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Crohns or UC? Should I still be concerned?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/6/2015 11:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hello again everybody! Hope you are all doing well.

So as some of you may know I had a nasty episode of fever, fatigue, and diarrhea like a month ago. Pretty bad, with constant abdominal pain and diarrhea like 10 times a day. I got bloody diarrhea for a little while too, but it eventually went away with the diarrhea. Got my stool tested for bacteria and it turned out negative :(.

I'm feeling a lot better now, but sometimes am still noticing small amounts of mucus/slime in stool with small amounts of blood. Blood is on and off and when it is there, its hardly noticeable. Stool is also yellowish-green-brown instead of that normal light brown I have. Also am constantly seeing undigested food in the stool (why???). Finally, my stomach and intestines CONSTANTLY growl at me for some odd reason.

So I called my doctor, who said that I should not be seeing mucus and blood in the stool anymore. Aside from that, hes assuming that its just from the nasty bug I had. Its been a month since my initial bout of bloody diarrhea. He did mention that normally people with IBD complain abdominal pain, and its a good sign I don't have that. Otherwise, he wants to do a blood test just to make sure everything is alright.

I haven't had any abdominal pain or discomfort since my diarrhea went away. No weight loss. Appetite is normal. Life is normal. I literally have one bowel movement per day and thats it.

I know i've said this a million times, but please, I want your thoughts on this again. Tests will take ages to get back. If you were in my shoes, would you be concerned about Crohn's or UC?
Posted 1/6/2015 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
I wouldn't be concerned until I had biopsy results that indicated that I had UC/Crohn's - but I would want to find the answer ASAP. The blood test isn't a bad idea but a lot of people with IBD do not have elevated markers so it could show nothing and you may still have IBD. You really don't know unless you have biopsies. Did he give you anything to try for treatment? I never had abdominal pain until my UC had progressed. When I initially had proctitis, it would be a little blood on the TP - that's all. Now I have had some horrible proctitis flares that where completely unmanageable.
Posted 1/6/2015 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
He suggested that i go get some probiotics to try. Otherwise he thinks I'll be okay if the blood tests or normal. If the mucus and blood in the stool persist after the blood test shows up normal he's sending me to a specialist. My blood isn't on the toilet paper, its on the stool itself. Its crazy small compared to what I had with my bloody diarrhea initially, and sometimes I get it mixed up with pieces of undigested tomatoes or red bell peppers I ate.

Is it normal for someone with IBD to have their symptoms get better (like my fever, diarrhea, and fatigue did) without treatment? I have no family history of such a disease if that means anything and supposedly my race means I'm less likely to get it if that means anything too.

Worse case scenario I get UC or Crohn's what's it like living with it? I'm still so young, and I would HATE to not be able to live the rest of my life, go to college, etc. Plus, I'd have to deal with the stupid risk of colon cancer which is just more crap I have to live with. Something I really don't need right now :( I also heard that those with Crohn's most likely need to have surgeries, and they're far worse than those with UC. Why do these things exist???

Post Edited (Chauffer) : 1/6/2015 4:48:12 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/7/2015 12:38 AM (GMT 0)
Undigested food in your poop means your gastero intestinal transit time is elevated. Think of your gi tract as a conveyor belt, that can go faster or slower. When it's fast, you pass undigested food. What causes it to move fast? Some sort of irritant like inflammation or getting over a bacterial episode.

Only a gastroenterologist can diagnose you with crohn's or uc with a colonoscopy and biopsies.

Uc or crohn's can be mild for some, others have a b1txh of a time fighting and failing a lot of treatments. No way of knowing how yours will go. Don't worry until there is cause to worry.

Noisy guts are common with people with digestive issues, ibs, ibd, uc, crohn's. Your symptoms sound similar to ours, but self diagnosis is often terrible in result.

Yes, it can get better and worse on its own. Happened to me before diagnosis.

If it gets worse then contact a specialist for a colonoscopy.
Posted 1/7/2015 12:44 AM (GMT 0)
Aw well that's just great. I don't know why he won't just send me on to a colonoscopy if my symptoms are so indicative of IBD :/. Hope this whole thing is over for me soon. I asked my doctor if the noisy gut was concerning and he told me no.
Posted 1/7/2015 1:20 AM (GMT 0)
Look, I've said this before and I'll say it again. There is no reason to rush into an invasive diagnostic procedure like a colonoscopy. It is good for you to get referred to a specialist. Let the specialist decide what to do about the differential diagnosis. The basic facts are that you are feeling well, you have a good appetite and you are doing fine.

Just continue on the road you're taking, one step at a time. If you are feeling very anxious about this, share that with your DR as well.
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