Is this Crohn's???

Hi ally5531,

I have both CD and IBS, from what you describe, those symptoms sound more like IBS to me...IBS is highly driven by food/diet and stress (physical/emotional) with CD food doesn't cause the symptoms you've described compared to IBS (spicy, greasy, fast/processed foods) tend to cause those kinds of IBS issues...it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a colonoscopy just to make sure there isn't any inflammation as they tend to use that as a rule out of IBD and consider your issues to be more of an IBS type issue.

With CD, once you become sick, it's a daily thing regardless of what you eat or don't eat but with IBS symptoms can act up based on diet or stress as I mentioned.

Also, the fact that you've been worrying yourself sick as you say is very indicative of IBS stress triggering symptoms. If it's not happening daily then IMO it's not likely to be crohn's but rather irritable bowel syndrome. IBS can be controlled with diet and stress management and once you have IBS, like IBD (crohn's or ulcerative colitis) then it's considered life long as well.

It's great you're going back to see the doctor since it's a good idea to make sure you can rule out IBD with a scope and then get appropriate guidance on how to deal with I think is IBS happening...plus I"m not a doctor but I've suffered for quite some time with both of my conditions and now that I have my CD finally in remission I've been struggling to get my IBS under control, so keep in mind there are varying degrees of severity of the way IBS can act up, especially for each person as it can be fairly individual.

I totally get where you're coming from, I've developed into quite the worrier myself so I can relate...and it certainly is the culprit behind my IBS issues so it wasn't worth all the worrying I did cuz it literally put me in the vicious circle I'm living now.

Have you ever been tested for lactose intolerance? I have that too, lol I just have all these crap issues literally same crap but different pile hahaha, but the worst thing is they all coexist together making it harder to pin point what is what....my GI had suspected many years ago (after already suffering with CD for many years) that I had also developed IBS, and he was right cuz now that my CD is finally in remission for the very first time after being sick for 23 yrs (either allergic or non-responsive to oral meds is why I flared for so long) based on some symptoms not really lining up with my CD, he also tested me for lactose intolerance (which was also easily masked by having CD) and that came back highly positive (I could barely finish the lactose test which consisted of drinking a small cup of lactose and then having blood drawn 3 times 15 minutes apart from one another, well by the time I was suppose to get the 3rd blood drawn I was sicker than a dog stuck in the lab washroom and missed the last blood test I was suppose to get but the lab tech said it was very apparent that I was highly lactose intolerant (she even seemed annoyed that my GI would put me through that test) but it needed to be done and I'm glad it was cuz then I knew.

Generally they sedate you for a colonoscopy (at least where I live they automatically do cuz it's more invasive than a sigmoidoscopy, but I get sedated for those too since I have anal issues due to my CD) they put you to sleep then insert the camera and air to expand the intestines so they can see on the spot what condition your intestinal lining is in. It's prepping for the test that is the nasty part so if you do get a colonoscopy be sure to eat lightly for 2-3 days prior to drinking the prep, those preps tend to be forceful and you certainly don't want big heavy meals being forced out of you because that increases not only the painful cramping but also the more you have in your guts the more to be forced out.

Based on your last reply I still feel it's IBS C alternating D which is what mine is like, only my D (diarrhea) tends to only happen around my menstrual cycle and not every time either but generally for me it's more struggling to get stools out, I do get them out but it's often painful cuz it feels more like constipation and I even had constipated looking stools (check the Bristol stool chart out, it's an easy google search and you'll see what I mean) I've been working with a dietitian to aid me with the constipation (even though I "go" everyday and frequently as well it's still considered constipation) and it's definitely helped some, it's easier to get the stools out for the most part but I still have the frequency issues (see how having the same IBS C/D can still have varying symptoms from person to person) so definitely get scoped to rule out inflammatory bowel disease.

Best of luck to you....I was just turning 24 when my CD hit me hard out of the blue pretty much and I only just found remission last year...I'll be 48 this year.

Almost every adult is lactose intolerant to some degree. You can also become temporarily lactose intolerant from a gastrointestinal virus. Eliminating lactose isn't that hard to do. There is very little lactose in hard cheeses like cheddar. Pizza is the worst culprit because mozzarella is a soft cheese with plenty of lactose. You can take lactase enzyme when you eat dairy and that should help.

Hi ally,

Yes you can use lactaid products, they have some dairy that already has the lactose removed like milk and yogurt butter and cheeses too you just have to look around while grocery shopping and if you have issues finding it then using lactaid pills is a great source too, you just take a chewable tab with your first bite of dairy/food containing dairy and it does the trick. Many people are lactose intolerant it's actually fairly common and some people are more severe than others so it's best to check labels because you'd be surprised at some foods that have lactose in it, like Ichiban soup, flavored nacho chips and so on...you just have to get used to reading labels but it's a good idea to get tested as that may not be an issue for you, and yes, it's a good idea to get a scope done, you need to talk to your family doctor to get you a referral (at least that's how it works where I live).

Thanks for the well wishes, I really hope you soon find out what exactly is going on, suffering is horrible and embarrassing and can be very intrusive in daily life so it's really best to get things checked out to make sure you know what you're actually dealing with.

@pb4: Thanks for the tips, I will look for lactaid or pills the next time I go grocery shopping. I will definitely be getting checked out for sure.

@ozonehole: My fever seems to be gone or not as bad since I don't feel awful like I did on Sunday. I do still get cramps followed by gas. My appetite has come back and I've been eating but not as much as I usually do since when I do, I've been getting heartburn and indigestion. I used to eat spicy food all the time like literally every week with no problems. But then I got kidney stones and stopped completely.

I appreciate your input because I can get a better idea and more info about Crohn's and figure out it if that could be what's wrong wiith me. How bad were your cramps? Mine are painful but not severe.

It doesn't sound amazingly like Crohn's to me. Lots of things can cause a temporary fever. In my experience, you don't get fevers with Crohn's until it's fairly severe. People with Crohn's also don't tend to only have 'attacks' a few times a year. Everyone is different and I'm not ruling it out in your case: I just don't think it's the likeliest explanation.

Ask your doc about the faecal calprotectin stool test. Not all docs are familiar with this test, but hopefully the one you see will be. If it's elevated, that means you have something more than IBS going on. If it's normal, you can *probably* assume you have IBS. Note: NSAIDs and PPIs can cause false positives, so it's important to not take them for 2 weeks before your test.

Doesn't really sound typical to me. I don't think Crohn's really comes and goes like that in small spurts. Sounds like maybe something viral, or food related.

In February I got sick enough that I had a fever every day. Of course I'm more severe and was really ill at the time with my flare. I've had fevers here and there with no real explanation. But this one was very obvious to it being linked to my Crohn's. It can be really hard to say with such a thing since any minor virus can give you a fever.

With that said I wouldn't freak out and get so upset. That can give a person stomach problems, even with being "normal". Talking to your doctor is a good idea though. If they do suggest a colonoscopy try not to worry. They really aren't that bad.

I just want to say thank you all for your replies! They've been really helpful.

@JaSanne: If it comes down to it, which it might, I will just have it done and try not to get upset about it. But it will be hard. I'm a bit of a baby, obviously.

@NiceCupOfTea: Yeah it's such a mystery to me. It doesn't happen that much. It seems to only happen if I eat something specifically. But I don't know what it is besides dairy. The last time this happened I got bad cramps then had a bm and it went away completely. I will definitely suggest that to my doctor.

@pb4: Interesting. When I looked at the symptoms of CD, low grade fever was one of them. Now i'm even more confused! My fever is gone now and I feel sooo much better. So CD doesn't come in spurts? Are there symptoms everyday or?

@Jen77: Wow, I'm sorry to hear that. How did you know it was Crohn's? And you are right. I'm going to stop worrying myself sick when I don't know for sure what's wrong. It's not healthy at all. My grandma said it wasn't bad too but it still scares me a bit. I wish I could just get over it but that will take me a while.

Whenever I have these spurts, they last for a few days and then go away. I really hope I don't either. My aunt's husband has Crohn's and before he was diagnosed, he was bleeding from his rectum quite a bit, enough to soak up a sanitary pad supposedly. Is that typical with CD or only in severe cases?


Sounds like a good idea since it seems like certain foods trigger these episodes. Sometimes I can eat dairy and other times I can't.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out after work!

I didn't even have a fever, which is more than fairly common, when I developed my RV fistula at any point and with having severe inflammation in my colon and rectum, so again proving we're all different.