IBS and CD???

does anybody have crohn's and IBS at the same time...if so, how do you differentiate between the two?

thank you

jackie

I saw my gastro last week. I've been complaining about constipation for months now. We tried the Metamucil and Citrucel, then Miralax. He's finally decided that I have IBS on top of the Crohn's because of the switch from diarrhea to more normal and now to constipation. He said that some times people with CD that have gone into remission from meds end up having a functional problem left from the inflammation that was there previously. I don't know how true that is. I think that my CD is still mildly active based on pain. He says that the pain is probably from backed up stool. I wish I had a better answer for you.

Jen

My GI also suspected I have IBS along with my CD...mainly I guess because of my complaints of symptoms, although symptoms are almost identical, when he scoped me and saw that I did infact have some inflammation still present in my colon, he felt that my symptoms were too severe for the amount of inflammation I had for it to be the CD alone...

He also said that it's not uncommon for IBDers who've been flaring continuously over yrs to develop IBS as well because of functional problems that CD (IBD) can cause over time, especially the more flares you have or lengthy flares and severity.

:)

I have both IBS and Crohn's. The only reason I know is because I had all my disease colon removed last year but I still have bouts of d every week or so. I didn't know I had crohn's before my surgery. I always thought it was IBS. I do have trouble telling the two apart. I'll call my doctor if I have more then a week of "d".

Belleenstein, I had been told that IBS was just unexplained "d" so when I found out I had Crohn's I said to myself "Well, it's now been explained so I don't have IBS". But, the two GI I had since last year both said the "d" I was having could very easily be IBS and not crohn's since nothing was found in my last colonoscopy. I had half of my colon removed last year before I had a chance to consult a GI. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis which caused a fistula to my bladder. The colo-rectal surgeon said I was going to have to have a resection because of the fistula and to repair the bladder. He said he was 90% sure it was diverticulitis and 5% chance is Crohns and 5% chance it was cancer. The colonoscopy done at the time couldn't even get through my sigmoid. Since I had to have the surgery anyway I decided to find out what it was at that time instead of doing all the testing first. Looking back I probably should have waiting but because I hadn't consulted a GI I think the surgeon took all of my diseased area. Now I can't be for sure but everything I had read about IBS I'm leaning towards having IBS also. I've had "d" since I was 17 (now 47) but looking back the last 5-8 years it was getting worse and different. More accidents, more cramping, and lots more fatigue. I think that is when I developed Crohns and not at the age of 17.

I know that was a long rambling story but I now believe you can have both. Especially since about 30 million people are said to have IBS. I think that is the number, I can't believe all those people has something else wrong with them. From what I have read people with IBS has a more sensitive colon. That would explain me because I have never been able to stand people to brush my hair, or scratch my back, or rub my shoulders. I was always really sensitive and it hurt for some strange reason. So why not my colon?

I don't know for sure but it's just my opinion and thoughts on the issue.