1/27/2014 9:01 PM (GMT 0)
You can have zero inflammation and still have gas and bloating, I'm sorry to say. I think a lot of that is normal variations on the digestive process, but for those of us with IBD maybe the nerves in the gut are hypersensitive and we feel the pain more? Or maybe you have developed some food intolerances. Or maybe the emotional stuff is wreaking havoc with your gut (there are more nerves in your gut than in your brain!).

Since you know that you are struggling emotionally with things at home, this is a good opportunity to get some counseling. You can work with a counselor on developing relaxation techniques. Also, just talking about your worries with someone outside your family often helps put things into perspective. Your school counselor should be able to help you find the right person to talk to, or your pediatrician can do that, or someone at your place of worship.

You might try to modify your diet to see if that helps with some of this. Get rid of lactose first and see how that goes.
Posted 1/27/2014 9:13 PM (GMT 0)
It could also be bacteria overgrowth from strictures and scar tissue. Before I had my strictures removed I has the WORST gas and bloating, it was awful. The only thing that worked was Flagyl, and then eventually having the strictures removed. But bacterial overgrowth is common in IBD and often misdiagnosed for IBS.
Posted 1/28/2014 11:49 AM (GMT 0)
thanks everyone, i really appreciate all the replies. don't know what i would do without this forum. Myrne - i'll have to ask my doc about the bacteria, i think i might have had a bacteria overgrowth once not sure. but when i went to have a scope done the prep clened out everything and i felt 10x better the next day. i think i need to find a better way to clense/clean out my intestines,(dont feel like drinking a gallon of miralax) and maybe a probiotic will help. thanks again guys for everything:)
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