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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 3/8/2018 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all! I am new here and was hoping to get some help from everyone suffering from Crohn's. I have been suffering from chronic diarrhea (that are sometimes black and tarry) everyday 3-6 times a day for over 5 years now. Rarely, do I get solid stool (maybe once or twice a month). In addition to my chronic diarrhea, I also suffer from constant bloating, abdominal cramps that can be severe, rashes on legs and thighs, eye sensitivity/pain (especially towards light), night sweats, and recently I have been having joint pain in my fingers, wrist, and shoulders.

I recently had a colonoscopy done a week and half ago and mild inflammation/erosion was found in the small intestine, some inflammation found in the colon, and diverculosis in my colon. My GI accused me of taking too much NSAIDS which I NEVER DO EVER!! They took two biopsies and said the biopsies came back showing no inflammation. Is it possible that I have Crohn's disease even though the biopsy doesn't show any inflammation?

Thank you to all who read this and are taking the time to respond. I am eager to feel better and just want some answers.

Cheers!

Thanks,

Christine
Posted 3/8/2018 9:01 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, it is possible. There is a lot more intestine than what can be seen during a scope! I would strongly suggest getting a second opinion.
Posted 3/8/2018 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Christine & welcome to the forum. Five years is a long time, is this the first time you have seen a dr for this? The biopsy results are what the drs look at when a diagnosis for crohns is given, the scope & the biopsy report is pretty much considered gold standard. I would get a copy of the biopsy report from the dr & post here exactly what it says.

Has any of your drs ever done labs & stool testing. The stool testing would be to check for infections & other pathogens? If not, I would ask the dr to do this. A lot of the symptoms sound like IBS-D. Often diverticulosis is called IBS-D. I read somewhere some time that that people with diverticulosis the odds were like 80 out of 100 people never develop diverticulitis. Some of your listed symptoms sounds like IBS. I don't know what the rashes would be from. Perhaps you should see a dermatologist for the rashes. I know you said you do not take NSAIDS, but I do know using NSAIDS can cause inflammation. Has thr dr offered any type of meds for the inflammation?

You may want to consider getting a second opinion with another gi too. Take care.
Posted 3/8/2018 10:16 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you guys for the reply. I think it's wise to get a second opinion. This is the first time I have seen a doctor about this (since I didn't have health insurance for a very long time). We've only done a few stool test to see if there were any blood present and to see if I was infected with H Pylori (which I was and no longer infected). I have an appointment in two weeks to go over treatment for the inflammation found in the colonoscopy. However, he did not give me a diagnosis yet.

I didn't know I can ask for the colonoscopy report. I will diffidently do so at my next appointment and post it for you all to see. Initially, the doctor said it's most likely IBS but wanted to rule out IBD which is why we did the colonoscopy. From my understanding, I thought IBS does not cause inflammation in the small intestine or the colon. Also, does IBS cause black/sticky stool too? If it is IBS, it seems like I have a very severe case of it.

Also, my rash are small red bumps that are raised and feels inflamed (but they itch too). They go away on their own..but sometimes they turn purple..like it almost looks like a bruise. I assume this is prolly a separate issue that I need to see a dermatologist about.

I will keep you all updated. Thanks!
Posted 3/9/2018 5:44 AM (GMT 0)
I have ibd and get the itchy rash like you that turns bruise like. Idk if it is from ibd or not but I tried researching it and could never find anything about it!
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